𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒; avatar

𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

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ILYANA AND LO'AK HAD BEEN CONSTANTLY TRIPPING EACH OTHER OVER ALL MORNING, and under their parents supervision it was no different. The morning after Kiri woke up, the entire family was on edge but managed to hide it like professionals. As Loak's tail continued to smack into Ilyana's back, she rolled up her mat next to him. Right on cue, the clan's conch resounded over the island after she trod on his foot and caused him to shriek. When Tuk hears a gasp, she runs outside to investigate on the fuss and asks her father in a quiet voice what is going on.

"What's going on?" Lo'ak asks, and his sister glances at him.

"No idea." She breathes

Tonnes of Metkayina rode their Ilus in one direction in complete and utter happiness, causing the Sully family to frown in confusion.

The kids spot Tsireya waving, informing the Metkayina of the event.

"The tulkun have returned! Everybody, our Brothers and Sisters have returned." She announces.

A smile beams on Ilyana's face as she drags Lo'ak out of the Mauri and towards the tulkun.

IN THEIR ENDLESS CYCLE OF MIGRATION, THE TULKUN HAD COME HOME.

Tuk had run back into the Mauri to get Kiri just as excited as her older sister.

"Kiri! Kiri, come in. Come on!" The younger girl urged

"Tuk, leave me alone." Kiri groans in annoyance but gets dragged by her younger sister.

"Come on!"

"What?" She asks Tuk. "What do you want?"

"Look. Look." The girl says she is jumping up and down in excitement. Suddenly Kiri has no regrets about leaving the Mauri, as a smile creeps onto her face.

Tsireya met Lo'ak and Ilyana on their way to greet the tulkun. She invited Lo'ak onto her ilu while Ilyana smirked and headed the other way on her own ilu, giving the two space.

Ilyana now found herself riding beside Neteyam, both sharing laughs and giggles in amusement as the tulkun travelled through the waters. The duo dived underneath the waters, swimming under the tulkun, admiring all their different features. Patterns and tattoos had fallen under that category.

They swam past Tuk and Kiri, who were holding onto a tulkun fin, and waved at them, and they carried on forward. They both came across couples who watched as their children spoke in their own unique ways to each tulkun, smiling again but in awe.

IT WAS A TIME FOR STORIES.
OF THEIR SEASON APART.
OF DEATHS AND BIRTHS.
OF OLD FRIENDS AND NEW LOVES.

It had now been hours since the tulkun had arrived, and the village was quiet.

Jake and Neytiri were in the Mauri laughing and recalling the day while the children were scattered across the island.

Ilyana sat on the beach, fidgeting with the beads her mother had given her a few days prior, watching as the rain splattered into the sand, melting it and creating a soggy texture.

Footsteps are heard behind the eldest sully girl, but she chooses to ignore them, assuming it's just some villagers walking past.

"Can I sit here?" The unknown figure asks her She turns around to be met with clear blue eyes. There, Aonung stood, looking into her eyes pleadingly. She hesitates but slowly nods her head.

"I wanted to... uh.." Ilyana watches him as his face shifts while he tries to get his words out.
"I wanted to apologise for calling you and your family freaks." Aonung admits.

"Thanks. I can see where you're coming from."The boy gets an answer from Ilyana. She actually did get his reasoning.  Like her, he was worried about the security and well-being of his family.

"Could we be friends?" Ilyana blurts out, causing Aonung's face to glow in surprise.

"If you'd like." He chuckles at the girl's sudden response.

"What's that?" He asks, pointing to the beads that lay in Ilyana's hands, causing her to frown. He soon notices her shift in emotion. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright. They're beads my mother gave me that I could fidget with. Nothing special." She says cutting the Metkayina boy off causing him to nod in understanding.

"I don't think your brothers like me." Aonung states this with a frown on his face. Ilyana rolls her eyes at the boy.

"Lo'ak doesn't get along with many people. That's normal. I have no idea what's up with Neteyam, though." She informs the boy. "I assume it's because he misses the forest."

Aonung watches her face shift as she speaks, also nodding his head in understanding. She soon realised the eclipse was nearing, and that was her cue to go.

"I'm sorry. I've got to go." She smiles at the boy, who nods at her as she stands up.

"I'll see you later." She waves at the boy, who does the same back.

"Bye Ilyana."

Ilyana approaches the Mauri and overhears a conversation with her parents causing her to stop in her tracks.

"We must hunt this demon." Neytiri says whilst cutting pieces of food into smaller pieces. "Trap him. Kill him."

Ilyana squints her eyes. She wondered why they were speaking of sky people or even more specifically, Quaritch. Then it hit her. He's got to have found them.

"We've gotta be smart. We've gotta be smart. If we hit Quaritch, they're gonna know where we are, and they're gonna come here with everything they've got." Jake tells his wife as guilt wraps itself around his fingers.

"Then what is our plan?"

Jake is about to respond when the duo hears movement from outside. Behind the curtain, Ilyana stands with her breath hitched and tears stained across her face. She eventually gives up on hiding, admitting her defeat, and pokes her head around the corner to see both of her parents staring at her dead in the eye. Both of them were filled with concern for their daughter.

"Oh, Yana." Neytiri coos inviting the girl to sit in the middle of her parents.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to listen in." The girl apologises eyes glued to the floor as Jake rubs her back.

"Your safe, Yana. You have nothing to worry about." He reassures his eldest daughter who slowly nods her head.

Jake was aware that wasn't the case. Too well, he was aware of it. However, he could not stand to see his daughter sobbing over his previous mistakes.

HARLS speaks !

not a very long chapter but i couldn't write anymore.

at one point this book was going to be an aonung x oc book but i changed my mind after writing the first few chapters.

thanks for reading !