Afterglow - Tsireya

Chapter 21

Pandora reef

Metkayina clan

She wasn't moving. Her chest wasn't moving up and down. She was gone. The blood eventually stopped spurting out of her stomach. Tsu'tey slowly dragged his hands away from her falling back onto his knees in defeat. Tsireya looked over at her lover tears pooling in her waterline "Tsu'tey" she whispered. Her soft voice made him sob harder, he'd lost every woman in his life. His mother, Kanu and now his sister. Hearing Tsireya's voice broke his heart even further. It won't be long until he lost her.

He intertwined his fingers with Teya's like they used to do as children. When she was scared he was always there to hold her hand. When he was lonely she was always there to hold his hand. Even when they first arrived at the metkayina clan, he was there to hold her hand.

Tsu'tey intertwined their fingers, still angry about how the boys teased his sister about her appearance.

He was ready to feel her cold lifeless hand but as his fingers rested above hers, a slight grip curled around his . Tsu'tey's brows furrowed looking down at his sister as her eyes fluttered open showing her shining blue eyes.

Teya quickly shot up coughing up all the trapped water in her lungs, her hands searched her stomach for the stab wound but all she found was her own blood. No wound.

"Li'teya" he mumbled, his face pailing. She died in his arms, he felt it.

Teya leaned forward grabbed his blood-stained hand placing it on her breathing heart "I'm here" she whispered.

Tsu'tey let out a quiet sob pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. He hugged her small frame terrified to let her go unless he woke up and this was just a cruel dream and she was actually dead.

"I don't understand. You died. I felt it" he cried searching her waist for the wound, his head was spinning more than before. She was dead and now she's alive. She wasn't breathing and now she is.

"I'll explain everything later, I promise... " her voice trailed off as she looked over her shoulder at Lo'ak's lifeless body.

"Teya what is it?" Tsireya asked

She crawled towards the boy straddling his waist, her hands immediately cupping his cheeks "Lo'ak" she whispered patting his cheek softly trying to wake him up. Tsireya turned away from the couple letting out a silent sob.

"Teya, he's gone" Tsu'tey murmured holding back tears. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling. If that was Tsireya, he would never be the same.

"no" she denied, "she said she'd bring him back and it wasn't his time".

Tsireya placed her hand on Teya's shoulder squeezing it gently "Honey he's dead".

Teya let out a small no looking down at her dead lover "You promised; you never break your promises" she wept burying her face in his neck, sobs wracked her body as she held him close. Tsu'tey reached for Tsireya's hand as they watched the devasting scene in front of them.

"I'm not going to start now" a raspy voice spoke out startling the three teenagers. Teya lifted her head from his neck, just like Teya had done Lo'ak's eyes fluttered open revealing his burning amber eyes. "Te"

Li'teya let out a relieved laugh, tears pricking in her eyes "Lo'ak"

His hand found its familiar place on her cheek, and she immediately leant into it relishing in his comfort "Have I ever told you, you're the most beautiful Na'vi?"

A few tears slipped down Li'teya's cheeks as she tackled him in a hug cuddling into his embrace. Tsu'tey let out a sigh jumping on top of the couple as Tsireya took a more gentle approach leaning into Teya's side.

Tsu'tey put his hand on Lo'ak's head; a sign of respect and love making Lo'aks ears twitch at the contact. "You scared the shit out of me bro" Tsu'tey breathed putting his free hand on his chest "Whatever voodoo magic crap you did really freaked me out".

"Oh my god!" Teya jolted up "Where's Dad?"

Tsu'tey's tail whipped up in anticipation "Hey hey relax he radioed in. He and the Sully's are safe and on the other side of the ship"

"So Dad doesn't know I'm alive?" Teya asked her tail instantly dropping to the floor and curling around her stomach.

Tsu'tey shook his head "They are on their way now".

Tsireya tuned out the sibling's conversation, her eyes glued to Lo'ak's side profile. The boy felt her stare turning to face the Metkayina princess. His eyes softened at the state of his friend, and he placed his hand over hers "Are you okay?" he whispered

Tsireya blinked her tears away nodding slightly "Yea yea it is a lot to take in" she whispered.

"Tsireya" he started, "I think I know you enough to know when there's something wrong".

Tsireya sighed her eyes casting down to their hands to distract herself "Um I sat with your body since you died until now and I just..." She took a deep breath trying not to cry again "I thought I lost you. I taught you to swim, how to ride an ilu and I never thought id see you again".

Lo'ak saw the effect this war had on her, the poor girl had never experienced anything like it and she was thrown in the deep end. Forced to sit with her dead friend while her family was fighting these demons; she didn't even know if they were alive.

"Tsireya.." but he was interrupted when his name was called from the ocean. Neteyam sprinted onto the rock tackling his younger brother into a hug. The rest of the Suly family surrounded Lo'ak while Teya hid in Tsu'tey's arms.

"Li'teya" Freddie spluted out staring at his very much alive daughter. Tsu'tey pushed her towards him so they could talk leaving the boy alone. Tsireya backed away from Lo'ak, moving towards the edge of the rock away from the families as she didn't want to interrupt. Her family wasn't there. She didn't even know if her family was alive. Her brother could have been killed and she had no idea. Her mother is pregnant with her sibling and she could have been killed. Her father is the chief of the clan and he could have been killed leaving the responsibility on her and Li'teya if Ao'nung was gone.

"Tiyawn?" Tsu'tey whispered putting his hands on her face

Her eyes darted up to his moving frantically from his eyes down his chest back up to his eyes "My family" she stuttered "I have to find my family".

Tsu'tey felt her heart rate pick up, knowing she was on the verge of another panic attack.

"We're going back to the village now, we will find them" he spoke softly striking her cheeks.

"But my brother, I have to find my brother" she panicked

"Reya. We will find your family"

The girl only nodded, too tired to argue. He couldn't promise they'd find them because if death had already stolen them, they won't be given a second chance like Lo'ak.

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a/n 

sooooo this is the end of the plot part of the book. I think I'll write a few more chapters of them before the epilogue.