Ri'lani expected to awake to a happy sight, her and her mate sleeping together under the tree of ancestors but in her wake Ri'lani was met with a searing pain

The pain was relentless as if her entire soul was being crushed the once  familiar drumming of eywa was instead met with a loud cry.

She sat up with a fright her eyes wide as she looked around, what she found were RDA machines destroying the trees around them

She stood watching as a tree fell a gasp of horror escaping her lips as her tail swished erratically behind her.

She bent over Jake while grabbing his face, desperately to get him to gain consciousness, "Ma'Jake" she yelled as the sound of machines grew closer

She looked around again and saw the machine approaching closer causing her to let out a groan giving Jake a little shake, "Jake, please wake up!"

Her pleas were unawnsered as his avatar remained dead still. The machines were getting to close she had to think of something and fast. She stood and grabbed his arms attempting to drag him but he was much larger then her and the dead weight didn't help either

She let out a yell as she pulled him over a log narrowly avoiding a branch that was falling from the ongoing destruction, she turned her head back over to the machine where she caught sight of RDA soldiers in there mec suits

Preparing to drag him again as the machine grew near once again she let out another desperate scream of his name and by eywas will she earned a response

Hazily Jake awoke to find Ri'lani screaming over him, not a sight he would've wanted to see especially after the night they had just had together

Immediately he acted running up attempting to stop the ongoing machine, he waved his arms which caused the machine to halt for a few moments before it began its assault again

At the oncoming vehicle he ushered Ri'lani to run to a clearing while he with a rock in hand scaled the machine up to the security cameras.

He began beating the cameras with the rock before eventually being forced to retreat as the soldiers began firing at him

Ri'lani stood looking around for Jake calling out his name as he had separated himself from her

"Jake!"

"Ri'lani! Come on" he said grabbing her hand and leading her away

In the end the RDA had done what they do best they had destroyed the trees and Ri'lani could only watch in pain as she sobbed

And Eywa cried with her, she felt Eywas pain within her soul, "it hurts Jake, it hurts" she sobbed as she brought her hands to cover her mouth

Jake places his hand on her shoulder in comfort as his other one punched the dirt behind him as his face held a hard stare at the scene

🦋

The pair walked hand in hand into home tree where they were met with the sound of the omaticaya war cries

Jake spoke up trying to dissolve the revenge thirsty clan, "Tsu'tey! Don't do this" thought the sound of his voice caused Tsu'tey to approach him with anger

He pushed Jake back causing him to fall to the ground, his eyes held rage as his voice broke, "You mated with this woman?

"Oh shit" Grace said as she looked in between Jake and Ri'lani. Mo'at approached the girl disappointment in her voice, "is this true?"

Thought Ri'lani did not falter, she held her ground as she held her head high, "We are mated before Eywa. It is done" at the relevation Tsu'teys ears casted downwards in hurt as his eyes held a look of pain he turned away from them taking breaths before his hurt was replaced with anger at Jake's voice

"Brother, please do not attack the Sky People. Many Omaticaya will die if you do" he reasoned which only cause Tsu'tey to unsheath his knife

"You are not my brother!" He yelled as he lunged at Jake, he was pushed back by Jake who unsheathed his own knife

"And I am not your enemy!" He spoke throwing his knife on the ground before pointing to the sky, "The enemy is out there and they are very powerful!"

"I can talk to them" he tried to reason with Tsu'tey

"No more talk!" Tsu'tey lunged again landing a slice on Jake's chest, but when he ran again he was met with the fist of Jake who punched then kicked him in the gut

"I am Omaticaya. I am one of you, and I have the right to speak," he said before sighing, "I have something to say, to all of you" he sighed before turning his eyes to Ri'lani a hidden guilt behind them and what worried her more was what he said next, "these words are like stones in my heart"

Though he didn't get to begin speaking as he was cut of by the sound of Grace dropping to the floor, he couldn't even fumble a sentence as found himself in the same position

At his fall Tsu'tey leaped over with his knife on Jake's neck as he yelled out to the clan, "You see? It is a demon in a false body." He moved the knife closer and in that moment Ri'lani didn't know what came over her as she rushed forward tackling Tsu'tey and kicking him off Jake she then crouched over him as she unsheathed her knife and let out a viscous hiss

Tsu'tey could do nothing but stand up and storm away as Ri'lani kept her eye on him wearily

She stayed in the same position before standing up to be met with her mother's glaring face, "Ri'lani... come with me girl" she said with venom as she grabbed her daughters arm

She moved to struggle looking at Jake's avatar before Neytiri called out, "Sister I will take him to the infirmary along with Grace, do not worry" Ri'lani nodded with gratitude before allowing her mother to take her

They made it to the hut where her mother started pacing back and forth her tail swingy widely behind her. It was silent for a moment as Ri'lani watched her father walked in behind her mother and that's when her mother let out a breath

"How could you do this?" Her mother seethed

"Mother you don't understand" Ri'lani tried to begin before getting cut off, "oh I understand perfectly, you have brought shame to us, you have brought shame to Tsu'tey"

Ri'lani remained silent as she looked down her ears pinned to her head, "not even that you bring more shame by mating with a sky person"

"He's omaticaya..." she mumbled causing her mother to turn to her. Ri'lani looked up and repeated herself louder, "he is not just a sky person but also an omaticaya he earned his place here"

"That does not matter girl, what matters is you have broke your betrothal. How will his family react?" her father spoke

"If by breaking the betrothal meant living a life of happiness I would gladly do it again" she said looking at her parents a new found confidence in her system, "everyone in this clan knows that Tsu'teys heart belonged to Slywanin. I don't want to live my life knowing I that I was always the second chance" her parents both looked at each other a slight understanding at there daughters words but there anger at the situation remained

"My daughter because of your choice, you will not be allowed tsahik" her mother said with disappointment causing the girl to nod slowly she moved to leave before sighing

"Mother, you said that he would teach me something...he has taught me, he's taught me love, I hope one day you might accept this" her daughter said sadly before leaving to hut.

She walked along the trail towards the infirmary feeling the eyes of the clan on her back but that didn't matter her only priority was checking on Jake.

She reached his side where she nodded at Neytiri whispering a thanks. She sat beside him holding his hand.

It remained like that for what felt like hours before life returned to the once vacant body

Jake awoke and looked at Ri'lani and all his expression held was pure guilt causing an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"We need to gather the clan" he whispered to her

AUTHORS NOTE
Next chapter will kill  me honestly

Published:6/17/24
Word count:1422
Edited: ❌