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It was midday when Y/n was suddenly jolted awake as he grasped for air, his eyes showing signs of dilation. He brought his hand to his chest, grabbing at his heart, feeling the racing heartbeat.
He shut his eyes and took several deep breaths, attempting to steady himself after whatever dream had caused this reaction.
After a brief moment, his eyes gently opened as his heart returned to its normal rate. He spent some time trying to recall the dream he had been having, but he had no luck; whenever he tried to think about it, his head would start pounding.
His hand grasped his head, slowly dragging down his face in a tiresome manner while he sat there thinking. His ears flickered slightly as he heard a group of navi passing by his Marui, discussing something that caught his attention.
???: Come on, the Tsahìk is calling everyone together for a meeting.
???: What is this about? It will set us back in our hunts.
???: Apparently, it's related to the sky people.
Meeting regarding the sky people, huh? Considering the recent attacks, particularly the attacks by humans on smaller nearby villages, it made sense for Ronal to hold a meeting about it…
He glanced to either side of his bed, realizing that Ronal and Neytiri had vanished. A horrible feeling washed over him at that moment. He feared that something terrible would unfold today. He stared at his door before gradually getting out of bed.
His body still ached, but it was not as bad as yesterday, which encouraged him to get out and attend the meeting about the sky people.
He took a few steps before almost falling forward and hitting the ground; just in time, he caught himself by leaning against the wall of his marui for support.
He chuckled slightly. It looked as if last night really took a toll on him after fucking both Neytiri and Ronal only a few hours ago.
He swayed a bit with each step, eventually arriving at his doorway. As he moved the curtain aside, he looked outside for the first time in two days, only to see rain pouring down.
He turned his head and noticed that the clan's central area was crowded with Navi, who seemed to be gathering for what he presumed was a Ronal meeting.
He could make out what appeared to be a woman standing on something that made her tower above the rest of the gathered Navi. Taking a deep breath, Y/n finally walked over to the group of gathered Navi.
As he approached, he heard voices that sounded like Ronal, Jake, and Neteyam.
Although he could identify who was talking, he remained uncertain about what they were talking about.
After a gradual and somewhat uncomfortable walk, he was finally getting close to the group before they abruptly began to disperse. Some leaped into the water, while others hurried off in various directions.
A few rushed by, seemingly in a hurry to go elsewhere. One of the Na'vi heading his way appeared familiar before he suddenly realized that the Na'vi woman was one of Ronal's aides.
Just as she was about to pass him, y/n reached out, grabbing the woman's arm and causing her to stop with a confused look.
Y/n: What's happening? What with the commotion?
Navi woman: You didn't hear?
He looked at her blankly as if to convey, "Why would I ask if I did?" The woman sighed as she glanced back, noticing that most of the crowd, including Ronal, had left the area.
Navi woman: This morning, a group of hunters ventured out along the reef wall and discovered…
She covered her mouth as if the words made her feel nauseous.
Navi woman: T-that's a tulkun was killed by the sky people, and… that tulkun was the Tsahìk's spirit sister.
Y/n's gazes shifted towards the ground, even though he wasn't so much into the spiritual side of the Na'vi. He felt bad after hearing the news, seeing as he had even met the tulkun.
He can somewhat understand, as Neteyam often refers to him as his brother, even though it's not entirely the same.
Navi woman: They… even killed her spirit sister's child…How…How could these sky demons be so cruel, even toward a child?
Y/n's gaze only darkened further the more he listened. Even though he didn't know how to respond to such a comment or news, he felt a slight tug at his heartstrings.
*Flashback*
Ronal: Yes, this tulkun here is my spirit sister.
The tulkun looked at y/n while letting out some space whale-like noise. Suddenly, the baby tulkun he had seen earlier swam over. It looked at him and nudged its face against his body.
Y/n laughs a little while raising his arm above the baby tulkun's head as he petted it, making it make a happy noise.
Y/n: She has a cute kid.
Ronal: Yes, she spent many seasons trying to conceive a child.
*Present*
The baby tulkun was such a cute little creature, but…she was right. They were all monsters, even him.
Y/N: I… see. Thanks for telling me. One more thing—where is everyone going?
Na'vi Woman: The Tsahìk has ordered that we send our brothers and sisters far from here for their safety. Now then, I must go and do that now. Good day.
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked off, leaving Y/N alone with his thoughts. Even he could tell it was a trap. Bait to lure Jake in.
Y/N made his way to the center of the clan. The place felt hollow now, emptied of its usual life. At the edge, he paused, watching rain hitting the sea under the dark clouds. The water seemed uneasy and restless.
He kept his gaze low until movement caught his eye farther out. Na'vi figures swam toward the horizon. He thought he saw Lo'ak riding an ilu with Neteyam close behind for a moment. But at that distance, he couldn't be sure.
He stood there a while, then turned to check on Ronal. She'd just lost her spirit sister. He couldn't ignore that. After all, he said I would be there for her in place of her lost mate.
As he approached her home, a sudden, sharp headache hit him. He clutched his hands on his head, trying to understand it. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished. He blinked, confused, but he kept walking.
Perhaps the headaches were from whatever poison was still left in his system. He sighed as he finally reached the outside of Ronal Marui. The Marui curtains were slightly open as Ronal sat on the floor cutting a weird plant fruit very… aggressively.
Y/n slowly approached Marui as he lightly tapped the back of his fist onto the wooden structure. Her eyes glanced up at him, but she spoke no words as she focused on the many purple fruits she was cutting up.
Y/N approached her carefully before stopping just in front of her.
He crouched down and gently took hold of the hand that gripped the knife. Almost like she was breaking out of a trance, her eyes met his before she finally spoke up with a tone that hinted at her anger.
Ronal: They killed her…They Killed My Sister!
Y/n: I…I know
Y/n carefully and slowly pulled the knife away from her. Although reluctant, she ultimately gave it up as he placed the knife out of her reach.
Ronal: You can't possibly imagine the pain I'm going through!
She retracted her hand and slammed her fist down on the floor, making y/n flinch slightly, his eyes darting between her fist and her face.
Y/n: You're right; I can't possibly imagine what you're going through.
Ronal: Of course not. You haven't experienced the loss of a loved one or someone you regard as family!
Y/n's gaze lowered to the floor as his extended hand dropped. He didn't take her words too seriously; after all, she was grieving. Yet, hearing those words still left an impact.
Y/n: I lost Tonowari.
Ronal's gaze turned to him as she noticed the haunting expression in his eyes. Only then did she understand that her unintended words had left a lasting mark on him.
Y/N: He was like the father I always wanted but never had. Not a single day goes by without me thinking about how I'm responsible for his death… they won't get away with this, Ronal. I promise you that.
Ronal's eyes widened. She had always thought that y/n had moved on from the death of her last mate. Instead, guilt had been eating away at him. This made her question whether this could have been the reason for him not caring about his health.
As the Tsahìk, she should have managed her emotions more effectively instead of having an outburst toward someone close to her. Was this what y/n meant by not keeping her feelings bottled up?
She opened her mouth, about to apologize for her behavior. However, before she could speak, the sounds of people outside drew their attention. Approaching them were Jake and Neytiri, accompanied by a few other Na'vi.
As Jake rushed in, he placed his hand on the doorframe for support. His gaze was fixed on y/n, but it quickly shifted to Ronal.
Jake: Our kids are under attack
Y/n, without hesitation, jumped up to stand as fast as he could while staring down at Jake.
Y/n: Kiri? Neteyam?
Jake: Yes, those kids, including Ronal's, were all out protecting a tulkun.
Y/n glanced back at Ronal, her face moving quickly from shock and horror to a stern expression.
Ronal: Who?! Who is attacking them?!
Jake: The sky, people! We need to leave immediately!
Without waiting for her response, Jake swiftly dashed towards his home. Y/n and Neytiri share a glance before she quickly follows after Jake.
Y/n turned his attention towards Ronal as she was standing and giving orders. She told the Na'vi, who followed Jake, to set alarms and prepare for battle.
They nodded in agreement before turning and sprinting away toward what he believed were the directions of the alarms. This left him and Ronal alone as she walked over to grab a spear off the wall before returning to him.
Ronal: It's best for you to stay out of this fight. You're in no condition to be in battle.
Y/n: I should be saying that to you instead.
Ronal: It doesn't matter if I'm pregnant. I will still fight for my clan and my children.
Y/n smirked as he placed a reassuring and firm grip on her shoulder.
Y/n: That's precisely why I'm fighting... for the friends I've made here and because I promised we would avenge what they did to your spirit sister.
Ronal fixed her gaze on him with curiosity before strolling past, her tail playfully brushing against his leg as she went by.
Ronal: Thank you. Now, quickly get yourself ready; we have children to save.
Y/n nodded and quickly moved past her, then broke into a sprint toward his home. He burst through the curtains, scanning the area until his eyes landed on a bow beside his backpack.
His breathing began to slow into a calm pattern before he approached the bow. Picking it up, he checked the bow to see its condition, seeing as he hadn't used it since fighting the RDA outpost.
His eyes glanced over to the wooden table where his armband was resting. Walking toward it, he grabbed the item before sliding it up his arm to cover the bandage wounds.
He knew in that very moment everything, every dream, action…premonition. They were all leading him to this.
And what was the one thing each of them had? Death.
Each instance was connected to an action involving death in some way. He knew he was going to die today, but he was determined not to let Neteyam face the fate he had witnessed so many times before.
Without further delay, y/n strapped the bow to his back and left his maruis for the final time, heading towards the shoreline.
While Y/n jogged along the Metkayina Clan pathways, he heard a loud, horn-like sound ringing out from the nearby reef, likely signaling the clan to prepare themselves for battle.
Many of the Na'vi hurried about, collecting weapons and distributing them among each other while others were jumping into the water or diving in.
Y/n shook his head as he tried to stay focused on where he was going while a group of Na'vi passed by him, heading in the opposite direction. One of them bumped against his shoulder, causing him to wince in pain.
Y/n looked back over his shoulder, watching the group of Na'vi continue on without glancing back at him. Y/n rolled his eyes as he continued down the path. Eventually, the path before him ran out, leading him onto the shoreline.
Y/n's eyes glanced around for a moment before turning to look up at the giant mangrove trees far above him as he raised his hand to whistle.
He stood there briefly, listening to the distant sounds before he heard the screams, and the figure of his beloved Ikran appeared from one of the mangrove trees above.
It started to slow down as it flapped its wings before landing a couple of feet away, causing the sand to stir slightly as it made an entrance for itself.
Y/n let out a small chuckle, shaking his head from side to side.
He made his way over to the creature and raised his hand to rub the underside of its mouth, causing it to release a cute noise and a slight purr as it leaned its face more into his hand.
Y/n: Heh, so dramatic, aren't you, girl?
It let out some screeches, agreeing with him while happily flapping its wings, while he climbed onto its saddle and sat down.`
Y/N: Alright, girl, calm down. "Pats it neck." Come on, Te'ha'li. We have a battle to fight.
However, before he could have his ikran take off from the ground, which was slightly difficult because it was happy that he used its name.
He heard a chirping noise coming from the sea, which became more noticeable the longer he ignored its call for attention.
Y/n: Alright, alright, I hear you. You can calm down there.
He shook his head before turning to look at the receding water from the shoreline. A head popped out from the water before it started to hop slightly closer, while still being close to the water.
Y/n smiled gently before adopting a more serious expression.
Y/n: Sorry, girl, but you're staying here.
It made some chirping noise like it was taking back to him, disagreeing with what he said.
Y/n: I'm sorry, girl, but it's going to be too dangerous for you. Besides, I don't plan to go into the water.
Its head slumps down in response to him, curling into a slight ball while obeying what Y/n told it to do.
He sighed slightly, wasting no more time as he connected his queue to his ikran's, which let out a roar that could make some people go deaf.
She quickly soared to the sky and flew toward the front of the sea clan as a slight problem became apparent… he didn't quite know where Jake's kids were.
Although he didn't enjoy waiting, it was for the best, as he should wait for the reef clan.
They stayed there, floating in the sky, watching the Na'vi below, as some were already looking ready to fight. Then, suddenly, a painful headache came over him, causing him to clutch his head.
Even his ikran, connected by body and soul, let out a screech, feeling the pain as well. After a few minutes had passed, it finally started to fade away, leaving him alone to question these recurring headaches.
???: Y/n?! Are you alright?
Y/n's gaze shifted to the figure that interrupted his thoughts, reminding him that she still had her ikran, as her stubbornness prevented her from even learning to ride a ilu.
Y/n: Neytiri?! Yeah, sorry, I'm fine; it's just a headache.
Neytiri flew on her Ikran towards him, and they began to soar side by side. Y/n noticed her hands tightly gripping her father's bow as she glanced at him, worry etched on her face.
Neytiri: Are you sure you should be fighting?
Y/n: You know, Ronal said the same thing.
Neytiri glared at him, realizing he was comparing her to Ronal. She responded by rolling her eyes.
Y/n: Where is Jake?
Neytiri: He's still getting ready, but the rest of the clan is still gathering together.
The two hovered in the sky on their ikrans in silence before y/n finally spoke.
Y/n: Nothing bad will happen to your children, Neytiri, we will get to them before the rda can.
Neytiri's eyes wander before casting onto y/n with a hint of fear behind her eyes.
Neytiri: T-That man can't lay his fingers on them y/n no matter what, there's no telling what he would do to them.
Y/n nodded in agreement with what she said as he looked down at the ocean. He gazed fixed on it as many things were rushing through his head… stuff he didn't want to be thinking about.
Kiri, Neteyam, Tuktirey, Tsireya… He couldn't let anything happen to them. Oh, and Lo'ak and Aonung as well.
Y/n was startled as he felt someone suddenly wrap their arms around his waist, their chest pressing against his back while resting their head on his shoulder.
He slightly turned his head to notice that Neytiri had mounted his ikran while he was lost in thought.
Y/n: Neytiri?
Neytiri:...You looked like you needed some comfort.
Y/N: " chuckle." I should be the one comforting you; I can't imagine what's going through your mind.
Neytiri: Well, I'm terrified for one instance, but I need to be strong for them… for my children. I will kill them this time around.
Y/n could feel the blood lust behind that last part of her comment, but decided not to bring it up.
Y/n:...You're a good mother, you know that.
Neytiri raised her eyebrows while staring at him, surprised by his sudden comment.
Neytiri: A good mother wouldn't be having a new mate… but I try my best…. What brings this up?
Y/n's eyes drift from her face while he takes a deep breath before turning to look at the clouds above.
Y/n: Nothing, just thinking more clearly about the kind of life I live
Neytiri: We live, we make mistakes, and we push forward; that's what any of us can do.
Y/n: Yeah….
Suddenly, down below, their many loud warcries were heard as the group of Na'vi below started making their way towards the reef's exit.
Neytiri quietly stood up and hopped back onto her Ikran while looking back at him with a more serious expression.
Neytiri: Come, let's put an end to this for good!
She raised her bow overhead as her ikran started to nose dive down to be closer to the sea na'vi as they rode out.
Y/n watched momentarily before shaking his head and grabbing onto the saddle handle. His ikran let out a war cry of its own, and they followed suit.
Word count 3285
Originally, it was going to be a two-part, but I just went ahead and pushed out what I had.
I probably would have had more if I hadn't worked on the character bios and epilogue at the beginning of this month.