-
Italics: (Na'vi language, Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)

A/N: Hi! Semi-lime scene coming up! I guess? I have no idea if it qualifies since its a bit short, but I'm new to it so bare with me lol Also, I said this in the chapter before but don't don't be ghost readers :,) I really do love reading your replies, I see them all and they make my day, seriously <3
-

It had been a long time and Kiri was still on the ocean floor of the reef, kneeling on the sand and watching the creatures and underwater world just before her eyes. She couldn't tear her eyes away, and not once has she needed to come up for air. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an Ilu start to make its way over to her, and then swam around the girl as she watched the sea creature up close.

It swam in the water so gracefully and elegantly that Kiri was entranced. She could hear the ilu making clicking and chirping sounds, which she assumed was for echolocation. Norm and Max had told her about these creatures back on Earth called dolphins, and the sounds that the ilu's were making were very similar to the ones that dolphins and whales make.

Coming around the corner of a coral column, the ilu turned and faced Kiri, making those clicking sounds again as it looked at the girl with a non-threatening or intimidating aura to it, but it was more of a content and serene emotion. Kiri could feel it all. The girl smiled fondly when the Ilu swam closer and rubbed its head against hers with affection.

Back on the surface, on the shores of the beach, Tsireya was spending some time with Tuk and teaching the youngest Sully more about ilu's. There was one particular ilu that was stationed right in front of the two girls, seeing that Tsireya had a fish in her hand and was handing it to Tuk so that she could feed it to it.

Holding it up, the Ilu opened its jaw waiting for the fish and then Tuk dropped it in its mouth. The creature seemed to enjoy the food it was given very much, given that it made happy chirping sounds and shook its head. Tuk couldn't help but giggle and laugh at what she was experiencing. She had a bright smile on her face as she raised her hand to pet the ilu's head, which the sea creature accepted gladly.

As Tuk and Tsireya began to caress the animal's chin and the top of its head, the youngest Sully giggled at the moment and the bond she was creating with the creature. "I love her already!" Tuk laughed, smiling from ear to ear and having the time of her life. Tsireya smiled fondly at Tuk, already having a soft spot for the little girl. She would protect her, feeling that Tuk was the little sister she never had.

Down at the reef, Kiri connected her queue with the Ilu she came across and made a bond with the animal. The creature was more than happy to be the one who has Kiri as its rider. As the ilu began to swim forward, Kiri grabbed ahold of the handle on its back and moved to lie on its back. They began to circle the entire reef, eventually meeting up with Tuk and Tsireya around the corner who were also each riding an ilu of their own.

Tuk was following Tsireya's lead, going at a slow pace so that the little girl wouldn't fall behind and she could get adjusted to riding it. The Metkayina princess turned her head to look back at Tuk and smiled, gesturing to the girl with her hand to follow. As they navigated through the reefs and the three girls let their eyes wander to the beauties around them, the ilu's chirped and continued to make those clicking sounds, which were signs of contentment and happiness.

Kiri soon rode a bit faster to catch up and be next to Tuk, and when she reached her little sister's side, Kiri smiled, which Tuk returned. The girls marveled at everything they swam by, whether it was schools of fish, every nook and cranny of coral they could fit through, big rocks, and even larger sea animals that they could not help but want to see more up close. I mean, how couldn't they? No matter how many times they've gone underwater, this whole new world opened up to them and they didn't want to leave for even a second.

Eventually, they all left the water and regrouped. Kiri, Tsireya, Lo'ak, Neteyam, and Rotxo all sat in a circle on the shores of rocks near the beach. Tsireya was teaching the group how to control their breathing so that they could last longer underwater without having to go up for air so often. She was guiding them, except Rotxo who was already familiar with it, on breathing exercises they learned from.

"Breathe in..." Tsireya started, inhaling deeply and placing one hand on her chest and another on her lower belly, controlling her breathing. The Sully siblings and Rotxo all did the same, following what Tsireya was doing. They inhaled waiting a few seconds before exhaling. "Breathe out..." Tsireya said, moving her hands to lie on her thighs as she closed her eyes. Everyone followed and exhaled, keeping a straight posture and steady breathing.

"Imagine a flickering flame," She started with a calm and serene voice, extending one of her arms out and placing one on her chest. Rotxo had stopped following along, just so he could check on how the Sullys were doing. "You must slow down your heartbeat," Tsireya continued, turning her gaze to look at Lo'ak. Noticing that he seemed a bit tense, she proceeded to place both of her hands on him. One of her hands was on his chest and another on his abdomen.

"Breathe in, Lo'ak," Tsireya said, and Lo'ak did as told, but she could feel that his heart rate was accelerating. The boy inhaled, and Tsireya could feel his stomach contracting from his inhale, and then come back to normal when he exhaled. "Breathe from down here," She whispered, feeling how rigid he felt and his breathing didn't seem as steady as before. From that, she could tell he was nervous.

"Breathe out slowly," Tsireya said as Lo'ak exhaled, but since she was focused on watching his breathing on his stomach and ribcage area, she didn't notice when Lo'ak slowly trailed off from breathing out and his eyes began to focus on Tsireya. His gaze flickered and locked on her when she wasn't looking, and seeing every detail about her that he didn't notice before.

"Lo'ak, your heartbeat is very fast," Tsireya whispered, knocking the boy out of his trance and bringing him back to reality. He shook his head lightly and focused back on the lesson. "Sorry," He said, positioning himself in a better posture and pretending like he wasn't looking at her shamelessly a few seconds before.

"Try to focus," She said gently, and Lo'ak nodded, muttering an 'okay' before focusing again. He began to breathe in again, as per Tsireya's instructions, and breathe out.

Watching all of this happen, Neteyam smirked and had a teasing smile on his lips, seeing his brother's interaction with Tsireya. He then turned to Rotxo from the corner of his eyes and laughed softly under his breath, prompting Rotxo to reciprocate it and chuckle too. Kiri watched the two boys wordlessly tease Lo'ak, and rolled her eyes in annoyance at their childish behavior. Boys will be boys.

Later that day, when sunset was approaching and the sun was hiding behind the horizon. Tsireya was taking Neteyam and Lo'ak to practice riding on ilu's. Rotxo had already left back to the village before that, and Ao'nung had left earlier that day. Tsireya has been spending all day having fun with the Sullys, being more than happy to be their teacher.

As the sunlight reflected on the blue and pristine waters of the reef, Tsireya, Lo'ak, and Neteyam were all riding on their ilu's. They rode and swam amongst each other, circling one another and creating an imaginary trail. Upon getting closer to the surface, Lo'ak and Neteyam rode in a way that they spiraled around one another on their ilu's up until they reached the surface and inhaled deeply at the lack of air, but they had improved a lot more compared to that very morning.

Tsireya came up to the surface and rode her sea creature right by their side. She was so proud of how far they'd come, and it was only the first day. They made great progress. "You are learning to breathe," She said with a soft smile coming upon her features.

The two boys also had adrenaline-induced smiles from the amazing experience they had. The sunset was creating an array of beautiful orange and yellow colors, setting the perfect mood to end the day on such a positive note.

Back at the hut, while your children were still out in the ocean playing and having their lessons, as promised, you had spent the rest of the day nursing, Jake. He had been a little reluctant to leave the water at first because he wanted to prove that he could do it, but you reminded him that it was only the first day, so he'd get it eventually. Just showing such courage and bravery riding a Skimwing for his first time just goes to show his dedication, and that was more than enough.

You were now sitting cross-legged in front of him, as he laid his back against the wall of the hut. The sunset rays were breaching through in the perfect way that wasn't uncomfortable to look at. In fact, as you nursed and bandaged up his injured hand, Jake had his eyes set on you. Your concentration was endearing to him, and not only that but the oranges and pinks from the sky highlighted your features in the best way. He felt as if he'd gone to heaven just by looking at you, and he'd never get enough.

"Ma Jake. You're staring," You said with a gentle smirk, not looking up from attending to his hand. Jake's eyes widened before he cleared his throat and turned away awkwardly, so you laughed softly at his bashfulness.

He stayed silent for a bit before he cleared his throat in a way that was too obvious for him not to want to say something. It was lucky because you finished tending to his hand at that same moment, so you looked up at him. "Thank you, baby," He said gratefully. Jake loved when you took care of him. You smiled at him, wordlessly telling him that it was no problem. You loved being there to take care of his injuries. Makes you feel closer to him.

"What is it, Jake? Is there something bothering you?" You asked, moving to place a hand over his. He sighed and looked down before turning his gaze toward the sunset. You moved your position to sit beside him and throw your legs over his thighs. Out of habit, Jake placed his free hand on your legs and began running his fingers along your skin, making you smile, and sending shivers down your spine.

"It's nothing. I'm just worried about the kids and how they're handling being in a new place. They're so young I'm worried we're depriving them of a good childhood," Jake said with his eyebrows slightly furrowed and a small frown on his lips. Your heart softened at his words and completely understood what he was feeling. It was hard to decide to move and take your children away from everything they've ever known. It was deep rooted guily that he'd been feeling ever since they arrived.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, my love. But, I do think that the kids are adjusting well. I've stopped in during the day to check on them and they look really happy. I know it's hard to admit that we are taking their chance away from making memories in the forest as we did, but the good thing about this whole thing is that they can make new memories here now that are going to be just as special one day. Their memories of the forest are still vivid in their minds, trust me. They won't forget where they came from and they understand that you did what you had to do," You whispered, caressing your thumb over his thumbs affectionately.

Jake let out a dry laugh and turned his head to look at you with so much love and gratitude, that he felt like he could never thank you enough for being there for him. Jake raised his hand from your thigh and cupped your jaw, rubbing his thumb against your cheekbone and leaning in so close to your face that your breaths were mingling with one another. You locked gazes and looked at each other's eyes, so close that every detail from your eyes was accessible to Jake, as were his to you.

"How do you always know what to say?" He whispered, and you chuckled with a smile. You honestly didn't quite know how, but it was just natural when it came to him or any of your kids. It wasn't something you could explain. "I don't know if I'm being honest. But after 15 years, I know you enough to know when you're hurting. I'll always be here for you, even when you don't ask for it," You smile, and he didn't hesitate to lean in to kiss your cheek.

"I love you," He whispered, pulling away from your cheek but still staying with his face close to yours, nudging your nose with his. You giggle softly, feeling a ticklish sensation at his actions. "I love you, too" You replied softly, closing your eyes, pressing your lips to his in a quick but loving kiss, lasting only a seconds.

You pulled away slowly from him, but before you could separate all the way, Jake cupped your cheek and brought you close again, with his lips brushing against yours. "Wait. Don't pull away...not yet," He whispered, leaning in to bring his lips to yours in a much deeper kiss. It started off as gentle but Jake began to trace his lips from the corners of your mouth, your cheeks, your jaw, and down your neck, whispering sweet nothings and 'I love you's' after every peck. As your face heated up, you tucked your head in the crook of his neck while your legs stayed splayed over his lap.

Before his displays of affection could continue, since Jake was so immersed in kissing your neck, collarbone, and jaw altogether, you started to hear footsteps and the excited chatter of your children's approach. It was a miracle he wasn't sucking, biting, or anything that would leave an incriminating spot on your neck. You nudged Jake and urged him to stay quiet so he could listen, and he did, he immediately stood up and grabbed your hand to assist you in getting up from the ground.

You tried to make yourselves look busy by going over to the fireplace in the middle of the hut that was heating dinner. You had started to prepare it before tending to Jake's hand. Eventually, your children came into view and walked into the hut with bright smiles on their faces. They looked so carefree and relaxed that you were glad to see that they had a good first day in the Metkayina village.

Lo'ak and Neteyam greeted you and Jake briefly as Kiri smiled and continued to joke around with her older and younger brothers. As soon as Tuk saw you, she didn't hesitate to run into your arms in a hug and settle into your lap to tell you everything that happened that day. She rambled excitedly about her learning to ride an Ilu and diving in the reef. Her energy was so strong that you could feel it in the air.

As your children continued to talk amongst themselves until dinner was ready, you turned over to Jake to see he was already looking at you with a fond expression. You smiled toothlessly and put your hand over his, knowing you were both thinking the same thing. Your kids were going to be okay after all. But, for how long, though? You wouldn't take this peace for granted.

-

In the forest with Quaritch, his group of Avatars, and Spider, they all were making their way up the Hallelujah Mountains. It was the same path that all warriors took to master riding an Ikran, which is what they were heading over to do right now. As they made their way up the vines connected to the floating rocks, Ikrans were flying in the distance and screeching loudly.

Spider was leading the way for the group, telling them where to go since he has been to the nest of the banshees before. He was ahead of Quaritch and the rest and suddenly came to stop on the rock he was on, leaning down to look at the slowpokes. He couldn't help but laugh. "Come on! Keep up losers!" The boy yelled, continuing to make his way up.

In no time, Spider led the group to the place where all Ikrans were in. Whether they were perched on the side of the mountain or just in large groups, behind the log in front of them was banshee territory. Out of instinct, the Avatar soldiers had their guns raised in case they needed to shoot and obviously did not know how to go about this. Spider perched himself up on the log, looking at the majestic banshees in their natural habitat while Quaritch and his group stayed wary.

The boy watched inquisitively as one of the soldiers inserted a narrow tranquilizer into a gun, and Quaritch stopped the Avatar, grabbing onto the gun. "I got this," The Colonel said, preparing himself to aim. Spider began to laugh at the fact that Quaritch was using a tranquilizer to tame an Ikran, basically the easy way, and not doing it like every Na'vi warrior that comes here as a rite of passage.

At the sound of the boy snickering, Quaritch lowered his gun slightly and lifted his head to look up at Spider. "What?" The Colonel asked with confusion, not knowing why the human boy beside him was laughing, or why he found the situation amusing to him. "Na'vi kids younger than me do this with their bare hands," Spider said, and suddenly, it all made sense to Quaritch. It also made him wonder if Jake did this without help back then.

"Jake Sully did it the hard way?" Quaritch asked Spider, looking between him and the banshees in front of them. Spider scoffed and replied right away. "What do you think?" The boy asked rhetorically, and the Colonel immigrated knew the answer to his question.

Quaritch didn't waste any time in handing the tranquilizer gun over to Lyle beside him. "What do we do, Colonel?" He asked, but received no answer from Quaritch. The man leaped over the log and began to walk over to the nearest banshee in a lowered stance. Spider breathed out a laugh before turning to the Avatars. "This is gonna be good," He said, positioning himself on the log and then hopping off of it with his bow and arrow in his grip.

They say that if you approach an Ikran and it doesn't fly away, then it means that it has chosen you to try and tame it. Quaritch approached a particular banshee that had deep blue skin and a white underbelly. The Ikran began to screech the moment Quaritch started to approach it more and more with a menacing and aggressive look on his face. The banshee positioned itself on its wings, keeping a defensive stance towards the Colonel.

"It's you and me, cupcake," He growled, still preying on the Ikran. The banshee itself hissed and screeched, opening its jaw and showing its razor-sharp teeth to Quaritch. The Avatar Colonel hissed back, making the Ikran angry, which consequently had the banshee try and bite Quaritch, but he moved out of the way just in time. Trying to knock out the beast, the man tried to punch the Ikran as hard as he could but it only made the creature angrier.

The banshee tried to take another bite out of Quaritch, but once again, he moved out of the way just in the nick of time. He wasted no time in flinging himself onto the creature's back and holding onto its neck tightly as it thrashed around. The force that the beast was able to impose on Quaritch made him move around uncontrollably on the back of the Ikran. While Spider watched this, the human boy winced with a laugh at how the taming was going.

While Quaritch attempted to hold on tighter to the flying creature's neck, Spider decided to speak up. "Did I mention you're supposed to tie the mouth shut first?" The boy called out to the Colonel with an amused laugh leaving his mouth. Quaritch only scowled at what he said. "Thanks a lot, kid!" The Colonel yelled out sarcastically, wishing he knew that earlier.

As the Ikran continued to thrash around with Quaritch on its neck, they neared the edge more and more until they both fell to the precipice. Spider's eyes widened, along with Quaritch's comrades, and they all came over to stand on the edge and check if the Colonel was anywhere in sight. "Move up! Move up!" Lyle said to the others, try to see through the fog.

Quaritch was still holding onto the banshee's neck as they fell, as a yell erupted from his throat and out his mouth, having no control over the beast he was trying to tame. "Can you see them?" Lyle asked Spider and the others, checking if anyone had a visual on Quaritch.

After no sign of the Colonel was found over the next few minutes, the Avatars and Spider stayed there wondering and waiting. Eventually, it was decided that they had to continue, no matter how upset or devastated they were about their superior.

"Come on, we have to move on," Lyle said, and the other Avatars followed him as the second in command started to walk the other way. "Let's go, we're out of here," Lyle said, turning over to look at Spider who was still on the edge to see if there was any sign of him.

With a sigh, Spider turned away from the cliff and started walking toward the group. All of a sudden, they all heard an Ikran screech coming from behind them. The Avatars and Spider all turned around to see Quaritch flying upwards on the banshee successfully. The Colonel hooted and yelled at what he did, earning shouts from his comrades. "Yes! That's right!" Quaritch yelled, putting his fist in the air as he rode on the banshee he tamed.

The other Avatar soldiers did not hesitate to start cheering for him, with relief flooding through them. "That's right, Colonel! Get some!" Lyle yelled out, watching his superior fly in the air on the seemingly untamable beast.

"Who's up next?" Quaritch yelled in the air as he circled the group. The Avatars cheered, clapped, and threw their arms in the air at the achievement of the Colonel. They were all one step closer. Spider laughed in disbelief with a smile as he shook his head, not being able to believe that he did it.

-

A few more days passed, and the lessons continued. For Jake, he had spent all morning mastering the Skimwing. Tonowari was there to aid him, and in no time, he was able to tame the ferocious sea creature and ride it almost to perfection. Jake never gave up, the words of encouragement that you gave him certainly helped, and your soft voice ran through his mind all day, telling him to keep going. Jake was strong, determined, fearless, valiant, and has integrity. Those were just some of the traits you love about him the most.

After seeing Jake's improvement, Tonowari decided to take the ex-marine to the deeper waters of the reef. Now, they were both riding their Skimwings side by side. Jake was in a position on the saddle where he was on one knee, wind was blowing in his face and hair as one of his hands was holding onto the handle. His queue was connected, and his other arm extended to keep balance. He had taken all of those pointers from Tonowari beforehand.

As they rode, Jake knew it was time to dive again, so when the Skimwing dove onto the water in a torpedo shape and its wings tucked back into its body, Jake changed his position to be flat on the creature's back as they cruised through the reef. Jake kept a good posture and refrained from tying a rope around his hand this time. The waters were so clear that Tonowari was able to watch Jake execute this as he rode his Skimwing on the surface.

After riding through the currents for a few more seconds, the Skimwing rode back up to the surface and extended its wings to how it was before. Once coming up for air again, Jake exhaled and got onto one knee again, placing his free hand on his raised leg and looking forward, then back at Tonowari for feedback.

The clan leader had a satisfied look on his face as he watched Jake ride the Skimwing excellently. He had made so much progress in just one morning. When Jake looked at Tonowari for approval, the chief only nodded his head with a look that said, 'Not too bad'. Jake smiled with a breathless exhale and continued to ride. He would definitely take that as a good sign. He couldn't wait to go back home to you and tell you all about this.

Meanwhile, Tsireya and Lo'ak were sitting together side by side on a rocky shore. Lo'ak was sitting cross-legged while Tsireya was kneeling on her shins with her hand placed on Lo'ak's abdomen to help him control his breathing. It was so peaceful and tranquil, the only sounds they could hear were the splashing of the waves against the rocks, their own breathing, and the gentle winds that brushed against the two of them. It was impossible not to start reminiscing about what had transpired during their last few days so far. It felt like a dream that they wished would never end.

"The way of water has no beginning and no end," Tsireya started, guiding Lo'ak through his breathing as he closed his eyes and concentrated. He could hear the ripples of water nearby, calming him furthermore.

The sea is around you and in you.

He started to remember the lesson he had earlier that day where Tsireya held an empty seashell in her hand and threw it in the water, making it immediately start to sink to the bottom of the reef. It was supposed to be an exercise so that Lo'ak could practice and prolong his time underwater. After throwing it, Tsireya looked at Lo'ak with a go-ahead, and he immediately sucked in as much air as he could.

The sea is your home before your birth and after your death.

Lo'ak dove and began to swim downwards, keeping his eyes locked onto the falling seashell that was daintily falling further down. Tsireya ducked her head down on the water to watch Lo'ak. She wanted to see his progress and check his improvement.

As she watched him, she smiled fondly at the boy while remembering what they did a few nights ago. They both got on their ilu's at night and since the water was full of bioluminescence, the reef was absolutely beautiful while they rode side by side. The water reacted to the movement of the ilu's fins, creating glowing trails behind them. The corals had dimmed lights to them, creating an atmosphere that felt like an illusion to them.

Our hearts beat in the womb of the world.

Lo'ak continued to swim further down, and this time, he was able to be a lot longer in the depths of the water. The lessons were working and he had Tsireya to thank. He swam by various columns of coral that welcomed him to the deep as if showing him where to go. Fish swam all around Lo'ak, accepting his presence.

Our breath burns in the shadows of the deep.

Tsireya remembered her special bonding moments with Tuk, and compared to now, the little girl had such a strong connection and love for the sea creatures she has gotten to know. The Metkayina princess remembered seeing Tuk lovingly hugging the neck of one of the Ilu's, which the creature allowed. It was so endearing and precious to see.

The sea gives and the sea takes.

Lo'ak continued swimming, and eventually, he got closer and closer to the seashell to the point where he was able to grab it. This feat alone was able to make him smile and then look upwards to start swimming up to the surface.

Water connects all things. Life to death. Darkness to light.

The moment Lo'ak got back to Tsireya, he popped his head out of the water with an excited smile as he held up the seashell in his grasp. Tsireya gasped while beaming at Lo'ak proudly, swimming closer to him.

"I got it! Tsireya!" Lo'ak exclaimed, feeling really good about his accomplishment. The girl grabbed ahold of the hand that was holding the seashell, with both of hers, smiling at the boy. "You did it!" She giggled happily, not having a single doubt in her mind about him.

Later that day, nighttime had fallen in the village of Awa'atlu and Tsireya had taken it upon herself to show Kiri and Tuk something really interesting about the reef's nightlife.

She guided the two sisters over to a spot in the reef where there were these semitransparent creatures that had glowing spots dotted all over them, much like the Na'vi had on their bodies and faces as well. Tsireya had explained that these were Gill Mantles, or Txampaysye, as the Na'vi called them. It is said that once a Na'vi bonds with it, the Gill Matle serves as a biological diving suit, feeding oxygen to the bonded Na'vi through their Kuru connection.

While Kiri held Tuk close, Tsireya swam over to the closest Gill Mantle that she had in her proximity, grabbed it gently, and headed over to Tuk. The youngest Sully already knew what to do, so she pulled her braid back and allowed Tsireya to attach the invertebrate onto her back. Tuk smiled and then turned around to face Tsireya once again.

"This will help you breathe underwater," Tsireya signed, and the two girls understood. Apart from breathing lessons, the Metkayina princess had also taught the Sullys about sign language that the Na'vi used to communicate underwater, just as she promised she would.

After helping put one of the Gill Mantles on Kiri, Tsireya and the two sisters headed over to meet with Ronal who was also with them. The Tsahik was gathering clams and supervising the girls, accompanying them as well. As Tuk swam around merrily, Ronal finished scraping off one of the clams she was looking for, but something in the corner of her eye caught her attention and curiosity deeply.

It was Kiri. The girl was on kneeling on the sand on the floors of the reef with a Gill Mantle attached to her back. Her usually yellow eyes were glowing brighter, the white spots that decorated the Na'vi were glowing all over her, and she had a soft and serene smile on her face. She was at peace. She was waving her arm back and forth, which was a movement that was reciprocated in the school of fish in front of her. She seemed to be...controlling them?

Ronal came around the corner and swam behind a coral to watch the girl curiously. During her years of being Tsahik, the woman had never seen anything like that before. It was certainly a unique ability, and she was sure that not even Kiri understood herself.

-

Okay it's 1 AM and I finally finished this chapter- it came at a price, but I did it! Good thing tomorrow is Sunday lmao. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it!

I know I said I would include more mature scenes, and I wanted to add something small in this one because I want to gradually add it in. Not just randomly throw a smut scene in lol.

I'm so excited because this week I'll be able to do more updates since I have a long weekend. I can't wait :,)

There's not much I have to say now, but I do have a couple ideas for the next few chapters and im super excited because Im adding a bonding moment between Ronal and Y/n soon!

Anyway, I'll see you all in the next one! 🤍 Have a good day everyone!

-