lvi. eywa please listen now
╰ avatar: the way of water

Once or more times in everyone's life, pain is everything and overwhelming.

In Jakes life, it was losing his legs and his brother. But he had manage to overcome the pain after he had joined the avatar program. He found peace in himself, gained a working pair of legs and found his perfect paradise.

Odessa's pain was losing her sister. That was something she had wished she never would have had to experience. Once it happened, it was she something she wished wouldn't have happened, but it did. She fought against the grief that plagued her body, but over time she found a way to let go. Even if she still holds some of it with her, the pain isn't like what it was.

Kiri felt a pain in her heart when she learnt that her two parents weren't her biological child. She grew up knowing that Odessa and Neytiri were her mothers, that was it. Learning that Grace was her biological mother who couldn't even say hi to her was heartbreaking. She wanted to know everything about Grace, and the video logs weren't doing her a favour.

Neteyam felt a pain when he connected to the spirit tree, hearing the whispers of those who had died before him. He's always been a wonderful child, one who was curious about everything and everyone. He seemed to connect to Eywa more different than his cousins — maybe it's as because he was the all mothers blessing. But on one day, he was connected to tree of souls and had watched his mothers father die. It took him weeks to get over it.

Lo'aks pain is his overwhelming feeling of not belonging, of being a freak. He was and always will be different. Inkire was losing her parents to the way. Tuk and Ak'tari was being taken from their parents, leaving their home in the forest. Spider was learning who his father was and all the horrible things that he had done. Even A'noung and Tsireya had felt pain, when some of the spirit siblings had died.

It's a normal response, one that fills the heart and soul. How one deals with, well, everyone reacts differently.

"Mamma." Neteyam whispered, eyes wide as he watched the water turn red. It wasn't the beautiful blue anymore, but a red that would signify death.

In only a few seconds, everyone sprung into action; Odessa was on an ilu, all three children beside her. Neteyam and Spider on one and Lo'ak on another. The four didn't waste another second in racing towards a rock — that was very large — where Jake, Neytiri, and everyone else ( but Kiri, Tuk, Inkire and Ak'tari ) were waiting for them. It was like they knew something was wrong, that each of the four were filled with panic that racked their bodies.

Jake, who was first to see the blood coating the body of the person in front of him, raced off of his skimming and towards the quadruple. "What happened?!" Jake shouted in a panic as the injured Na'vi was helped off an Ilu and onto the rock.

"We didn't realize!" Lo'ak shouted, quickly eying the blood that had stained his blue fingertips. "We were just trying to get out of the ship, dad. An Avatar shot at us."

Everyone, even the water and world around them seemed to still as blood poured from the wound. No matter how many hands that pressed pressure with hopes to stop it would do anything helpful. They could pray to Eywa, plead for the safety of the one who laid dying. Or they could accept it.

"Mamma." Neteyam whispered again, his head spinning as he eyed the woman who's been there for every step of his life. He then glanced to Neytiri, who's eyes were soaked with tears. "Mom."

Odessa placed her hand against her sons cheek. Her only son. He, along with his two siblings were the light in her world she didn't know she needed. They gave her a purpose, a life, a title, everything and anything. She had always wanted to protect her children, and her nieces and nephews. Her found brother and sister too. She would, and always will do anything and everything to protect.

Even if it meant her life were to end.

Because Odessa Everett was indeed shot in the chest, blood pouring profusely from the wound.

Neytiri sunk to her knees beside her mate, chest clenching in pain as she did so. It hurt, so much. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she watched the crimson red soak and dye the rock underneath them all. It was a dream, she kept having to tell herself. "No no no no no." There wasn't a second wasted as Neytiri grasped the hand of the woman she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.

"Jake, help her." Neteyam cried out as he furiously looked towards his uncle. Why wasn't the older man doing anything. Why was he just kneeling there, watching as he waited for whatever would happen next. "Please!"

Jake knew what was going to happen. The death of his sister, his best friend,  the person who stood by him when he made the mistakes he shouldn't have. She was there when he became the clan leader, when his children were born, everything. He knew she would die, just like Grace had. Only this time he believed there would be no coming back, her body would die and be given to Eywa. Her soul would live on throughout the tree of the ancestors, but by then, all she would be is a memory.

Odessa gasped, the pain in her chest flaring before it turned dull and almost disappeared. She knew this was the end. That she wouldn't be saved. "Neteyam," Her voice was scratchy as she looked towards her son and only her son. "This - this wasn't your fault baby. Okay? I will always be here to protect you, you're my - my baby and you always will be."

"Mamma, no. Don't leave me." Neteyam cried. He didn't want his mamma to leave him, to go cold and disappear from his life.

"I'm not gonna leave you, baby." Odessa's voice quivered as she let her thumb move across her sons cheek. She knew this would be hard on him; she saved him and he feels as if maybe it's his fault. And oh how his heart will break when his two sister realizes their mamma is dead. "I'm always here — " Odessa placed her bloodied hand over her sons heart. "— right here, okay?"

Jake shifted his body, moving his arms around Neteyam and pulling him into a hug. The son cried into his uncles chest. The bloodied hand of Odessa was placed against the cold rock. Maybe if Jake held him, the he wouldn't be focused on the painful lung racking screams from Neytiri.

A life hand ended in that moment.

But there was no time for grieving, as a mother and father both had two children held hostage in a place surrounded by people who didn't care who's lives were taken. Jake couldn't grieve the loss of his sister, and Neytiri couldn't grieve the loss of her mate.

Pain filled their bodies, and that's what fuelled them.