⥤ Chapter Nine : Tsaheylu ⥢
Everyone gathers in shallow waters. Ao'nung calls out with clicking noises.
An ilu approaches the group, before clicking to call over some friends. They all swim around the Na'vi.
"These are ilu." Ao'nung speaks to them all, but his eyes favor (Y/N). She's caught his attention since day one. But he also expresses interest in her to further jealousy in Lo'ak.
(Y/N) is beside Lo'ak in the water, her tail and Lo'ak's touching occasionally as Ao'nung further explains the ilu's skills and use.
Awkward glances are exchanged between (Y/N) and Lo'ak, but the teens don't distance themselves. If anything, they stand closer, feeling comfort in one another during this new activity.
(Y/N) sees Ao'nung check her out. She's self conscious, more worried with her new adaptations to realize he doesn't see them.
Her hands, eyes, and skin are normal for now.
"(Y/N) will go first." Ao'nung smiles.
Tsireya joins in support, stepping forward to also check (Y/N)'s hands and eyes. Seeing they're normal right now, with half her body above the water, she grows curious.
Lo'ak tries to stay still as he watches Ao'nung help (Y/N) on top of the ilu.
Ao'nung holds up the animal's queue, the tendrils searching for something to connect to.
(Y/N) knows what to do, but has never done this herself. Her scared eyes look to Lo'ak. Kiri is there too, nodding for her friend to try it.
(Y/N) reaches for her braid, her queue at the end. She connects herself to the ilu.
The animal jumps, Ao'nung tries to keep it still. (Y/N)'s eyes widen, and her heart races. In her human body, a racing hesrt could trigger an asthma attack. But she's able to calm herself down, taking in deep breaths at the new feeling.
She can feel the animal, almost hearing what it's thinking. She can feel what the animal feels. This makes her feel even more alive, even more connected.
"Didn't do this with ikran?" Ao'nung asks. His sister is intrigued by how startled the ilu was by the connection, remembering she's different.
(Y/N) shakes her head. Ao'nung takes her hand, showing her where to hold. She's not impressed by this, her eyes loyal to Lo'ak as she looks to him one last time.
Lo'ak smiles to himself.
"Think 'swim'." Ao'nung steps away, his sister backing up too.
(Y/N) is unsure. "Swim." She isn't able to take a deep breath, as the animal takes off below the water. A small scream escapes her, just before she's dragged under.
Ao'nung chuckles.
(Y/N) and the animal both have racing thoughts, feeding off the other's panic and confusion. She's unable to keep her body stable, as she's used to being on an ikran rather than an ilu.
(Y/N)'s body slips off a little, her figure floating along with the ilu. This suddenly feels more appropriate. Her eyes begin to adjust, her double eyelids helping her eyes see in the moving water.
Like pieces of the puzzle, everything comes together. The ilu moves slower, (Y/N)'s body able to hold on and float along with it.
It. (Y/N) can feel the ilu is a she.
Her green skin also brings the ilu familiarity, reminding the creature of the Metkayina she's always seen.
She finally feels at one with the creature, her mind bringing the creature and herself up for air.
Tsireya celebrates. "Whoo!" The Sully children cheer too, seeing their friend in the distance.
Ao'nung smiles, feeling (Y/N) is special.
(Y/N) raises her hands in victory, feeling more accepted.
"Lo'ak called it Tsaheylu, the bond between everything."
It is Lo'ak's turn to mount his ilu. He sees his crush across the way, as she sits further out, waiting for her strange water features to subside.
"Your girlfriend did it, so you can too right? It's not that hard." Ao'nung tries to tease Lo'ak, for making it obvious he likes (Y/N) and to make him insecure about riding the ilu.
Lo'ak rolls his eyes, trying to hide a smile at the fact Ao'nung called (Y/N) his girlfriend.
"I have never felt so alive connecting to the ilu. How would it feel to connect to other things?"
Still sitting on her ilu, she has disconnected her queue. (Y/N) watches the tendrils move fluently.
She looked up to see Lo'ak from afar. She wonders what would happen if she connects her queue to his.
She's unaware how Na'vi could connect to one another.
i was so excited to write this chapter! i loved how the first avatar showed jake's first interaction with bonding to an animal
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alien; lo'ak
FanfictionIn which twins, (Y/N) and Spider grow up alongside the Sully family. When a new threat comes forward, conflicts arise as the twins must choose between being human and being Na'vi. [ Lo'ak x Reader ]
