When two outcast best friends are put into a new environment
or
When Leyreya and Lo'ak's lives change forever, their relationship will start to change as well
.
Lo'ak and Leyreya have been inseparable ever since they were little. But recentl...
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"No, no, no, no, no," Leyreya repeated, her voice trembling as tears spilled freely from her eyes. Her palm cradled Lo'ak's cheek, trying to ground herself in the warmth still lingering in his skin. But it was fading—he was fading.
Neteyam and Spider swam over, urgency carved into their expressions. They gently pulled Lo'ak from Leyreya's arms as his body began to drift beneath the surface.
"Keep him up," Neteyam ordered.
"I got him," Spider answered, his arms moving quickly to steady Lo'ak's limp form. Together, they hoisted him onto the ilu, laying him in its front. Neteyam mounted ahead while Leyreya climbed behind Lo'ak, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso to support him. Tsireya and Spider clung to the sides.
"Hurry, go, go, go!" Spider urged, and the ilu surged forward, gliding over the waves with desperate speed.
"They have Kiri and Tuk," Tsireya said, her voice tight with fear.
"We can't go back," Leyreya gasped, panic rising in her throat like bile. She glanced down and saw the exit wound in Lo'ak's back—and in that moment, reality crashed. She was losing him.
They reached a small outcrop of jagged rocks, and Jake spotted them immediately, meeting them as the ilu skidded to a stop.
"Dad, help. It's Lo'ak!" Neteyam cried. "Here take him!"
They all dismounted in a flurry of movement, struggling to keep Lo'ak's head above the water as Jake rushed in.
"Oh no!" Jake gasped, his voice cracking.
"It's Lo'ak! He's hurt!" Neteyam panicked.
"Come on!" Jake grabbed Spiders hand and helped them all up onto the rocks.
"Hurry please!" Leyreya sobbed, her voice raw. Lo'ak coughed weakly, his breaths shallow and ragged. Her gaze never left his face.
"Watch his head," Neteyam instructed, and they gently laid Lo'ak on the coarse shore.
"Okay," Jake quickly flipped him over to examine the damage. "Oh, no. Put pressure."
He guided Neteyam's hand to the injury, and Leyreya clutched Lo'ak's hand, squeezing it as if she could pour her strength into him. He turned his head weakly, offering her a small, fragile smile—but she couldn't bring herself to return it.
"Dad, I..." Lo'ak tried to speak.
"It's okay. I'm here," Jake reassured him, taking his other hand firmly.
Neytiri arrived moments later, landing her ikran with a screech and rushing over, her face already wet with tears.
"No, no, no, no, no," She cried, falling to her knees beside her son.
"Lo'ak, please..." Leyreya whispered, her tears flowing faster. "Please don't leave me. We were supposed to be outcasts together. I can't be one alone, not without you. I love you."
Lo'ak's hand broke free from Jake's and rose shakily to her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "I love you too. We were just... a losing game. My love I—"
His breath hitched. Then stopped. His eyes lost their light, and his hand slid from her skin, falling limp. "Lo'ak?" Neytiri said in disbelief.
"No. No, no, no. Lo'ak!" Leyreya screamed. Her sobs turned into wails as she leaned over him. Neytiri joined her cries, clutching his lifeless face.
"Lo'ak!" Neytiri wailed, her voice breaking like a storm. "Oh, Great Mother. No, Great Mother."
"Please," Leyreya pleaded, her body trembling. "Oh, my love. No!"
"My son!" Neytiri screamed.
Leyreya looked down at her trembling hands—Lo'ak's blood covered them like war paint. Her crying stopped. Her expression hardened.
Jake's voice pierced through the sorrow. "Where are your sisters?" he asked Neteyam urgently.
Neteyam didn't respond—just stared blankly.
"Your sisters! Where are they?" Jake shouted again.
"I don't know," Neteyam whispered.
"Where are they?" Jake repeated.
"They're on the ship," Tsireya said quietly, her eyes shining with tears. "They're tied up on the ship."
"They're... They're at the moon pool," Spider added. "At... At the well deck. At midships."
Jake's brows furrowed. "What?"
"Come on," Spider grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the water. "I'll shows you. Come on. I'll show you."
Jake hesitated only briefly before kneeling. "Come on. Let's go. We gotta go. Come on, let's go. Let's go"
"No," Neytiri cried, her arms still wrapped around Lo'ak.
"Listen to me. Listen to me," Jake said, more firmly this time. "They have our daughters. They have our daughters. I need you with me. and I need you to be strong. Right now. Strong heart. Strong heart."
Neytiri's eyes locked into his. Her grief didn't vanish—but it shifted, becoming something sharper, more vengeful.
Leyreya rose beside her, her own eyes alight with fury. A high-pitched screech echoed above as Azra, her ikran, circled once before landing gracefully beside her.
Jake looked at her now and knew—there was no stopping her.
Neytiri and Leyreya shared a glance, no words needed. They were of the same heart now—one that pounded for justice, for vengeance, for blood.
They mounted their ikrans. Leyreya grabbed her bow from her saddle, her fingers tightening around it with purpose.
Without a word, she made the bond. They took to the skies, the wind howling around them.
They left behind a son. A mate. A part of themselves.
