my soul is mine, alternative ending
╰ avatar: the way of water

Battle cries echoed through out the air, things were being flung from the ship in every direction — thanks to the large creature, Lo'ak's spirit brother — swishing back and forth in the water from the pressure it held.

Odessa watched from where she was bound, held by a shoulder who kept a gun pressed against her body, near the back of her shoulder-blade. As her own mate and Niave both flew on their ikrans with arrows loaded in their bows, Odessa's chest filled with pride as Neytiri successfully shot an arrow into the chest of the man who held her captive. She felt relieved as she watched her mate continue to take down some of the imposters, those who held others captive and or at gunpoint.

Jumping up quickly, she raced towards where the children were, despite her bound wrists. "Are you all okay?"

"Mamma." Tuk cried out as she tried to pull her body away from the railings she was tied too. "Mamma I'm scared."

"It's okay, everyone is gonna be okay."

Neteyam glanced towards Tsireya, who was calming Ak'tari down. The youngest child had been screaming, her throat raw from the force she wasn't used too. Which was understandable, she had grown up for a majority of her life in the safe haven her parents provided. He then glanced towards her mother, simply jerking his head to the side as if he had said to pay attention to the much much more scared child.

"Ak'tari, hey, shhh." Odessa coed and she crouched down as low as she could so she was eye level with her niece. "I'm gonna get you back to your mom and dad okay, it'll all be okay."

Once Ak'tari nodded and understood that everything would be okay with time — and Odessa wouldn't go back on her promise, everyone knew that — Odessa had moved towards Neteyam and shifted her body so he could grasp the dagger that was pressed against her side.

With a little struggle, she freed herself and all the children in front of her. She gazed towards Tsireya, handing her the dagger she had just used. "Take this, take Tuk and Ak'tari somewhere safe. Go." The teenager did as told, running off with the two youngest Na'vis following right behind her. Odessa watched them jump into the water, trusting that Tsireya would take good care of them. Hopefully. She believed deep in her heart that Tsireya would put herself in front of any danger to protect the young children.

"Spider is still inside aunt Dessa. We have to help him." Lo'ak looked up, her eyes locking with Odessa's. She understood that Lo'ak, the unbiological brother to Spider would want to save him. She had always planned on saving him, it was just that neither of the two children in front of her knew that. "We have too, he is my brother. Your nephew, and your cousin. He is family and we protect family."

Odessa smiled, quickly pressing her hands against the backs of both boys. She gave them a push towards where dead fallen soldiers laid. Both boys took the hint as to grab the guns that were scattered across the ground. They were small in their larger hands, but still fit between their slender fingers.

Odessa didn't touch the gun that laid in front of her feet. She felt like the person, the one she was before who had picked up a gun and had willingly shot at whatever she was ordered too, even the wonders of pandora. But now she felt as if that was her past, that if she touched the metal she would become someone she no longer wanted to be.

"Let's go, there's a beam on the roof mamma we can climb." Neteyam spoke, his body still as he watched his mother look away from the weapon and nod, moving after himself and Lo'ak.

🌍

An Avatar holding his gun up at the sight of the four — Odessa, Neteyam, Lo'ak and a now rescued Spider — wasn't a shock to Odessa. She knew this would have happened eventually, which was why she pushed everyone else behind her. Or she attempted to keep them all behind her. Lo'ak kept peaking out with curiosity, which had her shoving his head more than once.

Lo'ak slightly moved, pointing his gun at the avatar who didn't seem fazed at all by the many weapons pointed towards him. Spider glanced at the weapon in his brother's grasp, choosing to quickly snatch it from his hands. Lo'ak willingly let go as the human tugged it away from him. He didn't care much, no, he knew he would get it back.

Spider wasted no time in shooting at the avatar that was standing in front of them. As he did so, Neteyam directed them towards an open railing that would lead them right into the ocean below.

Odessa grasped Lo'ak — who grabbed ahold of Spider — and Neteyam by their arms and dragged them towards the water. She made sure that the children were in the water before she jumped in too.

They were her priority, no matter what.

Odessa swam upwards after she had jumped, feet kicking furiously as she did so. Once her head was above the water she made sure all three children were okay, breathing and keeping their heads above the water.

Lo'ak and Spider were cheering happily, glad that they had escaped and killed one of the avatars that had been trying to kill them. They were too busy celebrating to realize that what else was happening around them, the way the water changed and the way everything seemed to calm down and still.

🌍

Once or more times in everyone's life, pain is everything and overwhelming. 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, that held pain and anger at the world.

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 were waiting for them, as if they knew that was where they needed to be. It was like they knew something was wrong, that each of the four were filled with panic that racked their bodies, telling them that they needed to be there.

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 fueled them.

🌍

❝The way of water had no beginning and no end. The sea is around you and in you. The sea is your home before your birth and after your death. The sea gives and the sea takes. Water connects all things. Life to death. Darkness to light.❞

Ronal wrapped Odessa's body like a curled up baby; she tied the seaweed string around her legs, her feet, her arms and shoulders. She braided the woman's hair in a traditional Metkayina way, placing shells that had been gathered from the shore in her hair as well. She cleaned the blood off the body of the woman she hadn't known for long. She stitched the wounds shut and dressed the woman in proper reef people clothing. She prepared the body for the funeral because she couldn't let anyone else burden what needed to be done.

The Everett and Sully families both gathered around as they swam outwards, not very far from the pods that houses the reef people. Underneath the surface of the water was where the reef people were buried when their time had ended.

Odessa fought along side the reef people and she died alongside the reef people. She was to be buried with the metkayina ancestors, as if she was one of them.

Jake moved his sisters body off the leaf that held her above the water. She held her up, afraid to let go. It was then that he realized everything his sister had done for him. How thankful he was for her.

Neytiri took a breath into her lungs before she submerged herself underneath the water. Jake followed suit and the two helped direct Odessa's body towards the plants that would welcome her. The swam, keeping the body of a loved one underneath them as they neared the bottom of the sea.

Like magic, the plants opened up and welcomed Odessa. They glowed brightly as Odessa's body sunk towards the bottom, disappearing from reach as her body was surrendered to the world of Pandora. She was now one with the world, more than she could have ever imagined.

❝The people say that all energy is only borrowed. And one day you have to give it back. Eywa holds all her children in her heart. Nothing is ever lost.❞

🌍

Nothing is ever lost, they all should knew that. Ronal had told them that, eywa had told them that, they knew it.

So when Odessa blinked, and her eyes burned from that water and not having realized that she was blinking underwater, she scrunched her eyes shut quickly. Pain flared across her body, starting in her chest and spreading outwards until it stopped. Then she gasped out and water filled her lungs instead of air. Her body was bound as she tried to wiggle and move, but she couldn't, she was stuck.

She started to panic more, her body almost spasming as she started to think of her family and the danger that they may be in. The last thing she remembers was the boat, and having successfully pushing the children into the water to push them away from the avatars. Where were the children? Were they okay? What was happening and why couldn't she move?

Her body floated upwards when she started to calm down. The earth below her released her as the wraps around her body seemed to fall away as she effortlessly moved. Her mind started to race again as to what was happening, how er lungs felt heavy, but then the water seemed to shift and she poked her head above the water.

Although the feeling she felt, she swam towards the shore that she remembered. She stood, small wraps around her body that kept her partially covered from the eyes that followed her. She spotted Jake, who stood with Ronal, the two in a deep conversation.

She walked forwards, despite the ache in her knees, and made her way towards where the two were standing. Jake started to cry, tears quickly streaming down his cheeks as reached forward and wrapped his arms around her body. "What?"

Odessa blinked, but settled into the hug she shared with her brother. When they pulled away she wears a shocked expression on her blue face, "Jake, what's wrong?"

Ronal pulls the two away from prying eyes, into an empty home that they often use for guests of medical monitoring. "You were dead, Odessa." Ronal starts slowly, but she goes right into it.

"No, no, I had just pushed the kids off the boat, and then I woke up in the water, what really happened?" Odessa pried as he looks around the tent, noticing things much more clearly than she feels like she had before.

"Sit." Ronal commands and Odessa drops with the order, sitting beside Jake like a child in schooling. "You are alive now, but you weren't. Eywa had deemed that your life isn't over yet."

Jake shakes his head, "This wasn't just Eywa."

"It's rare, but it has happened before. The all mother believes that some aren't ready to join her, and she gives them what they had back. It's never happened in anyone who wasn't a child, but the all mother works in ways we may not realize." Ronal reaches out and places her hand on Odessa's. "You've been given another chance, Odessa, Eywa lives through you once more."

Odessa bursts out into tears when her son steps into the room, having been looking for his uncle. "Mama?" He jumps forward and wraps his arms around her neck, pulling his body against hers as he holds her, praying to the all mother that she won't just disappear.

"Baby boy." She speaks so softly he barely hears her, and she tightens her hold on him. "I'm so sorry."

Jake had run off by now, finding Neytiri, Kiri and Tuk. When he returned with the family, the atmosphere changed.

The family huddled into a hug, embracing one and other, welcoming Odessa back into the world.

"Eywa gives and takes, today she gives back to those who give to her." Ronal stepped away from the family. She smiled softly. "Welcome back, Odessa Everett."

She was here and here to stay.

"My family." She cried as she hugged them against her body. "I see you."