𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀. 𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙔𝘼𝙈 ¹

𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧. 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝

Fei's sense had been getting stronger. She trusted her instinct. At the docks, she stroked Alat's head and looked at the vast water. In just a few minutes, the peace she felt would be replaced with adrenaline.

Time ticked, seconds going by slowly. Still, she waited.

When she heard the patter of a set of anxious footsteps, she knew the time had come. She watched as Lo'ak glanced around and called his Ilu. He slipped one of the saddles on, about to mount when Neteyam showed up.

"No way you're running out of here, baby brother." He humorously said.

"I have to warn Payakan," the younger boy demanded.

"No," he refused. "You've got to keep your skxawng ass here."

"He's outcast!" Lo'ak pushed. "There's nobody to warn him but me!"

"Bro," Neteyam patted the boy's head, shaking it slightly. "Do you always have to make things so hard?" He teased.

Lo'ak pushed his hand away, frustrated at his antics. "No, you mean why I can't be the perfect son like you?" A tension had rose between the brothers. Neteyam backed away, nodding. "The perfect little soldier? Well, I'm not you! Okay?"

The older boy stepped forward and looked down, holding back sharper words.

"I'm not you," Lo'ak admitted. "He is my brother. I'm going," He turned to leave, taking a couple steps before he was interrupted.

"Oh, he's your brother?" Neteyam stalked after the boy, grabbing his arm and turning him back. "I am your brother."

It was that moment that Fei's siblings and Rotxo jumped from their Ilu and landed on the dock. "Lo'ak!" Tsireya called for him.

"Get off me," he moved from Neteyam's grip. Before any of them could pull him back, he dove into the water and grabbed a hold of his Ilu. Everything had been going exactly to her dream. Down to the little details.

She chased after him on Alat immediately. She watched as he ignored their calls, going back into the water to get to Payakan. It was Kiri and Tuk that spotted her first. 

"Fei?" Kiri called out. "What's going on?"

"Whatever happens, we need him to get to Payakan before it's too late. Now!" She didn't say anything after that, diving into the water on Alat faster than ever.

When they reached the Tulkun, he jumped in the air. "Hi, Payakan!" Lo'ak called out.

He watched as Fei rushed past him, jumping onto the back of the animal and panting heavily. She still had hope for enough time.

"Get over here, Lo'ak!" She yelled. When Payakan turned to show his fin with the tracker, she swallowed the bile in her mouth. "Now!"

"Shit!" He exclaimed, leaping onto the fin of the Tulkun. "Stay calm, stay calm! I got this!"

"We need to do this now!" She yelled, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes. The large ship of Sky People came into view. "Fuck!"

Fei pulled on the tracker using all her strength, but it wouldn't budge. She could think properly. All hope that they would make it sooner and get out quicker than in the dream had diminished. Every part of it was fate.

It was then that Neteyam jumped on along with the rest of them. Shouting was exchanged as Fei still glanced behind her back at the ship. She pulled with the rest of them and started panicking.

"Call it in!" Neteyam commanded. "Call Dad! Just go, do it!" Lo'ak nodded and stood away from the tracker. 

As he spoke with his father, Fei backed away and closed her eyes, whispering small things to calm herself down. "Think," she took a deep breath. And idea flashed in her mind. Her eyes snapped open. "Rope!" She shouted.

She took some and threw it to Neteyam. "Use your Ilu to pull it out, now!"

He complied, unraveling it and tying it around the neck of the creature. The rest was thrown to Aonung, who tied it around the tracker quickly.

Neteyam commanded his Ilu to swim away as the rest of the group pulled the tracker. Fei huffed and kicked it downward, causing the tracker to fly out and the rest of the group to fall down.

"Go!" She demanded. "Neteyam, draw them away. Take the tracker with you. Everyone, we need to scram! Run and hide!"

She took Alat and began to swim away. They hid in the giant green leaves that resembled seaweed, looking up at the surface intently. When white ships plunged into the water, the group began to scram.

When Kiri lost her grip on Tuk, Fei's eyes widened. She immediately dove through the water to grab her arm, but one of the machines grabbed Alat as soon as she got a hold of the girl. Blood spilled into the water.

Fei screamed, noises muffled by the water. A tug from the young girl brought her back to reality. She didn't even have time to mourn.

They swam up to an air bubble underneath one of the domes from the plant. When they took a breath for air and Fei wiped the water out of her face, her eyes teared up. 

She hadn't seen it before. It was new. Doubt crept in her mind like poison. She wept as silent as she could with Tuk clinging onto her arm, trying her best to comfort the older girl in her fear.

From behind, Lo'ak burst up with a loud splash. Tuk screamed. Fei flinched.

She hadn't felt so confident like before.

They had barely managed to exchange words when Tsireya swam up to them. With her, a bright light shined from below them. With a glance down, she widened her eyes. "It is coming!" And suddenly, they were back in the water.

From every direction, they were cornered. Fei glanced around and closed her eyes, recalling her dream. A net was shot, enveloping Tsireya and Tuk, who hadn't been able to get out quick enough like Lo'ak did.

Fei had narrowly dodged it, swimming away just in time. She screamed in the water, grasping the next and trying to tear it. 

The three had begun to get pulled through the water. Lo'ak refused to let go, clinging on even as they surface and were dragged in the air. Fei reluctantly swam back to hide in one of the air pockets above. 

It was then, when she clung to the side of the green dome, that she had the chance to cry. Tears streamed down her face, one by one. Alat, her best friend, who was there for her when Iyeka was gone and she was alone.

Alat was no more than a spirit with Eywa, now.

The memory of watching his body sink down to the ocean floor played in her mind. She put her head down and cried in silence.

my favorite scene is coming up :))) anyone need a toaster to bathe with?