Warnings: minor violence, mention of wounds, mention of sick/injured family member, fluff
Synopsis: It’s finally time for you to bond with an ikran. You’re scared, what if you are not chosen? What if you you are cast out and humiliated? Neteyam - your sweet, kind love sick boy and his family watch as you claim you ikran. You just want to savour the moments that makes your chest fill with pride and make your heart squeeze with adoration.
A/n: Omaticaya clan, Na’vi reader
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I panted as I reached the top. Swallowing thickly as I felt the breeze push my hair back. I squeezed and clenched my hands together as I stared at the ikran. I watched as the squealed and hissed at one another. My heart racing. My pulse clashing and bashing in the back of my head.
I jumped as I felt his chest against my back, “Remember Y/n, breathe, assert yourself, tie the mouth shut.” I nodded, sighing as I felt him rub his hands down my arms. His right hand moving down to gently press on my stomach. I synched my breathing with the steady rise and fall of his chest.
The familiar source of warmth left as I heard his mother call for him. I raised my head and breathed heavily through my nose. Okay all I have to do is breathe, assert myself, tie the mouth shut and form tsaheylu.
I rang my hands one more time before grabbing the rope from the moss ridden ground. Squatting low - in a protection and fighting stance - I began to slowly make my way over to the groups of ikran.
Twigs dug into the bottom of my feet and the familiar rocky surface with a mixture of moss and vine which grounded me. The cooling air bit and nipped at my body. Fear still sat lodged in my throat as I approached the first group of ikran.
I bared my teeth as I hissed at them. My heart sunk as I watched them all fly away. The panic began to settle in. What if none of them want to kill me? I’ll be humiliated. This is one of the biggest ceremonies in a Na’vi’s life, with in the Omaticaya clan. It’s a right of passage.
Or what if I do die? What if I get thrown from the edge. There is no way to survive. The Mons Veritatis is the highest mountain out of all of the Hallelujah Mountains. I have never truly feared death till this day.
I walked over to the next crowd. Levelling out and rolling my shoulders back. Please Eywa. I jumped from the rack I stood on, onto the lower ground. I rose up standing almost my full height stalking the mountain banshees like prey on a hunt.
I hissed at the group. My eyes began to sting as I watched their colours fly off into the distance. There is only one more group. I swallowed and choked down the fear and already creeping humility.
Baring my teeth for the last time. I hissed and my ears tipped back as my tail swished side to side. I continued to hiss loudly as I crept forward. My stomach dropped as I watched them fly away to join the rest. I felt tears well up in my eyes.
I turned to look at Neteyam, but suddenly the familiar screaming hiss echoed in my ears. My half turned head whipped back around to face the ikran. I walked further towards it, raising the rope higher. My nose scrunched as I hissed more aggressively.
The ikran walked towards me, its wings half-raised as it rose up. As the animal snapped it’s screaming jaws in my direction I noted how it was similar size to my father’s ikran, but female and it’s beautiful reds, greens and blues. I swung the rope like vine around, eyeing the flying beast.
Moving my head side to side, with a smile. I swung the weighted vine forward with a grunt. Short lived pride swelled in my chest as the vine clamped its mouth shut with a snap.
I ran forward and rushed to jump onto the back of its neck. She tossed her head and frantically jostled and moved. I felt the familiar anxiety crawl back up my spine as my hands began to sweat. They slid over the smooth skin causing me to slide forwards just as she snapped her large pointed .
I fell to the rocky terrain. Scrapping my thigh across the daggered teeth of the floating mountain. I winced looking down, watching as blood softly dribbled down my leg, but picked myself up. I ran forward once again, jumping back onto its neck.
She continued to toss and turn. Throwing her head back, side to side. I pushed forward putting a hand onto her head. I pushed down, letting a scream tear through my throat as I used my full force feeling her wings buckle. Finally the ikran collapsed to the ground.
Waisting no time I wrapped my legs around her neck and squeezed. I felt my muscles tense in my thighs as I held her still. “Tsaheylu! Y/n tsaheylu!” I looked up. My eyes met Neteyam’s. My pride returned as I saw his painted across his face. So beautiful was his smile.
I grabbed my plait bound neural que as I also grabbed the leather-skin like neural que of the ikran. I brought them together allowing the tendrils to connect and envelop each other. A sigh of relief slipped from my mouth as I felt the drug of adrenaline rush through my body.
I leant back allowing her to stand. I felt both our pulses slow and our hearts return to their normal beat. I felt the way she saw Pandora. It’s beauty like honey on my tongue. I looked over her head to see Sullys and some of the Omatacaya stood on the rocks. Neteyam and Neytiri run towards me beaming.
I smiled sweetly at Neteyam, my eyes creasing as he chuckled. I watched as his slender fingers unravelled the vine from around her beak-like-jaw. “Go now Y/n you must have your fist ride to seal the bond,” Neytiri spoke motheringly. Offering me a kind smile as she patted my knee.
Exhaling a shaky breath I looked down to see the blanket of cloudy mist. I closed my eyes and asked her to fly. With in seconds we were off the ledge. I screamed as we nose dived down. My eyes growing dry from the wind.
“Woah, woah, WOAH!” I screeched as we began to spiral through the air. I felt my stomach flip with us as I began to believe my heart was about mere seconds from tearing out my throat. She screamed as we continued to free fall.
“Please, please, please fly straight,” I begged. My body unfriendly jumped as her wings fully expanded. We began to hover back up. My screams broke into laughter as we flew.
I braced my feet onto the jutting mounts of skin covered bone. The wind was no longer harsh but rather a loving constant embrace from directions forever surrounding you.
I skimmed my hand threw the waterfall that fell from one of the mountains. Now finally ordering her to fly up. We landed with a thud back onto the uneven beauty of Mons Veritatis. I jumped down after unlinking us and lovingly pet her head, wrapping my hand around the pointed top.
I shook as someone collided into me and let go of as I felt arms wrap tightly around my waist. “I am so proud of you,” he whispered tenderly into my ear. I felt heat creep up my neck. Turning around to embrace him gingerly back. Resting my head onto his shoulder revelling in the way I felt his heart beat.
I jostled again as I felt tiny arms wrap around m leg. I looked down seeing Tuk. I laughed as Neteyam sulkily let go of me. I placed my hand gently on top of her head and ruffled her neat braids, chuckling as she stuck her tongue out. “What did you name her?”
I looked back at my ikran. We stared each other in the eye. Her orange met my gleaming yellow. I felt the bond between us shudder in agreement and compatible love. “(Your ikran’s name) that is what I have decided.” Tuk smiled up at me with sparkles in her eyes. The rest of the family finally catching up.
“Never doubted you for a minute cuz,” Lo’Ak nervously laughed as he punched my arm. Removing my hand from Tuk’s head and pushing Lo’Ak away by his face. He spluttered and turned away from me with a pout.
Kiri rolled her eyes next to him seemingly unimpressed. “What did you think Kiri, I was pretty good right?” I (semi) joked as I bumped her shoulder with mine, wiggling my eyebrows at the moody fourteen-year old. She sighed through her nose and stepped away from me.
“Yea that’s why we all heard you scream like Lo’Ak when he was ten,” she snickered.
”Hey!” Lo’Ak screeched at the top of his lungs. I felt my face burned in embarrassment. Was I really that loud? I expected nothing, but ridicule from her. I heard laughing behind me and then a hand clamp down onto my shoulder.
I looked up at Jake and smiled. “Atta girl I expected nothing less.” I looked down, not used to the praise. Him and Neytiri were like second parents to me. “Be sure to tell your father.” I nodded and played with my fingers. He was wounded while hunting and currently bed ridden, it hurts that he couldn’t be here.
Neytiri ran her thumb comfortingly over my shoulder, knowing this was a big deal for me and it pained me deeply not to have my father be able to watch me. I gave a tight, but grateful smile back.
Tuk finally let go of my leg and held onto both her mother and father’s hands. They began walking ahead. Neteyam grabbed my hand and entwined our fingers, turning me to face him. He tenderly pressed his forehead to mine.
I sighed solemnly as he nuzzled my nose with his in doting affection , our eyes closed savouring the moment. “Hey,” he moved his head back and lightly grabbed my chin, staring into my eyes, “look on the bright side at least you don’t have to ride with me anymore.”
I laughed. “I don’t know, I mean I think I might miss riding with you.” I spoke sweetly looking at him through my eyelashes. He smiled pressing a teasingly gently pulling my face towards his; pressing a searing kiss to my lips. I smiled, eyes still closed leaning back in - where a hair’s gap was left between us - kissing him back slow and sensual.
We pulled apart at the call our names. With his hand still in mine he proceeded to lead me over to his family. I smiled sheepishly at the thought of being able to complete tsaheylu with my ikran.
I stared at the boy’s back, my eyes tracing the markings and swirls of his perfect skin. The constipation of stars that followed his swirls burned into my memory. Of all the nights I had counted and traced them. I ran to join his side softly brushing our shoulders together, observing the way a knowing smile graced his lips.
