Chapter 22💌
As Jake and Quaritch began to fight to finish what should've been finished 16 years ago, the rest of the three began trying to find a way off of the ship.
"Jake!" Neytiri yelled.
Before they had a chance to make it to safety, a ring of fire appeared surrounding the boat, trapping them from making it away from the boat.
"It's coming!" Tuk yelled.
"Back to the ship!" Spider yelled.
"Swim!" Nylah'a yelled.
"Stay close!" Neytiri yelled.
Tuk was holding onto Neytiri's hand when a wave of water began to pull her down through one of the open doors on the ship. Neytiri struggled to keep hold of her as she began to slip because of how slippery their hands were. Tuk slipped out of Neytiri's hands, sliding down the door into one of the lower levels.
"Tuk!" Neytiri yelled before not wasting a second before diving in after her.
"Mom!" Kiri yelled.
"Neytiri!" Nylah'a yelled.
"Kiri, Nylah'a, come on, we've gotta go, come on!" Spider yelled pulling Kiri away from the door.
Tuk and Neytiri reached the surface of the water and Neytiri swam to Tuk.
"Tuk!" Neytiri yelled.
The ship began to turn on its side. Spider, Nylah'a and Kiri began to climb up as fast as they could before the ship turned.
"Come on let's go!" Spider yelled.
"Mom!" Tuk yelled as the water was pushing them rapidly.
"Tuk swim, swim!" Neytiri yelled trying to grab ahold of her.
"Climb up!" Neytiri yelled as they tried to get away from the water and find a way out.
The water began to rise.
Quaritch and Jake continued to fight, as the ship was turning, it became much harder but neither of them gave up.
Neytiri and Tuk began slipping, trying to out race the water before it reached them.
"Mom!" Tuk screamed.
"Tuk go go go!" Neytiri yelled as they ran.
"Keep climbing go!" Spider yelled to the girls as they made their way over the ship.
Nylah'a helped lift Kiri up the ship.
"I got you!" Nylah'a yelled.
"Give me your hands!" Spider yelled lifting the girls up.
As the ship began to flip completely, Neytiri and Tuk struggled finding a way out.
"We're rolling over!" Spider yelled. "Go go go!"
The ship had completely flipped over, luckily for Nylah'a, Spider and Kiri they made it to the other side.
Kiri slipped, trying to continue running.
"Kiri come on!" Nylah'a yelled grabbing her arm and helping her up.
Spider grabbed her hand and lifted Kiri up.
On the lower level, Tuk and Neytiri struggled getting away from the water and became trapped when they were unable to open a door that had been shut from the force of the water. They began to panic, unable to find a way out.
Jake and Quaritch who were on the verge of drowning under the ship, gave each other a look before holding their breaths and continuing to fight under the water.
Neytiri and Tuk panicked as they swam around and were unsuccessful at finding a way out, as the water levels rised.
"There's no way out!" Tuk yelled.
Spider, Kiri and Nylah'a continued to run, Nylah'a slipped hitting her stomach on something. The ship began to sink.
"Nylah'a are you alright!" Kiri asked.
"Yeah I'm fine." Nylah'a groaned in pain.
"Stick together okay?" Spider said to the girls grabbing their hands as the ship sunk.
Nylah'a groaned.
Quaritch got Jake into a headlock with his legs, for that second Jake thought he was going to die and finally reunite with his son. The ship hit the ground of the ocean floor, which allowed Jake to remove his head from out between Quaritch's legs and then Jake wrapped his arms around Quaritch's neck, putting him in chokehold he was unable to get out of. Jake waited a moment squeezing hard as Quaritch struggled. Jake then dropped Quaritch and Quaritch became unconscious and sunk to the bottom of the ship.
~
Nylah'a, Spider and Kiri reached the surface of the water.
Nylah'a felt her stomach to notice she was bleeding from a wound she got when she tripped, she decided to cover it, to not stress out Kiri and Spider. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore it.
"Are you sure your okay?" Kiri asked.
"I'm okay." Nylah'a lied.
~
On the lower level, Neytiri began to pray to Eywa.
"Oh Great Mother, Oh Great Mother help us!" Neytiri yelled as the water rose.
Jake struggled to find his way out of the ship, he began to stress as he could feel himself losing consciousness.
~
Spider got out his flashlight and shined it at the ship. Lo'ak rode over from the distance on his ilu, calling to them.
"Bro!" Lo'ak yelled.
"Mom and Dad are down there in the ship!" Kiri said in distress.
"Grab on!" Lo'ak yelled.
Spider and Kiri grabbed onto Lo'ak's ilu.
"Nylah'a, are you okay?" Lo'ak asked.
"I'm fine, go save your family!" Nylah'a replied to Lo'ak.
"I'm good to go!" Spider said to Lo'ak.
"I'm okay." Nylah'a said to Lo'ak.
The three raced down back under the ship. Nylah'a called to her ilu and struggled getting on.
~
Jake lost consciousness and began to fade, letting his body sink down.
Kiri, Spider and Lo'ak went seperate ways, splitting up to try find Jake and Neytiri.
Lo'ak signalled to Spider to go seperate ways to find them.
Lo'ak raced down the ship, swimming off his ilu. Lo'ak found Jake, unconscious and dragged him up to a spot with an air pocket on the ship.
Spider who was still looking for Jake stumbled upon Quaritch unconscious on the floor. He began to swim away before turning around for a moment, not knowing what to do, he decided to help Quaritch to the surface.
~
At the air pocket~
Jake gasped for air.
"Dad!" Lo'ak yelled.
Jake coughed.
"Dad just breathe." Lo'ak said to Jake who was struggling.
"Neteyam!" Jake muttered.
Jake thought he was dead, it took him a second to realise he was still alive.
"No dad it's Lo'ak." Lo'ak replied.
"Oh Lo'ak." Jake whispered.
"Sorry sir, I'm sorry about Neteyam, it was all my fault." Lo'ak apologised.
"Just focus!" Jake yelled. "Focus on getting out!"
Lo'ak looked around for an exit.
"We're losing air pockets." Lo'ak explained to Jake. "Come on we gotta move! Come on dad."
Jake struggled.
"You know your way out?" Jake asked.
"Think so, but dad it's gonna be a long breath hold." Lo'ak explained.
"I can't make it." Jake replied. "You can."
"No!" Lo'ak yelled.
"You gotta go right now!" Jake demanded.
"No, I can't lose you too Dad, please!" Lo'ak replied.
~
On the lower level.
"Mama, I'm scared." Tuk whispered to Neytiri as the lights went out.
"It is alright, stay close to me." Neytiri replied trying to calm her down. "Stay close to Mama."
~
Kiri was above the ship, using the new found powers from Eywa she had discovered to try figure a way to get her family out. She used the light from the fish and sent it down towards the ship, hoping to create a path for her family to find their way to swim out.
"You just gotta slow your heart down. Be real calm." Lo'ak explained to Jake. "Breathe from down here."
Lo'ak placed his hand on Jake's lower stomach, the same way Tsireya taught him.
Lo'ak took a deep breath which Jake copied after.
"The way of water has no beginning and no end." Lo'ak stated taking deep breaths. "The sea is around you and in you. The sea is your home before your birth and after your death. The sea gives and the sea takes. Water connects all things. Life to death. Darkeness to light.
The light from the fish had drawn a path for Kiri to find her Mother and Sister.
Tuk popped her head under the water to see Kiri emerge. Kiri smiled at her sister before heading to the surface. Neytiri reached her hand out for Kiri to grab.
"Hi!" Kiri whispered.
"Kiri!" Tuk yelled.
"Kiri!" Neytiri said in complete happiness to see her daughter.
"Everything's going to be alright little sister." Kiri reassured.
"Mom, I'm going to give you this." Kiri stated pulling the fish that allows you to breathe under water off her back and giving it to Neytiri. "It will help you."
~
As the water levels rose, Jake and Lo'ak prepared to take their last breath.
"Dad you can do this." Lo'ak reassured Jake. "Last breath."
Lo'ak and Jake took one last dee breath in before diving under the water.
~
"Calm your hearts." Kiri said to Neytiri and Tuk. "Follow me."
The three dove under the water following the lighted fish out to the surface. Kiri held onto Tuk to help her swim.
Lo'ak reached out to grab his Father's hand to help guide him to the surface. As they began to swim to the surface, Payakan reached out his fin allowing them to grab on and helped them reach the surface.
~
The surface.
Lo'ak helped Jake onto Payakan.
"Hold on!" Lo'ak yelled. "Just breathe, just breathe."
Jake gasped for air.
Lo'ak turned to Payakan.
"Thankyou." Lo'ak thanked Payakan.
Jake turned to his son, he placed his hand on Lo'ak's head. Lo'ak turned to his father.
"I see you, son." Jake spoke sincerely.
Lo'ak smiled. He was finally happy to hear those words come from his father after all this time of feeling like a disappointment and an outcast.
"Ma Jake!" Neytiri yelled from the water.
"Dad!" Tuk yelled.
"Mom!" Lo'ak yelled.
Lo'ak and Jake helped the girls climb onto Payakan.
"Come here, I got you." Lo'ak said pulling Tuk's hand.
"Brother." Kiri said softly to Lo'ak.
Neytiri turned to Jake and instantly wrapped her arms around him, giving him a long over due hug. They closed their eyes and squeezed each other tight. Safe in each others embrace.
Kiri placed a kiss on Tuk's forehead as they all breathed heavily. Neytiri placed her hand on Lo'ak's face admiring her brave son.
Kiri leaned onto Tuk.
"Thankyou Great mother, Thankyou." Kiri gave her thanks to Eywa.
In that moment, the family hugged one another. Leaving space for Neteyam who was gone, but never forgotten.
The family stayed like that for a moment before they were interrupted.
"Lo'ak!" Nylah'a yelled.
"Ny!" Lo'ak yelled, swimming over to her.
Nylah'a swam over on her ilu, covering her stomach and groaned in pain.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Lo'ak asked.
Nylah'a moved her hand away from her stomach to reveal a big open wound, blood pouring from the wound.
"No!" Lo'ak yelled.
The family swam over to Nylah'a pulling her onto Payakan.
Nylah'a groaned in pain.
Neytiri placed her hand on the wound, keeping pressure on it.
Nylah'a's breathing became heavy.
"Just hold on okay?" Kiri said holding Nylah'a's hand.
Nylah'a nodded her head.
"Payakan, swim! Go!" Lo'ak yelled as Payakan raced over to the rocks.
"It'll be okay, kid. Okay? Just hold on!" Jake reassured Nylah'a.
Payakan raced off towards the rocks, the family held on to Nylah'a, applying pressure to her wounds so she wouldn't lose any more blood.
End of chapter 22 💌