MΛ'ƬIЯI | ΛVΛƬΛЯ

darkness to light

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Neteyam used all the strength he had to pull open the door infront of him. But the flooding water shut it back out. He fell back.

His head moved from one side to another. He was alone. His family was out there, somewhere. He was not there to help them. And no one was here to help him.

Neteyam looked around helplessly, slowly, realizing what was going to happen. He was stuck here. The water was flowing into this room. He didn't have much time left.

He panted, thinking about his siblings. Was Lo'ak okay? Had he gone to the village?
Of course not, who was he kidding?

Tuk had to be safe. He realized that he didn't even know where she was. Neteyam's heart sank lower than it already had. What if something happened to her? What if something happened to his family?

He had failed them. What a stupid decision it was to come here and fight. It didn't make anything better.

Neteyam was on a sunken ship. He was wounded. And he didn't know where even one of his family members were. The water flow pushed him to the corner of the room, and so did his thoughts. He had failed. He had failed everyone.

His back hit the wall. Hard. He groaned in pain, eye brows furrowed. He closed his eyes, and hot, angry tears flowed from them.

Neteyam balled his fist and punched the wall beside him with the side of his fist angrily. Was he really going to die?

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"Mom!" Lo'ak gasped when he surfaced into the air pocket, Te'rani behind him.

"Lo'ak?" Neytiri moved closer.

"Do you know a way out?" Te'rani asked him.

Lo'ak nodded. "I think so...but its a long breath hold" he said, looking at his wounded mother.

"Mom....mom...you just have to slow your heart down. Okay? Be real calm" Lo'ak told Neytiri.

Te'rani floated behind him, looking around. They were loosing time.

"Okay? Breath from here" Lo'ak said.

Neytiri listened to him. All her life, she was constantly reminded of Jake by her second son. He obviously looked like him, talked like him. But now...it was like she listened to a different person. A part of her son she didn't know so well. A part of her son she hadn't seen.

Lo'ak took a breath in, Neytiri following his action.

"The way of water has no beginning, and no end" he began to narrate.

"The sea is in you, and around you. The sea is your home. Before and after your death"

Te'rani looked at Neytiri, praying that she had the strength left to swim to safety. Her gaze encouraged Neytiri to try. Neytiri saw Te'rani and her son. She would do whatever it takes to survive. She had to survive. For them.

"The sea gives, the sea takes."

Neytiri truly saw her son.

"Death to life, darkness to light"

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Neteyam breathed in the cold air. He could barely see anything around him. It was dark.

But then a stream of light shot into the area. Tiny fish swarmed the water. His eyes widened.

He looked under the water and saw Kiri. She smiled in relief and took his hand to get up.

"Kiri" Neteyam smiled surprise, his voice showing how relieved he was.

"Brother" she reciprocated. Still holding his hand, she looked at his face. He wasn't too injured. Thank Eywa.

"Its going to be alright" She soothed.

"I'm gonna give this to you" Kiri detached the breathing creature on her back, knowing he would need it to strengthen him.

Neteyam turned, letting her attach it do his back.

"Follow me"

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"Last breath mom" Lo'ak inhaled. The air pocket was almost gone.

"You got this" He said. Neytiri took her final breath of the air pocket and went down into the water.

Te'rani looked back at the two before letting Lo'ak lead the way back. He swam ahead of her, and she offered her hand to Neytiri, who took it.

Te'rani pulled her closer to swim infront of her.

They would make it. They would. Te'rani thought.

They swam above toppled controls and fallen aircrafts. Te'rani now swam above Neytiri, pushing her ahead, knowing her injuries were many. She just wanted to reach the surface as quickly as she could.

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Neteyam followed Kiri, who kept looking back to make sure he was close. They swam above the streams of glowing fish, following them to the outside ocean.

Neteyam thanked Eywa. Kiri was okay. He was going to be okay. They both would find Lo'ak and their mother together.

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Lo'ak turned back and pulled Neytiri up. They left the ship, the surface was so close, but not close enough.

Te'rani felt her muscles numbing. Her shoulder ached. Her fists hurt. But she had to keep going.

She heard a tulkun nearby. Turning, she noticed it was Payakan. Thank Eywa.

Lo'ak and Neytiri noticed as well. Payakan's fin came to the rescue. The three caught up and held on.

Payakan seemed to understand that they needed to breath. He sped up, letting out a few whistles and clicks. The three of them waited eagerly to take a breath again.

And finally, they did.

Neytiri gasped for air.

"Hold on" Lo'ak said to her, turning to Payakan.

"Thank you" He touched the skin above and beside Payakan's eye.

Te'rani rubbed Neytiri's back as she coughed out water.

"Mom! Lo'ak!" Familiar voices shouted.

Neytiri's eyes widened and she looked next to her. Neteyam and Kiri swam to them.

"Kiri!" Te'rani gasped.

"Grab my hand" she said, offering her hand to them. Kiri took a hold of it and brought herself on Payakan's fin.

"Bro! Hold on, I got you" Lo'ak gripped his brother's arm, pulling him closer.

They all panted for air. Kiri leaned her head on Te'rani's shoulder. "Thank you, great mother" she looked up.