𝗂𝗇𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮

𝗑𝗑𝗑.

𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘙𝘛𝘠

        SEYLU WAS THE SAVIOR, NOT the one who was being saved. She saved herself and she tried to save Nori that dreadful day. She saved her brother and sister countless times growing up. She saved Lo'ak, Tuk and Tsireya on the ship. She couldn't save Neteyam. And now, Kiri was saving her.

The young girl surfaced among the glow fish in the small area where Tuk, Neytiri and Seylu were waiting for death. "Kiri! Kiri." Tuk said, holding her sister's hand while still being in Seylu's gentle hold.

"Everything's going to be all right, little sister," Kiri told Tuk, and then she turned to Seylu. "There is blood in the water, Sey. Are you okay?" she asked, and Seylu, Tuk and Neytiri immediately looked down at the back of Seylu's leg, which had begun bleeding again.

"You were shot?" Neytiri asked, concerned. She didn't know how long the poor girl had been hiding her pain, comforting Tuk while she was bleeding.

Seylu nodded. "It is fine. I will deal with it later." she said, turning back to Kiri, ignoring the bursts of pain she received every time she put weight on her leg.

Kiri let go of Neytiri's arm, moving to the gill mantle on her back. "Mom, I'm gonna give this to you. It'll help you." Kiri held her mother bond to the gill mantle, allowing her to have breath under the water.

"You will be okay, Neytiri. We will be okay." Seylu promised, breathing slowly to conserve air.

Kiri nodded. "Trust me. Trust us."

"Yeah." Neytiri cried, holding onto all of her girls in that dark tunnel.

"Calm your heart. Take nice, long breaths. Inhale deeply." Seylu instructed gently, placing Tuk on her back.

They all inhaled a final breath. "Follow me." Kiri said, submerging herself.

Seylu moved forward with Tuk's arms around her neck and her legs around her waist, swimming between Kiri and Neytiri. Kiri and the glow fish led them through the sunken ship, Seylu feeling the loss of blood from her leg begin to affect the rest of her body.

She had to swim on. The sea was her home. She would make it. But the weight of Tuk and the racing thoughts in her head was making it hard to concentrate. Seylu was losing focus, and she was losing air. She gagged, handing Tuk to Kiri, waiting for Neytiri to pass her before she continued on.

Seylu would make sure they would get to safety. She would save them first, and herself later. Seylu gagged again, the loss of oxygen affecting her in a way it never had before. She was so weak, and she was wounded, and she was tired. So tired. And Seylu smiled as she saw Neytiri, Tuk and Kiri leaving the ship, swimming up to the surface. They thought she was with them.

She was out of air, out of time. The Queen of the Sea, drowning. No one could save her now. No person alive could feel her emotions, could come find her, because the person who did that was dead. As Seylu's eyes fell shut, and she lost all of her oxygen, she didn't think of an animal who held a connection with her.

Payakan had found Jake and Lo'ak, and was resting with the Sully family on his fin. Malha searched for Seylu. Her Sister. Malha would find Seylu if she had to search the entire ocean.

Ronal, Tonowari and Ao'nung stood on the rock where Neteyam's body laid, worried for Seylu. Tsireya had told them she left with Jake and Neytiri, but they were back, safe, and Seylu was no where to be found.

"Tonowari, what if she got lost. It is dark, she cannot see." Ronal worried, scanning the areas around them for any trace of her daughter.

Tonowari held his wife close. "She will be alright. She is Seylu, she knows how to handle herself." the Chief promised Ronal, though he was equally as worried as she.

Tsireya and Ao'nung embraced each other, Tsireya waiting for Lo'ak to come back to the rock. "She is shot. In the leg." Ao'nung remembered suddenly, looking up from Neteyam's body. He had watched her be shot as he swam with Rotxo and Kiri.

Ronal cried out, now even more scared for Seylu. There was nothing they could do but wait. The sun had eclipsed, and the dark night was over. The Sully family returned to Neteyam's body, Tonowari and Ronal offering help in anything they needed.

Lo'ak held Tsireya, and Ao'nung sat beside Kiri at Neteyam's side as Jake cut away her binds. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she nodded. Tuk cried, holding Neteyam's hand while Neytiri cradled his head. "Where's Sey?" Lo'ak asked suddenly, noticing Tonowari and Ronal's worried glances to the sea.

Neytiri snapped her head up, and Kiri glanced at Ao'nung. "She was with us. Where did she go?" Neytiri asked her daughters, a fearful look in her eyes as Jake met them.

"She let us leave the ship before her, handed me Tuk and waited for us to go." Kiri recalled as Ao'nung stood, calling for Ouali, hoping that the tsurak held any information.

Ronal gasped, and Tonowari sighed. "She knew she wasn't going to make it, but she had to make sure that you all did." the man said, looking out to the ocean his daughter was trapped in.

And then, as Ronal and Tonowari were about to leave the Sully family to grieve and search for their daughter, a particular song could be heard by a very specific tulkun. Malha emerged from the water, clicking and trilling loudly to alert Seylu's family.

Tsireya left Lo'ak's side after giving him a knowing look, joining Ao'nung and their parents as they waded into the water towards the tulkun. Malha moved her fin, and laying on her skin, eyes closed, was Seylu. She was passed out, leg bleeding profously, blood splatters all over her face and chest, but she was alive.

Malha swam closer, and Tonowari and Ao'nung lifted Seylu from the animal, bringing her onto the rock a ways away from the Sully family to give them their space. Spider had arrived, Jake embracing him and Lo'ak as Tonowari and Ao'nung placed Seylu down.

"Oh, my daughter." Ronal cried, holding Seylu's cold face in her hands. She was still unconscious, and no one knew if she would awaken. Tsireya placed her ear to Seylu's chest, hearing her heart beat slowly, barely there. Her family saw the splattered blood covering her, worried as to what she had done on the ship.

Seylu coughed suddenly, water pouring out of her mouth as she began to open her eyes. Ao'nung helped her roll onto her side, coughing the rest of the sea water out of her lungs. "You are alright, Seysey. You are safe." Tonowari said as Tsireya smoothed back her sister's hair.

Seylu's eyes were fully opened now, and she looked to her left, seeing a limp blue arm that she knew belonged to Neteyam. Seylu sat up, ignoring her family's concerns and stood on wobbly legs, one bleeding.

She walked over to Neteyam, Neytiri tearfully smiling when she saw her. Seylu knelt down and searched for Neteyam's hand, blinking the rest of the salty water from her eyes, fresh tears mixing with them.

Seylu found his cold hand, intertwining their fingers and rapping their hands gently on her sternum, crying silently at the cold, empty feeling that came with the action. Seylu let Neteyam's hand go, placing it on his chest.

Maybe she had accepted it now. He died right in front of her, she felt his emotions disappear. Neteyam was gone, and Seylu, the ruthless warrior, future Olo'eykte was alone. Nothing would ever feel the same.

꧁꧂༺༻꧁꧂