The Ultimate Battle Part Two

Kiri and the boys resurfaced for air. Then all of a sudden, an Ikran swooped like a bird and plucked her out of the water. "Let me go!"

"Kiri!" Atu cried. He dived underwater, swimming under the surface to the ship.

"Atu!" Roxto tried to follow him but Aonung pushed him underwater before another Ikran could catch them. Once it flew away, they tried to go after Atu but he was already too far ahead of them.

Atu managed to find Tsireya and Tuk. "Reya! Tuki! They've got Kiri!"

The alarmed girls looked up and saw her being carried onto the ship. "We've got to go back for her," said Tuk desperately.

"Tuk, no!" Tsireya knew it was too dangerous.

"Sullys stick together!" she ducked underwater.

"We have to help her," Atu followed her. Tsireya had no choice but to pursue them; she wouldn't leave them alone.

Spider and the twins stayed behind for cover. Tsu'tey shot many soldiers down with his harpoons. Then when a Recoms leapt down and tried to capture them, he wiped him away with his long tail. Go! He neighed. I'll hold them off.

"No! No, I'm not leaving you!" Lo'ak refused.

You have to go! Tsu'tey was determined to protect them at all costs.

"There's a pool just past this section," Spider said to them. "We can jump in,"

Listen to your friend. Tsu'tey implored. Go ahead! I'll catch up with you three.

"Lo'ak, we have to go," said Sylwa seriously.

I'll be alright. Tsu'tey tried to sound as promising as he could. Go! Go! He roared, urging them to make a run for it.

Grabbing hands, the Trio made a dash for it, fleeing gunshots as Tsu'tey fought them off to give them time. They leapt downstairs and ducked behind large crates of metal until they saw the large hole only ten feet away. They just had to make a run for it. But suddenly they heard more men coming. Quickly they hid again. Lo'ak knew he couldn't cry out for Tsu'tey out loud. But he felt him. He closed his eyes, watched by a confused Spider and Sylwa. Tsu'tey, come for us.

Tsu'tey heard his mental call. Once he took out a final soldier, he turned around to get to them when he felt a bullet strike his skin. He bellowed out loud.

"Ahh!" Lo'ak cried out, feeling his pain. A man spotted them. Quickly Sylwa roll-dodged his attack and knocked him out.

"Lo'ak," Spider tried to comfort his surrogate brother who was his pain. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I can feel him. It hurts," he winced.

"Come on!" Spider pulled him onto his feet. Another man pulled his mask off, causing him to suffocate. Managing to master his pain, Lo'ak knocked another out and grabbed his gun, shooting one dead. But once he had done that, he froze in shock at what he had done.

Tsu'tey tried to rush to them but the pain in the bullet was so agonising. More men came and there was nothing he could do. He forced himself into a corner and changed colours blending in. He only hoped that the Trio had escaped and they could hold on until he mastered it.

The children battered the men but they didn't realise a Recom above them. Before he could shoot, he was battered from behind before he was thrown over the bars. They looked up to see it was Neteyam. He had come for them.

"Neteyam?" breathed the twins. They thought he had left them. Quickly he joined them and checked on them.

"I thought you…" breathed Lo'ak.

"I know. I know. We'll talk later. We have to go," he urged.

"Tsu'tey's in trouble! I can't leave him behind!" Lo'ak refused. He was about to run back when Sylwa quickly pushed them behind some crates saving them from more shots.

Lo'ak armed his gun but froze. He couldn't shoot anyone. The image of the man he had killed was in his mind.

"Shoot!" shouted Neteyam. But Lo'ak couldn't. He couldn't take another life. Not like that again.

More men came but Tsu'tey having regained his strength earlier managed to catch up to the men and fight them back, but his bullet wound remained as agonising as ever. The soldiers saw it and knew they all had to strike at once. They ignored the children and started focusing on him. But Lo'ak wouldn't have it.

"No!" he threw down the gun, unable to hold it for another second and hurled himself at one of them. Spider and Sylwa joined in too, desperate to help Tsu'tey too. Neteyam growled again, annoyed that instead of running they were risking their lives for that creature. He had no choice but to join in. They took down the remaining men but Recoms were coming. Neteyam shot at them with the gun, Lo'ak had dropped. "Go! Go! Go!"

Go! Begged Tsu'tey, nudging the other boys towards the hole over the water.

"Come on!" Spider dived in. But the twins stayed where he was.

Don't worry about me. His brother neighed desperately. Just go.

"you come back," Lo'ak begged. Then he dived down after Spider but Sylwa just stayed behind.

She was desperate to say something. "Neteyam…I am so…"

Neteyam ran out of ammo and a Recoms appeared. "Come on!"

Quickly they jumped into the pool, Neteyam's body covering Sylwa, avoiding a shower of bullets. Tsu'tey shot at the Recom to provide cover and then dived down after them. They splashed.

Tsireya and the kids climbed up onto the ship again, keeping very quiet. They sneaked up some stairs and they saw Kiri tied up to some bars, over another open hole over the water.

"Kiri," they whispered. Tsireya and Atu climbed over the bars and tried to undo her, when suddenly Quaritch came out of nowhere and grabbed Tuk.

"Tuk!" Atuiko tried to help her but Quaritch pushed him and Tsireya into the water. Knowing there were too many men up there, they clicked for an ilu and they rode off.

Lo'ak and Spider surfaced, cheering for joy. "That was insane, cuz!" the former cheered.

"Yeah!" the latter held up his hand and Lo'ak high-fived it. Neteyam and Sylwa resurfaced. Sylwa gasped for breath, almost scared to death after fighting all those many but Neteyam was struggling a bit.

"Where's Tsu'tey?" Spider asked.

Right after he said that Tsu'tey's head appeared above the water.

"You made it!" cheered Lo'ak.

Their moment of enlightenment was cut short when they saw Tsireya and Atu appearing on the surface of an ilu. "Get on!" she cried.

"Come on guys!" Lo'ak mounted Tsu'tey and pulled Spider on.

Sylwa noticed Neteyam was swimming rather weakly. "Come on bro,"

"You skewings," he wheezed. "I'm shot," he was pressing his hand to his chest.

Sylwa peered closer and saw red. Her heart dropped. "Oh no," she breathed. "He's been shot!"

"What?!" Lo'ak went back into the water and helped her keep his head up. Atu swam over and helped them pull Neteyam to the ilu and heave him onto the saddle.

Tsu'tey nudged him on with his snout, Spider still on his back saw his bullet wound.

"Oh my," he breathed; it looked fatal.

Sylwa rode in front and pulled Neteyam's arm over her shoulder. "I've got you,".

Atu rode behind her, keeping him up straight whilst Tsireya was dragged along beside her. The ilu swam off, Tsu'tey behind it. The boys watched worriedly on his back.

"They have Kiri and Tuk!" alerted Tsireya.

"We have to go back for them!" Lo'ak cried. Suddenly they heard bullets behind them and they saw soldiers shooting out towards them. Sylwa steered the ilu from right ot left, needing to keep the wounded Neteyam above the water but they were nearly struck by the metal ammo.

Tsu'tey growled. Quickly he submerged, forcing Lo'ak and Spider off his back and he neighed to his spirit brother, Get him to safety!

"Tsu'tey!" Lo'ak reached his hand and watched as Tsu'tey galloped back towards the ship and pounced onto the metal decks taking out more soldiers.

"There's nothing we can do for him, Lo'ak," Spider said regrettably. "Right now, we have to help Neteyam,"

Lo'ak took one last worried look back before he and Spider grabbed Tsireya's hands and they were pulled behind, clinging to the ilu. The ilu carried them to a small rocky shore where they saw Jake, rushing to them, having dismounted his Skimwing when he saw them.

"Dad!" cried out Sylwa in tears. "Dad! Help! It's Neteyam!"

Quickly Jake stumbled a bit into the water as they all slipped off the ilu and started dragging Neteyam to the shore. "Oj no," he breathed.

"He's hurt!" cried Lo'ak.

Spider held out his hand and Jake helped him out, then together they heaved Neteyam onto the rocky shore and laid him on a flat surface. He coughed laboredly, his breaths turning very shallow.

"It's okay bro," soothed Lo'ak. Neteyam's hand was gripped about his forearm. "We've got you!"

Jake turned him over and saw blood pouring out of his blood wound. "Oh no," he rolled him back over. "Put pressure on it,"

Together the twins pressed their hands over the bleeding wound on Neteyam's chest but still, he wheezed in pain. "Dad I…"

"I'm here," Jake tried to ease his suffering.

Tsu'tey fought the soldiers and shot at them. But before he could down lower and try to find the girls, Quaritch appeared out of nowhere and boom!

On the shore, Lo'ak felt his pain. "Ahh!" he pressed his hand over his right collarbone, feeling pain. The others noticed.

Atuiko caught him as he fell backwards. "What's wrong?"

"I can feel him. He's hurt!"

"Who's hurt?" Tsireya asked.

"Him," wheezed Lo'ak.

Tsu'tey fell into the water. Quaritch cackled wickedly.

Lo'ak looked back but couldn't see Tsu'tey in the distance. "No!" He tried to go back but Atu held him. "There's nothing you can do," he sobbed.

Neytiri landed out of the blue and when she saw her eldest son wounded stumbled towards them, crying out, "No. No. No," she knelt beside the twins, putting down her father's bow. The boy's coughs became shallow, losing life.

"I want to go home," he begged as Jake cupped his cheek, trying to calm him down.

"I know. I know," he began crying. "It's okay. We're going home," The boy couldn't catch his breath. He began hyperventilating as the faces of his loved ones were above his head. "It's okay. It's okay,". His father tried to sooth him.

"Dad. I…" The eclipse fell upon them, turning the sky dark. There would be no light again upon the one who had fallen.

"Neteyam," Neytiri held his hand tightly. Jake closed his eyes in grief. "No. No. No. No! Neteyam!" screamed the grief-stricken mother. She roared in anguish, screaming for him to be alive again but he was gone. "Neteyam,' she cradled his head. "No Great Mother! No Great Mother! Please!"

The twins' eyes turned wet as they started sobbing. They looked at their blood-stained hands, their brother's blood literally on their fingers. They couldn't believe he was gone. They hung their heads, guilt consuming their hearts. Lo'ak cried, grieving for both his spiritual brother who had risked his life to save them and his biological brother who felt neglected because of his love for Tsu'tey. Sylwa above all was the most horrified; she had called him a coward, pushed him away for days for not 'believing' in her and her twin and now she would never be able to reconcile with him.

"No! No!" Neytiri's hands screamed into the wind. "My son!"

Tsireya and Atuiko crying as well closed their eyes and turned away. Spider shed a tear too; he couldn't believe what the Sky people had done. First to his surrogate family and now to an innocent

They silently grieved, Neytiri's outburst the only audible sound. But Jake heard voices from his choker. "Can you hear me, Corporal? Yeah. Yeah, I think you can. I've got your daughters. Same deal as before. You for them," he sneered.

"Where are your sisters?" Jake's low question wasn't answered by the weeping twins who raised their heads only slightly. "Your sisters! Where are they?"

"Give them a moment for goodness sake!" shouted the outraged Atu, coming between them, holding their feeble hands.

Jake completely ignored him. "Where are they?!"

"On the ship," Tsireya choked on tears. "They are tied up on the ship,"

Neytiri sobbed and sobbed holding Neteyam's hands but Jake swerved around and held her shoulders. "Listen to me, they have our daughters! They have our other daughters. I need you... with me. And I need you to be strong! Right now! Strong heart! Strong heart," his voice though broken was encouraging. Cupping his cheek, he rose up with her and she grabbed her father's bow, ready to fight, ready to not lose another child. "…let's go get our daughters,"

Containing her grief and breathing shallowly, Neytiri mounted her Ikran with her weapon and flew into the air, disappearing into the smoky clouds from the burning ships.

"Stay with your brother," he ordered the twins sordidly.

They were hurt by his tone of voice. "Please," Sylwa begged, desperate to help their sisters.

"We want to go with you," Lo'ak implored tearfully, unable to spend another moment grieving for Neteyam and Tsu'tey.

But all their father did was send a shameful glare. "You've both done enough,". He turned his back on them, ignoring their tearful faces. Tsireya and Atuiko were appalled by his treatment after they had just watched their brother who they had tried to save, die in front of their eyes; they looked renounced.

"It wasn't their fault!" screamed Atuiko enraged now more than ever at their father for his wounding words. "This is your fault! You did this to them! You're the one who got him killed!". Jake wouldn't turn but something inside him stirred. He had done the exact opposite of what Grace had told him to do. There was no taking it back. All that shame he had expressed to them, dissolved away, replaced by self-loathing; he couldn't face them again. He mounted his Skimwing with Spider and they swam leaving the grieving, rejected children behind. "Get back here!" screamed the wailing kid. "You coward! You disgrace! You…!" he roared out to him, grabbing rocks and throwing them towards Jake but he disappeared underwater with Spider. Still, he kept doing it but Lo'ak stopped him, tearfully shaking his head, facially telling him it would do no good.

Grief filled the air as they sat around Neteyam's body; the twins above all were the most heartbroken. "It's all…my fault," Sylwa couldn't deny it at all. She felt her words were what drew Neteyam to follow them inside that ship.

"We didn't mean for this to happen," Lo'ak cried not wanting her to carry this burden alone; they both wanted to rescue Spider. They both couldn't leave him behind.

"But it did," she sobbed. "And the worst part is we never got to make things right with him. We'll never be one of the People now. We're not heroes. We're screw-ups,"

Tsireya pursed his lips and knelt behind her, touching her shoulders tenderly. "I'm so sorry,". Sylwa cried and she hugged her close, caressing her head. Atuiko knelt beside the heartbroken Lo'ak and hugged him, comforting him.

"It wasn't your fault," Atu refused to see them allow their father's stony words to drive them to the brink of losing their will to do what's right. "The Sky people did this. Not you two. You both acted out of good intentions. None of you are to blame,"

"But Neteyam's gone," Sylwa sobbed.

"And Tsu'tey too," Lo'ak's words brought tears to their eyes. He was a friend to all of them.

"I'm so sorry Lo'ak," apologised Tsireya. "He fought for us, for you. And we will always remember him as a dear friend,".

Grieving filled their hearts again but Lo'ak felt something strong and powerful inside him. "Wait. I can feel him still,". He stood up slowly, leaving Atu's arms and staring out at the burning seas. But he couldn't see him at all. Words echoed into his head. Hold your palm out. It was the voice of his ancestor. Call him with your mind. He held out his hand, and closed his eyes, feeling the strong connection between the body he was in and the body of the creature whom he had bonded like a human to an avatar. The tear-stricken others watched him. The symbol on his palm glowed bright red.

Tsu'tey was sinking slowly underwater, her right chest bleeding as many scales had been blasted. Just then he felt something. His would glowed blood red. A strange embodiment connection. It was Lo'ak calling to him.

Lo'ak screamed as part of his collarbone glowed red. His twin rushed to his side, holding him as he nearly lost his balance.

Tsu'tey gained consciousness and he moved his legs and flapped his tail.

The group watched intently as Lo'ak recovered from that painful sting. And then splash! Tsu'tey shot out of the sea and sprinted towards them on the water. He stepped onto the rock island, revealing only bleeding scales. The bullet hadn't wounded him fatally. It had just grazed him, blasting off several scales. The children saw the glow on his chest was the same as the glow on Lo'ak's collarbone; the glow faded and immediately Lo'ak threw his arms around Tsu'tey's neck and the Taquamare licked his tears away. "I thought I got you killed,".

The Taquamare saw Neteyam's lifeless body and purred sorrowfully, expressing whole-hearted sympathy to the heartbroken children. I am so sorry. He apologised deeply, feeling perhaps he had tried harder and not got wounded at all, he could have saved all of them from this fate. Lo'ak hugged him again and he hugged back tighter, pulling out his retractable wings to wrap around the crestfallen boy. He offered a wing to the girls and Atu and they immediately gave him a hug of relief. Heartbroken they were for the loss of Neteyam, they were overjoyed that Tsu'tey was alive and safe.

Their moment was interrupted by the loud booms and explosions in the distance. They turned their heads and in the distance, the Metkayina had battled more and more speed boats. But the fighting wasn't over. More ships were coming from the distant sea but they were bigger, not as big as the main sinking daemon ship, but they had more fatal weapons.

Out at sea, Tonowari, his mate and the general saw the ships. And once again they and all the warriors charged into the battle but they shot at them explosions, blasting them off their Skimwings. Still in the water, Aonung and Roxto were horrified by what they were seeing.

The children were struck with horror. Lo'ak turned his head to Tsu'tey, both mentally conversing. They had to do something. They couldn't just abandon these people to die. They may have wronged them but how would that make them any different? The decision was made.

"Lo'ak! No!" his twin grabbed his hand. "You can't!" she begged.

"It's too dangerous," Tsireya refused to see him ride off into danger like this.

"Someone has to do something," he said with determination. "We're their only hope,"

It's not right to leave them to die. Snorted Tsu'tey.

"If you believe this is what you have to do," Atu said with deep faith. "Then do it,". He had more faith in Lo'ak than in anybody else. "Kick their butts,"

Knowing there was no stopping him, Sylwa cupped her twin's cheek. "You come back to me," she begged. "Or I kill you,"

Lo'ak affectionately pressed her forehead against hers. He then mounted Tsu'tey. He neighed on his back feet and they charged across the water, the tearful Sylwa watching out. Tsireya appeared behind and held her shoulders, letting her know Lo'ak, her brother and best friend was coming back to her. Atuiko was petrified too. He held her hand tenderly, praying for his safe return too.

And that's the next stage of the battle done. Only a few more to go. Hope you all are enjoying it. What did you all think of this chapter? So it seems Lo'ak can feel Tsu'tey's pain but just emotionally, not physically though it can still be just as painful. Thank you all for your reviews. Please keep sending more reviews. See you all next week.