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Few things scared Ao'nung, and to his displeasure, heights was one thing he was quite frightened by. He could guess it was because his clan was water based, never entering the sky, never climbing trees- the ocean was their home. It was calm, but it could also be very dangerous. The animals inside are rash, never giving a care to whom or what you are. Eat or be eaten- that's one of the only rules in the ocean. The second- don't die.
Ao'nung hated the thought of flying, it made his insides turn inside out, flip in all the wrong ways. He hated the sky people, he hated anything in the sky. So when the Sully's came from the Omaticaya clan, he didn't know what to think. It was hard to comprehend what was going on. So he did what was familiar, he was mean to them. He hated the feeling it gave him, but he ignored it.
However, when all the others were asleep, he would sneak out to see their banshee- Ikran. He knew better than to look them in the eyes. They were similar to the animals of water, in some ways. He would carefully walk to them, just loud enough to not scare them. He always approached with his arms up in a mock surrender, and they seamlessly got the idea. He liked to touch their wings. He got snapped at more than a few times, but Riti liked him. He had learned her name after listening to Neteyam talk about her to Lo'ak and Neytiri.
As the feast was going on, Ao'nung snuck out with a fish to feed Riti. He learned that she liked the smaller flying fish compared to the bigger non-flying fish.
"Hey girl," He cautiously approached her, throwing the fish for her to catch. "How've you been?" He earned a couple of clicks back. He smiled at her, reaching up to pet her snout.
"Huh," He heard a familiar voice from behind him. "She doesn't normally let people do that."
He turned to see Neteyam standing not far away. His tail was lazily swinging behind him as he walked up. He put his hands on the base of her neck, right besides the place of her heart. "Care for a ride, Riti?" He says as he connects with her, eyes becoming dilated as he lets out a sigh. He hops onto his Ikran, leaning slightly forward as Riti bucks back. "Wish to join along, Ao'nung?"
Ao'nung shivered as Neteyam said his name. It sounded so... surreal. It made his stomach churn, the feeling welcome.
He nodded and, with the help of Neteyam, got onto the Ikran. He loosely held onto the riders waist. His grip tightened as Riti took off. He should have said no, but Neteyam was so convincing and Ao'nung couldn't say no to those eyes.
He let out a scream as Neteyam let out a series of clicks and yelps, laughing with glee.
Ao'nung could be heard yelling over the rush of wind, though it died down as they slowed.
As Riti stabilized, Neteyam got Ao'nung to look at the view, and oh how breathtaking it was. He saw the animals swimming, the fire burning, the bioluminescence of the people, animals, and the island itself was giving off a soft blue glow. In the back of his mind, he thought it looked like Neteyam's skin. Ao'nung moved his body forward, and let his arms relax. He let out a sigh as they slowly glided in the air. I was calming, and despite himself and his fears, he kept drifting in and out of conscious. Though it was dangerous, Neteyam kept gliding. He had one of his hands holding Ao'nungs thigh, as he willed Riti to perch for a moment. As they did so, Neteyam switched positions with Ao'nung so he wouldn't fall, it being more comfortable for them both.
When they landed, Neteyam say the other Na'vi waiting on the sand. He tensed a little as he landed, sliding off and severing the connection before getting Ao'nung off, him being slightly awake at the time. He had to lean on Neteyam, sure, but he was standing with little assistance. And even though they both got in trouble, they were closer than before, and maybe, just maybe, something was blossoming between them.