"ayla"
"hi jake." he broke the silence then and tears pooled in my eyes yet again. i'd been awake for less than an hour and i'd already cried twice. jake closed the gap between us and wrapped his arms around my body in a suffocating hug. i stood on my tip toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. his head fell into the crook of my shoulder and i rested mine above his collarbone. i knew jake was crying, the small sniffs gave it away, but my heart melted all the same. "i thought i lost you.." his voice sounded so small and broken.
"never. you could never loose me, jake." he lifted his head to look at me and i moved my hands to cup his cheeks. my thumbs wiped the tiny drops of his tears away and i leaned forward to give him a kiss. he returned my advances and kissed me back with vigour. it felt like a breath of fresh air for me, like a drop of water over a desert, after being apart for what seemed like a like time. we ended the kiss and rested our foreheads together to just cherish each other's company.
"are the kids ok?" i broke our silence. "yea, they were jittery when i saw them before, but now i know why." we had looked up at each other by then, and jake gave a small smile to accompany his words. "let's go see them." i took his hand and walked towards my hut. i was eager to see the kids again, and the human boy - spider. i had died and come back to life again to rescue him from the demons, i wanted to at least meet him.
when we got there, there it was an almost empty energy surrounding the marui. all the kids were inside, sitting on the floor, which was very unlike them. they hadn't seen us yet, so we quietly moved forward and jake stepped in front of me before alerting them. "hey kids." they whipped around, eyes wide, expecting an update on my condition. neteyam was the first to ask the question on everyone's mind. "is she awake?"
jake didn't answer, instead he just stepped to the side with a smile, revealing me. the gasp they all let out was loud enough for the huts next to us to hear. immediately after that they all stood up and came rushing at me for a hug. the only one who didn't move was the human boy. spider. once jake's kids had settled down i sat next to the kid. "why did you save me?" he was so small compared to my seven foot frame.
"you mean something to jake, and jake means something to me. i wouldn't leave my mate's child to die." he looked up at me through his mask with a soft smile adorning his face. "thankyou." "you are welcome." we had all come to terms with my survival now, however tuk still stuck close to me, hugging me or holding my hand all the time. then all of a sudden, ao'nung and tsireya came running to my hut, incredibly out of breath and astonished at what they saw when they looked at me.
"you're alive!" tsireya all but shrieked and practically threw herself towards me. i laughed as she tackled me to the floor. "'reya! she just got out of a coma, don't give her another one." ao'nung scolded his sister but was equally excited that i was back, he had that tiny smile on his face. when tsireya finally got up from tackling me down and we sat up, i motioned ao'nung to come give me a hug too. he was gentler than his sister, almost like he was scared he'd squeeze me too hard and i'd fall into another coma.
"don't be scared, i won't die on you again. give me a proper hug." i teased him and he looked relieved, hugging me tighter.
——
it had been a month since i had woken from my coma, a month since jake was going to head back to his own land. but, after seeing me for the first time after he thought i had died, him and his kids were staying with me in my hut still. i had slowly began to take on my previous tasks that i used to carry out, both tonowari and ronal wary of me jumping back into action so soon. i constantly insisted that i was fine and that nothing would happen so they eventually gave in.
all the children in the village were happy to have me back teaching them and some of the older ones, mainly the boys, asked me what it was like fighting in the battle. i had told them tales before but i assumed since i had essentially died and come back to life, they were far more interested in my story. there was one smaller girl however, she was just like me when i was a kid. her name, kanul, meant intelligent. she was always so interested in my stories of battle and fights, so when she asked me to teach her how to fight, i couldn't help but agree.
her parents were still around and they didn't shun her like mine, but they didn't approve of her dream to be a warrior in the clan. they wished a softer path for her, like a healer. i did what any normal na'vi would and took her under my wing, not just to teach her to fight but for everything i learnt the hard way. jake was more than happy that i had essentially adopted a child and anytime kanul came over she asked him about his stories as toruk makto and he gladly complied. it warmed my heart to see them like that and know that we were like her second family.
tuk was around her age so they got along like a house on fire when they first met. kiri, lo'ak and neteyam all found her adorable and welcomed her into the family without question. i took a step back to admire what i had found in the family of five, once outcasts, that now were my own little world.
——
a/n: last chapter is kinda short and it acts as an epilogue as well, but we did it! the book is finally finished and i'm so happy that so many of y'all enjoyed it.
also, i hate to say it but i've fallen out of love with the avatar world, it's just not for me anymore and as i get older i'm focusing more on my own life and health. i will still write when i can and i still have some ideas for other 'fandoms' that i want to action but for now, this is it. 🫶🏻
