Birth of the twins
Tì'ongokxil te mefrrnenti
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Oh. It was terrible. Neytiri's screams of pain hurt her ears, she cried so much. She wished she could take away her pain. Intense pain would flow over her and she had a hard time speaking.

Jake was lucky that she didn't break his hand.

But then Neteyam was here. There was little clean up, her labor lasted four hours. There was a whole ceremony for him. The first born.

At this point, Hia had terrible back pain, she was swollen up with either one huge baby, or two normal fetuses. Her chest felt dense and heavy. She couldn't bend over right and moving around was hard. Tsu'tey had to move their things into their little "birthing tent".

"I am excited for you." Hia ran her hand over her stomach, leaned back against Tsu'tey. His hands ran over her stomach.

"Any day now." He hummed he ran his hands up and down her sides, trying to soothe her aching innards. Everything was uncomfortable. She felt like she'd pop but it was still another week or two away. She experiences terrible heartburn and headaches. Always tired.

"You're so beautiful." He hummed. His face pressed into the side of her neck. She grabbed his hands, wrapping them around her rib cage, just under her breasts.

She was definitely falling asleep.

Their little hut was now a nest. Tsu'tey and she had made it comfortable, clean, a good place to rest once she's finished giving birth.

"Where should we do it?" Tsu'tey asked.

"Well, there is a small pond that could be good for a water birth, or if we can't make it in time, we'll just have to make do with where we are." She said.

He'd lay with her on her side, massaging her hips and thighs. The babies left a strain on her body in her joints and she was always in some sort of pain.

Mo'at would check her weekly, they'd both admire the little shapes on her stomach from the outline of her babies.

And then, they came early.

The first pains she thought were just discomfort. Subtly over the day, it became worse.

She shifted as she sat, holding her belly, trying to soothe the ache in her muscles. Denying that they could come almost a month early. It wouldn't be safe for them if they did. But despite that, it was undeniable when her water broke.

"Don't rush yourself, we're almost there." Tsu'tey said, holding her up as they tried to make it to the little pool. But it was nowhere in sight, only a cave was close enough. They'd been out gathering again and they wandered a little far.

"No." Hia struggled out, "no, we're going there, go and get Mother. Grab the bag in the hut near the nest, it has everything." She grit out as she began towards the cave. The rock within was smooth and layered in steps, like lava flow over stairs. It would do.

Tsu'tey helped her down. His tail flicked sporadically, fidgeting, struggling to get out his words.

"I don't want to leave you here like this." He said, it was the most afraid she's ever seen him.

She chuckled through the discomfort.

"I'll be okay, just go. And hurry!" She squeezed her eyes shut with the next contraction.

She breathed deeply, slow breaths. Trying to stay calm and ignore the pain but it was overwhelming. She removed her soaked loincloth before she got too far and couldn't move well. She sat up, leaning back on the stone wall. The coolness was calming against her sore back.

Tsu'tey ran frantically calling for Mo'at as he grabbed the bag Hia told him about. He was winded and scared.

"Tsahik! Hia- labor!" He gasped out as he caught sight of her. Neytiri's head flicked towards her mother, towards Tsu'tey.

"Where is she?" Neytiri asked before Mo'at could beat her to it. She handed Neteyam to Jake and stood up quickly.

"I'll show you, follow me." Mo'at grabbed whatever supplies a Tsahik might need for this dangerous occasion and followed behind.

Hia' sighed out an pained groan as they entered.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't make it back-" she breathed out.

Mo'at held up her hand and Neytiri helped her onto her knees to cushion the rock wall behind her.

"Do not apologize. You are doing all you can." Mo'at said. Tsu'tey stood uncomfortably as Mo'at cleaned her hands and reached into Hia's birth-canal to feel how far along she was into the labor. She pulled back when she had her answer.

"You are not ready to begin active labor just yet, but if you feel the need, push with all your might. Do not hold your breath, and tell us how you want to be positioned so that we can help you." Mo'at said clearly and calmly to her.

Hia nodded. She breathed deeply, trying to avoid the nauseous sensation in her throat. Her brows turned up with the pain and with the next breath came a pained noise. Tsu'tey's body filled with cold water, he just wanted to take away her pain. His eyes burned with irritation, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wanted to hold her and soothe her.

She looked at him and he was a mess, just standing there.

"Do you want to leave? I won't be upset." She asked honestly. Though, she would be upset if he left and he knew that.

"I won't leave you. Not even Eywa could pull me from you right now. I just feel useless. I want to help." He uttered quietly. His ears were flicked down and his green eyes were full of worry.

"Then come here, I need support on my back to keep me upright." She leaned forward and scooted just a little, allowing for Tsu'tey to squeeze in between the step-like wall and her body. He let her back press against him and let her do whatever with her tail since she's the one in labor. He ran his hands over her contracting belly, attempting to soothe the pain. He felt a ripple-like motion and a sharp kick at the top of her stomach.

And then a wave of pain washed through her like rushing rapids rather than a wave. Her head fell back and her mouth fell slack. No noise came out.

"Don't hold your breath. It's okay to yell, scream." Neytiri said, taking her hand.

And a wheezing cry came out of her. Tears formed in her eyes. She sucked in a shallow breath as her tears threatened to fall. It ached so terribly, like someone had a vice grip on her womb. She cried out again before she spoke.

"I need to push!" She cried out, gripping Tsu'tey's hand tightly.

"How do you want to be?" Mo'at asked quickly. It was a matter of minutes now.

Hia shook her head, "I don't know." She whispered.

"We're going to turn you towards Tsu'tey. Tsu'tey, you'll support most of her weight." Mo'at ordered. He nodded sharply and held his hands out to receive her as she turned. She sighed with relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He had to sit a little higher to make it comfortable for her.

"You're doing so well." He patted her upper back while using his other arm to keep her pressed against him.

She whimpered in response as she waited for the next wave of pain.

"Scream it out." Neytiri offered her advice as they prepared for anything and everything.

She took a deep breath as she braced for the pain, and when it came, she released it all out in a wheezing breathy noise into a scream. Her face pressed against Tsu'tey's chest, her teeth scraped his skin as she smeared her tears into his skin.

"You're doing well, don't stop now." Neytiri encouraged. Her soft hands touched her stomach, finding it still writhing with another life. It was definitely more than one child.

She threw her head back as another contraction shook her body. She shook with nausea and pain, she just ignored whatever was happening beyond the pain.

Tsu'tey was terrified when meeting her eyes. She looked like she was embodying pain itself. He wanted to cry watching her.

"They're stuck. You need to keep pushing, do not stop." Mo'at said, feeling her cervix again, it was dilated but when she pushed, there was barely any progress.

Hia's breathing changed as a new fear entered her mind. She couldn't fail, she couldn't allow it. She would die here if she did. Both her and her child.

"If I can't!" She endured the pain, "if I fail, you save the babies. They come first." She said back to her mother.

"Hia- you won't fail. Look at me." Tsu'tey led her hands to his shoulders so she could hold herself up, he touched her face delicately.

"You are strong. Keep going." He said. He took her back into his arms as more pain swept through her. Neytiri moved to the side of the sloped stair wall, helping her drink water and stay hydrated.

She squeezed her abdomen tight and screamed out as she pushed. Her cries reverberated around the cave as her first began to crown. It burned, her skin, especially from where the child was coming, was burning with the terrible stretch. Humans called it the ring of fire.

She didn't fully grasp that the head had exited by the time she had finished pushing, all she knew was that it had to be, it just had to be almost over.

The shoulders passed through with another push, and she was free, crying as she was doused in some water to clean at least the blood off. Hia relaxed finally as Tsu'tey helped her onto her back.

"Your beautiful daughter." Mo'at said as she gave the newborn to her mother.

Hia held the little thing, barely able to keep her eyes off of the little crying thing.

"My baby." She whispered possessively, over her, smiling happily. It wasn't long before more pain came and she had to give the child to Tsu'tey while Neytiri took his place. Neytiri helped her into a squatting position. Neytiri's knees would be under Hia's arms as she squatted, Neytiri would be seated on the step.

She felt like she was on fire, but she pushed every chance she had, almost forgetting to breath at times. She ended up with another little child in her arms, doused in water and cooing rather than crying.

Neytiri helped her lay down on her back. Hia couldn't feel her legs and she was light headed.

But the blood. There was so much. Too much.

Tsu'tey immediately began to panic, he took a deep breath. Leveled his head.

"I need another pair of hands." Mo'at said to Tsu'tey.

"Your hands are larger. You will enter her here and hold her womb by the bottom, I'll press at the top." She said.

He allowed Neytiri to take his daughter as he took his place between Hia's legs, frightened by the sheer amount of blood coming out of her. He dipped his hands into the water, cleaning thoroughly before hesitantly pushing his hand in. It was an unfamiliar sensation he never wanted to relive. Being honest with himself, it wasn't dissimilar from harvesting utumauti. Large fleshy fruit that was well sought after. But he was wrist deep in his mate. Something that was so uncomfortable and pretty unnatural to any na'vi who wasn't a medical practitioner. Which he wasn't. He found a familiar spot, just before her cervix and pressed firmly there as Mo'at pressed down on her abdomen. The blood that had pooled in her uterus spilled out. Hia wheezed uncomfortably, barely able to feel the pain, but the pressure was squeezing on her bladder.

For almost five minutes, they applied pressure until they were certain there was no more blood leaving her womb.

Tsu'tey washed his hands clean of her blood after meeting her eyes, making sure she hadn't let them close. He was afraid she might never open them again.

Neytiri handed both children to Hia, despite her almost lack of consciousness, for the infants to feed.

She drank water, she ate a little. Moving her wasn't an option yet. But she soon looked better.

"Neytiri, you can return home, it is almost night. I am sure JakeSully is useless without you. Tell the clan we are okay. Do not scare Artsut. No one has the energy right now." Mo'at said tiredly as she rubbed an oily substance into Hia's skin where her baby bump was beginning melt away into her musculature. Beginning to. For humans it takes long. For na'vi, they need to optimize their chances of survival.

Hia rested in Tsu'tey's arms as he admired his children. His daughter was born first and his son right after. They hadn't had time to choose names. But he knew what today felt like for him and Hia.