Two ghosts - Lo'ak

Chapter 2

Pandora forest
Omatikaya clan

Li'teya's eyes slowly flickered open. She turned her head slightly to see Lo'ak protectively holding her hand. She smiled before remembering all the events that occurred before she passed out. Lo'ak must have sensed her instant panic as he knelt to her eyeline.

"Oh, thank Ewya", he breathed, placing his hand on her cheek, which she immediately leant into. He ran his thumb across the cheek. "I'm so sorry I got you hurt. If I hadn't suggested flying down, you, Neteyam and Tsu'tey wouldn't have been hurt".

At the sound of her brother's name, her ears pricked up" Is he ok? My brother?" she panicked, desperate to find him.

Lo'ak's ears flopped down. "He's hanging in there. He hasn't woken up yet."

Teya didn't need to hear anymore before climbing out of bed and heading towards the hospital tent. Upon entry, she saw her father watching over Tsu'tey. His ears hung low, and his posture was slumped forward.

"Sir", she greeted, placing her hands behind her back.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I came to see my brother."

"You don't deserve to see him, and this is your fault," anger radiated off him as he stepped towards his daughter.

"Dad, please."

"You did this. If you had done your job, then my son, the only thing left of my precious Okoyia, wouldn't be in this situation".

"Can you not see I'm injured too" she cried, moving closer to her father. "I know you hate me because I look like mother, but I'm hurt too. But you only ever care about him. What about me?"

Freddie looked at his daughter, blood seeping through her bandage, cuts and bruises littering her skin. She thinks I hate her? Yes, I'm hard on her, but that's only, so I don't lose her.

"Please let me know if he wakes up," she said, wiping her tears before leaving the tent. Lo'ak stood at the entrance, having heard the entire argument.

"Li'teya", but it was too late; she had already taken off on her Ikran.

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Jake entered the medical tent, where Freddie sat next to his son. "How you holding up?" he asked.

Freddie kept his eyes on Tsu'tey. "Did you know that Li'teya thinks I hate her?" he questioned, ignoring Jake's previous question.

"What? she doesn't think that"

"She told me earlier that I hate her because she looks like Okoyia" he placed his head in his hands. "I failed Jake. I thought that when we became Na'vi and the sky people left, I'd be able to do this, but I can't."

Jake stared sadly at his best friend, his brother. He moved to sit next to him. "My daughter thinks that I failed as a father."

"No, you haven't; you have been through the unimaginable of losing a mate. This war hasn't been fair to anyone, especially you, brother. Li'teya just needs a break. She has been fighting since she was 6, and she needs her father to guide her, not her chief or squad leader" Jake placed his hand on Freddie's head, pulling him into his chest.

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Lo'ak landed his Ikran at his and Li'teya's secret spot. He knew she would be here. It's their escape. Their way out. Their place.

"I thought id find you here", he mused, making his way around the bushes to find Teya lying on the ground.

She didn't move, still looking at the stars. Silently he laid down next to her. His hand intertwining with hers. "I know you heard our conversation earlier, " Teya began breaking their silence. "I don't need you to comfort me or tell me it's going to be alright. I've heard that pretty much my whole life, and it's all bullshit. I'm a disappointment, and ill never be good enough for my dad".

Lo'ak turned his head to look at her. Her stray hairs moved gently in the wind, and her blue eyes, which contrasted with his yellows, shone under the moonlight.

"If you're a disappointment, I wonder what that makes me?"

"We can be disappointments together", she smiled. She looked over at Lo'ak, whose eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady. Li'teya moved closer, cuddling up to him before falling asleep in their spot. Their escape.