TW: this includes a few heavy themes ngl, beware or some shit
Ma'ru leaped off of the edge, wind carrying him and Swiriya into the darkened sky, Swiriya placed her feet properly onto Ma'ru, steering him towards the forest, the chilly wind making her hair messy, and her eyes squint.
They dove down, the trees making themselves more and more and more present with every second, their lush leaves rattling for down, Swiriya's keen ears picking up on distant squeaks of animals, her Ikrans breath, and her own heart, the adrenalin making it beat faster than usual, Swiriya patted Ma'ru's back, making him suddenly turn upwards, abandoning their previous route to the forest, Ma'ru crooned, confused.
"Catch me?" she asked, not even knowing why she had to ask, Ma'ru was her brother, she trusted him more than any other creature on Pandora, but it gave closure to know she voiced her question, Ma'ru suddenly perked up, looking back at Swiriya, then at the sky, his flight up suddenly much more exerting. Swiriya let her hands release the saddle she has previously been holding onto, making Ma'ru stall his upwards flying, and even out, making the path as smooth for his sister as he could, Swiriya patted his head, climbing up on his back to stand still, the only thing connecting her, making her stable was her Tswin, which she grabbed when she crouched down, unconnecting it, grabbing onto Ma'ru's saddle as to not fall when he shook as she disconnected from him.
She stood up once again, this time she closed her eyes, used her hands to swipe her hair back from her eyes, crack her knuckles, and then.
She fell backwards
laughing as she evened out, her arms stretched, her body hurling towards the ground as, she looked back to see Ma'ru hovering near her, waiting for her signal, his trust completely in her, she looked at the treeline again, noticing it was getting a bit too close, she whooped, loud, repeating and a hoarse, making Ma'ru speed to her body, his smoother, made for the air form flying under her and making her land on his back.
"Jesus-" Swiriya laid on her ikran's back, catching her breath she grabbed her Tswin and Ma'ru's and reconnected them, hearing Ma'ru softly chirp and shake from the sensation.
Thank you, Ma'ru, I needed that.
She sat down stable back on the saddle, looking to the sky, seeing they were flying straight to one of her favourite places. finally actually flying down to the ground she jumped off of Ma'ru's back, Walking towards the spirit tree, she grabbed its long and purple tendrils, connecting her braid to it, closing her eyes, waiting for darkness to come over her.
...
She felt cool water trickling over her hand, pulling her head up from the ground near the tiny stream she looked around her, noticing tattoo's and jewlery adorn her figure, she was confused, looking around she saw herself in the forest, a huge shadow covering her body, hometree.
Chatter woke her fully, making her stand up, look around herself,
"Swiriya?"
A voice, who was that? She looked towards where the voice came from, to see Loak, but older, and adorned with face tattoos, a sling of fabric wrapped around his shoulders, the sling holding a weird coloured, teal baby.
"Loak?"
"I was wondering where you had went Swiriya, Tsireya needs some help with cooking"
Tsireya?
"Whos Tsireya?"
"Haha very funny Swi, you also have Olo'eyktan duties, the te lapxa's are looking to move huts, their old one is somehow ruined? I dont know-"
Loak kept ranting, Swiriya standing up and following him, still slightly taller than him.
She looked at her hands, noticing tattoos and a.. Ring? Of sorts on her finger, it was some sort of metal, something engraved in it, she brought it up to her face, about to read it when-
"Swiriya! Come on!"
Fingers snapped in front of her face
"Somethings off with you today, I swear." Loak grumbled,
"Sorry" She mumbled, pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead, sensing the pendant still present. She followed Loak to a clearing, seeing her family there, following Loak excitedly now.
Her father was older, his hair greying, her mother sitting on a stool like structure, playing with a child, which much like the baby in the sling looked off, its colours too light for the forest.
"Mother! Look who i found"
"Loak? What are you talking about? '' Neytiri frowned, looking straight at Swiryia's eyes, then at Loak who was pointing to her with his thumb.
"I brought Swiriya, mom" Suddenly when Swiriya pressed one hand to another the tattoo's rubbed off, the ring disintegrating.
"Loak what are you talking about?" Neteyam stepped from the shadows, an aged look on his face, the Olo'eyktan pendant pressed against his forehead, wait, she pressed her palm to her forehead, feeling nothing, she pressed her hands to her face, and then her neck, then her stomach, she felt a hole.
"Neteyam look, i brought Swiriya" Loak said again, his voice more helpless, a grey overpassing him, the baby sling no longer there, a distressed look on his face.
"Loak- where's the tsahik? Loak Swiriya's not here"
"What?" Spoke out Swiriya herself, suddenly she looked at her stomach, blood seeping from the hole right under her ribs.
"What?" Spoke Loak.
"Swiriya's not here"
"Oh, right" This time he sounded hopeless.
"But i am here! Loak!" She shouted, pressing her arms on to his shoulders, suddenly feeling extremely small.
"We need to get you to the tsahik Loak"
"But she was there, she's well, she probably walked away!" he pointed, again, to her
"Im here, im here!" She shouted, screaming nowm her eyes suddenly feeling soggy
"Shes dead!" This time, it was Neteyams turn to shout, a distressed look on his face, the raw emotion on his face making everyone quiet.
"Understand that, Loak! She's gone!"
Loaks face contorted, making his skin grey, making him look unwell, he covered his face with his hands.
"Im sorry-" Neteyam started, before a woman walked in, Tsahik apparel on her body, looking solemnly at Loak.
"It happened again?"
"Yes, he says he saw her." Swiriya's face was blank now, the drip from the wound steady.
"Lets go, Loak, we must get you your medicine" the woman face was blurry, all but her body, her hands looked familiar somehow, a similar ring on her finger.
"Thank you, Ewkiro" Spoke Neteyam, sighing, sitting down on a ledge, Neytiri putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Ewkiro?
Swiriya chocked, the metal cling, the distinct metal sound of a bullet falling down sounded, she looked to the ground, seeing her wound now gushing.
Cling.
Swiriya gasped for air as she disconnected her braid from the spirit tree, gulping down air, running from the tree's looming figure, jumping on Ma'ru, flying off homeward.
jeez that was weird, anyways, hope yall liked it
eb