[ chapter twenty-two ]
DISTRESS CRIES RINGED THROUGH THE VILLAGE, Wira's raw cries being the loudest of all. The girl sobbing, damping the shoulders belongs to Aonung as he had his own pair of waterworks. His hand rubbed her back comfortably with his voice cooing at her with reassurance.
He own face was damped by the tears. He couldn't look at Arwani's body once they retrieved it back. All severed and wounded that it left the boy to trip in guilt. Letting it swallow him whole.
He cried silently with her, " It's okay. You're alright. "
He let out a shaky breath, cursing the Arwani in mind and remembers how she would stupidly counterattack his remarks with such unique ways and remarks. Her stupid jokes, her stupid reassurance whenever he's sad, her laugh and humour — Aonung wanted to curse at her.
Eyes slowly trailing somewhere else, eyes watching his sister entering his aunt's house to wash the body with tears leaking from her eyes already.
Tsireya on the other side wanted to puke too heavily, staring at the Arwani's lifeless body chruned her stomach.
How someone who was once so alive could be so dead. She hated it. And the girl wished and prayed silently to Eywa to see an inch fo Arwani's chest falling and rising. A distinction to tell she was breathing—
Praying for the colours to return back to her face, praying for her fingers to twitch in the slightest motion. Praying that the elder girl would come back.
The girl having to witness her aunt who hardly showed anyone her true feelings, collapsed to her knees as her hand shaking and weakly went to mend her daughter's dead body. Having to come in and out from the hut for multiple times, as it was disrespectful to cover the dead with your tears and snot.
A burial should be peaceful rather than painful— However it's agonzing to everyone who had missed her.
Her damp lashes batted at the sky with the full star of the skies. On this night, where they had decided to bury Neteyam before her. Looking up at the moon, it staring back silently like a whisper.
The clan gathered around as they preformed the boy's burial first. The mother with sorrow and grief painted onto her midnight blue face— the Sully's all rode to the burial spot to release the body of the teen into the ocean for it to take.
Everyone having this equal numbness to their face, but his father showed it the most. As if death was a repetitive appearance in his life to the point he's accept quite fairly on than others.
It was ironic for all the blood that was shed that day to keep the peace of their spirit siblings. Only two had died that day, with the solace of their hearts wrapped with the intention of keeping their siblings safe— they also had hopes to see them again, to not go and stay for a while.
And Arwani forgot herself and to teach the boy that sea can only take up few wishes only.
Wira's face was stripped with tears, the skin of her teal face burning as those salty tears dried up. She gulped on her own, standing a bit further from the funeral away from the offering close clutches of her aunt and cousins.
Who shared their own tears to her, her mother nowhere to be found— by the people's guesses still weeping over he body of her dead wounded daughter.
Patching her up as swallowed her tears and her ferocious sobs of guilt. And as the crowd dispersed from the burial, teal skinned people walking back to their homes.
Wira being the standing stick against the currents that fled home, even the family the Sully's had moved— for the next ceremony with the tree of souls. Neytiri, Kiri and her human friend, including the Lo'ak and Tuktirey walked back with the fleeding current.
Wira stayed. Watching as the male adult still had his head sticker into the waters to stare back at his son for more time.
The young girl walked close, the water levels rising as she swam next to them. Staring at his own face that burned up with his salty tears, Wira picks up her hand to console the man as it rest consolingly.
Wira didn't know how long they stayed that way but it was long. And it was all in silence— for the dead, for his son and her sister. The two dead lovers.
" I'm sorry for your loss. " Wira spoke up from daze, the man nodded as a small tear prickled down his cheek just from the slight comfort that came from a young little girl.
"I'm sorry for yours as well. " Wira took as the chance to thankef him in a way.
" Neteyam wasa very good brother and son. A very good friend too— he was a good person as well. " The man solemnly nodded.
" I know. " His voice shaking and cracking some such a such but truthful answer. Wira nodded with him as they hovered above the boy's body.
" I never got to thanked him- for making my sister so happy. She was the happiest and brightest I've ever seen " Wira didn't know why or how, but her voice began to break as she felt herself get choked.
" My family isn't perfect. And Arwani always fakes a smile just to make me happy and I went along with it just to make her feel better. But Neteyam really brought a good presence to her— I got happy from how she got happy. " Wira choked again, and the man pulled the girl in an embrace. His five fingers gently rubbed her curly head,
" It isn't fair. Neteyam gave a ray of light to my sister and she passed it on to me. I wouldn't be so joyous at home if it weren't for him. It's not fair— what about your other children? Lo'ak? Kiri? Tuk isn't going through it well and I can't do anything about it. "
Wira's eyes burned again but the pain didn't matter as it was shot down by the ache in her chest. Swelling and burning, her lungs flared fiery in search of breath.
It was like one of those things where her late sister explained of situations that we're suppose to forgive— and just how painful it could be. Wira didn't want to forgive, but she knows.
" It's sad enough for children to lose their parents but it's equally unfair for parents to lose their children. " The thought of her mother still pained pounded in her mind, " I'm sorry— " Wira quickly pushes herself off the man, who stared at her with pained tired eyes.
Lacing with similarities when looking at her. " It's okay, you've done great and enough. " He says.
" Thank you, " His thumbs wiped her tears but not making an effort to throw away his. " For accepting my family much earlier than most did. For providing a friend to my youngest and for your sister too- I'm sorry that you're left alone. "
The two figures still the water drenched in all the sadness. " My family is open to yours, come as you like. "
Wira nodded, but then took a second before responding. " You should go visit him in your memories by now. "
The man nodded. " I'll stay by you tomorrow if you'd like. "
For Arwani's burial. And Wira hiccupped as another tear rolled down her face, stunned het touched by the gesture that forming words was incomprehensible.
She wanted to thank him, and tell him to go and leave her be but nothing came out as she choked on herself.
Jake not daring to leave the little girl alone, pulled her into an embrace.
The father who lost a child and a daughter who never had a father to begin with, both embrace at the looking depression of their loved ones in a still night. Tremoring with tears over as Wira dumped stories of the loved birds— saying things she probably shouldn't.
That both of the teens would chase after her, but they can't. Their death left a great impact on those who were closed.
And they could only remember what their tales were like from Wira, who learned to listen to her sister from being nosy.
How the boy was the boy with suns for eyes while she was the girl with pearlescent hints in her own.
And that besides their death being memorable because the story for their love for each other was remembered and told by Wira and his family, they would also be remembered for their dying intentions —
To keep their loved ones safe and to live.
Eywa chooses for you.
" YOU'LL FOLLOW ME? "
" it's true. And even if I can't I'll find you and I'll bring my sister to keep you siblings company. " Arwanj nudged jokingly as they sat on the rock ledges that circled the trees of souls.
Feet dipping and features dripping with beuaty from the natural light besides them. " Would you really? "
" I don't know. " But the boy understood her best, even when she doesn't mean a certain thing. She accidentally means it. She would follow him— even if it were to blindly walk in battle.
And in all honesty, Neteyam himself would do it too. They sat huddled close after reaching for each other's lips, the boy pushing away her hair. Tucking it behind her ear, as she unexpectedly swoops down for a little peck on the cheek.
Feeling her cheeks grow hot her ears tilt, as she gets what he says.
" You have my trust. "
" And you have mine. "
Never asking but always offering these two— affection, care and love. The girl with hints of pretty pearlescent in her eyes whilst the boy occupied the view of striking suns genuinely liked the other.
THE END