Only a bit more.
Ngalu swam to the rock she found the Sully's on. A burning pain in her chest as she used the arm that didn't hurt, to swim to them. She was so tired. She felt like she couldn't keep going. When she finally touched the rock, she flung herself on it to finally rest.
Everybody's heads jolted to the side as Lo'ak jumped up, formerly crying his eyes out. 'Ngalu?' His face relaxed as he ran up to her and sobbed. 'I thought you were dead!' He yelled, pulling her into his arms. Ngalu's breathing was still irregular, Lo'ak backed away to check for injuries. Her arm looked broken and she had bruises and cuts, along with a gaping hole in her side. 'I was so scared.' He said, holding the back of her head.
He was fully convinced she was dead. She got hit in the head by a large gun, flung over metal bars and got shot. How was she still alive? He didn't care. He cried and he cried, happy tears of course. He was so happy she was still alive.
She is his absolute world. Without her, he would mean nothing.
Lo'ak hugged her again, making Ngalu come to senses a bit. She shifted her eyes over to somebody laying behind them. Neytiri was crying, Jake looked numb, Tuk was holding the hand that belonged to the person laying down next to them and Kiri sobbed beside her. That only meant they were missing one person.
Ngalu pushed herself out of Lo'ak's embrace as she quickly moved over to the body. Her eyes grew wide. It was Neteyam. 'No no no, Teyam?' She turned her head to Jake. He looked her in the eyes before looking down. Ngalu's breathing picked up as her nose twitched and eyebrows furrowed. 'No. No! Teyam I swear to Eywa, wake up right now!' She yelled, grabbing his chin with her hand. 'Neteyam, please.' She sobbed, her voice breaking. 'Don't leave.' Her sight became blurry as he didn't respond. She nearly choked on her tears as she wrapped her arms around him, refusing to let go. 'No, this is not fair!' She screamed, standing up and looking at the sky. 'You shouldn't have taken him so soon! Why did you do that?'
Lo'ak watched her while tears formed in his eyes yet again. He knew she loved him and this was hard on her. It was agonizing however, watching her cry her heart out. Lo'ak and the rest of his family had a few hours to come to terms with it, Ngalu just appeared and had no idea he passed, making it harder to watch and bringing all his emotions back.
Lo'ak didn't know it at first, that Neteyam got shot. He was too busy thinking about Ngalu and he hated himself for that. How could he not realize that his brother was dying next to him? The moment he saw the blood on his hands, Neteyam's blood, he knew that this was all his fault.
'You are cruel, you know that?' Ngalu still yelled up at the sky. 'Cruel!' She slowly sank to her knees again, holding Neteyam's arm and putting her cheek against it. 'I am so sorry, Teyam. I wish I was there.' Her whispery voice was strained.
Slowly, eclipse disappeared and a bomb of colors lit up the sky. It was the brightest sunset Ngalu had ever seen. All kinds of purples, oranges and pinks. Her eyes and mouth fell open at the sight, causing her sobbing to halt for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat.
It was Neteyam.
Neteyam made the sunset pretty for her. He's showing them that he's okay. Or at least he will be okay.
Ngalu bit on her lip as she pulled the whole family close, holding them and bringing them comfort.
༄
The funeral was excruciating. Ngalu didn't want to let Neteyam go. He was her best friend in the world and they grew so close over those past months. It felt like she lost a family member as well. She can't imagine what the Sully's must feel like. She's tried to bring them comfort most of the time but sometimes it got too hard for her as well.
Neytiri was wearing one of his neckpieces and Ngalu was too. Neytiri handed a few over to her, thinking it would be something to remember him by. Ngalu was most grateful and would always wear them.
Ngalu never really experienced death this close. She knew townspeople that suddenly passed away due to old age but she saw that coming. She never experienced murder or deaths so young. And they were close. Best friends.
Lo'ak was stand-offish the past couple of days. He didn't really say or eat anything. He mostly kept to himself. Which Ngalu respected, he had to deal with his grief. And Ngalu did too, but in a different way. She just cried until she couldn't anymore, Lo'ak went numb.
She looked around and everybody was mourning. Even Aonung cried. Tsireya was clinging onto Ohaye's arm as she sobbed. Ngalu was in the water with the Sully's, holding Lo'ak's hand as they swam into deeper waters. Neteyam's hair was wrapped in an arm band. An arm band Ngalu wore that she gave Lo'ak to put his hair in a ponytail with. He gave it to Neteyam. Ngalu bit her lip from fully bursting out in tears as she let out a few soft sobs.
This was the first time Lo'ak had shown emotion in days. He was crying, holding his bothers forehead like he used to do to Lo'ak.
When it was time to push him down, Ngalu gave him one last kiss on his forehead as Jake and Neytiri took him underwater. Lo'ak reached out his hand for his bother before letting out a cry, grabbing onto Ngalu and pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around him as they both watched Neteyam being sucked in by the yellow bed of anemone.
And then we had the last part of the funeral, plugging into the spirit tree to bid his soul goodbye.
Ngalu was hesitant. Jake and Neytiri had already plugged in and swam next to her, nodding it was okay. She wanted to have her own moment with him. She looked at Lo'ak, looking down. She gently grabbed her queue and attached it to the spirit tree.
She remembered this moment so well. It was the moment where Neteyam and Ngalu sat and watched the sunset together. She smiled at the sky in front of her.
'You should see your face.' Neteyam said, making Ngalu jolt her head to face him.
Ngalu looked at him, her eyes turning soft. 'Thank you, Neteyam. For everything.' She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes.
'No problem.' He smiled, holding on to the back of her neck.
She pulled him into a hug, not wanting to let go. 'I'll take care of him. Of Lo'ak.'
'I know you will. I am happy you got away and that you're still alive. Give him a big hug for me, alright?' Neteyam asked her, his eyes getting watery.
She started to sob. 'I don't know what to do without you.'
'You will be okay, Ngalu. You are strong.' He told her. 'I am proud of you.'
She bit her lip, warm tears still running down her face. She must look a mess. 'Will you say hello to my parents for me?' She asked him.
'Of course I will. They are lovely people.' He smiled, showing he already met him. That broke Ngalu more.
'I'm going to miss you. So so much.' She held onto him, pulling him into one last hug.
'I am going to miss you too.' He sighed, rubbing her back.
'I love you.' Ngalu said, squeezing him.
'I love you too, best friend in the whole wide world.' He responded, making Ngalu smile so bright.
Even Lo'ak saw her smile with her eyes closed, attached to the tree.
YOU ARE READING
Making Waves | lo'ak sully
Fanfiction'You made me realize that I should be proud of the person I have become,' 🫧- Ngalu was a lost soul, not knowing who she was anymore. Lo'ak was a lonely outcast, never able to live up to his older brother. When the two meet, it was like she was the...
