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mcverse · 2 years ago

Text

Summary: Trouble doesn’t stray far from the Sully’s. On a hunt, Lo’ak touches a baby animal and the mother doesn’t like it and calls for backup. The group gets separated, a few end up unconscious.

Pairings: neteyam x aviphoenix!reader, lo’ak x aviphoenix!reader, Ao'nung x aviphoenix!reader

Word count: 3.8k

Warnings: ( lmk if you think there is.) not proof read, heights, another chase scene similar to Avatar 1 (reminded by no.1), Neteyam is in this one, so is Ao’nung & Rotxo near the end,

Side Bar: Did you really think it’ll be easy to meet the Avi ppl? LO’AK IS SO UNDER-APPRECIATED, like where do y’all get off?? He’s not my fav but you gotta show him the love he deserves com’on

“Text like this only in italics” are Na’vi.

“Text like this in both italics and bold” are Avi, spoken b/w Avi & outsides.

“Text in just bold” are also Avi People, spoken b/w Avi only.

Text like this without quotations in italics are thoughts.

“Text like this” are in English.

Avatar Masterlist

Previous/Next

As you journeyed back to Flamehaven, you couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the forest floor with patches of golden light. The air was filled with the sounds of chirping and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

It was never your intention to stay in the forest for so long, but Eywa seemed to have other plans for you. What started as a simple task of gathering herbs had turned into an unexpected delay after your encounter with that Na’vi.

You patted the satchel on your hip with a small smile, glad that at least you had what you needed in the end. It took longer but the satisfaction was worth it. The herbs you had gathered were rare and valuable, and you knew they would be appreciated by the healers in Flamehaven.

A little bump on the trail was nothing for an Avi like you. While you may not have approached the situation like the mightiest warriors, you were still pleased with the outcome. Your previous training of remaining calm and thinking level headed has not gone to waste and had a purposeful use today. You were proud of how you handed it.

Still the encounter left you pondering about what’s to come of the outsiders once news hits home. The Avi, historically, were known for their peaceful ways, with many rituals and traditions centered around tranquility.

However, even with the best intentions, your people had encountered some bad aphl (applu) in the past. As expected, the Avi did not back down and were capable warriors when their way of life was threatened. There was more to them than just festivities and sacred places.

As you drew closer to the outskirts of Flamehaven, you felt a sense of anticipation and relief. Your heart was racing with excitement at the thought of sharing your experiences with your fellow Avi, and you looked forward to the comfort of home after your long night in the forest.

Your pace quickened as you approached the river, hopping across the rocks with ease. You could hear the water rushing by beneath you, and the cool mist of the spray was refreshing against your skin. As you approached the hidden passage to Flamehaven, you pushed aside the foliage curtain with a grin.

The sound of laughter and chatter greeted you as you went through, and you could see that the place was already lively. The Avi were busy going about their day, some tending to their gardens and others gathered around cooking fires. The smell of roasting meat and fresh herbs filled the air, making your stomach growl.

You felt a sense of comfort and belonging wash over you as you made your way through the village, heading in the direction of the chief hut. You greet a few Na’vi who had noticed your presence. They sent you warm smiles that only made yours grow. The familiar greeting and sounds of your home filled you with joy, its hard to describe it by anything but love.

Soon you approached the tree where the chief's hut was nested between two others, and began to climb up the worn hand and footholds that had been carved into the fire patterned bark over time. As you reached the top, you swing onto the platform and push aside the woven mat that serves as a door.

Inside, you see your grandmother, Níku the tsakihe (Tsahìk), sitting in the center of the room, meditating. Her eyes are closed, and her wings are folded neatly behind her back.

You hesitate for a moment, not wanting to disturb her. But she senses your presence and speaks before you with her eyes still shut, "Whatever it is can wait. Tsuw'a Cet [Come sit]," she said, beckoning you over with a tilt of her head to the empty space beside her.

Normally, you wouldn't mind taking part in this calming activity, but you were too restless with the information you had. You hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to do as she said to avoid her persistence later on.

You sat beside her cross-legged, but your mind was elsewhere, still reeling from what you had witnessed in the forest. You knew it couldn't wait and would have to tell her soon, but facing your grandmothers wrath wasn’t an option either.

“Kawkkxn nga rawsem [Clear your mind],” Níku said as she picked up two crystals that lay haphazardly in front of her. “And open your hands.”

You felt a shiver run down your spine, amazed by how she seemed to sense your lack of focus. Obediently, you followed her command, opening your hands to receive what you already know to be crystals.

She placed a crystal in each of your hands and you immediately closed your fingers around them, feeling a warm heat radiate from the stones. You waited for her next instructions.

Níku continued, “Breathe in the air, feel it filling you with life.”

Following her instruction, you inhaled deeply, your chest expanding as you held the air within for a few seconds before exhaling. As you repeated the process, you could feel your mind beginning to quiet, the outside world slowly slipping away.

“Feel Eywa’s love warming you up and Pho guiding you where you need to be,” Níku said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

The warmth from the crystals in your hands spreads through your body, grounding you and connecting you to the earth. You feel a tingle of energy in your fingertips and toes, and a gentle vibration in your chest. It was a tingle that felt right in the best way possible.

Meditating with your grandmother always felt different from meditating alone. It was a step up, for sure. The guidance and wisdom of her years of experience always brought a sense of comfort.

As you basked in the tranquility of the moment, Níku open her eyes as she asked, "How do you feel?" Although she already knew the answer based on your expression, she was always eager to hear her grandchild's thoughts and experiences.

You meet her gaze and can't help but smile. The stress and tension from before have melted away, replaced by a sense of peace and clarity, “I feel weightless like a Phoenix souring through the clouds, granny.” you replied, feeling grateful for her guidance and wisdom.

Her lips twisted into a smug grin and she raised her chin, obviously proud of herself. "Then I did what I'm best at. You were so tense walking in, I had to help my granbaby," she said, reaching up to pinch one of your cheeks. You couldn't help but smile at her playful gesture.

After letting go of your cheek, she took the crystals from you and carefully placed them on a nearby leaf. Folding the leaf in four, she placed it gently in a wooden box and closed the lid.

“Now tell gran what troubles you, baby," she said, turning to give you her undivided attention.

You took a deep breath before launching into your story, recounting your journey into the forest and the strange encounter with the wayward Na'vi and his resting clan. Níku listened intently, her wise eyes studying you as you spoke. When you finished, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, deep in thought.

The silence in the hut was palpable as you waited for her response. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she opened her eyes and looked at you with a solemn expression. "This is concerning news. We must gather the clan and hold a council to decide what action to take. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

You nodded, feeling relieved that you had shared your burden with your grandmother and knowing that she would guide you and the clan in the right direction.

In the early morning light, a group of elite warriors huddled together in the forest. They talked amongst themself, eagerly anticipating their upcoming exploration. Some of them carried crossbows and spears, while the eldest Sully had a hunting blade and the youngest had a classic bow.

Neteyam noticed his brother Lo’ak shifting his weight anxiously and looking off to the side absentmindedly. Concerned, he approached Lo’ak and draped his arm over his shoulder, "What's up, baby bro? You seem quiet today." He peered down in his face.

Lo'ak shrugged off Neteyam's arm, making him stumble back a feet, "Just had trouble sleeping last night," he admitted, watching his brother carefully. Though he didn’t give the reason why, he knew his brother would catch on fast.

As if reading his thoughts, Neteyam's expression hardened, sensing something was off, "Please tell me you didn't sneak out," he whispered harshly, grabbing his arm to drag them both further from the group.

Lo'ak rolled his eyes and glared at his brother. "What do you think?" he snapped back, already not liking Neteyam’s overbearing attitude.

Neteyam groaned in frustration, already knowing where this could all lead, "If Dad finds out, you’ll be grounded and lose all your privileges." His hand out in front of him, moving to emphasize his point as he talked.

Lo'ak considered his options and realized that his father was the least of his worries; his mother would be far angrier. She was definitely scarier. Nevertheless, he was confident that he had covered his tracks well.

He shakes his head to dismiss his brothers concern, "He won't find out. Besides you, only Kiri, Ao'nung, and Rotxo know," Lo’ak said confidently, smirking like he had it all solved.

There was a brief pause before Neteyam breaks it, “And Tuk.” He added.

"And Tuk?" Lo'ak repeated, confused as he looked at his brother for reconfirmation. He hadn't even noticed her there. How the hell didn’t he notice her? His heart dropped at the realization and cursed under his breath. If this was true, it was a royal fuck up.

Neteyam watched his brother Lo’ak with a mixture of concern and exasperation. "You couldn’t behave just once, Lo’ak?" he chided, knowing full well that his brother's recklessness was about to land him in trouble.

Neteyam dreaded the inevitable lecture that their father Jake would give to Lo'ak when he found out about his latest misadventure. He wished his brother would listen to reason and understand how much he was trying to look out for him.

Meanwhile, Lo'ak stood with pursed lips, lost in thought as he tried to figure out how to salvage the situation. He had taken a risk and wasn't sure if it had paid off. If worse came to worst, he could always resort to a bribe to buy Tuk’s silence, but he was unsure of what he could offer that would be persuasive enough.

Before he could dwell on it further, their attention was diverted by the arrival of their father, Jake, their mother, Neytiri, Tonowari, and Ronal. Lo'ak quickly mouthed to his brother that he would fill him in on what he had been planning later before turning his focus to the front.

Tonowari took a deep breath before speaking. "Ronal and I have agreed to stay behind and watch over those who remain," he announced, turning to Jake. "Neytiri and Jake will come with you."

Jake bowed his head slowly to Tonowari and then addressed the assembled warriors. "You are proven warriors, Eywa sees you... I see you. But this is not our land," he reminded them. Jake's eyes scanned the group, pleased to see that they were taking the situation seriously. "If we go out there, chances are we could encounter more enemies. I don't want another battle, so follow my orders and stay close."

The warriors cheered and shouted, psyching themselves up for what lay ahead. But Jake quickly silenced them. "Za’u [Come], we move on foot," he declared, taking his bow from Neytiri, who secured hers on her back. Together, they set out in the same direction that Lo'ak had been rescued from, with the other warriors following close behind.

Lo'ak couldn't help but silently hope that he would get another chance to see you again, hopefully while the sun was still up. The night made it difficult, and he didn't want to miss anything.

He simply wanted the chance to talk to you, no matter what you were. Your first encounter didn't go smoothly, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something special about you. The only issue was that he wasn't traveling alone.

His mind raced, trying to come up with a solution in case the impossible became possible. He knew that it was definitely possible to see you again because you looked like the impossible. Although he was aware that Na'vi could look different depending on where they lived, you were unlike any Na'vi he had encountered before. He knew that you were not just Na'vi.

Lo'ak was tempted to tell Neteyam about meeting you, maybe even his parents because they had the right to know that they weren't alone. However, he didn't like the idea very much after thinking long and hard as he followed closely behind his brother.

He knew that they would immediately see you as a threat, the same regrettable mistake he had made. If that were to happen, you might never show yourself to him again, knowing that you were being targeted.

He couldn't risk it. He liked the fact that only he knew about something amazing out there, his little secret — well, your little secret too, when it came to him. He wondered if your people were close by, and if they knew of their existence as well. Maybe he should be concerned about that, but he couldn't bring himself to worry.

Lo'ak paused his thoughts, blinking back into reality when he saw Neteyam stop in his tracks, crouching low with alertness. Lo'ak cursed himself for not paying attention to his surroundings as he had been absentmindedly following his brother in the forest.

“Why’d we sto—“

Neteyam cut him off in a hushed tone, “Quiet,” he looked over to his right to his father, who held his hand up in a fist. They locked eyes, exchanging nods in silent understanding. Neteyam was sure that he heard something, and he wasn't the only one.

Neteyam gestured towards his ears and mouth, silently instructing Lo’ak to listen carefully and keep quiet. Lo’ak obeyed, trying his best to tune out the pounding of his own heart as he strained to hear any sounds. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was out there, or maybe someone.

His mind wandered again, entertaining the possibility that it could be you. His throat went dry as he tried to focus. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before he finally picked up a sound. He turned his head in the direction of the noise, but all he heard was the rustling of leaves from the wind.

He grunted in annoyance, about to give up when he heard a grunt back. It was so close a grunt that he mistook it for Neteyam. However, a shake of the head from his brother indicated that it wasn’t him. Lo’ak’s heart raced as he realized that there was indeed something out here, just two hours into their journey.

No one else made a move to do anything. Everyone was frozen with held breaths but Lo’ak wasn’t. He grunted once again, then waits. Just to make sure he really heard it. It took a minute before he heard it back, he snaps his eyes to Neteyam, his blown wide in shock.

Neteyam looked at him with narrowed eyes, but Lo’ak didn’t hesitate, “Did you hear that too?” he whispered, a tad louder than before. He looked back towards the bushes where the noise was coming from, "I'm gonna go check it out," he warned Neteyam, approaching the bush cautiously.

Neteyam hurried behind Lo'ak, attempting to stop him from uncovering what was making the noise ahead. But Lo'ak was quick and peeled back the leaves to reveal a baby animal, similar to a Prolemuris, but with its own unique features.

Lo'ak reached down to pick it up, and the creature grunted again, but made no move to struggle. It had four arms, four eyes, and bluish-purple skin, and Lo'ak couldn't help but coo at the little thing.

Neteyam's grip tightened on Lo'ak's left shoulder, and he practically growled at him, panic in his voice, "Put it down!"

Lo'ak smiled, trying to reassure his brother that everything was okay. "Relax, bro! It's just a baby."

Movement to their right caught their attention, and Lo'ak's ears fell when he saw his father looking at him with a mixture of disappointment and fear, "Your brother’s right...put it back," Jake said, motioning for Lo'ak to return the animal to where he found it.

Lo'ak opened his mouth to argue, but Jake cut him off with a stern shake of his head, "No. Where there's a baby, there's a mother," he warned.

Neteyam nodded in agreement, and as if on cue, a deep growl rumbled from above, causing the three Sullys to freeze. Adrenaline seeped through their veins, kicking their flight or fight response into high gear.

Ever so slowly, they looked up, cursing together when they saw a larger version of the baby animal perched in the tree above them. It was far more terrifying and less cute than its baby counterpart, its tail swishing menacingly slowly behind it.

"Slowly put it down. Gently," Jake ordered, his eyes locked on the animal in the tree.

Lo'ak didn’t have the be told twice this time. He acted swiftly and deliberately, with a deep sense of caution as he carefully lowered the baby back into the bush. His heart was racing, and his breaths came in shallow gasps as he tried to remain calm and focused. His eyes darted back and forth between the mother and the child, ensuring that he did not lose sight of either of them, nor let his guard down for a moment.

Jake's voice broke through the tension, urging Lo'ak and Neteyam to back away slowly, "Ok. Good," he started, "Now back up. Do. Not. Run." He emphasized the last three words slowly, his tone laced with concern as he waited for the two boys to move away from the scene. All the while, he kept a watchful eye on the mother animal, determined not to lose track of her movements.

As Lo'ak and Neteyam retreated to a safe distance, Jake began to back away himself. However, his movements caught the attention of the mother animal, who lifted her head and fixed her eyes on him. The animal bared her teeth, revealing sharp, menacing fangs, and sniffed the air, grunting loudly.

Jake's heart sank as he realized that the situation was about to take a dangerous turn. He hoped he was mistaken, but his suspicions were confirmed when he heard a series of grunts and growls in the distance.

Turning to the warriors, he urgently gestured for them to run, "Run!" he shouted, his voice rising in panic. "Run!" he repeated, even louder this time, shaking the warriors into full gear. They started running, all going in the same direction at first. It’s when they looked behind him where all hell broke loose.

A group of over a dozen adult versions of the baby animal came charging towards them at an incredible speed, looking passive-aggressive as they tumbled over each other in their haste to reach their targets.

The Na’vi gasped in shock at the sight of them and stumbled over their own feet, discombobulated and unsure of what to do. They all started heading in different directions, desperately trying to get away from the charging animals.

Amidst the chaos, Jake spotted Neytiri a few feet away and quickly made his way towards her, his heart pounding in his chest, "The boys, where are they?" he asked urgently, scanning the area around them.

Neytiri hissed in frustration as she heard his question, "They must have gone in another direction," she replied, her eyes darting around as she tried to locate them, "We must find them!"

Cursing under his breath, Jake nodded in agreement, "We will," he said, determination in his voice, "But for now, we need to get somewhere safe," he added, glancing ahead to assess their surroundings and identify the safest path to take.

Lo’ak and Neteyam were sprinting through the dense forest, their chests heaving with exhaustion as they desperately tried to outrun the trail of enraged animals that were hot on their heels. Despite their fear and fatigue, they did not dare to slow down or look back, as they knew the animals would catch them in an instant if they did.

The other warriors they had been with had split off in different directions, which was a reckless move, but there was nothing Lo’ak and Neteyam could do about it now. They had to focus on their own survival and keep pushing forward.

The thudding of the animals' paws echoed through the forest, growing louder and closer by the second. Lo'ak and Neteyam could feel their anger and hunger, mostly directed towards Lo'ak for his involvement with the baby, but they both knew that being caught by them would mean certain death.

They ran until their legs felt like they were on fire, until they couldn't run anymore. Finally, the sounds of the animals chasing them began to fade away, giving them a moment of respite. They stumbled into a small clearing, hoping to find a way out, only to be met with the sound of rushing water. As they approached the edge of the stream, they realized it led to a waterfall with a terrifying drop.

Lo'ak turned to Neteyam, his chest still heaving with exertion, "We have to jump," he said, his voice low and urgent. He knew it was a dangerous move, but it was their only chance to escape the pursuing animals. "We have to."

Neteyam immediately shakes his head, stepping back from the edge, his eyes scanning the surroundings frantically for another way out, “No way. Find another way,” he insists, his voice laced with panic. The drop was… Eywa no way.

“There isn’t another way! They’re catching up,” Lo’ak pleaded with his brother, looking back and gasped in surprise as he saw Ao'nung and Roxto running their way with the pack of enraged animals hot on their heels.

Neteyam looked behind him and realized that Lo'ak was right. With a curse, he pulled Lo'ak closer to him, ready to take the leap, but before they could jump, they were toppled over by Ao'nung and Roxto, who had body-slammed into them with great force.

The force of the water at the length of the fall is tremendous, knocking them all unconscious on impact. The current carries them downstream, the water pounding against their bodies as they tumble along.

Things to know

Ao’nung is unmated. He doesn’t strike me as the type to settle down quickly. He actually takes that pretty serious given who his dad was.

Y’know why Lo’ak isn’t with Tsireya, but what about Neteyam. Well, Nete isn’t mated yet, even though he has plenty of offers before and especially after his war wound but he’s too focused on trying to get his dad to see him as anything other than disabled.

Yes, Jake was disabled before. He hasn’t forgotten what it felt like but it’s hard on him to see his son in similar shoes. He doesn’t want to limit him… he just doesn’t want him to suffer more due to another accident.

That loss of a friend in the prologue, if you haven’t guessed… it’s spider. I don’t hate him, I just strongly dislike him saving Quaritch. I understand why, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

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