twin flames | L.S. (Avatar: The Way of Water) - Chapter Seven
Summary: Knives cut deep
Lo'ak te Suli Tsyeyk’itan x Ash People Na’vi!Female!Reader (Uses she/her/hers pronouns; No use of Y/N)
Warning: Mature Themes
Chapter Masterlist
They say that love equals a burning sensation deep within your heart, one to cradle you whole in the cold of the night. Like basking right in front of a campfire, as your skin is kissed with heavenly grace.
And one also says that there is one thing that will rival its burning warmth.
While the clan basked in the glory of Lo’ak’s catch, gutting and cutting the large akula to feast upon. Your hand wavered at the sight of the fang he had given you earlier. You knew what it meant when the warrior had given you a tooth, you were not foolish as to not have heard whispers of courting and the sign of acceptance would be seen if the receiver wore it as a necklace. Yet, it didn’t even cross your mind that Lo’ak would give you one. Your heart was pounding loudly as soon as he clasped your hands in his to place the prize in hand.
“I got this for you.” You looked at him in shock, eyes wide and jaws held together tightly. “To replace the knife I lost when we first met.”
You were certain he would give it to the daughter of the tsahik, Tsireya. He has known her far longer and the line of suitors the young na’vi has is certainly no joking matter. Tsireya is as graceful as the sea breeze, as calm as the lakes, and as gentle as the raindrops kiss. And you liked Tsireya for that, she is your friend after all. But you… you were as hostile, filled with the fury of a burning fire, you were not as naive and narrow-minded as you were back then.
The curious old you was far more open to the world around you, evident with your once openness to learning. You were called stubborn and hot-headed by your own mother when you refused to study the ways of being your own clan. Everything was too backwards, you rejected the scars and rather see the glittering of white on your skin as it is illuminated by the small bioluminescence left in your home. Your sisters knew your wicked tongue, words that are calculative to getting what you want and cruel with honesty; but behind your tough exterior, they knew the tenderness that is buried beneath. When you think about it, the old you felt like eons ago. You have changed. Now you bore the marks of your clan, wanting it to be seen carved in your flesh. Erase the beauty of Eywa and listen to your mother’s calling. You look at the bindings that were supposed to wrap your chest, dainty and yet deadly at the same time, as it binds you to reject Eywa.
You were not like the young na’vi your age, you had seen war and death firsthand while you traveled to unknown territories. Back then you promised yourself that you would leave as soon as Naru was healed, yet here you are. You stayed and you learned for the young forest boy, the boy who resembled the demons that destroyed your home. With him, you felt the same pain and rage. You were bound to him, chasing the sense of understanding within each other. The deep connection, a mere reflection of young children who have seen war and death with their own eyes, who have tasted blood at the tips of their tongues and the same grief. You weren’t certain about these uncharted waters that suddenly bursted out in the open. You tried your best to keep it within, these– these feelings for the forest boy that has shown nothing but sincerity. And that scared you.
Everything was a mess. A conflict from within. Eywa has never been kind to you, and yet by chance, by Her pure will, she is. Your mother will shame you. The fire, the volcano that burned your home was what your mother had taught you. The scars, the paint, the ash, the smoke and the flame all holds you dear to what you have been.
You were only ever told how to handle how to deal weapons and how to hunt. You had been taught how to sharpen a knife, how to tie a knot, how to make a flame, how to skin a prey. You were never taught to be gentle. Now you yearned for the indescribable, you look for a love that holds you tenderly. Here you were craving a semblance of a warm home. And here, the traces of the word grieving and to move past from the hurt is something that you crave.
With him and you the only boundaries that held you back were your own heartbeats. With him you were not just a daughter of ember, a warrior, with him it almost feels like you are alive. No one has ever come close to the boundaries, to your harsh shells and here he was doing everything and beyond. You had trusted him even with your shame, the fear, the hurt, the grieving, the bad. And he had shown him yours too, both bared your scars right in front of each other. He who knows how you feel even with a mere glance. He who had listened to you talk about your home with eagerness and understanding. He, who has trespassed the threshold of uncertainty and become someone you cannot describe in mere simple words.
And the truth terrified you.
With him you were bare bones and flesh, scars and all the hurt.
This was not it. This wasn’t right. You are on your way to reject and curse Eywa. This is not meant to be, and you will reject it, with every fighting bone you have left. With what your mother had engraved with you as he placed the first scar, a mark of a warrior littered on your skin. Accept what is our will, you carve your own path with fire and ash. And you will leave cinder.
You know now what to do. You need to go. Fidgeting with the tooth in your hand, you tied it within your pouch and hid it in your own marui before being interrupted by Kiri and Tuk. Their eyes drifted to the beads you wore that covered your neck whole and the lining of the beads went encircling your arms. Sully’s kids were in awe, it was the first time you have worn the beads they weave with Tsireya, colors that were reflected fire dancing across the open air. And in your hands were coal spread across from the tips of your fingers to your forearms. The last semblance of a home is the crafted two large knives, its shaped far different than what are accustomed knives. This was the final stage of a warrior, to craft their own bladed weapon. This was used to call upon your clan’s spirit. Far different from calling Eywa, this was used to call and to ask for sight.
Kiri called upon your name. And as you saw eye to eye, an instant recognition as you held your only semblance of your own home. You had to leave all of Awa’atlu behind, when all is basking in their hunt, their festivities, you will walk away and Naru will follow you with every beck and call. You pushed past Kiri and whistled upon your creature that rested deep in the mangroves. Within a few seconds a thundering beat of drums and cheers erupted in the village. “No. You must stay please.” Kiri had begged, and yet you looked at her intently. “Move Kiri. Or you will be forcefully removed from my sight.” Naru had come to you and with precisely fastened steps, you heard little Tuk calling to your name asking where you would go. And Lo’ak none the wiser, had been walking to your marui. He was beaming in joy with his hunt, and you weren’t there at the village to join in on the fun. Too elated Lo’ak had not seen the way you are holding your belongings in a tight-grip, he hasn’t sensed the determination for you to leave.
Just like that fateful day, you heard it loud and clear as it approached Awa’atlu’s shores. The loud whirring noise that made your heart drop. You can feel your blood run cold as the anger in your heart starts to rise. A noise you're far too familiar not to forget, those were the same noise that dropped the loud explosion in your own homes.
You saw Kiri and Tuk go towards the flying contraption with smiles on their faces, and words all turn into white noise as Lo’ak sees something shift in your eyes. The joy in their faces was far more different from the rage that painted your face. Lo’ak turned around to see a figure, the same height as him, along with Max and Norm’s na’vi form. Your eyes were directed straightly on the young na’vi, whose features Lo’ak could see were the resemblance of a friend, Spider.
With the dual-wielded blades in hand, your tunnel vision goes on to that young na’vi dressed in clothes of someone barely trying to fit in. Like the ones that destroyed your homes. He was the embodiment of those that killed your family, he reflected the demons that caused you to be far from home. Tightening your grip on your own blades, you will make sure that the last breath of the demon is by your own hands.
“Lo’ak!” Spider waved as his eyes shifted toward yours. You whistled upon your own bonded creature.
“Spider, run!” Lo’ak said as you dashed towards the demon at full speed. Spider immediately turned towards the mangroves; he didn't even try to take a peek as to what was chasing him. One thing is for certain: this person wants him dead.
You gave chase at the young abomination, a cruel link to what could destroy your home in a flash. It, whatever it is, will bleed.
As soon as he saw a vine, he climbed and climbed. He willed himself to stay still, blend among the surroundings. What he saw was a creature far larger than an ikran and almost resembling those Komodo dragons he once saw on his books back at the lab. But when the creature dashed by, there was no rider. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he tried to stop his erratic breathing.
Crawling across the branch, with the quietness of a cat, he tried to scan his surroundings. Spider didn’t know where he was or how far he went, but the burning sensation of running in this body was truly fantastic as it seemed to fare better than his human one.
Lo’ak on the other hand, had called upon his father that you were chasing Spider. He immediately called Norm to get a tranquilizer to make you calm. He knows you were furious and the only thing that could stop you was to get you to sleep. He couldn’t fight you, he knows that. You were a warrior through and through, even if he were trained under the scrutiny of a marine, you on the other hand were fueled by rage. When Lo’ak had called upon his father, he had lost sight of you among the mangroves. Everything was far too quiet, and Lo’ak feared for the worst.
Lo’ak called upon your name and Spider. In the distance, Spider’s ears perked as soon as he heard his friend. Craning his neck to look for the direction of Lo’ak calling upon him, he strains his neck to scout out his na’vi friend. And that slight movement was the opening all that you needed. You had jumped from a tree right into Spider’s vicinity, the dual blade had acted as your anchor from slipping all the way down, and on your other hand you maim right at his kuru. Spider kept his defenses up, and yet he was struggling with this newly acquired body, he immediately slipped down from the vine in shock, as he had fallen slump and hard to the ground.
Lo’ak had seen Spider’s fall and knew you were close. And Lo’ak didn’t realize that you were way too close as you had jumped down both dual blades in your hand as you growled aim over your head, ready to slice whatever who was who had fallen. Lo’ak had tackled you before you even took a swing at Spider, the force knocking both the blades in your hands. You growled at him. “Let me go Lo’ak!” You pushed him hard, as his grip was far better than yours. You were completely on the ground, shaken and crying? You were crying. For whatever reason, you were shedding tears. The truth is you trusted Lo’ak and now he had shown that he was siding with this? Whatever it is, completely enamored by Eywa’s plans and how everything is far too confusing to you. “Spider is my friend… he is a part of our family.” He said, as he looked straight into your eyes. All you want to do is to go home. The comfort of your old home, calling to you like it had never before, you didn’t want this uncertainty. Everything that has come in between, whatever the outcome may be, you will push and push for it to leave you be. Forrest boy was never your friend. All was a sweet sweet lie, to blind you from the truth that maybe being one with Eywa would heal the hurt all buried. You had been willing to learn the ways of Awa’atlu and your mother would scorn and hate you for every moment of it, you were far worse than those who had been outcast. You were a hypocrite, basking in the sweet lies and lull of gentleness of Eywa that your clan never have received.
This was all a lie. All of it. And you were never supposed to be here, never was your path to be guided by Eywa’s kindness. It was supposed to be rocky with scars and marks of change, to not be seen as the people who have been grounded by nature.
The marks on your skin was a telltale that you will reject it, you will not bend to her will. You feel so ashamed, so dirty, this is not your way. Fire is forged, you mark your way and reject all that is Eywa’s way. Your mother would’ve never claimed you back with what you have become. You were a traitor even to your own clan.
You know what to do.
With one harsh push, you shove Lo’ak to the ground and with the precision of a warrior, as you scramble to get one of your blades. Forged from the natures of the ground, your kuru in the other. You stood tall, just like the warriors from home, the fire within you will not die.
“I don’t trust you.” Your voice sounded so small, so wounded than what you wanted it to be. You needed to be cold.
You were so full of rage that when the terrible truth is presented in your hand you became something worse, you became ashamed.
This was you accepting that you had bended willingly to Eywa, you were something to be ashamed of. And if your clan knows, you have to do one last honorable thing not to shame your mother anymore. Grabbing the kuru from the base of your neck and the dual blade in hand, you prepare yourself for the inevitable honor of death.
And with love rivals one thing, and one thing only. O, Death Will your embrace come to me cold?
A/N: welcome to act 3 :) ive been struggling how to fix the story since ash clan is now known as mangkwan clan…. backc then I TRIED AND TRIED TO RESEARCH WHAT NAMES FOR THEM TO FIT BUT U CAN TELL IVE BEEN STRUGGLING. and im just gonna work my way around the new movie to implement and place it in this story
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