bound - avatar oc x oc

part 21

Akaia groaned as a voice yanked her from sleep.
"Akaia, wake up!"

She blinked groggily, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. Kiri stood crouched in front of her, arms crossed with an unimpressed look.

"You sleep like a rock. I've been yelling at you for ages. It's almost eclipse!"

Akaia yawned, running a hand through her tangled hair.
"Ronal gave me sleeping berries. I don't even remember what they're called," she muttered. "Anyway, what's the rush?"

Kiri rolled her eyes.
"The Spirit Tree? You know, the whole reason we planned this? Also, Mak'korro's waiting... might want to fix your hair."

Akaia hissed at her, quickly tying her hair back as Kiri cackled and dragged her outside.

On the beach, the others were already gathered in a loose circle. Akaia squinted at the sunlight, then plopped down beside Lo'ak.

"Aww, sleeping beauty joins the living," he teased.

"Oops—my elbow slipped," she said dryly, jabbing him in the ribs.

Lo'ak winced, and Aonung and Rotxo burst into laughter. Mak'korro snorted, earning a playful smack on the back of the head from Tsireya as she went to check on Lo'ak.

Akaia walked off toward the Ilu that had been prepared. Mak'korro followed, catching up beside her.

"You all good?" he asked, adjusting the saddle on one of the Ilu.

"Just a little grumpy," she admitted, brushing her hand along the creature's flank. "Nothing major."

"Hopefully the Spirit Tree helps." He smiled, warm and sincere.

Akaia smiled back, but her gaze shifted to the group behind them. Lo'ak stood off to the side, shoulders stiff, lips pressed into a thin line.

"What's going on with him?" she asked, nodding subtly in his direction.

Mak'korro followed her gaze.
"Aonung was asking about what happened past the reef. I think it struck a nerve."

Akaia watched as Neteyam approached Lo'ak, placing a hand on his shoulder. Lo'ak shrugged him off and walked away.

"I'll talk to him later," she muttered.

As the others gathered and mounted their Ilu, Akaia quickly checked on Tuk—smiling when she saw her perched safely with Kiri.

She mounted her own Ilu, forming tsaheylu. The connection sent a familiar shiver down her spine, grounding her. With Mak'korro leading, the group dove beneath the waves.

They swam for nearly half an hour, surfacing every so often for air. Eventually, Tsireya gestured toward a massive floating rock. They swam under it and emerged into a hidden lagoon.

Akaia surfaced beside Neteyam, breath catching as the bioluminescent glow lit the cavern in eerie beauty.

"This is the Cove of the Ancestors," Tsireya said. "Our most sacred place."

"It's incredible," Akaia whispered.

Mak'korro guided his Ilu beside hers, watching her with quiet admiration.
"So beautiful," he murmured—his gaze fixed not on the surroundings, but on her.

"Eclipse is the best time to be here," Tsireya added as the sky above darkened.

The glowing tendrils of the Spirit Tree shimmered just below the surface. One by one, the group dismounted and slipped beneath the water.

Mak'korro swam ahead and beckoned Akaia to follow him to a branch slightly apart from the others. He motioned for her to connect.

Akaia nodded, reaching for the luminous tendril and joining her queue to it.

⸻

The forest bloomed around her.

She stood back in her childhood home—lush trees, distant birdsong, warm sunlight filtering through the canopy. Akaia's breath caught in her throat.

Inside their old shelter, a toddler version of herself sat nestled beside Neytiri, ear pressed against her mother's swollen belly.

"Hello, brother," little Akaia whispered with pride.

Neytiri laughed. "How do you know it's a boy?"

"I just do," the child replied confidently. "He's going to be my best friend. I won't let anyone hurt him."

Jake sat nearby, watching the two with a look of wonder. At his daughter's declaration, he laughed and pulled her into his arms, tickling her until she shrieked with laughter. Neytiri smiled, resting a hand on her belly.

Akaia watched in silence, her heart aching. She remembered this moment. She hadn't thought about it in years.

But why was Eywa showing her this now?

Before she could make sense of it, the vision blurred and dissolved.

⸻

She gasped as her eyes snapped open.

The Spirit Tree flickered erratically around her. Something was wrong.

She turned—and saw Mak'korro swimming frantically toward Kiri. The girl's body convulsed violently in the water.

Panic flooded Akaia as she surged forward. Mak'korro disconnected Kiri from the tree, and together they dragged her to the surface.

"Kiri—Kiri, stay with us!" Akaia begged as they broke through the water.

"Over here!" Neteyam shouted, guiding them to an Ilu. Mak'korro hoisted Kiri up while Akaia climbed behind her.

Her heart dropped—Kiri wasn't breathing.

Without hesitation, Akaia leaned down and began mouth-to-mouth, forcing air into her sister's lungs. Roxto steadied Kiri's head as she worked.

Tuk's cries echoed faintly over the water. Neteyam tried to calm her, but Akaia barely heard it. All she could focus on was Kiri.

One more breath—then suddenly, Kiri gasped, coughing violently. Relief surged through Akaia's chest.

She repositioned her gently and reconnected their queues.

"Get her back to the village!" Mak'korro barked. "Everyone, go—now!"

Akaia gave her Ilu a gentle nudge, and they surged forward through the water.

She didn't look back.

————-

a/n

this was hella intense

3 updates in one day? im proud of myself ☺️