Solo

seventeen

Lo'ak and I awoke to the screams of the people. I gasped and scrambled to my feet as Lo'ak did the same.
"What's going on?" He asked me.
"I don't know." I shook my head, worried as Neteyam ran past.
"BROTHER!" Lo'ak called after him and we both ran after him, hearing the screams and wails of the people, my heart ached.
The crowd stopped as I walked through, I looked at them all curiously and my eyes found Sela, Aonung's mate, she looked at me with such pity as her ears lowered, her gaze too as she looked at the floor.
"Kempe tìlen?" What's happening? I asked her and she looked at me and then to the water.
"Oe..." I... she started and I looked towards the water and there Roa and Irona laid, floating on top of their home. The water.
Ronal, Tonowari, Jake, Neytiri, Tsierya and a few others were beside them, circling them along with other Tulkun as Ronal reached for Roa shakily.

They weren't moving.
They were tilted on their side.

Dead.

I let out a scream as I ran down to the water. Aonung, who stood at the edge, ran up to me as he heard my screams.
I let tears stream down my face as I held my chest.
"IRONA!" I screamed and he grabbed my arms, soon also grabbed by Lo'ak, who held my shoulders tightly as my legs buckled beneath me, I fell into the sand, holding the pain in my chest, hoping it would go away.
"Syeha si." Breathe. His hands gripped my arms tightly, trying to grab my attention.
Aonung had knew how much Irona meant to me, even if we hadn't talked the past few days, he knew how horrible this was, for Irona, for me.
His eyes grew teary as I screamed, sobbing hysterically.
"KEMPE LU FI'U?" WHAT IS THIS? I screamed.
Aonung blocked my vision again and his head rested against mine.
"I know. I know." he cupped my face in his hands.
"IRONA!" I sobbed, thrashing around trying to get to her as I continued to see her not moving.
Not my Irona. Not her.
"NETEYAM!" Lo'ak yelled as he tried to calm me down, I tried to push against then both as I saw her lying in the water, her eyes rolled up to her head, she was gone.

Forever.

"NO NO NO!" I wailed and screamed in pain.
"I know. I know Laya." Aonung comforted me, holding my head down to his chest as Neteyam appeared beside me, holding my arm firmly as I tried to stand up to get to her.
"SHE'S GONE!" I sobbed and spun to Lo'ak and then his brother.
"SHE'S GONE!" I cried and Neteyam's hand pulled my head in to his chest.
"You're okay. You're going to be okay." He told me and I screamed louder, my voice going hoarse as my eyes widened, she was really gone.
"WHAT IS THIS?" I screamed.
"WHAT IS THIS?" I thrashed around and gasped for air.
"Breathe. Please. Please Breathe." Lo'ak pleaded with me as he came into my eye-line as-well, his face was all I saw as I tried to look at Irona.
He placed his hand on my heart and my stomach, looking at me and inhaling slowly, then exhaling loudly. I slowed down my cries and looked at him, copying him.
"That's it. Good..." Lo'ak nodded his head.
"You're doing good Laya." Aonung agreed, looking at Lo'ak and then at me.
I let out a wail as I remembered the loss of my spirit sister.
"Hey, strong." Neteyam squeezed me tightly.
"Be strong." Lo'ak caressed my hair.
"Oe rä'ä kame." I do not understand.  I told him and his lips connected with my forehead as he knelt beside me, holding my face to him.
"I need to say goodbye." I hiccuped.
"That is not a good idea Irona. Not now." Aonung shook his head, hesitant.
"Let her see her." Tsierya's voice cracked, tears down her face as she looked at me.
"Tsierya..." I cried, trying to remain somewhat calm.
"It is okay my sister." Tsierya reassured me, although I could tell she wasn't so sure herself.
"She's calm Aonung. Let her." Tsierya took my arms from Lo'ak's and led me up onto my feet, her eyes on me as we stood together.
"Breathe." She instructed and i stumbled towards the water as I saw Irona again, removing my arms from her grip.
I buckled into the water hysterically as I reached my hand for Irona.
"She can't see her. If you'd have listened to me-" I heard Aonung and Tsierya argue and I let out another sob as Ronal came closer to me, her expression pained as she took a breath, pulling me into her grasp as we drifted in the ocean, watching Roa and Irona lay lifeless,
"What is this Tonowari?" She looked at her husband.
"Irona..." I wailed and looked at her and her mother, my heart breaking every time.
"WHAT IS THIS?" Ronal screamed and Tonowari wrapped his arms around us both.
"She was like a harmony of songs." Ronal gasped, her breathing hitched.
"We used to sing together." She wailed.
"Jake, if you would not mind..." Tonowari turned us around, placing a kiss on my forehead as Jake swam off his skim-wing, pulling me away from Irona lightly.
"No..." I shook my head, wanting to stay with her.
"I got you. I got you." Jake held a tight but not harmful grip on me as Neytiri swam towards me, engulfing me in her arms as I wailed.
"Come my child, it is okay." She shushed me as they both held me, swimming me towards the beach in where Lo'ak was waiting for me, his hands open for mine as I fell into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.