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Chapter Text

Miles lay in his bed staring at the ceiling of his room, thinking about all the events that happened within the last three days. He'd found out that his son never left this hellhole of a planet, he had lost four soldiers to Jack Sully and his crazy bitch of a wife, and he had lost three valuable hostages. He would have returned empty-handed if the kid didn't get himself knocked out from his fall.

He had to admit the brat was pretty tough and crazy loyal to Sully; he didn't break when they had him strapped down to the machine, not when they tried to look into his brain without breaks, and not even when his nose started to bleed, and he was close to a comatose state.

He didn't know whether it was the image of the kid's brain taking damage or his screams telling them to kill him that made him stop the interrogation, but he felt a sudden strong urge to stop it. And before he knew it, he slammed on the shutoff button and made his way over to check on the kid with Lyle close behind him.

He was glad that he could think on his feet, and General Ardmore bought his suggestion of a more personal approach, but that last comment about him and Spider ticked him off a bit.

He returned to the holding room where they kept Spider and found him curled up under the table. He tried to run past him to escape, but he quickly stopped. He had to admit it did sting a bit when Spider threw the dog tags he gave him across the room, even though it wasn't even his, but the other Miles.

But he pushes that aside and convinces the kid to work with him in exchange for getting out of this place. He was satisfied with that and went to inform the General, who said they would head out soon, then went off to tell his team about the situation.

When he walked down the halls to the common room, he had to hold himself back as he overheard two RDA soldiers complain about the money wasted on bringing them back, only to have four killed in the first 15 minutes out in the jungle. One had the nerve to joke they were not "the best Marines they think they are." He was a little satisfied when they turned the corner, only for them to run in him towering over them.

He wanted to beat them until they were as blue as he was, but he was smug to see them duck their heads and scurry off like rats.

He felt a grieving atmosphere when he entered the common room; he saw Lyle lifting weights, Z-Dog cleaning her gun, Mansk reading something on a pad, and Fike and Prager playing cards.

He understood they were trying to keep themselves busy; they had lost 4 of their own. After giving them the rundown of the new plan, he went to his room while Lyle went to brief Ja and Lopez, who were in the infirmary with more injuries.

As he lay there, he couldn't help but begin to think.

What's the endgame?

Miles had spent twelve years living on Pandora. He knew it well. It wasn't hospitable for soldiers, let alone regular people. Civilians are terrible when it comes to self-preservation.

The RDA doesn't care about saving humanity.

They only pretend to so more schmucks would sign their souls over. And Quaritch managed to be another number to the tally, only to return as something worse than a mindless soldier.

He was now property.

He wasn't even allowed to bury Warren, Walker, Brown, and Zhang. They were property, needing to be "processed" and disposed of. They were good people, friends of his, and they were thrown aside like pests.

How long until the bigwigs decided the Recoms had served their singular purpose?

It's one big blue joke, and the punchline was taking them out back like Old Yeller.

He felt like he only shut his eyes briefly when he heard a knock at his door. He groaned while rubbing his face and looking at his watch; he slept for 3 hours.

"Uh, sir?" Prager's was heard through the door, sounding nervous. "You're wanted in the infirmary. You need to see this."

That got his attention fast. Did something happen with Lopez and Ja? He quickly changed and made his way to the room, Prager following behind him; as they made their way, he saw the science quacks were in a frenzy - more than usual.

Miles hissed at them when one got too close, sending them on their ass.

The longer he spent as a Recom, the less Quaritch liked being around humans. They had an irritating smell and were too noisy. It was difficult not to hit them with a mindless wave of his tail.

Seeing Z-dog already there put him at ease, his ears remaining pinned but relaxing slightly. But as he got close, he saw Z-dog looking anxious, which wasn't a good sign. She didn't even look like that when Lopez threatened to sing.

Not even Mansk forgetting to wear pants put her in such a state of unease.

"What's the situation?" Quaritch ordered as his tail curled with alertness.

"We've got no idea," she admitted, ears flat against her head.

"Elaborate, Corporal."

"See for yourself, sir. I haven't a Scooby what's happening."

Perplexed, Miles went towards the commotion, leaving her and Prager behind. His tail swayed nervously as he entered one of the many exam rooms; he saw everybody circling around an exam table.

Lyle, Fike, and Mansk stood protectively, though also confused. The General was with them, more annoyed than anything else. With him there, Lyle snapped at the science pukes to leave, sounding more aggressive and forceful than usual. He's a chill guy, even when it's life and death.

Why won't anybody say what's happened?

As if on cue, a tiny whine caught his attention. Something inside his head snapped, demanding that he investigate.

The Recom looked at the table, seeing a crate with a bundle inside. Secured in Prager's jacket was a Na'vi baby with deep, golden eyes and little curls on his head. He was confused as hell at first, but when he looked at the baby's features and the five fingers he had, it all clicked. Though he couldn't believe his eyes, his nose confirmed the impossible. It couldn't be. That didn't make any sense.

"Went to give the kid breakfast, and well, I found that," Fike stated, silently cursing at the poor choice of words. "They did blood work and crap. It's the kid. But... I dunno?"

"That ain't possible. He's sixteen and a human!" Miles argued, ears back, tail lashing behind him like a pissed-off snake.

"Sixteen weeks, roughly," Ardmore said, her voice hollow but interested in the wrong ways. The tone sparked a primal fear in the Colonel. "I've requested a few scientists to figure out how. Should be interesting while you're doing your mission instead of playing babysitter."

He knew what she implied.

They were going to turn the boy into a lab experiment. While Miles wanted to know how his teenager regressed into a Na'vi infant, the answer wasn't worth what Ardmore was willing to do. They already hated him for acting like one of the Na'vi; now, he looked like one of them. It did matter if he had human traits of the right amount of fingers.

Miles didn't want to stand by and let it happen then. He couldn't do it now, either. At least Spider had a fighting chance as a near adult, but he couldn't protect himself like this. He was vulnerable.

He remembered Miles at this age, how he clung to Paz's chest to sleep. Miles would always find a way to sleep with his mother, no matter what the unprepared parents tried. The sweet thing loved her so much that he cried whenever she was ordered to do a mission.

This time, however, little Miles didn't have his mama.

He was so small and unmarred by the hardship that was life. Tiny, innocent, chewing his hand mindlessly.

Miles reached out a hand to the baby; he was fascinated at how much he now looked like him.

Part of him stopped working when the babe reached for him, be it his heart or soul. That tiny blue hand gripping around one finger made a grin slowly appear on his face.

He's as beautiful as the day he lost him.

"It's not your son, Colonel," Ardmore said, though it sounded more like an order. "Get back to the mission."

Fuck the mission. If Miles left, he'd never see this little beastie again.

"No," Miles said, scooping the little one.

He wasn't thinking about the surprised gasp from Mansk, the barely subdued chuckle from Lyle, or the angered huff from Ardmore. Everything was focused on the tiny person who was easily six feet tall yesterday.

Little Miles fit perfectly on his arm and against his chest, golden eyes filled with wonder and no fear of the world. It reminded him of when his sisters were born, particularly dear Ellie. He was there when her eyes first opened and closed for a final time.

Quaritch watched everybody he ever loved die. His twin brother, Nathaniel, went to some stupid Terra Nova portal project. Ellie via overdose. Little Bug, Scarlett, lost to the many wars on Earth's dying crust. His mother and excuse of a sperm donor died the same day, and his guardian stabbed him in the back.

He buried so many friends on Earth and Pandora. He shielded himself from caring about someone again. Most relationships were purely sexual, a friends-with-benefits situation. It wasn't any different with Paz, except for the surprise nine months later.

Miles never wanted to be a father. His only two examples of fatherhood were terrible people; how could he be any better? He did his best to look after his siblings, but they all died anyway.

No matter how hard he tried to distance himself from the baby, little Miles always found a way back to him.

He missed so much after dying. His boy didn't have any parents, and the fact nobody came looking for him was a big concern. Any attempt at bonding with the lad was brushed off, as though Spider didn't know what to do with the affection.

Was it a second chance for both of them?

Although Miles doesn't know how this happened, a part of him is thankful. He can undo a mistake and be there for his baby boy.

As a Recom, he'll be impossible to subdue.

Miles had something now.

Something to keep going for outside of the RDA's plans.

"Colonel. Put it down."

Miles's tail lashed at the air as he stared at her, face stoic but eyes burning. He put up with a lot of her shit, but insulting his baby wouldn't slide. He wasn't about to let her or the science pukes touch Miles.

"Semper fi," was all Mansk needed to say, arms crossed and glaring behind his sunglasses. Fike and Lyle followed suit, tails waving and ears pinned at the ready.

It was a mistake to bring them back in the first place. Only now, it was because they had something to lose.

"This is how it's going to go, General. You're going to leave my boy be, or there'll be a problem," Miles warned, feeling the babe grip his shirt. "And it's our purpose to solve problems," he threatened, ears flattening with each word.

Z-Dog and Prager came in and shut the door behind them, arms crossing, with Z-Dog blowing bubble gum.

The woman was alone with six angry Recoms staring at her. The fact that Quaritch was holding a baby didn't mean he'd hold back; quite the opposite.

He's never letting this little boy go ever again. He already died for his boy, but now he'll live for him. Miles is everything to Quaritch, company and military be damned.

The joke's on them now.

"You made a big mistake," she warned, though it didn't affect Miles how she probably would've liked.

"I'll be nice. Once," Miles shot back, glancing at his team.

"Then we won't," Lyle finished, getting an affirming nod from Prager.

Whether it's the Na'vi biology to be in a group or their camaraderie as marines, he didn't know. It could even be a hybrid of the two. Whatever it is, it overpowered whatever false loyalty remained to the core.

Jake didn't matter. The RDA didn't matter. Nothing mattered but making sure the kid was safe.

Z-Dog stepped aside, letting the General angrily leave.

"We're gonna have to book it," Prager stated, shaking his head. "Looks like we're going full native, sir."

"Oorah," Z-Dog shrugged, hitting her tail against the door. "All our weapons and gear are packed and ready to go. Let's blow this joint. "

"I'll get Ja and Lopez," Mansk said confidently, already accessing the comms. "We ride and die with you, sir."

Miles gave them all an appreciative nod. Now that supplies are good, their next problem is to get out of there without getting killed.

Chapter Text

The Recom team ran down the hallways like a protective shield around Miles and Spider, with Fike and Prager behind them and Z-dog and Lyle in the front. Spider was held firmly in his arms, wrapped snug in Prager's jacket. They made sure to avoid as many workers as possible on the way to their supply room, which was easy since their area was designed with vents to release Pandora's deadly air.

They quickly entered the supply room and began to arm themselves, but they had to pack light. One bag contained food rations, another contained camping supplies, and the last one contained something that would make them go out with a BANG.

While Fike, Prager, and Lyle were doing final checks on the bags and rifles, Z-dog helped Miles adjust the makeshift baby sling they made out of Prager's sweater; she ensured it was tight enough so Spider wouldn't slip out.

They were almost finished when the door opened, and they raised their guns only to see Ja and Lopez.

"Woah, woah, woah!!" Ja shouted as they raised their hands. "It's us!"

"Damn it, what took y'all so long." hissed Miles as they lowered their guns.

"We snatched some medical kits when Mansk said we were busting out of here," Lopez said as he held up the medical supplies, looking around. "Where the hell is he anyway? He ran off after he told us to come here."

"Aw, is this the little guy everyone's been talking about?" Ja cooed as he went over to Spider in his baby sling and pinched his cheek, "Who's about to make us the most wanted fugitives in the RDA's system? You are. You- OW! he yelped when Z-Dog smacked him upside the head.

"Ugh! We don't have time for this; come on, gear up," said Lyle as Fike and Prager tossed them their gear.

The Recoms made their way through the halls in a tight circle around Miles while Spider was trying to peek out of the sling to look around. They almost had the same situation as earlier when they turned a corner and ran into Mansk. 

"Hey, there you guys are; I almost thought you left me for a second," said Mansk as Miles gave him an aggravated look, " Yeah, almost; where the hell have you been?!"

"I had to make a quick detour to the security room to get the cameras off us, you know, to give us the element of surprise, " Mansk shrugged as Fike gave him his gear.

But then, a red light shone through the halls, and General Ardmore was heard overhead.

"We have a Code Black, I repeat, we have a Code Black. The Recoms have gone native. Shoot to mobilize; we still need them alive."

"Well, there goes the element of surprise," sighed Lyle as he tried and failed to open a door with his card.

"Oh no, it isn't." The group turned around only to see Mansk chuck a chair at a window, shattering it.

"What the fuck was that they have sensors on the windows, dumbass?! They'll know that we went through the window!!" yelled Lopez, marching over to him.

"Ah, but did I mention I snatched this..." pulling out an override access card, "While I was leaving the security room, but they'll be too busy on a wild goose chase outside to realize it."

"Yes! Mansk, you're a bloody genius," cried Prager as others laughed and patted him on the back. "But.. uh.. where are we going exactly?"

"We're getting ourselves a ride out of here," Miles said, smirking as they began to make them toward the SA-2 Samson Helicopter hanger.

Two pilots were making their way through the hangar. They had been ordered to provide needed additional air support for the search and capture of the Recoms team that had gone AWOL. 

"Pssst." They looked behind them to see who that was, but saw nobody, only for them to turn back around and meet the business side of 8 M69-AR rifles.

"Gentlemen, you wouldn't mind having us tag along on your flight, now would you?" Miles innocently smiled as he looked down at the two shaking pilots

General Ardmore was never a patient woman; she liked dealing with matters efficiently and, most importantly, quickly. She growled in frustration as she watched the live feed from the ground and sky teams. 

"How hard is it to find them?! They're nine feet tall, for fuck's sake!" slamming her fist against a monitor. They're still far from the fence, and there aren't many places to hide in the area; maybe with the sun finally coming out and more additional eyes in the sky, they could end this.

"What's the status on the support bird? " she asked, rubbing her face as she reached for her mug of coffee.

"Samson 21 is in the air and..."  the soldier stops and, taking a closer look at his screen, "Is heading towards the forest. Samson 21, you are not en route to the location. I say again, Samson 21, you are-ARGH!" The soldier is cut off as he is pushed out of his seat. General Ardmore stares at the screen with wild eyes.

"That son of BITCH!" she growled realizing they got played. " I want Samson 30, 17, and 20 up and after that bird! I want it shot down!" She ordered as blank; unblinking eyes stared back at her.

"NOW, GODDAMN IT!! She watched as these idiots scrambled to their stations, relaying her orders. To hell with keeping them alive; nobody makes a fool out of her NOBODY.

Miles honestly didn't think they would make it this far with everyone still here; he'd thought he and his team would fight their way out, maybe losing a man or two. But he couldn't believe it was that easy. "The younger generation is getting soft," he chuckled at the thought as he tried to soothe a crying Spider. The kid didn't like the roar of the aircraft and how the wind was going into his sensitive little ears.

"Here, Colonel, I think this would fit him." Fike gave him some earmuffs that he found in one of the seat pockets. He gave Spider a sympathetic look before returning to be on the lookout. Miles shook his head with a grin as he looked from the corner of his eye, his team glancing over to Spider with worried looks. 

His kid got them wrapped around his little chubby finger.

The earmuffs worked, sorta, calming Spider's crying to a whine; Miles thought Spider didn't like how the muffs were squishing his ears. He chuckled as Spider made an annoyed face and tried to reach and remove the earmuffs, only for Miles to stop him, which got him a pouty lip from Spider.

Miles didn't get a chance to enjoy this moment for long when Lyle tapped him on the shoulder, breaking him from his trance. He looked around to see Ja, Z-Dog, and Fike leaning outside; looking behind them, they became tense and got their rifles in firing position. Mansk, sitting in front of him, also looked anxious as he was looking at something behind them; both he and Lyle leaned out the side, only to see they got company.

"Looks like someone isn't as stupid as she looks," Z-Dog chuckled as she blew a bubble. Lyle laughed as he went over to have Lopez and Prager, who held the pilots at gunpoint, go faster and shake these guys off.

Once they began to speed up, their pursuers engaged their attack, launching their Hornet missiles. The Recoms began to fire on the missiles before they got the chance to hit them. They were able to get most of the missiles, and the pilots were decent enough to avoid the others.

They were flying left and right, but they couldn't shake them; that's when Fike had enough. He reached into one of the bags and took out about five grenades. He leaned out, holding onto the assist handle, and Ja gripped his shirt as he pulled the pin with one hand and began chucking them at the aircraft. He managed to get one of the rotors on the third grenade, causing it to go down while spinning. Fike yelled out in victory as others cheered with him: one down, two more to go.

Miles saw a gorge with a raging river and told Lopez and Prager to have the pilots lose them there; the Recoms held on when they were lifted a few inches as the pilots began to dive into the gorge, trying to avoid the trees hanging from the cliffs.

The Recoms were then met with heavy fire from the M-60 Machine gun and were having trouble returning fire; as the pilots tried to avoid getting hit by the heavy assault, Z-Dog got an idea as she saw tiny rocks fall from the sides of the cliffs. She told Fike to give her the last two grenades and, just like him, leaned out and chucked them towards the large piles of rocks.

"YOU MISSED! HOW COULD YOU HAVE MISSED? THEY WERE THREE FEET FROM YOU! shouted Lyle as he watched the grenades go towards the side of the gorge, only to shut up when it caused a rock to slide and the second bird to go down with the pile of stones into the raging river.

Z-Dog turned to Lyle with a smug smirk as she licked her hand and gave him a firm smack on his bald head.

"THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT MOTHERFUCKERS!" she yelled as she turned to high-five Fike and Mansk while Lyle wiped his head in disgust but busted out laughing with Ja and Miles.

Prager and Lopez turned to join in on the victory; seeing this, one of the pilots used this as an opportunity to fight back, he tilted the helicopter left, catching them off guard while the co-pilot tried to grab Lopez's pistol in his thigh gun holster. When Lopez was about to push him off, the helicopter tilted right, knocking Lopez right into Prager, giving the co-pilot enough time to get his pistol. As the co-pilot raises the gun to fire at Miles and Spider, Prager grabs his pistol and shoots him before the co-pilot realizes the pistol safety was still on.

"FUCKING DAMN IT" Prager yelled as he ended up shooting both pilots leaving nobody able to fly the bird.

He leaned into the cockpit as much as he could and took control, steadying the aircraft. Mansk then noticed that the gorge was getting narrower and smaller.

"Colonel! The gorge is starting to close; we need to get out of here!" Mansk yelled as the others began to notice. "We can't go back up; there's not enough room!"

"Prager! Take us as low as you can!" Miles ordered as he looked down at the river. Prager brought them down until they were 30 feet above the water before struggling to steady the bird.

"What now?" said Lyle, leaning out to shoot the chasing Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson with the others.

Miles looked down at a tired Spider who was nodding off to sleep. He forced his eyes to stay open as he gave Miles a lazy smile; his kid knew how to sleep anywhere. At that moment, it was only the two of them—no noise, no danger, just a father and son. He knew if they were caught, they were done for, and he couldn't let that happen; he would rather have them die free than be used.

With one last smile at his son, he took a deep breath and jumped.

"Uh, guys," Fike said as he and Ja stared at the spot where Miles once was. "What?" said Lyle as he was busy reloading.

"He jumped." They stopped and turned around as Lyle rushed over, leaning out to see a small splash in the river, "HE JUMPED!"

They all stood for a moment, trying to process what just happened.

"Fuck it," said Ja, the first one to break out of the shock, as he strapped on one of the backpacks and jumped too following the colonel's lead.

"THIS! Is the plan!" Lyle thought as he watched Ja dive into the river.

... Alright.

"Lopez, I want you to keep them off us while we jump." Lopez nodded and began to return fire. One by one, they jumped until it was just Prager and Lopez.

"Oh shit!" Lopez heard, turning to Prager, "What is it!?"

"The gorge is splitting, and we're heading right towards the middle!" Prager shouted as he wedged the pilot's stick to keep steady. "We've got to jump now!"

Lopez nodded, but when he went to jump, he finally realized just how high they were. Suddenly, his irrational fear of heights, which he thought had subsided when he was in basic training, came back with a vengeance.

"Come on, let's go!" said Prager, confused when he turned around to see Lopez still there.

"You know what? I'll do the noble thing and cover you even if I have to go down with the bird."

"What? No, come on, we can just go together."

"Nah, I'm good. I'd rather you remember me as a hero."

"Jesus Lopez, just jump!"

"I'd rather die."

"Lopez-"

"Nope, I'm gonna die."

"Will, you just-" "Hey, don't you touch me-" as they began to wrestle with each other until Lopez looked behind Prager and screamed.

Prager turned his head only to join his screaming when he saw them closing in fast on the river's fork. He tackled Lopez out of the aircraft, and they plummeted towards the river. Prager gripped Lopez while Lopez screamed in his ear, "Let me go! I'm gonna kill you, Prager!"

As they hit the water, they looked up to see a blurry image of the helio crashing into the rocks. When they broke through, they could see the last of their chasers hit right after it, unable to stop in time to avoid collision.

"DAMN, IT" yelled General Ardmore as she threw her mug across the control room. Not only did she lose 4 Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson, but she lost the entire team of Recombinant Avatars, all of them worth billions of dollars.

"Excuse me, Gener-" 

"What!" she snapped, cutting off the poor soldier.

"T-t-the board is calling," the soldier stuttered, quickly moving out of the way as Ardmore marched past him.

"Great, just great, one problem after another," she muttered as she made her way through the halls, everyone avoiding her like the plague. She knew why the board was calling; they had placed whistleblowers in the workforce to keep an eye on things, and they were probably already aware of their situation. And she was just on her way to get her ass chewed out for losing so much money; she clenched her teeth to stop herself from grinding them as she entered the office.

"I'm going to make those blue motherfuckers wish they were dead when I get my hands on them." she angrily thought as multiple screens turned on, revealing people with anger written all over their faces.

Chapter Text

Miles couldn't see anything; all he saw was darkness. He felt weightless, numb even, like the first time he experienced zero gravity, when he woke up aboard the space station orbiting Pandora.

A prickling cold prickled at his skin, yet he didn't mind; it almost felt soothing for some strange reason, as if he were entering cryosleep. Was that why he felt weird? Was he still in cryosleep? Was he supposed to be conscious? 

He didn't care; he just wanted to let the darkness swallow him whole and sleep. However, this persistent sound wouldn't leave him alone. It started softly, but it grew louder until he recognized it as someone crying. But it wasn't just that; it sounded young, like a baby. It made his heart twist painfully that his baby was crying, but that couldn't be right; he didn't have any kids, did he?

Wait, didn't he already get to Pandora?

Yeah, he remembered getting scarred by a viperwolf on his first day.

But that didn't feel right. 

Why does he feel like it happened to someone else? 

Why was he thinking about space again? 

Why does his heart hurt when he hears that crying?

Why won't it stop?

Why can't he breathe? 

SPIDER!

His eyes shot open as it all came crashing down on him; he was still underwater. He began to swim up as fast as he could, and when he broke through the surface, the sun blinded him as the water splashed in his face and the current pushed him along.

He didn't have time to compose himself as he looked down when he heard Spider in distress. The sight of his little boy with his ears pinned down to his skull, trying to cry his little heart out while he coughed up water, made Miles want to cry, too.

How long was he underwater? Did Spider swallow a lot of water? Oh God, does he have any water in his lungs?

"It's okay, you're okay; everything is going to be fine."  Miles didn't know if he was trying to soothe Spider or himself as he moved Spider's body up until his head was on his cheek.

His ears flatten against his head when he still hears Spider coughing; he'll have to ask Lopez to check on him if they survive this. Miles tried to pat his back and keep him stable with one hand while he kept them above water with the other as the river pushed them along.

He heard another scream and looked up to see Ja drop into the water, then rise a few seconds later.

"Colonel!!" Ja yelled, looking around. "Over here!" Ja turned and swam toward them.

"The others are on their way?" Miles asked as Ja linked their arms to help Miles swim.

As if on cue, the others dropped in and swam over to form a human chain, leaving only two missing.

"What's taking them so long?" Miles heard Ja ask. "They'd better hurry up. Look!" Mansk pointed toward the rocks splitting the river, "They're gonna crash."

The group swam closer to the gorge's walls to avoid falling debris. They then saw Lopez and Prager jump out, still holding onto each other, while they fell into the water as the helicopter crashed into the rocks, followed by the last helicopter.

As they swam up to the surface, the Recoms saw they were arguing and splashing each other with water.

"Hey, you two knuckleheads, get over here already unless you want something to crush you," Lyle yelled as Lopez and Prager stopped splashing each other and began to swim away from the crash site towards the group. 

When they finally reunited, they cheered and laughed at having actually managed to escape. As the river started to slow down, they began to separate and swim around, basking in their newfound freedom. 

Miles swam up to Lopez and handed him Spider, who'd stopped crying but still sniffled with teary eyes. "Could you look him over real quick? We were under the water for a while," said Miles with a concerned tone, his ears pinned down. 

Lopez looked at Spider briefly and gave him back to Miles with a reassuring smile.

"He's fine, Colonel; he just swallowed some water." Miles looked at him, his ears slightly lowered with an unconvinced look. "Look, I'll examine him closer when we get out of the river, alright."

Miles nodded at that as he raised Spider to be eye-to-eye with him. Spider tilted his head at him as they stared at each other. That's when Miles gave him a wide, toothy smile before dumping half of Spider's body into the water and raising him as high as possible. This earned him a squealed giggle from Spider as the Recoms looked over and smiled at the father-and-son duo.

They kept floating down the river for half an hour, enjoying themselves and trying to find a way to get out of the river and gorge.

"Damn, I can't find anything; how about you guys?" Lyle asked, but all he got was a mix of no's and nothing's, "We got to find a way out; we can't stay in here forever."

"I mean, this isn't so bad; I kind of like this downtime before we have to fight whatever's in the forest." Fike said as he backstroked past Lyle, "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

Lyle turned to say something, but his eyes widened as he uttered, " Uh-oh."

Fike went from floating on this back to swimming straight up, as he started at Lyle with a straight face without looking back.

"Don't tell me. We're about to go over a huge waterfall."

"Yep." Lyle nodded as the others turned to look behind Fike with wide eyes.

"Sharp rocks at the bottom?"

"Most likely." Lyle shrugged

"Bring it on."

"No! Let's not "Bring it on," you dumbass! Let's go!" Lyle shouted at him as he pointed towards a dead tree connected to a ledge in the water before the waterfall.

The Recoms started to swim over, with Z-dog being the first to climb on and make her way to the ledge. Miles arrived next and handed Spider over to her as he climbed out. Mansk was starting to climb out as Ja and Lopez held on to one side of the tree, waiting for their turn, while Prager was on the other side.

Lyle had managed to grab the ends of the branches before passing the tree. But Fike wasn't so lucky as he went too far to grab hold of the tree and missed Lyle's hand when he reached for him.

"FIKE!" everyone screamed as he was about to go over the edge, but with one last bloody mary, he lunged over and grabbed Lyle's tail.

Lyle screamed as Fike began to climb up his tail.

"Hurry up, Fike! I think you're going to rip it off!" Lyle screamed as Fike got off the waterfall's edge and grabbed onto the tree. Once they were all out of the river and on the ledge, they all sighed in relief.

"Next time, I'll just let you go over." Lyle breathed out, massaging his tail as they both sat down to catch their breaths; they looked at each other and chuckled.

"C'mon, let's go," Fike said as they picked themselves up and began to follow the others through an entrance to the side of the gorge. Ja cracked the glow sticks they had in the supply bag and passed them out to the team as they went further into the cave.

Their ears twitched at the sounds of water dripping from the cave stalactite. Miles was in front, leading, while Z-Dog carried Spider, who entertained him with one of the glow sticks; she laughed as the kid tried to grab it. Miles wanted to get him back when he got the rest of the Recoms out of the river, but she said he "had him long enough, and it was his turn to hang out with Aunty Z."

He grumbled as his tail moved slightly with irritation as he heard Z's and Spider's laughter. What can he say? He grew possessive of the kid; maybe it's his Na'vi DNA.

It took them a while, but they found the cave entrance leading them into the forest. They had a few hours until it got dark, so they decided to set up camp at the cave entrance to rest and head out once there was light again.

They went out in pairs: Prager and Ja went to get firewood, Mansk and Z-Dog went hunting, and finally, Lyle and Fike laid their things in the sun to dry and scouted to see if any other Na'vi clans were nearby.

That left Miles and Lopez behind to give Spider a more proper check-up.

Lopez grabbed his med kit and used a small flashlight to check Spider's ears, eyes, and mouth, then used a stick to press down his tongue.

"Ah, señor, when did you last brush your teeth, huh? You should talk to your dentist," Lopez said as he watched Spider try to eat and chew the stick with his gums, which earned a smack on his arm from Miles.

He finally used his stethoscope to check Spider's heart, then his lungs for fluid, but he was all right.

"Yup, he's alright; his lungs are all clear, so he just swallows some water, but he coughed it all out; ain't that right, little guy?" Lopez said to Miles as they turned to watch Spider play with the stethoscope.

"And you're sure he's not going to get sick." Miles said, still looking uncertain, "Listen, Colonel, I'm the Doc here, and I'm telling you he is 100% fine."

"Alright, Alright," Quatrich nodded as he leaned Spider on his shoulder and began to walk into the cave, "Or maybe like 80% fine," Lopez muttered.

"LOPEZ!" he heard Miles yell as he quickly turned around, "Oh, hey, Prager, Ja back already. Do you need some help carrying that wood?" Lopez said speed, walking towards them while an angry Miles shot daggers at his back.

"You're gonna get killed one of these days if you keep messing with Papa Bear over there." Ja chuckled as Prager shook his head; they entered the cave to start building the fire pit.

"Yeah, never seen him this protective of anyone," Lopez said close behind them, giving Miles an apologetic smile as he began to help Ja and Prager.

Miles shook his head at Lopez's antics as he lay Spider on a makeshift bed made from leaves and Prager's Jacket after he squeezed out as much water as possible. The little fella fell asleep almost instantly when Miles laid him down. Miles smiled softly as he grazed his cheek, his tail swaying softly with contentment.

The moment was suddenly interrupted when he felt eyes staring at him. He turned to see the Lopez, Prager, and Ja around the fire pit, grinning at him. Miles coughed, "Aren't you knuckleheads done yet? The kid's freezing over here." his ears were slightly lowered.

The trio laughed under their breaths as they scrambled to get the fire started and pretended they hadn't seen anything. Once they were done, Miles brought Spider closer to warm him up while others tried to get warm around the fire.

They took inventory of their supplies as they waited for the others to return; it took Lyle and Fike an hour to return, saying they couldn't find any signs of clans nearby. And it was just before sunset when Mansk and Z-Dog came back scratched up and bleeding.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" Ja asked as he and Lyle came over to help them.

"THIS!" Z-Dog threw the carcass of a viperwolf at their feet, her ears pinned and tail swishing in agitation. They both stepped back from the corpse and the mad look in Z's eyes, "Is what happened."

"The bitch put up a good fight; I'll give her that," Mansk said as he spat blood from his mouth while adjusting the bag over his shoulder.

Once they got inside, Prager was about to ask what happened, but saw Ja and Lyle shaking their heads frantically and decided to shut up. When they'd placed their hunt down, Lopez came over to tend to their wounds while Fike began to skin the viperwolf.

"So this little thing did all that to you two," Fike said while looking at their bandaged bodies in disbelief when he finished skinning the viperwolf.

"Nope, it was her friends; apparently, they didn't like that we killed their female," Mansk said, wincing as Lopez finished wrapping his arms. "They chased us for almost an hour before they gave up when we climbed a tree."

"But hey, if they didn't, we wouldn't have found this." Z-dog said as she walked over to Mansk's bag and pulled out an orange pomegranate-looking fruit. "We found them when we were coming back. Mansk read that this is called a Melon fruit, and we can eat it."

"And I thought we could mash it up and give it to Spider since he is still too young to eat solid foods," Mansk said as he helped Fike place the Viperwolf over the fire to cook it.

Miles froze when he realized and smacked his head as the realization dawned on the others. Mansk looked around in shock at everyone's expressions.

"Am I the only one who remembered that he is literally four months old?" He was met with silence as he pinched his nose, muttering," Jesus, this kid is going to starve if I'm not here."

It was dark when they finally finished eating; Spider woke, smelling the food, and cried with hunger. But he was quickly fed the melon fruit that Mansk smashed up and made a clean diaper from a large leaf. Now, he was fast asleep as the Recom brought in the last of their clothes that they laid out to dry in the sun.

The fire was still burning as Miles patted down his makeshift bed of leaves and grass and placed Spider next to him.

He was just about to lie down before he heard Fike curse from his guarding position at the cave entrance.

"What is it?" Miles asked, crouching down beside Fike as he saw dozens of glowing eyes and laughter coming from the forest. "Looks like Mansk's and Z's new friends are ready for round 2." Miles heard Mansk and Z-Dog groan behind him after Fike stated the obvious.

"They just don't quit." Z-Dog grumbled as she marched over to the entrance and yelled, "There are so many of you; just find another female!" as she glared into the darkness and returned to her spot to sleep.

"I'll take the next-." Before Miles could finish, Fike shook his head, "It's alright, Colonel; we all decided you should rest. After what's happened with you and Spider, you need sleep more than anyone here, besides..." Fike leaned in to whisper, "I think Z wants a rematch since she lost to some little dogs."

"I heard that!" they heard Z-Dog yell as they both chuckled.

Miles nodded his head and patted Fike on the back before he went back to his bed. He lay down with his back against the cave entrance and fire to protect Spider from the heat and cold.

He reached his hand to graze Spider's cheeks one last time before he went to sleep. But before he could retract his hand, Spider gripped his finger and whined when he tried to pull away. He chuckled, and with a gentle smile, he let sleep take him as his son held his fingers tightly.

Chapter Text

Miles woke in a dark void; he looked around and saw emptiness. He wandered aimlessly for a while, searching for someone or a way out, until he saw a metal door in the distance. He smiled as he began to jog over to what he thought was the exit.

But as he kept jogging towards the door, it seemed to be getting further and further away from him. He began to pick up his pace until he was full-on sprinting towards the door. It stopped suddenly, and Miles could not slow down in time, as his momentum made him crash through the door and onto the metal floor.

He rubbed his head to ease the minor concussion he got as he slowly stood up, taking in his surroundings. His breathing began to quicken as he realized he was back in labs at Bridgehead. He couldn't get his thoughts together as he heard cries of pain behind an observation window in some experimentation room.

He walked towards the window as his eyes widened in fear, his ears pinned down flat, and his heart dropped as he saw who was making those painful sounds. It was Spider; he was strapped to a table, wires connected to his head. There were scientists by a machine wearing masks and goggles; they watched as his boy got shocked every few moments with cries of pain not far behind. 

"HEY, LET HIM GO!!" Miles yelled, banging on the window as he frantically searched for a way to get inside.

"The subject's wavelengths to the brain seem unaffected; raise the voltage higher," said one of the male scientists while pressing buttons on the control panel.

"STOP, YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HIM! HE'S JUST A BOY!" Miles cried as he stopped looking for a way in and tried smashing the glass window with his fists, but he couldn't even get a crack.

He began to claw, kick, and even throw his whole body against the window, but nothing worked as he was forced to continue listening to his son's cries. He tried, and he tried until he was on his knees, his forehead pressed against the window, as he let out a choked sob. 

"Please, he doesn't deserve this! Please take me instead! Just let him go!" he begged as he made a last pitiful attempt to bang on the window, hoping to break it. He shuts his eyes as his baby boy's cries echo.

Miles shot up, breathing heavily. He looked around to make sure he was still in the cave; he sighed in relief when he realized it was just a nightmare. He rubbed his face to get rid of the rest of the exhaustion as he turned to look down at Spider's bed. 

"Good Morning, little-" he abruptly stopped his morning greeting when he saw Spider's empty bed. Miles quickly got to his feet and looked frantically around the cave, calling out to Spider.

"Spider, where are you!?" he called out as he slowly began to notice he was the only one in the cave. He made his way out of the cave as he heard his team's voices.

He shut his eyes as the sunlight blinded him for a moment when he exited the cave; when he regained his vision, he was confused to see the Recom's circling Spider on his belly, trying to have him roll over. But Spider was content to kick and squirm on his stomach. As Miles approached the group, his son's squirming intensified. He let out shrieks of happiness and gave Miles a gummy smile.

"Oh, Colonel, glad to see you awake," Lyle said over his shoulder, then returned his attention to Spider, whose tail wagged with excitement.

"How long were y'all up?" asked Miles, squatting down to pick up Spider, who quickly tucked himself into Miles's chest, wrapping his tail around Miles's wrist. Spider whined as he rubbed against Miles's shirt, not liking the material of the shirt.

"For about 2 hours, Spider woke up, and you were still asleep, so Lopez said we should take him outside to do some tummy time," Lyle explained while giving Miles some leftover Viperwolf meat.

"The rest of us already ate, and Spider ate two bowls of Melon Fruit." Leaning down to poke Spider's belly, " He's going to be one chunky baby."

As if Spider could understand him, he glared at Lyle before leaning into his father's chest again.

"Ah, now don't be mad at your uncle Lyle; I was just joking." Lyle apologized as he rubbed Spider's head. He carefully avoided the little tentacle-looking thing at the bottom of his neck.

What was the thing called again, a queue? No wonder the Na'vi grew their hair to cover it up; it looked freaky. But hey, Lyle couldn't say anything since he had one too, but man, was it hard to braid; Z-dog had to teach them, and they ended up making a braid chain.

Spider seemed to accept his apology and smiled at him. Miles was glad his son was getting along with the Recoms; they had now practically become uncles and an aunt to Spider. The Recoms were packing up the camp as Miles tried to eat his breakfast, but it seemed Spider wanted to get a taste and reached for his food.

He finished eating when the Recoms were done packing, and Fike was giving their supplies a final look.

They had lost two rifles, leaving six with 12 mags, their pistols with six mags, four grenades, and their hunting knives. That meant they had to save as much ammo as possible and rely more on their knives while going through the forest. 

Lopez's Medkit had a bottle of painkillers, four rolls of bandage wraps, adhesive tape, a box of Band-Aids, disinfectant, and his medical equipment. Their food rations would last them two weeks if they were careful, and Mansk had packed Melon Fruit that would last Spider a week. And their bags had a tarp, rope, a canteen, and their own personal items.

They were ready to move out; as much as Miles wanted them to rest a bit more, they couldn't stay near their last known location. The RDA will soon be looking for them, that is, if they didn't think they went over the waterfall.

They had to stay ahead of the RDA, and what creature was the fastest way to travel around Pandora, the Banshee. General Ardmore had said they inhabited the Hallelujah Mountains when they first discussed the possible sites for Sully's base camp.

Miles secured Spider in his baby sling as the group began to make their way through the wilderness, making sure to rid any evidence that they were ever in the cave.

They were on edge in the beginning, their ears and heads turning in the direction of any sounds they heard, their tails moving anxiously. Z-dog and Mansk were more on edge than the rest, tensing up when they heard the familiar laughter of Viperwolfs.

But they relaxed as the animals ignored or avoided them altogether. It looked like their lucky day, as they had no encounters. That is, until their second break, when Lyle convinced Miles to let him hold Sider while he ate, since he saw him struggling to eat and keep it away from Spider.

He was walking with Spider not so far from the group; they looked at the different plants around them, and as he helped Spider lean over to touch an orange, swirly-looking plant, it suddenly shrank, causing him to jump back with Spider. Spider laughed, clapping his hand in delight as Lyle chuckled; he reached out to touch another when it shrank down, which caused Spider to squeal out in happiness again. 

Fueled by Spider's reactions, Lyle touched more of them until he touched one that caused almost all the plants to fall like dominoes. As they turned to watch the plants shrink, they revealed a clearing with a group of rhino-looking things. Lyle's smile dropped to a very fearful expression, his ears pinned down, his tail moving anxiously.

"Oh shit," he muttered as he began to back away slowly, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

It didn't last long, as Spider let out an excited babble at the sight of the large beast. Lyle frantically covered Spider's mouth, but it was too late as the largest in the group raised its head in their direction and let out an aggressive roar.

Lyle didn't know why, but just looking at this beast made him break out in a cold sweat; now that it was looking at him, he felt rooted in place; he couldn't move, couldn't breathe; just the thought of it charging towards him made him want to faint.

The roar must have gotten the attention of the Recoms since he heard Miles quietly calling him as they hid behind a tree next to him. When Lyle turned to look at them, he almost ran; Ja must have seen his intentions and told him not to run.

"I read about these things, there Hammerhead Titanotheres; that thing will charge if you run," Ja explained as the group raised their rifles to shoot it, but Ja stopped them too.

"Don't shoot, you'll just piss it off; his skin is nearly impenetrable," Ja explained, making Lyle snap back, "What do you want me to do, dance with it?!"

"Just stand your ground, Lyle." Lyle nodded his head, his eyes not leaving the increasingly agitated hammerhead. It was tense for a moment, but then the hammerhead charged at Lyle; he screamed as he pushed Spider against his chest, wrapping his arms around him to protect him from the incoming blow.

The Recoms were about to fire to distract the hammerhead, but stopped when Miles jumped in their line of fire as he ran toward Lyle and Spider.

Lyle waited for the pain, but it never came; all he felt was a hot breath of air on his head. He slowly looked up to meet the eyes of the hammerhead. He let out a mix of heavy breathing and hysterical laughter as large brown eyes stared down at him; his legs were shaking like jelly.

Miles slowly made his way towards him while keeping an eye on the hammerhead and placed his hand on Lyle's shoulder, causing him to jump and whip his head towards Miles, who still had his eyes on the hammerhead.

Spider began to wiggle in Lyle's arms to get a better view of the hammerhead; when he saw how close it was, he cried in eagerness and reached out towards it.

In response, the hammerhead moved its head slowly forward; Lyle looked back and forth between Spider and the Hammerhead, got the message, and, despite Miles's protest, he held out Spider in front of the hammerhead.

Spider babbled softly as he rubbed the area above its mouth; it raised its head and began to lick Spider's fingers as it cooed softly, causing Spider to giggle at the feeling of its tongue on his fingers.

The Recom also began to slowly approach them, staring at the scene in shock and awe, but the hammerhead turned toward them and rumbled a warning, making them immediately back up with their hands up in peace.

Once the hammerhead was content with its time with Spider, it turned to head back to its herd without so much as a glance at Lyle and Miles.

The group then made their way back to their resting place in shocked silence; once there, Lyle calmly handed Spider over to a still-shocked Miles, walked over to a tree, and proceeded to puke up his recently eaten rations.

And that's when the realization settled in, and the panic began.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" yelled Fike, gesturing to where they'd just came from.

"OH MY GOD!" Z-Dog repeatedly screamed as she paced back and forth in front of a still-dazed Mansk, his jaw slightly hanging.

"How is that possible? I mean, it shouldn't be possible; I didn't see any of that in the reports I've..." Lopez rambled on as he went over to rub the back of a now dry-heaving Lyle and give him water.

"NO, SERIOUSLY, WHAT WAS THAT?!" Fike yelled again as he pointed more aggressively at the path.

"Hey, you think that Spider is like the Na'vi version of Jesus?" Ja asked, turning to Prager, who was standing right next to him, who then looked at him in confusion, "What?"

"'Cause if he is, I would pay ten bucks right now to see him crawl on water?"

"Dude, seriously." Prager gave Ja an unamused look.

"I have to joke about this; it's the only way I can process things, you know this!" exclaimed Ja as he took off his hat to twist it in his hands in nervousness.

Miles was still speechless; he slowly looked down at his son, who was oblivious to the trouble he'd just caused, smiling at him innocently.

Chapter Text

After their 'tiny' freak out, the Recoms began to gather up their things, their eyes glancing over to Spider once in a while as they resumed their journey. They honestly didn't know what to think; they had just begun to get used to being Na'vi, and now this was thrown into the mix. 

They walked through the forest, unable to start the conversation about what they had just witnessed. Lyle chewed on a cracker-like ration; he had to put something in his stomach since he'd thrown up his lunch. He could have finished by now, but if he did, then others would want to talk about what happened, and he wasn't going to do that anytime soon.

"So..." Ja began, "Are these Na'vi Jesus moments going to be a regular thing because if they are-"

His idea was cut short as they all groaned at Ja's idea; he had already brought it up so many times that they were getting annoyed.

"Dude, how many times do we have to say this? He is not Na'vi Jesus!" Prager threw up his hands.

"Not this again," muttered Mansk, shaking his head. 

"Just hear me out on this; ever since we left the cave, we haven't gotten attacked by any animals, and you saw what happened earlier; I'm just saying." Ja gestured to their surrounding area.

" Ja, the animals avoid us 'cause they think we're Na'vi, and the Hammerhead stopped because Lyle stood his ground," Fike said as he ducked under a low branch.

"More like froze up like a little bitch." muttered Ja before he suddenly got hit with said low branch as Lyle heard him and pulled it back.

"OW! I think you broke my nose." Ja's cries were muffled as he held his nose and checked for bleeding while Lyle smiled smugly, finishing the last of his meal.

Miles continued to walk silently; Spider was in his baby sling, fast asleep. He'd looked down at Spider with every move he'd made; his mind was reeling; he didn't know how to handle this.

He was so deep in thought that he couldn't hear Lyle trying to warn him about the creek he was about to fall into; Lyle grabbed his shoulder before he fell.

"You good, Colonel? You've been out of it since the whole Hammerhead thing." Lyle looked amused, but he could see a touch of concern behind that mask.

"Yeah, I'm fine; I've just been thinking, that's all." Miles shrugged him off and gave him a reassuring smile; as he continued walking, Z-Dog came up behind him, right next to Lyle.

"Don't think about what Ja said, Colonel; he was just being a dumbass." Z chuckled, "Ain't that right, Ja?"

They heard a muffled "Uh Huh" as they looked back to see Ja with a bandage on his nose and a black eye starting to form.

They all had a small laugh; Miles was at ease, if only a little, as they continued on their journey. Gazing down at Spider, he thought that maybe Fike was right. Those situations were just coincidences, right? Other than being a human first, there was no way his son was any different than any other Na'vi child...

Right?

It was getting dark, and they began to set up camp, using ropes and tarps to make hammocks to keep off the ground. They all sat around the fire and ate, beginning to retell stories of their past lives in the Marines together.

But then it got awkward when Mansk talked about the time he was a devoted vegan for four years, after a good friend introduced him to it, and Fike snorted with laughter as he took another bite of his food.

"What's so funny?" Z-Dog looked at him, confused; he looked up as everyone stared at him while chewing his food," Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how Mansk was such a "good friend" to Rachel."

"Yeah, since we were all in the same platoon before we left for Pandora." Z-Dog said, looking at Fike as Mansk shook his head to get Fike to stop talking, "Oh, you didn't know Mansk was in love with her before she left for a new company." 

Z-Dog, shocked, turned to Mansk, "How come you never told me? I thought we were close enough friends that you would have told me."

"Because I was never in love with her, and we were only just friends," Fike scoffed, "Oh please, when she left the platoon, you were so depressed that you were only in your pajamas for a month, and I saw you eat a cheeseburger."

The Recoms gasped, their eyes darting from one person to another as the drama unfolded.

Mansk froze at Fike's statement, " While, didn't you?" Fike pressed, "I-I might have," muttered Mansk while he looked down.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Z-Dog said, a little hurt and angry at Mansk for not telling her.

"Oh, c'mon, like you tell me everything." Mansk looked at her, irked, "What have I not told you?" Z-Dog threw her hands in the air.


"Oh, I don't know. Umm, how about the time that the underwear found on the telephone pole outside our barracks was yours from when you were having sex with Funtime Bobby on the roof." She and the others gasped as he crossed his arms smugly.

"What!" she yelled as she got up, confused, her tail moving in irritation, "Wait a minute, who told you?"

She stopped, pinning down her ears as she turned to Ja, looking down at his food sheepishly. She walked over to him, pointing her finger at him, "You are dead meat."

"I didn't know it was a big secret," Ja said, trying to act sorry as he grabbed her finger to be apologetic. 

"Oh, it's not big, not at all, you know, kinda the same lines as, say, oh, I don't know, having a third nipple!" she yelled as he shot up, and the Recoms gasped again.

"You have a third nipple?" a shocked Lyle asked, his food forgotten in his hands.

Ja looked at her with an irritated expression, glaring at her smug face and hissing, "You bitch."

Everyone began to get up and walk over to him, "Whip it out, whip it out." Prager chanted as the others agreed.

"C'mon, there's nothin' to see; it's just a tiny bump; it's totally useless." Ja began to walk away from them, but they quickly trailed behind him.

"Oh, as, as opposed to your other multi-functional nipples?" Miles said as if it were normal, staying seated and watching the Recoms with amusement.

"I can't believe you. You told me it was a nubbin." Lopez said, turning to them in confusion.

"Lopez, what did you think a nubbin was?" Prager asks, looking at Lopez, bewildered.

"I don't know; you see somethin', you hear a word, I thought that's what it was." Lopez shrugged as he started walking towards Ja. "Let me see it again."

"Yeah, show it. Show it," they all said, getting closer to him. Prager was louder than all of them and grabbed the helm of Ja's shirt, saying, "The nubbin, the nubbin, the nubbin!"

Ja shook them off as he pointed at Lopez and yelled, "Lopez was in a porno movie!"

They gasped in shock, turning over to Lopez, who took a step back; he gasped in anger and betrayal as he pointed back at Ja. 

"If I'm goin' down, I'm takin' everybody with me."  Ja pointed at each of the Recoms.

"You were in a porno?" Fike asked, his mouth agape as they all went over to Lopez.

"Ahh, alright, alright, alright, I was young, and I just wanted a job, OK." Lopez put his hands up in surrender as they surrounded him. "But at the last minute, I couldn't go through with it, so they let me be the guy who comes in to fix the copier but can't 'cause there are people havin' sex on it," he said, giving them a perverted smile.

"That is wild," exclaimed Lyle; they quickly turned their attention back to Ja, who thought he had gotten rid of them.

"So what's it shaped like?"

"Yeah, is there a hair on it?"

"What happens if you flick it?"

"All right, that is enough; let's get some rest and leave Ja's nipples alone." They all laughed at what Miles said, except for Ja, who still looked annoyed as he volunteered for the first watch. Miles went over to his hammock and sighed as he got comfortable when he got on. Spider lay on his chest as he stared up at him quietly while Miles patted his back to get him to fall asleep.

So far, Spider has been an easy baby; he only cries when he's hungry or needs to be changed, and he is glad about it, but there are times he wonders if Spider doesn't cry much so as not to bother anyone. He knew Sully; everyone hated him for what he'd done, but they would never take it out on Spider, right?

Maybe he was breaking his head over nothing, and his son was just an easy baby. He saw how protective he and Sully's kid were; they seemed to care for each other, and Miles was glad his son had some family.

Miles drifted off to sleep as he swung in the hammock, taking in the noises of the forest. He woke when he heard Lyle, "Pssh, Pssh, Colonel, wake up."

He groaned in response, slowly opening his eyes to see white, floating lights. He blinked, adjusting to the darkness as he realized it was jellyfish-looking things floating down towards him. He slowly looked around at the others, awake and still in their hammocks, frozen. Lyle, who was on watch, was sitting still, his eyes locked on the floating creatures descending towards them.

There were at least 50 of them; Miles didn't seem nervous; it was quite the opposite; he felt relatively calm, and so were the others, as far as he could tell.

"Lopez, Mansk, do you know what those things are?" Miles whispered, his eyes still on the floaters.

"I think they're called Woodsprite. They're like supposed to be lucky," whispered Mansk. He lay frozen on his hammock as many Woodsprites began to land on him.

Then, more Woodsprites began to land on all of them. Fike didn't like it and began to hit them, but Lopez hissed at him to stop.

"Don't hit them. It's considered bad luck. Do you want to piss off their God, 'cause it didn't end well for us last time." making Fike freeze and let them Woodsprites land on him.

When the Woodsprites landed on Spider, one tickled his nose, causing him to sneeze and wake him up. He snuggled into his father's chest as he opened his sleepy eyes. When he saw the Woodsprite, he gave it a tired smile and reached out to touch it. The Woodsprite landed on hand for a moment, then flew up, followed by the rest of the Woodsprites as they grouped together, forming a cyclone pattern as they flew away. It was quiet for a moment as they took in what happened.

" See, that's another Na'vi Jesus moment," said Ja

"SHUT UP!!" they all screamed as Prager threw a stick at him.

It had been a week since they made their way to the Hallelujah Mountains and finally arrived at the bottom of it. They could see the silhouettes of the banshees flying above them. It was a long journey, but they finally made it.

After the night with the Woodsprites, they had an easy journey; well, besides the fact that they had to use their ammo since the pack of Viperwolfs, whose female was killed by Mansk and Z-Dog, found them again. It wasn't a fun time for either of them, since the pack was specifically targeting them, but hey, they managed to get more food rations.

They'd also gotten rid of their boots, since they only made them slip on everything while they walked, leaving them barefoot in their shorts and shirts. Since then, they have been able to climb trees faster and move more freely.

Now, they began their climb up the Hallelujah Mountains; Lopez almost fell but was caught by Lyle, who pulled him back up as they continued to climb higher. They made their way through a cave until they emerged onto a cliff face; exhausted, they sat down and drank water. They turned quickly, their ears pricking at the screech of banshees nearby; they shuffled along the cliffside until they finally reached the ledge. They saw hundreds of banshees huddled on rocks as far as the eye could see. They cling to the walls with the fore-claws on their wings or perch on ledges.

"I'll go first. Take Spider," Miles said as he handed Spider over to Lyle. He walked out of their hiding spot and into the open.

The Banshees eyed him as he approached. Several shriek and take flight; others flap their wings and yawn, showing rows of fangs in a threat display. But as he approached them, they took off; Miles groaned and turned to face the group.

"This ain't going to work. They keep on running away before I can even get close to them." Lopez yelled, "You just need to wait until one tries to kill you!"

"Outstanding," mutters Miles as he goes to face the banshee again. He starts to approach them when a blue Banshee spreads its wings and shrieks, glaring straight at him. Miles looks directly into its eyes; he hisses back and strides toward it.

"Let's dance, cupcake," he went over and punched it, distracting it enough for Miles to jump on its back, but it then began to flap its wings, trying to buck Miles off. Miles tries to hold on tight as it thrashes around, flinging his left and right as the Recoms wince and Spider whines in distress.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to have Banshee's mouth shut first?" Fike shouted to the others as they turned to him, dumbfounded.

"Thanks a lot, Fike!" yelled Miles, glaring at Fike when the banshee suddenly dove off the ledge. The Recoms quickly went over to see only Miles and the Banshee for a moment as they plummeted down.

They all stood there for a second, not knowing what to do; they then turned to Lyle with sad expressions. He looked at them with the same expression and looked down in his arms at Spider's teary face, as if he knew what had happened to his dad. Mansk was the first to break out of the sadness as he shoved Fike, enraged about the fate of their leader.

"This is all your fault. Why didn't you say anything earlier!" he hissed as Lopez and Z-Dog held him back while Fike didn't say anything but kept his head down and his ears pinned, "Now Spider doesn't have a mother or a father!"

"Stop, that's enough!" Lyle yelled as he soothed a whimpering Spider," The kid still got us, don't he. Let's just get out of here. We'll figure something else out."

Lopez and Z-Dog let go of Mansk as he glared at Fike again before beginning to walk to the cliffside as Z-Dog gripped his shoulder to comfort him. The group took only a few steps before they heard a Banshee shriek; they turned to see Miles flying on the banshee, his fist raised as he let out a victory cry.

"Yeah! That's Right!" The Recoms cheered as Miles began to fly his banshee around them, "Who's up next?"

The Recom turned to Fike, whose smiling face turned to a look of fear as he saw all of them staring at him with smiles.

"Is it too late now to say sorry?" Fike said nervously as Mansk strolled up to him with a smile and patted him on the back," Yes, it is, but hey, you know now that they have to shut their mouths first."

Fike groaned as he began approaching a group of banshees; they flew away, except for a green one that bared its teeth at him. He raised the lasso he made out of vines, and the banshee hissed and leaped at him. He lunges forward, slipping aside as the banshee's jaws miss him as they snap shut. He lassoed its snout, wrapping the rope twice around its long jaws and tying them shut. He jumped over its talons as it tried to slash at him and tackled the banshee around the neck.

He grabs its whip-like antenna on its thrashing head as he reaches for his queue, but it slams its head sideways, hitting him straight in the face. The Recoms hissed and winced at the hit as they watched him get flung to the ground, but then saw him get back up and launch himself back on the banshee. Fike finally grabbed its whipping antenna, locked it under his arm, and jammed the end of his queue into it. He let out a breathless chuckle as he felt the connection between them and turned to Miles.

"What now, Colonel?" Fike asked as he removed the rope from the banshee, "Just think about what you want it to do."

"Oh, like fly- AAWW." Fike didn't get to finish as his banshee dived off the cliff and began to spiral down.

"Well, he's dead," Ja said as they looked over the cliff, which gave him a smack from Prager.

Fike was still screaming as his banshee continued on a downward spiral.

"I'M GONNA DIE!"

"I'M GONNA DIE!"

"FIRST, I'M GOING TO THROW UP!"

"AND THEN I'M GONNA DIE"

"MOMMY, TELL IT TO STOP!"

His banshee then spread its wings and began to glide through the air as Fike let out scared laughter before sighing in relief.

"Almost lost my cool there," he told the banshee to fly up. He let out a victory cry as he came back up with everyone waiting for him.

"And that's how you do it," Fike said with a smug smile as he approached the group, handing the rope to Mansk, "Now, it's your turn."

One by one, the Recoms got their banshees and took flight. Their boisterous cheers echoed through the Haulluah Mountains as they flew. They laughed as they performed barrel rolls, sharp turns, and dives. Miles chuckled at their antics as he looked down to see Spider's face, a look of pure joy as they continued to fly. Miles felt his Banshee purr in satisfaction as she felt her rider's happiness.

They soon landed on one last floating mountain before there were only open skies. The Recoms had the itch to go flying again, but they'll have plenty of time for that later, and right now, they needed to eat. As they finished, they noticed Prager taking a camera out of his bag. "We should take a picture before we head out."

"How long have you had that?" Lyle asks as he watches Prager set up the camera stand and timer," For a while, but I wanted to save it for special occasions like this."

"Alright, everybody in positions, the cameras set!" As the timer counted down, Prager yelled while he ran to the group, "Say cheese!"

They smiled, Miles in the middle holding Spider, the Recoms on each side of them, their arms wrapped around each other, as their Banshees were behind them, their wings spread or shrieking.

Chapter Text

Max and Norm had finished talking to the scouts about the recent activities that have been happening at Bridgehead over the last few days. Like a week ago, when Jack and his family left, there was a huge commotion happening at Bridgehead. They seemed to have gone into lockdown and had sent out an SA-2 Samson Helicopter heading west and then sent three more a few moments after it.

None of them returned, and they started to slow down on expanding Bridgehead and kept sending out more helicopters daily in the same direction. The helicopters were armed to the teeth when they flew off; it was obvious that they were hunting something down. Tarsem and Mo'at wanted to discuss with Norm what the Sky people were planning, but Norm didn't know why the RDA was changing their tactics.

He worried they might have found out Jake and his family had left and were trying to track them down. But that idea was shot down by Max since the helicopters flew more inland than flying out toward the water. But it didn't stop him from contacting Jake to ask if there had been any sightings of the RDA near any villages nearby.

"No, I've asked Tonowari the Olo'eyktan, but he said that villages nearby haven't seen anything," Jake said. His family had just finished unpacking their things in their new home but were still trying to settle themselves in the community. Neteyam was attempting to help Lo'ak stay out of trouble; Neytiri and Tuk had settled in quickly, while Kiri had been under the weather since they arrived.

"Have you any news about Quaritch and his team," Jake asked Norm. He could still hear his voice threatening his family. He felt guilty that he left Spider behind but had to ensure his family was safe. 

"He'll be okay. He's a human; they wouldn't hurt him right." Jake thought as he convinced himself while waiting for Norm's reply.

"That's the thing, Jake, none of the scouts have seen any of them in the Forest or the helicopters we see flying by; it's like they just disappeared." Jake sighed. He wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he'll have to accept it for now.

"Alright, update me if there are any changes in patterns or if Quaritch's team has been spotted," they said their goodbyes as he turned off the radio; he sighed in frustration as he ran his hand through his dreadlocks. He had no idea what the RDA or Quaritch was planning, but he just hoped he'd be ready for it if he had to. A father protects his family.

Spider shrieked excitedly; the air hit his face as his father flew through the clouds and did barrel rolls. The Recoms also had a great time flying; they would play a game of chicken while diving down or would annoy each other by flying too close.

"HELL YEAH!" Lopez cheered as he had his banshee do a flip. He almost fell off since they didn't have any saddles, but that didn't stop any of them from doing more stunts. Spider saw the Recoms doing tricks and yelled out as if he wanted to do them, but would be disappointed when Miles kept flying steadily. Miles chuckled at Spider's enthusiasm for flying, but he would have to wait until they got a saddle and when he was older.

They camped out in a cave high above the ground to rest and for their Banshees to go hunt. Spider would always give out a sad cry when they flew off and would snuggle on top of Cupcake's head when they'd whistled for them. Yup, that's what he named his banshee; she seemed to like it, and so did Spider, so he just went with it.

"Hm, we're going to have to find more Melon Fruit; we don't have much left," Mansk said as he held up the last three packs. Miles nodded as he finished feeding Spider; he gave him to Lyle to babysit as he and Mansk went out to gather some more fruit for Spider, which was a bad idea.

"Ah, look at you, we are going to have so much fun together," Lyle said, grinning widely, as he swung Spider around on his belly as if to believe he was flying; the others watched Lyle's harmless antics until he got too passionate.

"Fighter pilot! EEERRRRRAAAWWW!" Lyle began to swing Spider around faster; the Recoms began to look on with nervousness.

"DUDUDU DIVE BOMB!" Lyle, now dangling Spider upside as he brought him down for a nosedive, the Recoms began to panic and shot up to their feet. 

"LYLE!" they cried as they approached him, their tails swinging anxiously.

"AND HERE COMES A GIANT FIST!!!!" yelled Lyle as he held up Spider in one hand and wound up his other hand for a punch.

"LYLE NO!!" They ran towards him, Lopez grabbing Spider, who was still in Lyle's hand; Prager and Ja wrapped their arms around his torso, and Z-Dog and Fike grabbed his other arm. Lyle snapped out of it while he looked at his team's worried faces; his face grew purple with embarrassment.  

"Whoops. Sorry, I got a little carried away there...hehe." Lyle relaxed; the Recoms sighed in relief as they let him go and began to back away. Lyle looked at them blankly for a moment as they all stood silently.

"AND HERE COMES A GIANT FIST!!" Lyle shouted as he got into his previous position. The Recoms yelled, tackling him, causing Spider to be thrown up in the air and caught by a frantic Lopez; all the while, Spider giggled with amusement.

When Miles and Mansk returned to the cave, they were confused to see Lyle hogtied with cloth stuffed in his mouth while Fike sat on him with Spider on his lap, bouncing him as the others were doing a shadow puppet show for him. Spider saw his father and began to reach out his hands, wanting to be picked up, giving a toothless smile as Miles came closer.

Miles took him from Fike and raised high in the air; Spider giggled, looking down at his father. Miles dropped him in his arms as he looked down at Fike, still sitting on Lyle.

"So, What did he do this time?" he said. He gestured to Lyle as Fike got off him.

"Something stupid," Fike said as he untied Lyle and helped him; Miles shook his head.

"Alright, let's get some sleep," said Miles, but he slowly realized that the cave was a bit small for everyone to find a place to sleep, and Lyle seemed to notice, too.

"Yelp, I guess we're going to have to dogpile it," Lyle said as he laid all their tarps down and got in a comfortable position on the ground. The Recoms all looked at each other and shrugged as they all began to lie down.

"Hey, watch the braid!"

"Ow, someone's sitting on my tail!"

"Move over, fatass!"

"Then why don't you just kiss it!"

Miles sighed as he watched the Recoms finally get into comfortable positions before he and Spider joined them. They all lay there in silence as sleep began to take over them one by one until only Miles was awake. He quietly got up and gave a sleeping Spider to Z-Dog, who held him firmly; he nuzzled in her neck as they both went back into a deep sleep.

He made his way outside and just sat there looking out at the beauty of Pandora; the stars twinkled and shined in the night sky, giving an almost heavenly glow to the scenery. In his old memories, when he was back on Earth, the sky was so covered in so much smog that you couldn't even see the moon, let alone the stars. He thought back to Earth's barely breathable air as he breathed in Pandora's; it was so clean, he had noticed when they first arrived back on Pandora as Navi, but he had pushed it aside to focus on the mission.

Sure, he had a new purpose now and was so preoccupied with trying to keep his team and Spider alive that he didn't get a chance to process the situation that they were in. But now that he's here with just his thoughts, all he can do is think, and that's when dark thoughts start sinking in.

"What's next?"

"Where do we go?

"What are we going to do if we run into Navi?"

"What if the RDA finds them? What then?"

Miles was deep in thought, staring up at the stars as Lyle came up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder, snapping Miles out of his thoughts.

"Penny for your thoughts, Colonel," Lyle said, sitting beside him.

"Just thinking about the next game plan. I've just been winging it. Didn't think we'd survive this long." Miles chuckled while Lyle nodded in understanding, letting out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, I thought so too, but hey, whatever you decide to do, I'm with you to the end of the line, Colonel."

They both sat in silence, taking in the sights and sounds of Pandora. They've had each other's back ever since they came to Pandora for the first time as humans, and now, for a second time in Navi bodies, they were brothers in all but blood. They sat there for what seemed like hours in peaceful silence until they finally decided to call it a night; Miles was thankful he had someone like Lyle as his right-hand man.

By the following day, when everyone had finished their food, Miles had decided that the best plan for them was to keep heading West and lay low until RDA stopped looking for them. They called their Banshees and continued their flight West, but after an hour of flying, they felt a shift in the air; they felt their banshee's uneasiness through their bond. The Recoms began to scan the area for anything that could be spooking their Banshees.

"It's alright, girl, it's okay," Fike said to his banshee while he patted the side of her head to comfort her as he looked around nervously, his rifle ready.

"Keep it steady, everyone," Miles ordered as the others tried to calm their nervous banshee.

It was like they were in the eye of a hurricane; it was so calm that it was petrifying. The suspense of not knowing what was watching them gave them knots in their stomachs. Suddenly, as if appearing out of nowhere, a shadow descended upon them; their eyes widened as they split into different directions, barely missing the massive orange banshee swooping past them.

"What the fuck was that?!" Prager yelled through their comms.

"I have no fucking idea!" Ja said, frantically looking for the behemoth of a Banshee that vanished in the sea of clouds and floating rocks.

"Oh, Shit!" Z-Dog swerved, missing the jaws of the banshee as it began to chase her. She dived and twisted through the floating mountains, trying to lose it, but it wouldn't give up. The others tried to get it to chase them, but it seemed keen on getting Z-Dog.

"Hey, Z, what you'd do to piss this thing off? You owe it money or something?" Lopez said as the Recoms chased after the large orange Banshee and Z-Dog.

"Oh, shut up!" Z-Dog yelled as she began to feel her banshee grow tired.

"Shit, you guys better hurry dragonfly can't go on much longer." she cried out. Lopez watched the orange banshee's behavior and had a eureka moment.

"Colonel, I know what's going on. The banshee is trying to kill its chosen rider." Everyone was confused about what Lopez meant over the radio.

"Z-Dog had Spider all night and in the morning, right." continued Lopez as they chased after the banshee.

"His scent must have rubbed off her, and now it thinks she's its rider." It took a second for it to sink in.

"That's Spider's Banshee!" yelled Z-Dog as she looked back to see Toruk closing in on her.

"Damn, he always gets the good stuff!" Fike yelled in frustration as he flew before Toruk to slow him down.

"Oh, look, another Na'vi Jesu-" Ja was cut off as Prager passed him," Ja, we do not have time for your bullshit right now!"

"So what, we just give it Spider!" Lyle yelled, "No, we just need to lead it away with a stronger source."

Miles knew what to do; he flew close to Toruk and took Spider out of his sling, "Hey, big guy, is this what you're looking for?"

As though Toruk understood him, it angled its head toward the father-son duo, its eyes dilated as it took in Spider's scent. It whirled towards them and began to give chase, leaving Z-Dog a chance to get Dragonfly to rest on one of the mountains. Now it was Miles's turn to dodge and outrun the orange banshee that was after his son; it wasn't long before Cupcake began to slow down, barely able to avoid Toruk.

"Colonel, pass him over here!" Lyle yelled as he flew side by side with Miles.

Miles nodded and tossed Spider to Lyle, who now became the next target, and when his banshee began to slow down, he passed Spider to Prager until they were playing a weird version of Keep Away with Toruk.

"We can't keep going on like this forever. We need to think of something," Mansk said as they watched Toruk chase Ja.

"I think I have an idea," Lopez said as he pointed to several vines between two floating mountains. Ja nodded as he was told the plan and gave Spider to Miles again. He pushed Cupcake hard to keep a good distance between them and Toruk.

As they approached the jumble of vines, he could feel Cupcake's urge to avoid it, but Miles kept her steady; Toruk was now inches away from them, its beak opened to attack. The Recoms could only watch as Miles flew closer and closer until, at the last second, he flew up while Toruk crashed and tangled itself within the vines.

"That should buy us some time to get the hell out of here," Lopez said as the Recoms began to fly towards Miles and Spider, cheering.

Eclipse was close when they made it far enough to relax; they decided to keep going until they were a good distance. They ate their rations while they flew and only stopped shortly to give their Banshees water. The Recoms kept flying until they were in the middle of a sea of yellow clouds again; the night would be coming soon, and they needed to find somewhere to rest. 

Yet, their troubles were far from as a female Na'vi riding a Banshee rose from the clouds, scaring the shit out of Lopez, who was the closest to her. He stared in shock at the rider as she tilted their head to get a good look at Lopez. They said something in Na'vi to Lopez, but he only gave her a nervous smile and awkwardly waved.

"Sorry, no hablo Na'vi." he gave a nervous laugh as he watched her sink back in the clouds, "Okay, bye."

"Alright, just stay in formation," Miles said through their comms; as he sensed their uneasiness, he squeezed Spider closer to his chest.

Then, half a dozen Banshee flyers emerged from the clouds surrounding them. The Recoms pinned their ears, and Prager and Ja hissed at the riders near them. Z-Dog and Mansk raised their rifles, which caused the Na'vi to hiss back and draw their bows.

"Hold your fire. If they wanted us dead, they would have killed us already," Miles said calmly, but his pinned ears and thrashing tail showed his true feelings; begrudgingly, Z-Dog and Mansk lowered their rifles.

As if following his example, the female Na'vi from earlier, the leader, Miles presumed, repeated a word that had the Na'vi lower their weapons. She flew close to Miles, which caused the Recoms to tense, but Lyle held a hand up to calm them down. The Na'vi stared at Miles momentarily before she pointed to a lone floating mountain; Miles quickly realized that she wanted them to land on the mountain.

With one last look back at his team, he signaled them to follow him as he began flying toward the mountain. None of them said a word as they followed him, with the group of Na'vi flying closely behind them. 

Chapter Text

When the Recoms landed on top of the mountain, Miles and the others got off their Banshees as the Na'vi quickly did the same; they surrounded them, their bows drawn. Miles raised his hands in surrender as the others copied him; the last thing they wanted was to fight with Spider in the middle of it.

The group leader approached Miles; she wore eye protection made of leaves and bright feathers, her top was made of green and purple feathers, and she wore weird-looking green leggings. She eyed him as if he were a dangerous animal ready to attack her at any moment.

She continued to circle the group, looking at their clothes and weapons; she would reach out and touch their tails, only for them to move them away and give her a hard look as they kept their hands up. One of the hunting party members grew impatient; when he saw their fingers, he knew they were dream walkers.

"Kayri, we should kill them now. They are dream walkers that have returned from the stars," he said as their hunting party shouted out their agreements and raised their bows. 

"Be calm, my people, be calm," she said. The Recoms became tense, their tails thrashing restlessly; she turned towards the male. "Ley'waye, do you not find it strange they have traveled here, far from their home?"

Ley'waye snorted as he and Kayri argued; the Recoms looked between them, unable to understand what they were saying. With little knowledge of the language, Miles stepped up, causing the Na'vi to stop arguing and turn their attention back to Miles.

"We run far. They hurt, we protect." Miles cringed at his terrible attempt to speak Na'vi as he gestured toward his group.

"Ha, the demon is like a child!" Ley'waye laughed as the others joined; Kayri rolled her eyes.

She looked at the group, her head tilting in confusion. What did the demon mean? It wasn't until she took notice of the sling beginning to shift that she cautiously approached him, her eyes locking onto the sling. As she drew closer, she saw from the corner of her eye the other dream walkers becoming worried by her close proximity to the sling.

She stretched out her hand to grab the sling, but the demon took an abrupt step back; he held the sling tight to his chest as he hissed at her, his tail thrashing. The other members also reacted, taking a step forward, their tails thrashing and hissing, and their hands going down to their weapons. Her hunting party responded with a hiss and raised their bows and spears again.

"Be calm, be calm," she stretched her hands towards both groups, hoping to pacify them.

When her party lowered their weapons, Kayri approached the demon again, her hands spread open to calm him. When she was close, she gestured to the sling; Miles sighed, knowing what she wanted, and he hesitantly pulled down the sling low enough to reveal a tired Spider looking at her with tired eyes before falling back asleep. Her eyes widened at the site of an infant, taking a step back in surprise, but she quickly collected herself and turned back to her hunting party with a stoic face.

"This is a matter of Tsahik. We must bring them." Kayri barely finished her sentence when Ley'waye hissed in disapproval.

"How could you suggest we bring these demons back to our home!" But Kayri stood her ground and held her head high.

"I am Tsakarem, and it is my duty to handle this matter with Tsahik." They both stared at each other in a battle of wills until Ley'waye let out a huff of frustration and turned to their hunting party.

"We will take the demons with us to face Tsahik," Ley'waye commanded as he began to walk to his Ikran. Kayri looked satisfied as she walked away, returning to the demons.

"Come, we must go." The Recoms were shocked that she could speak English, but they didn't dwell much on it as they were nudged towards their banshee by the other Na'vi; taking the hint, they quickly mounted them.

Once they took off, they were guided towards a wall of fog not too far in the distance; it was so thick that the Recoms could barely see three feet from their banshee. It made the Recoms nervous, unable to see in front of them, even more so when they began to pass pillar-like mountains spread out and coming out of nowhere.

The Na'vi didn't seem fazed as they flew; they would gracefully glide past the pillars moments before they appeared. It was as if they were flying in clear skies. The Recoms could barely dodge the pillars and would have crashed multiple times if it weren't for the warning calls of the Na'vi. It took a few minutes before the fog finally cleared to reveal a canyon with more pillar-like mountains. As the eclipse began, the Recoms were able to see the torches on either side of the canyon's entrance and the long shadows of the Na'vi.

While they passed the canyon entrance, the Recoms saw Na'vi on ledges with their Banshees watching them. They were passing waterfalls, Na'vi walking behind them along walkways that led to homes carved into the canyon wall. Miles looked down and saw that the waterfalls were the cause of the thick fog they had to navigate and the reason the canyon was flourishing with greenery.

The canyon floor was forested, with small ponds scattered around, and the walls were covered with trees and flowers growing on ledges, hundreds of banshees perched there. Other Na'vi flew past them to pillars where they had built huts, suspended from them; rope bridges connected many of the homes to various pillars. As they passed under one bridge, Lyle looked up to catch a glimpse of a group of Na'vi children looking down at him with their glowing eyes before they ran off.  

At the canyon's center, pillars clustered into a strange-looking mountain with a large hole and a bonfire inside, many bridges connecting to it. They landed on a wooden ledge where Na'vi began to gather; the news of the dream walkers had spread quickly through the village. Ley'waye got off his Ikran and began to shoo the Na'vi back as he and Kayri started to make their way towards an altar in front of a massive Ikran encased in amber.

The Recoms got off their Banshees and hissed quietly when their queue was gripped tightly, a knife pressed against it as they marched forward; more Na'vi gathered to see and dare even to touch the dream walkers. The Recoms looked in awe at the large banshee trapped in the yellow gemstone that seemed to be glowing; it was three times the size of the orange banshee they had outrun. 

"Well, it was nice working with you, Prager," Lopez said, leaning over to Prager as they approached the front.

"Lopez, I just want you to know I'm sorry about that girl in Barcelona." Prager looked at Lopez with a guilty expression, while Lopez looked at him with a look of shock and anger.

"So... You... You, f-augh!" Lopez's queue was tugged before he could finish, as they reached the front.

In front of the altar stood the Olo'eyktan, a severe, stern-looking man, adorned with red and orange feather-like adornments around his shoulders and Ikran talons across his chest. He wore a diadem-like leather headband with a flat piece of amber at its center, an Ikran carved into it; his ears were also pierced with Ikran talons. Additionally, he had on a long, dark loincloth with various teeth and intricate patterns sewn on.

Next to him was the Tsahik, a gentle but stoic-looking woman wearing a dark green, blue, and white beaded linen drape around her shoulders and body. She wore a white headband with green strings on either side, the ends tied to a bone carved with designs, forming a kind of necklace.

"Father, I see you," Kayri said as she raised her hand to her forehead to greet him.

The Olo'eyktan said nothing as he passed her and towards the Recoms; he was as tall as Miles when he passed in front of him, looking him up and down. He frowned and turned away from them to address Kayri, "Daughter. These creatures... why did you bring them here?" 

"Ley'waye wanted them to be killed, but there is a matter that the Tsahik must decide," Kayri explained. Her father hummed, looking back at the Recoms with disdain. "I said after the great battle with Toruk Makto and the Omatikaya clan that no dream walkers or sky people will come here."

"Their alien smell fills my nose." The warriors laughed at her father's insult.

"Are..are they talkin' shit right now?" Ja whispered to Fike as he watched the Na'vi laugh when a voice cut through the crowd.

"Step back. I will look at these demons," the Tsahik said as she walked forward and began to walk around the Recoms, examining them until she reacted in front of Miles and grabbed hold of his hand, tracing his palm.

"What are you called?" she asked. Miles, again stunned, took a moment to answer.

"They.. uh.. they call me Miles Quaritch." he watched as she took out a needle and stabbed him in the shoulder; he wince slightly while she tasted his blood.

"What are you? You are not dream walkers," she said in confusion.

"No, we're not. We were brought back from the dead," Miles said as Tsahik's widened at the idea of sky people bringing back the dead.

"Why were you brought back?" she asked. Miles paused, "We were great Marines.. uh, warriors of the Jarhead clan."

The Recoms looked at each other, thinking, "Did he just pull a Jake Sully?!"

"Warriors! We could kill them easily! Ley'waye cried as others yelled in agreement.

The many voices yelling were enough to wake Spider, who began to cry out and squirm in discomfort and hunger in the sling. The Na'vi fell silent as they heard the cry and turned to Miles, who began rocking Spider and patting his back to soothe him. Tsahik faced Kayri with a look of disbelief and waited for confirmation; a nod from her daughter, and she whipped her head to face Miles, who was still trying to soothe Spider.

"Show me the infant," she demanded, looking at Miles seriously. Miles reluctantly took Spider out of his sling; the Na'vi gasped at the sight of Spider.

"Demons, did you steal this infant from its clan!" growled Ley'waye as he moved forward. Other Na'vi in the crowd cried out in anger as the Olo'eyktan stretched his hand across Ley'waye's chest, stopping him from moving closer to the Recoms.

Miles pinned his ears and hissed at Ley'waye as he held Spider close, his tail thrashing violently as if daring him to touch him and his child. The Recoms behind him stood ready to intervene if anything happened, but Miles calmed down with one look from the Tsahik. She then reaches out her hands to take Spider, which Miles reluctantly does.

Tsahik held Spider and began studying him, noting his queue, tail, face, and, most importantly, his fingers. On the other hand, Spider looked at the Na'vi, who held him in confusion as he looked back toward his father and reached out, wanting to be held by him. Tsahik, hearing the child's cries of distress, handed him back to his anxious father and watched him snuggle into his neck.

"This is your child?" asked Tsahik. Miles nodded, "And your mate is..." She turned to look at Z-Dog.

"Oh no, no, she's not my mate." Miles quickly said as Z-Dog began arguing the same point, "Then where is she?"

"Spider is my son, but his mama wasn't my mate. I mean, he didn't even look like this two weeks ago." Tsahik looked at Miles in confusion.

"I do not understand Milus Quarich." Miles sighed and began to explain about their escape when they discovered Spider as a baby Na'vi and not a sixteen-year-old human boy, how the RDA planned to do tests on him. With their strange encounters with the Hammerhead, the Woodsprites, and Toruk, Tsahik only nodded as Miles told their story.

"This is a sign from Eywa," Tsahik said to her mate. He nodded and addressed their people, "The dreamwalkers have been granted Uturu and shall live among us."

He looked at his mate, who nodded, then turned to their daughter. "My daughter, you shall teach them our ways...to walk and speak as we do."

"Why me? That's not fair..." Her mother waved her off as she groaned in frustration.

"It is decided: you all are granted protection in our clan. But you will learn our ways from my daughter, and we shall see how great warriors you claim to be." Miles nodded as they went to their banshee to gather their things and follow Kayri to where they would stay.

They walked across the bridges and saw the ropes glow at night, brighter when they grabbed hold of them. They looked around in childlike wonder as nighttime bioluminescence shone on the plants and rocks in the mountains. It didn't take them long before they reached a large hut hanging from one of the last pillars. They pushed past the curtain door and began to look around their new home.

The roof was high, and nets hung for them to place their things; there were separate bedding areas for all of them, and a fireplace was built into the side of the pillar they hung from. The place was empty, but that didn't last long as they began bringing in their stuff and unpacking. Kayri had left while they were settling in, but she soon returned with loincloths and a necklace.

"Change quickly. We must go eat," she said, handing the clothes to Miles and exiting.

"Alright, you heard her." Miles began to hand out the loincloths, and Lyle held them up by the strings.

"So we're all just going to be wearing thongs from now on." Lyle looks at Miles in disbelief, watching him take off his shirt.

"Pretty much." Miles stopped, noting that the Recoms shared Lyle's hesitation, and sighed. "Listen, it's either this or we go back on the run, and staying here is the best option, not just for us but for Spider. He'll have a better life here, where it's safe, and he doesn't just have us for protection."

The Recoms hated to admit it, but Miles was right, and if keeping Spider safe meant they had to run around in their asses hanging out, then so be it. Z-Dog went to a separate room, blocked by a curtain, to change. It took them a while, but they were finally able to tie the loincloths securely. Z-Dog returned wearing the necklace, but still had her sports bra on as Kayri came in to take them to eat.

" Let us go," she said as she turned back to leave, but Miles called out, making her freeze and turn back, "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but... uh, can you at least give your name since you're going to be our teacher?"

"My name is Kayri Te Stayoika Eke'ite. Now hurry, we must go." She held her head high, addressing them before she continued walking.

Miles grabbed Spider from his bed and started to follow Kayri, the Recoms following him while Prager fixed his loincloth that was digging into his butt. They arrived back at the giant mountain, and many Na'vi were already eating. When they entered, they could feel the burning stares of the Na'vi as they tried to avoid stepping on anyone. When they finally sat down, Kayri and another Na'vi female came to give them food. They all nodded or muttered a thank you, except for Lopez, who gave the female Na'vi a flirtatious look. 

"Hey, how you doin'?" earned him a smack upside the head from Z-Dog, and he quietly took the food. This eased the tension as the Na'vi began to eat and talk among themselves; Kayri handed Miles a second bowl of what looked like porridge.

"It is for the child. He no longer needs his mother's milk." Miles nodded in thanks and set his food aside as he began to feed Spider; Spider seemed to like it.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you learn to speak English?" he asked, turning to Kayri and her mother.

"We, the Kekunan Clan, have family members from the Tayrangi clan who were in the great battle with Toruk Makto, and they were able to learn the language easily." Miles nodded as Kayri continued.

"And when they or we visit, they teach us too. Your language is very easy to learn." Miles chuckled at her statement as he continued to feed Spider.

They didn't talk much after that, finishing their food and heading back to their hut, where they collapsed onto their beds in exhaustion. Miles lay in his bed listening to the snores of his team as he stared at the ceiling of the hut, a spider snuggling on his chest. He thought back on all the decisions that had led him to where he was now, and sighed with contentment as he welcomed sleep for the first time in days, excited for what the next day would bring.

Chapter Text

Prager was sleeping peacefully in his bed, without a care in the world, though the feeling of something touching his arm was annoying the hell out of him. He rubbed his arm to get rid of any bugs that went on him, but they kept coming back. Annoyed, he raised his hand to shoo whatever it was but smacked something solid. Confused, he slowly opened his eyes and was momentarily blinded by the morning sunlight. When he regained his vision, he saw a young female Na'vi staring down at him with a smile.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" he screamed as the girl's eyes widened, and screamed as well. 

The screaming caused everyone to jolt up from their sleep; frantically looking around, the girl ran out of their hut as Prager fell out of his bed when he tried to catch them. Lyle jumped off his bed and went to the entrance of their hut, looking out to see the kid already on the other side of the bridge. 

"What the fuck was that!?" Lyle said, turning to Prager, still lying on the floor clutching his chest, "God, that little shit gave me a heart attack!"

"So they don't teach stranger danger around here," Ja said, helping Prager up.

Miles was soothing a crying Spider, who got scared by all the yelling; he slowly got up from his bed and stretched as best as he could with Spider in his arms. He honestly thought last night was some weird fever dream, and he would wake up in his hammock somewhere after they outran "Toruk," as the Na'vi called it. 

"Alright, fall in," Miles said. The remaining Recoms, still in their beds, got up and gathered around, "I need you all to be on your best behavior. I mean it."

"Learn fast, pull your weight, and don't cause any trouble. Got it?"  they all nodded as Lopez looked offended when Miles looked specifically at him while talking.

"This is because I talked to that Na'vi last night, isn't it." Miles gave him a look that said, "What do you think?"

Kayri entered as they finished; seeing they were all awake, she motioned them to follow her to get breakfast. It was less awkward than last night, and the Na'vi were still weary of them. But Spider seemed to act as a buffer for the Na'vi's uneasiness as some would glance over to the group as they fed and talk to Spider in his new baby sling as he babbled nonsense. The Na'vi children also wanted a closer look at their tattoos, which were more visible in the daytime, and at the sunglasses, Mansk refused to take off; however, their parents would pull them away if they got too close. 

Once they finished eating, Kayri bid farewell to her parents and began to guide the Recoms towards a pillar and began to climb down to the forest floor. Kayri then brought them to a small waterfall pouring into a river; she turned to the Recoms with an amusing smile.

"Before I can teach you our ways, you must bathe." she pinched her nose and waved her hand, "You all smell like la'ang."

The Recoms suddenly remembered they hadn't washed in 8 days, but they hadn't noticed since stopping to clean themselves was the last thing on their minds when they were on the run. They began to feel sticky and smell themselves; Lyle quickly sniffed his armpit, his ears lowered slightly while his face twisted in disgust. Kayri smiled faintly at their actions before she became poker-faced as she gathered flowers and roots nearby and handed them to Lyle.

"The roots are for cleaning the body and hair while the flowers are to smell good." They thanked her, and she began to take Z-dog to another river nearby; they began to undress and go in.

"Hey Ja, what happened to your third nipple," Lyle asked smugly, looking at Ja's chest as they got in the water.

"Shut up!" Ja yelled, his face slightly purple from embarrassment as he covered his chest.

They took their time bathing and sat under the waterfall to massage their sore bodies; Spider splashed in the water in Miles's lap as he washed him. Once they were finished, they began to get out when they noticed that their loins were missing.

"What the? They were just here." Mansk said as he began to look for his sunglasses and loin cloth with the others.

They then heard movement in the bushes near them; their ears and heads slowly began to move with the sounds as they began to circle them. That's when they saw the gleam of Mansk's sunglasses on the same young female Na'vi from this morning as she popped her head out to giggle at their predicament.

"Hey! It's that brat from this morning!" yelled Prager, pointing at the young Na'vi. He looked down to see that she had their loincloths in her arms, "And she has our shit!"

She let out one last giggle before sticking her tongue at them and began to run away; the Recoms grabbed large leaves nearby and began to give chase. Miles wrapped up Spider with a leaf so his wet body wouldn't slip out of his arms and started to run to catch up with the others while keeping himself covered.

"Just wait until I get my hands on you, little-" Prager was cut off as he tripped over a tree root and fell flat on his face while the others ran past him.

"Man down! Colonel, avenge me!" he yelled as if he was dying.

The young Na'vi girl kept running and giggled like it was a game until she reached the river where Kayri had taken Z-Dog to bathe. She jumped through the bushes, scaring Z-Dog while Kayri became alert, but when she saw who it was, she looked confused and annoyed.

"Sister, you must hide me. They are chasing me." She giggled, hiding behind Kayri, her tail wagging in excitement.

Before Kayri could ask what her sister meant, the male Recoms popped up behind the bushes, panting with furious looks and large leaves covering their private areas. Z-Dog screamed, covering her chest and turning her back towards them while Kayri began to understand what had happened when she left the men to bathe themselves.

"What the hell do you perverts think you're doing?" Z-Dog yelled, turning her head back slightly.

"Oh please don't flatter yourself Z, you had nothing then, and you have less now." said Ja, irritated as he glared at the Na'vi girl behind Kayri, who still had an amusing smile," And we're after this little pervert who stole what little clothes we have."

Z-Dog's ears were pinned down to her skull, and her face turned purple in anger and embarrassment as she began to move to get her loincloth and bra from a rock near the river. The male Recoms were still glaring at the little Na'vi as they tried to cover the lower halves of their body. Kayri turned to the Na'vi girl behind her, began to yank at her ear, and hissed in annoyance.

"Seytawni, Why are you playing pranks on them." Seytawni hissed in pain as Kayri pulled her ear.

"I just wanted to have some fun with them," Seytawni whined, raising her left hand and grasping Kayri's hand.

"Uh, Miss Kayri, you know this kid?" Miles asked, looking between them.

"And can we also get our clothes back?" Lyle said as he inched closer, trying to get the loincloths that Seytawni still had in her right arm.

"This is my sister, and I am sorry for her trick," Kayri said as she grabbed the loin cloths from her arm and tossed them to the male Recoms, who quickly went to change out of sight. When they finally returned, they saw Karyri still scolding Seytawni in Na'vi. They walked over to the pair; Z had finished changing and was waiting for them. When she saw them, she marched up to Ja and kneed him in the groin before he could speak.

"Ok... I deserved that." Ja whizzed out while the others winced. Mansk had a satisfied smile as he walked over to Z-Dog, who had his sunglasses and put them on.

"So, she's your sister." Prager said as he pointed at Kayri and Seytawni.

"Yes, she is," Kayri said, which caused Prager to smirk and Seytawni to get nervous.

"Did you know that your sister was watching us sleep in our home this morning before you got us." said Prager, causing Seytawni's eyes to widen in fear and Kayri's eyes to narrow.

"Why were you watching them sleep!?" Kayri smacked Seytawni's arm, "I just wanted to get a closer look at them. Mother and Father wouldn't let me near them."

"And that is a good reason. Even if they were granted uturu, they are still demons." Kayri hissed as Seytawni rolled her eyes.

"Um, I'd hate to interrupt, but when will we get started on the training," Fike said as Lyle elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up.

"Yes, we will get started right now." Kayri straightened up and turned Seytawni, "Go back and do not come near them again, or I will let Mother and Father know. Understand?"

Seytawni sighed in defeat and nodded as she turned, beginning to walk toward one of the pillars. Kayri and the Recoms then started to climb back up to the hanging huts; as they made it through the village to their hut, they saw the Na'vi going through their daily lives. Mothers cooked and made baskets in their huts while their children ran around and played with one another on the wooden porches and the stretched fabric connecting all the close houses.

Many children stopped playing and stared at them curiously; the braver ones tried to approach them but were quickly stopped by older children or mothers. When they crossed the last bridge to their home, they saw Tsakarem fly beneath them with his hunting party. Miles saw him giving them a repulsed look before leading his hunting party to take their latest hunt to be prepared for the village. Once they returned to their hut, Kayri motioned them to gather around and sit.

"So, what's the first lesson going to be, Miss Kayri, shooting arrows, flying banshee..." Miles said, looking at her curiously as he bounced Spider on his knee.

"I will teach you the language and the history of my clan." the Recoms were disappointed when she said that, and Fike groaned," What I thought we were going to be taught be like you guys, with the flying and everything."

"How can I teach you that if you do not know my people's past? My people are the Kekunan Clan; we were the first to ever bond with the Ikran." Kayri stated proudly as she looked at every Recom; she continued, "Bonding with the Ikran was the last test for the young before they took their place among the people, and all of you bonded with Ikrans and talked worse than children!"

She pointed to each of them angrily as some looked away or down sheepishly. They didn't know it was that important to the Na'vi; they just needed something to leave the RDA in the dust. They now understood that they needed to know more than just fighting, and they were going to have to eat Na'vi, ride Na'vi, think Na'vi, and that's going to start with learning the language.

They all looked at each other and sighed; they sat up straight at attention, ready to absorb all the information they were about to receive. Keyri nodded approvingly, looking at the straightened postures and determined looks.

"We will start with easy words." 

Chapter Text

Over the next month, the Recoms had been mostly cooped up in their hut, learning the language or in the forest, learning about the different types of plants and tracking. Kayri had also taught them the traditions and stories of the Kekunan clan. One was about the Songcords, which every Na'vi was given from their birth and was the story of their life.

Kayri showed them hers one day; it had beads, knots, bits of bone, and plant materials strung on a long piece of twine. She showed them what some meant, one for her birth, her communion with Ewya, her first steps, the birth of her sister, and when she started training to become Tsahik.

After that day, they made their own Songcords and one for Spider. They were simple with white beads to represent their past selves, and they all added their own personal beads for their past family members. Miles added five beads next to his white one, one for his mother, his twin Nathaniel, his sisters Ellie and Scarlett, and Paz, and tied knots to symbolize their deaths. He added one for his songcord and a blue bead for his birth as a Navi, then a tiny blue bead for his son Spider. Kayri looked pleased when she first saw their Songcords; she saw how Spider was the smallest, with beads for his birth and first flight on an Ikran.

"Do you know what you will sing for Spider's Songcords," she said while she saw Spider's Songcord that was barely the size of her hand.

"I'm working on it. I still need to know what to say before I make the song, much less sing it," Miles said. Kayri nodded, satisfied with the answer; she looked past Miles to see Spider.

He had grown a little with his hair long enough to braid around his tswin, being able to roll over and sit up with some help. He was playing with the toy Ikran she brought for him. He also had many of Seytawni's old carved toys, and her sister insisted she give them to the Recoms as an apology for their first meeting.

Seytawni would always go as close to the hut as Kayri would allow her to; the Recoms grew used to her presence and would sometimes wave goodbye as she left, except for Prager, who was still a bit bitter that she scared the shit out of him when they first met and made him faceplant when he chases her to get their clothes back.

Kayri made her way over to him; he began to kick and squeal with excitement when he saw her. Miles and the others were surprised at how close Spider had gotten to Kayri. She gave him a warm smile as she kneeled to him; Spider stretched out his hand, wanting to be carried by her, which she happily obliged.

"How are you today, Ewya's little one." she cooed as she held him in one arm and the toy Ikran in the other to play with him.

"Eywa's little one" is what most people called him when they first arrived and heard the story of the Recom's journey here. Miles understood why they called him that; every living thing seemed to be drawn to Spider to the plants moving slightly to face him to their Ikrans cooing and snuggling to him when they came to see them. They just began making Ikran's saddles and flying glasses, though Mansk didn't have to worry about that last part. Miles walked over to Kayri, now standing with Spider in her arms; she swayed with the toy Ikran she held as if showing Spider how a real Ikran would move.

"Are you having fun, my son?" Miles said with a thick accent as he smiled at Spider. Kayri looked at him, pleased, "You have gotten better at speaking."

"Well, we've been practicing. Got to make sure he catches on," Miles said as he looked down at a smiling Spider. He and Kayri had come to an understanding when it came to Spider. Since it was her duty as the future Tsahik to guide Spider with his unique connection with Eywa and Miles, wanting him to have as much a normal as he can, they came to a silent agreement to put aside their differences for what was best for Spider. They continued to talk, unaware of the group of Recoms watching the whole interaction, and began to ideas, except for Lyle, who was happy that his friend made peace with the locals for his son.

"Oh, they're gonna fuck." Fike said with a perverted smile as he crossed his arms. Lyle turned to him in confusion, "What?"

"Oh yeah, I'll give it another month," Lopez said with a playful smile. Lyle turned to him with the same expression as Prager shook his head, "Nah, he's really into the dad thing. I'd say two more months."

"Wanna bet?" Lopez said, looking at Prager as Ja cut in, "I'll take that action and raise you two months and a half."

"Oh, please, you all are being stupid." Lyle looked at Z-Dog, glad she was the voice of reason," That's too short. It's gonna happen in three months, four if they're dense about their feelings."

Lyle sighed as they began to argue; he looked to Mansk for help only to see him taking bets and writing them down on a notepad.

"Will you all stop it? Nothing is going to happen. She's the Olo'eyktan and Tshahik's daughter, or did yall forget," he said, hoping the particular duo didn't hear him or their conversation. The Recoms turned to him with blank faces.

"So, that didn't stop Sully from doing it either," Mansk said as the others nodded in agreement and resumed placing their bets; Lyle slumped his shoulders in defeat and let them be. But told them to shut up as Miles and Kayri approached them.

"We will be learning about the past today," Kayri said. The Recoms were confused about what she meant as they followed her.

With Spider still in her hands, she led back to the pillar where they first met her parents. It was the second time they had seen the giant Ikran encased in the ember, and they were still amazed at its sheer size. They had made it to the foot of an altar with many offerings, food, clothes, candles, and other trinkets scattered around; Karyi slightly bowed her head and kneeled to relit a dead candle with another. Spider reached out his arm to touch the ember but was stopped by Kayri, who gave him his Ikran toy; she turned back to the Recoms and motioned them to sit.

"Let me tell you the story of the first Ikran Makto." The Recoms leaned in with interest while children near them sat close to listen. 

She began to tell the story of Taronyu and how he would look to the sky each day to admire the soaring beasts. A deep desire to someday fly among them stewed inside him, and with each tremendous flap of their wings, Taronyu was drawn to the graceful creature. He believed the mountain banshee and Na'vi would someday move through the sky as one. And he wanted to be the first to do it.

Taronyu went to work to catch the wild creature, braiding durable leaves to form a tightly wound rope and fashioned a lasso to secure the beast's neck. He climbed high into the mountains; Taronyu relentlessly studied one specific banshee for eight days. On the eighth day, with four flicks of the lasso, the banshee catcher caught the snout, and soon the beast fell calm. Taronyu triumphantly returned to the Kekunan clan on the back of Rotalyu and earned the title of Ikran Makto.

The Recoms were so immersed in the story they didn't notice more Na'vi, young and old, gathering around them to listen to Kayri's story. One child was sly enough to move past their parent and sit on Mansk's lap; he smiled down at the kid and gave him his sunglasses to play with as they listened to the story.

"This is Lesngä’iuk, first shadow." Kayri said, pointing to the Ikran in the ember; the Recoms gazed at it as Ja whistled in astonishment." So, he's like Torku's pops or something."

"Yes, Toruk is one of many children of Lesngä’iuk." The Recoms nodded as she continued, "If one were to bond with Toruk, they would be given the title of Toruk Makto, Rider of Last Shadow, and there have been six riders who have ever bonded with Toruk." 

"And it's going to be seven when Spider is old enough, ain't that right, Spider," Ja said while Spider played with Ikran's toy. Kayri shook her head at Ja's words," You do not understand; Toruk Makto is only called to lead the people to victory during times of great sorrow."

"Oh uh, then Spider can rider a normal one," Ja said nervously, noticing the tension after what Kayri said. She smiled and stood up, "Let us go back to practice more."

The group of Na'vi around them dispersed as the Recoms began to get up, and Mansk gave the child back to his parents, earning him a thankful nod. The boy gave him back his sunglasses as Z-Dog playfully teased him for being a softy for kids. Kayri handed Spider back to Miles as they began walking to the bridge when they were stopped by the Olo'eyktan and Tshahik, with Seytawni following them.

"Father, Mother, I see you," greeted Kayri while the Recoms struggled to say it.

"Daughter, is your teaching going well?" Tsahik asked, looking at her daughter and the Recoms, "It is slow, but they are learning."

"I hear that the people are more at ease with the dream walkers." Olo'eyktan said, staring at the Recoms, squirming under his gaze," Yes, they have not caused any trouble. The children are always following them."

"I am happy to hear that." her father said before Seytawni, standing behind them, chimed in, "So that means I can help you teach them."

"What? No, you will not, Seytawni!" Kayri said with her father nodding in agreement, "But you said they have not caused any trouble, and you will need more help teaching them all to fly."

"Even though you became Ikran Makto, it does not mean you have the wisdom to teach." Karyi looked at her mother for support; she sighed," Your sister will never stop asking until you agree, so I say she helps, if only a little."

Sighed in defeat, she knew her mother was right; her sister had never given up on anything she put her mind to. She nodded, with her sister cheering in victory as she approached Miles to look at Spider. Her father looked at her mother with slight concern as she shook her head and placed her hand on his arm for reassurance.

"You are so cute." Seytwani cooed at Spider; he smiled at her, happy to meet a new face.

"I'm guessing with the few words I picked up, she's also going to teach us too." Miles said as Kayri approached them, "Yes, she was stubborn about it."

"I have to ask Milus Quarich. Your son has not been connected to Eywa before." Tsahik asked, looking at Spider and grabbing Seytwani's braids, "No, ma'am, he wasn't able in his human body, and he hasn't yet in this new one."

"Hm, he is already loved by Eywa and our people. He will grow again, learning our ways. We must take him to Vitraslär." Tsahik turned to her mate, and he nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, the what?" Fike asked, confused.

"Vitraslär is the cave of souls. It is where we pray and seek guidance from Ewya." said Kayri as her mother continued, "We will take him to connect with Eywa in two days' time."

The Recoms were still confused but nodded, watching the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan leave to begin preparations for the communion as they returned home. As they walked, Miles walked closer to Kayri to ask her what exactly her parents meant.

"Spider will be brought to the Cave of Souls, where he will be taken to Utral Pizayu, the Ancestral Tree." Miles nodded as she continued, "There, he will connect to Eywa and our ancestors for the first time, and so will you when you become one with the people.

Miles nodded in understanding as they entered their home, where Seytwani immediately began to explore their small living space and examined all their things that weren't stored away. Prager yanked his camera from her when she grabbed and examined it, causing her to take a picture of herself accidentally.

"Hey, don't touch that." Prager hissed while she ignored him and continued to look around more, "Seriously, you're supposed to teach us. What are you like, twelve or something."

"I am fifteen years of age, and I have already proven my place as an Ikran Makto, have you?" Seytwani smugly said.

"That's enough, Prager." "Seytawni, stop.", Miles and Kayri said, approaching them.

"Prager, I know you don't like the kid since you've met her, but you gotta suck it up, okay?" Prager grumbled at Miles's words before he sighed, "Alright, I'll play nice."

Kayri had finished scolding Seytwani and walked to the Recoms with Miles; Prager moved to join them, not before glancing over to Seytawni, who stuck her tongue out at him. He glared at her, took a deep breath, and sighed, frustrated.

"I'm gonna hurt this little girl." he thought.

Chapter Text

Miles woke up to being suffocated by Spider's body, lying across his face and drooling on his cheek. His son had somehow found a way to lie on his face twice a week despite only being able to roll recently. He slowly lifted Spider off his face, careful not to wake him, and carefully laid him back on his tiny bed attached to his when Seytawni came running in.

"Wake up! Today's the day!" she cheered as she spun around the middle of their hut, waking Spider up.

The Recoms groaned as Spider started to cry from being woken up from his sleep; Miles picked him up to soothe him as he looked at Seytwani with a tired expression, while she looked embarrassed by her outburst. Kayri came right behind her, smacking her arm as she took in the state of Spider and the Recoms, giving them all an apologetic look.

"Sorry." Seytawni apologized, still bouncing slightly with excitement.

"I hope you are well rested for today's event," Kayri said, turning to Miles, who had finally calmed Spider.

Miles stared at her with confusion when he realized it was Spider's communion today. He was surprised how quickly two days had passed since they were told Spider would be connected with Eywa. And honestly, Miles didn't know what would happen when Spider did connect, and he was a bit anxious about the whole thing, but tried not to give it away to the others.

"It's still the morning. I thought this thing was supposed to be at sunset." Fike groaned as he slowly got off his bed.

"Yes, but we must prepare for the feast and games for tonight," Karyi said, watching them all roll out of their beds as her sister giggled beside her.

"Oh, we're having a party after this," Ja said excitedly at the prospect of having an excuse to party.

"Yes, we have never had a communion with a child favored by Eywa," Seytawni butted in excitedly. The Recoms found it funny that she could understand English but not speak it.

They all got up and went through the village, where they saw the Na'vi prepare food and decorations. Once they reached the middle of the village, Kayri and Seytawni began pairing the Recoms. Fike and Prager were sent to help skin and prep the meat, Ja and Lopez were sent with the healer to help make incense offerings for the first shadow, and Mansk and Z-Dog were sent to help cook other foods for the feast, which left Miles to practice what he was going to do at Spider's communion with the encouragement of Lyle and Spider and the help of Kayri and Seytwani.

"Oel ngat kame, I see you," Kayri said for the fifth time, with Miles sitting across from her. 

"Oel naat kame," Miles said as he raised his fingers to his temple; Seytwani giggled at his words with Spider on her lap.

"Ngat!" Kayri repeated, smacking him on the shoulder.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Looking over at Lyle, who was carving a new toy for Spider, Lyle shrugged and continued his carving.

"Oel naat kame," he said again, earning another round of giggles from Seywanti, Kayri, and now Spider.

"Not Naat, Ngat." Seytwani mustered out from her fit of giggles.

"Ngat, Ngat." Miles repeated with Seywanti nodding, "Alright, like it's coming out your noses or something."

They continued to practice through the day with Seywanti playing with Spider, but he would get off her quickly and demand his father. This would lead to practicing with Spider in his arms or on his lap, but Spider would get bored again, and Miles would pass him on to Lyle, Kayri, and Seywanti, and the cycle would repeat. They didn't even notice it was almost time for communion until the other Recoms came back, with Kayri and Seywanti leaving to wash up after working and get ready.

"This is where you two have been; we were out there slaving away while you guys were having a tea party," Ja complained as they finished cleaning themselves up.

"Ja shut up. I was with you, and all we did was mash some plants into a paste." Lopez said behind him, "Dude, shut up. I'm trying to get pity points here."

Miles rolled his eyes at Ja's antics while he finished getting ready; once they were done, Kayri returned to get them. They went through the village, now empty, and crossed a bridge to the cliff's walkways. As they walked, they saw homes built into the canyon. They took many twists and turns, going deeper into the canyon until they reached a large cave entrance; it gave off a weird energy that the Recoms couldn't quickly place. The Recoms stopped at the cave's opening; they saw a glowing path leading into the cave and heard the faint sounds of whisperings.

"This is Vitraslär." Keyri turned to them, gesturing toward the entrance. "Let us go in."

"No thanks. I choose life," said Fike as he turned around to go back to the village, but was pulled back by his queue by Lyle.

As they entered the cave, Fike slowly inched his way closer to Lyle, since Lyle was bigger than him and could be an easier target to hit. It was so dark that their only light came from the ground, which glowed, and from gems scattered around them, seeming to pulse and dull. The Recoms heard the whispers turn into the soft chanting of prayer, with the word they could only understand being "Ewya" and children giggling.

They were beginning to understand why this place was called the Cave of Souls as the wind stirred through the cave, sending a chill down their spines. Fike was scared at this point, and the others were, too, with Z-Dog gripping Mansk's arm and Mansk gripping her hands. And Ja and Prager grabbed onto each other; even Lyle and Miles were becoming uneasy.

"We're all gonna die. I can't believe I'm going to die a virgin in this stupid body." Lopez mutters to himself, taking shaky steps forward.

They continued to walk for what felt like hours; the Na'vi's continuous chanting echoed off the walls and rang in their ears, almost hypnotic. In the distance, they saw a tiny light at the end of the path, and it grew larger until it became an enormous cavern with the ceiling 50 feet above their heads and multiple holes that let moonlight shine through. The cavern floor was covered with greenery and the roots of a large willow-like tree at its center, with long tendrils hanging down that faintly glowed a beautiful light blue; this was the Ancestral Tree.

They made their way down to the cavern floor from the ledge they were standing on, where a ramp-like stairway was built on the side of the wall. Many Na'vi were already seated at the foot of the Ancestral tree; their queues seemed to be attached to the floor as they swayed from side to side and continued to chant. The light in the bioluminescent plants seemed to pulse like a beating drum as they continued to chant in unison.

The Recoms walked past them as they made their way through the crowd to the Tsahik and the Olo'eyktan standing underneath the Ancestral Tree. The bed of moss on the cavern floor glowed faintly, reacting to their footsteps by expanding and forming circles of light. Miles began to walk towards them as they approached. Kayri and Lyle quietly led the Recoms to the side and stood beside Seytawni and Ley'waye. As Miles approached the Tsahik and the Olo'eyktan, he couldn't help but admire the tree's beauty, its tendrils sparkling like diamonds in the moonlight.

"Tsahik, Olo'eyktan, I see you," Miles said with ease as he raised his fingers to his temple and slowly lowered them.

The Tsahik and Olo'eyktan nodded in acknowledgment; the Olo'eyktan stepped aside as the Tsahik began the ceremony. The Na'vi, who had been silently praying, stood up and began to gather closer around the Ancestral tree.

"We live in Eywa," proclaimed the Tsahik, her voice echoing off the cavern's walls.

"Eywa lives in us. The great mother holds all her children in her heart." The people sang back to the Tsahik, raising their hands towards the Ancestral Tree.

"This child, born of the stars, shall now live in Eywa's embrace." She walked over to Miles, guiding him to the tendrils.

"Eywa lives in us," the people sang. The Recoms stayed silent, staring in awe at this whole thing; Seytawni hid a giggle as she continued to sing with the people.

"This child will know the love that Eywa holds for them," the Tsahik softly said as they reached to grab Spider's queue and connect it to one of the blue tendrils.

"Eywa lives in us. The great mother holds all her children in her heart." The people sang, "We are all seeds from the Great Tree."

Miles watched as the Tsahik connected to the tendrils, and he couldn't help but feel anxious about whether Eywa would accept his son. He wasn't much of a religious person back on earth; he stopped believing in God at a young age when his prayers for someone to help him get his siblings and mother away from his abusive father were met with silence. He could still remember him and Nathaniel trying to comfort a scared Ellie and a crying baby Scarlett while their mother cried out in pain as their father beat her.

It all came to a head when he was seventeen, when his father almost beat their mother to death, and Nathaniel shot him in the chest with their father's gun; Nathaniel was shaking like a leaf when he took the gun from his hands. He finished what his brother started by putting a bullet into his head; they got rid of his body before they called the police for their mother and told her he ran away, but he always believed that she knew what they did to him.

It didn't matter; he and Nathaniel had to get jobs to support their mother and sisters, and the only way to secure a steady paycheck was to join the military. He thought back to all the horrible things he'd done to the Omatikaya clan; he had killed so many of them and destroyed their home. How could their deity accept anyone related remotely to him?

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw his son's pupils dilate; it seemed his son was in his own little world. He gave Miles a wide smile as he giggled with contentment. Tsahik disconnected Spider from the tendril, saying a small prayer as the Olo'eyktan approached Miles. The Olo'eyktan gently took Spider from his arm and stepped forward to face his people. He raised Spider to the moon that peeked through one of the larger holes in the cavern and let him bask in the moon's light.

"This child is a child of Eywa and of the Kekunan Clan, SPIDER!" He proclaimed to the people, raising him higher in the sky.

"Welcome, Spider!" the people smiled and cheered.

Miles felt a sense of pride in his chest as the Kekunan Clan cheered and welcomed his son; any doubts that he had vanished entirely as the Olo'eyktan handed Spider back to him and gave him a sincere look of acceptance before he turned back to his people to announce the celebration of a new clan member. He was thankful that Spider had been accepted by Eywa, even if she rejects Miles; as long as Spider was loved, he didn't care.

The clan cheered once more and began to go through many tunnels that Miles didn't notice were there. The Tsahik and Olo'eyktan took their leave, followed by Ley'waye, who gave Miles a quick nod of acknowledgment before he walked off again. The Recoms, along with Keyri and Seytwani, swiftly surrounded Miles as they headed back to the tunnel to leave. All of them were ecstatic with Spider's acceptance into the clan.

"Not gonna lie, I felt like I was high as hell during the whole thing," said Fike as they made their way through the cave.

"And how do you know what it's like to be high?" asked Prager.

"Well, you see, when I was still living in barracks 376, I snuck in some weed, but I almost got caught, so I threw it-" Fike was cut off when Lopez spoke out.

"Wait, I lived in that barracks too; you mean to tell me that bag of weed that the Sergeant found was yours?" Lopez looked at him in disbelief.

"Ah-yup," confirmed a proud Fike, "We had to do a five-mile run and do fifty push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and burpees each mile!"

"Oh yeah, I heard about that, but I had Watch Duty, so I didn't have to do it," said Fike as he turned around to come face to face with a pissed Lopez," You mother- COME HERE!"

Fike ran, Lopez hot on his tail; the Recoms laughed as Kayri and Seytawni grew confused. They finally returned to the village and headed to the Pillar of the First Shadow, where a bonfire already blazed; the whole village was there, playing games, eating, singing, and dancing. When they arrived, some Na'vi greeted them and offered them food; Miles guessed that since Spider was now a part of their clan, so were the Recoms by association. 

They began to eat, and many Na'vi approached Miles and the Recoms. With the help of Seytawni and Kayri, they began to converse with them. Lopez was quickly taken in by a group of healers he had worked with during the earlier preparations, and they began swapping medical remedies and techniques; Lopez was amazed by how similar their practices were. The children quickly crowded around Z-Dog and Mansk, tracing Z's colorful tattoos and taking turns trying on Mansk's glasses. 

Prager and Ja were also swarmed by curious Na'vi, who were in awe of Prager's camera and Ja's iPod, which they had brought from their hut. Prager kept showing them pictures he'd taken of them while Ja tried to teach them to square dance to "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus. Ja and Lyle talked to other warriors about old hunting and battle stories, but the younger warriors were more interested in hearing how they escaped Bridgehead and Toruk.

That left Miles overwhelmed, surrounded by mothers with their infants, offering him advice on how to soothe Spider when he starts teething or simply on how to help him when he's sick. But most of the time, they were cooing over Spider as he played with the Na'vi infants and toddlers, until Keyri shooed them off long, Miles could finally relax. Keyri sat down next to Miles and joined him in people-watching. Spider was glad Kayri was back as he reached for her, taking her in his arms.

"It is a wonderful feeling to see the people at peace," she said as she took Spider in her arms. He had quickly curled up to her neck and drifted off to sleep.

"Yeah, it's wonderful," mutters Miles, turning his head to look at Keyri; seeing her holding Spider and the way the fire illuminated her face made a warm feeling spread across his chest.

When she turned to face him, she was pretty now that Miles took in her features; he couldn't help but feel shy when she gave him a soft smile. He quickly turned back to face the bonfire and felt his face grow warm with embarrassment. That's when he saw his saving grace: Prager, holding up his camera, keeping it away from Seytawni, who was trying to climb him to reach it, while he kept pushing her away.

 "Well, we'd better get your sister and Prager before they cause a mess," he coughed. He stood up, gesturing to the duo, who were growing louder.

"Yes, those two are like fire and water," she chuckled as she stood and walked with Miles to separate them, not knowing they were both being watched by her mother and father.

Chapter Text

When morning arrived the next day, Miles begrudgingly woke up, still tired from last night's celebration; he turned to his side to face Spider's tiny bed attached to his and began to feel for Spider. His eyes shot open, and he sat up when he didn't feel him and discovered that he wasn't in his bed; he jumped out of bed and stomped over to a sleeping Lyle, who woke up with a start when Miles harshly shook him awake.

"Where's Spider?!" Miles hissed, looking down at Lyle, who he remembered taking Spider from Kayri last night.

"You don't have him?!" Lyle said, shocked.

They looked at each other briefly before turning their heads to Lopez's bed to see he wasn't there.

"Lopez!!!" they both yelled and ran out of the hut.

Lopez was with Spider on his lap in a group circle with female healers who were grinding herbs; he was using Spider as a 'chick magnet' to attract the Female Na'vi who were fussing over him and offering food to him to eat.

"Oh, he's lovely.", one cooed as she fed him some fruit while another pinched his checks, "Hello, Little Warrior. Hello..."

"Isn't he sweet? I cared for him when he was sick while my group and I traveled through the jungle." Lopez said so flawlessly as if he practiced that particular sentence repeatedly.

"Ah, such a poor child. He is fortunate to have such a good healer as you.", a healer said as the others agreed with her.

"Yeah, well... You know..." he was cut off when Spider playfully shoved some fruit in his mouth, causing the group of female Na'vi to laugh as Lopez quickly swallowed and wiped his mouth.

"Cute kid, huh? So, as I was saying ladies... uh...", he stopped again when he saw two large shadows behind him; he turned around and gasped when he realized it was Lyle and Miles looking royally pissed off.

"Oh, hey! Hey... Colonel!" squeaked out Lopez as he saw Lyle cross his arms and Miles knelt down.

"What the hell's matter with you?" hissed out Miles as he took a giggling Spider out of Lopez's lap and began marching away with Lyle following.

"Excuse me, ladies. I'll be right back." Lopez excused himself from the group and chased after Miles and Lyle, who were heading back to their hut.

"Come guys, you can't blame a guy for trying," Lopez said as he walked behind them into the hut, earning him a solid smack from both of them.

They had finished eating when Kayri and Seytawni arrived; they were confused when they saw two red marks on Lopez's swollen face. They didn't think much of it as they handed the Recoms bow and arrows they brought for them. They then took them to the forest to practice shooting at a tree; Seytawni held Spider as the Recoms practiced their stance. Karyi stood close behind Miles, adjusting his position as he drew his bow; she gently placed her hand on his shoulder as the other raised the bow. She leans in to see what was Miles's target, aware of her closeness. Mile's focus is broken as their eyes meet; she pulls away quickly and turns to help Lyle.

The Recoms looked at each other in amusement as they continued correcting their stance; the first part was easy, but shooting the arrow was a whole different story. They would either pull too hard that the arrow would fly over their target or so soft that it would land only a few inches before it. And Prager pulled so weak that his arrow fell straight down the moment he released it, which then caused Seytawni to tease and laugh at him while Ja and Mansk held him back from lunging at her when she had her back turned.

It had taken them three weeks before they could finally shoot their arrows and properly give thanks to any prey they would kill. They all manage to hunt an animal and say the proper prayer and gratitude for their death, except for Miles, who made sure his team members pass before he can do it.

Their hair had grown long enough that they began to braid it and put feathers or beads in it. Lopez had become a student to one of the Zeykoyus and was taught the Kekunan Healing Techniques and how to make herbal medicine. He now had a Zeykoyus herb satchel and wore a single-layered bead necklace with an orange stone hanging in the middle to symbolize his status as a healer when he became one of the people.

Z-dog had stopped wearing her sports bra underneath her top, and the others didn't even notice since they were so used to the semi-nudity of other women in the clan she gained a new hobby of weaving with other women in the clan. Manks had also joined the cooks in exchanging different recipes and cooking techniques as he began to learn what spices and foods were similar to their human counterparts; I mean, he found a plant that tasted like a pickle.

Ja worked with the blacksmiths; they were fascinated with their work when they were shown how to create a hunting knife. He wanted to make his own but got way out of hand and made enough for all the Recoms. Fike was taken in by the musicians of the clan when they heard him play a song on a guitar he made; he showed them the blues and the tango. After that day, he would constantly play music with the musicians and had gotten friendly with one of the female singers; he would play songs as he watched her dance to them.

Prager had become the best tracker in the clan; he could identify any animal, even if you could barely see its footprints. Many young hunters would come to him to ask for advice on tracking. Lyle was having fun sparing with the young and old warriors; even Ley'wayei, who had hated them since they arrived, was warming up him. Lyle showed them what workouts they did in the Marines, leaving some of them breathless; he even showed them leg wrestling, which led to competition between the young and old hunters and Lyle becoming the referee.

And Miles had his hands full with Spider now being seven months old; he was now crawling and even called him "dada." When Miles first heard him say that, they were in the hut working on his bow for his h,unt and he thought he'd just imagined for a second. That is until he looked up to see his team looking at Spider in shock; then he heard it again; he looked down at Spider, who was raising his melon fruit for his dad to share with him.

"What did you just say, son," Miles whispered, his eyes starting to become wet; he looked at him for a moment before lifting the fruit again. "Dada!"

Miles laughed loudly as he scooped Spider up and spun him around in the air before bringing him close and kissing him all over his face, much to Spider's annoyance.

The Recoms began to fight about whose name would be his second word, which led to fighting over who would spend more time with Spider. Even though Spider, now beginning to talk, was the best part of him growing up, the worst part was that he was teething, which was not a great experience. Though Lopez gave him medicine for the pain, it only lessens it, so they're stuck with Spider crying or uncomfortable all day and night.  

Luckily, with the help of the Recoms, Miles can spend time alone or visit the Lesngä’iuk altar and gaze up at the ancient Ikran. He wouldn't be alone for long as Kayri always found him; they would talk about the Recom's and Spider's growth, exchange stories about their lives, laugh, or stay there in comfortable silence as the sun shone on the ember, causing it to glow. Miles would sneak looks at Karyri; she looked beautiful as she was bathed in the orange hue; he would catch his tail sway in content, and his chest would grow warm again. He knew he was asking for trouble with these feelings and would never act on them, especially when it could compromise Spider's and his team's safety. He was fine with their current relationship, and he didn't want to affect it in any way possible, he was fine.

The Recoms trailed a good distance behind Kayri and Miles on his hunt; they moved carefully through the forest floor to avoid alerting the animals. Seytawni walked beside Prager, and she poked Prager on the neck, trying to play with him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself, ignoring her, but turned to Seytawni after getting poked again. He poked her back, causing her to poke him once more, it started primarily friendly, but it turned into a tense poking match between the two.

"Don't make me come back there!" threatened Miles, turning his head to look back at the two, with Kayri shaking her head.

"Yeah, well, she started it!" yelled Prager as Seytwani jumped on his back and tried to knock him off balance while he tried to throw her off, "I don't care who started it, I'll finish it!" 

Miles and Kayri sighed; they had gotten used to Prager's and Sytawni's little feud with each other. They can't be alone for five minutes before they're at each other's throats. They had no idea what Prager, a grown-ass man, had against a fifteen-year-old until Ja asked him one day after dinner.

"Was her scaring you the first day make you hate her that much?" Ja said as he finished eating his food. Prager stayed quiet for a moment before answering.

"No, it's not that, it's just that... she just reminds me so much of my little sister when I was still human and all the dumb fights we used to have." he chuckled with a sad smile as he stared into the fire lost in thought, "And I think she's the closest thing I'll get to having my sister again."

After that day, Miles and the others didn't bother him with his attitude against Seytawni; they understood this was just one way Prager could connect to his sister. They continued through the forest until Miles caught movement at the corner of his eye; he quickly crouched as the others followed his lead. Lyle held on to Spider as Miles did his hunt. The Recoms backed off for Miles to focus on his hunt, and Kayri crawled to where Miles saw movement to find a Hexapede grazing on the greenery. 

Miles steadily drew his arrow; he steadied himself as Keyri and the Recoms watched in anticipation. He took a deep breath and released his arrow; he watched it fly through the air, landing a fatal hit to the hexapede. He ran towards the creature as it fell to the ground; he held down the twitching body of the hexapede and unsheathed his knife from his holder.

"I See you, Brother, and thank you." Miles said as he plunged his knife into its heart, "Your spirit goes with Eywa. Your body stays behind to become part of the People."

"A clean cut. You have passed your hunt, Miles," Keyri said, smiling; Miles turned to her with a smile of his own, his tail wagging slightly with pride.

"Oh my God, he is so obvious to look at his tail wagging." Ja chuckled as the Recoms watched the duo with smiles on their faces, "He better make a move before it's too late.

"Don't worry, she likes his muscles and adores Spider." They all turned, Seytawni smiling as she leaned on a tree watching the couple, then turning to them, "I know, I hear her talk in her sleep."

They looked at her in shock as she quickly approached her sister and congratulated Miles; the Recoms followed shortly behind her.  

"YAY! Now that you've passed, we can teach my favorite lesson." cheered Setawni. Ja turned to her, interested, "Oh, what are we learning now?"

"Flying Ikrans." both Kayri and Seytawni said. The Recoms cheered as they could finally fly their Ikrans again.

They went back to the huts where their saddles were nearly completed, as they worked on the last touches as Mansk and Ja went down to the forest to collect more materials. As they collected the materials, Ja noticed Mansk dropping something when he was cutting some leaves.

"Hey Mansk, you dropped-" he stopped as he looked at the item: a brown leather choker with a purple stone carved into a sun lily.

Mansk turned back when Ja called him, his eyes widening in terror as he saw what was in his hand; he ran over to him and reacted out for the choker.

"Give that back!" Mansk said as he pulled back his hand and took a step, looking at Mansk with a look of shock and then amusement, "What's this?"

"It's nothing. Now give it back." Mansk reached for the choker again, only for Ja to walk backward as Mansk approached him, "You sly dog! Who is she?"

"She is none of your damn business now; give that to me!" Mansk was now lunging, but Ja dodged and ran away from Mansk, "Oh, she's someone from the clan. Okay, now you've got to tell me."

Mansk finally tackled Ja and pried the choker from his hands, "Listen, I'm just doing this for a friend, okay?"

Ja hummed, unconvinced, but decided to let it go for now; they gathered the remaining plants they needed and returned to the hut. When they finished their saddles, they went to the cliffside to call their Ikran; they placed two fingers in their mouths and let out loud whistles, startling Kayri and Seytawni. A moment later, Cupcake and their other Ikrans landed on the cliff's edge. It had been almost four months since they'd flown them, and they were itching to get on and fly; Kayri and Seytawni told them to be connected to them when they placed their saddles so they could calm down. Connecting to Cupcake after so long felt strange to Miles; this caused Cupcake to become agitated and nervous.

"Focus on the bond, Miles. Feel her heartbeat, her breath. Feel her strong wings." Kayri said as she cautiously approached Cupcake.

Miles felt at ease hearing Kayri's voice, focused on what she said, and Cupcake relaxed; he strapped his saddle on Cupcake with little help. With their Ikrans all saddled up, the Recoms returned to their hut to cook the hexapede that Miles killed.

"We will start your flying lessons tomorrow. Rest well," Keyari said, saying goodbye to the Recoms and Spider; she and Seytawni were about to cross the bridge when Miles stopped Keyri. She turned to face Miles with a curious look; he had wrapped up the best cuts of meat of the hexapede and held it out for her.

"It's a thank-you gift for all you've taught us." Milest rubbed the back of his neck as he kept his eyes on the floor to avoid her gaze; Kayri smiled warmly as he spoke the people's language. As they spoke, the Recoms tiptoed over to the entrance and leaned on each side to listen in on their conservation; Spider began to whine in hunger in Lyle's arms.

"Spider, shut up. Your dad is trying to get you a mom," Lyle whispered to Spider as he covered his mouth.

They scrambled away from their doorway when they heard them say their goodbyes; when Miles entered, he saw them trying to act normal, but Lopez looked very interested at the wall. Miles shook his head; he didn't remember his team being this nosy about his life. He walked to where Lyle was sitting and scooped up Spider as he sat to eat.

Chapter Text

Kayri and Seytawni were pleasantly surprised when they left their home to find the Recoms already outside waiting for them. They were practically shaking with excitement as they arrived at the cliffside again and called their Ikrans. Kayri and Seytawni made a chirping noise, and a few moments later, a green and yellow landed before them.

"This is Ralu." Kayri scratched under the green Ikran's chin while Seytwani petted the yellow Ikran's head, "And this is Iziria."

They connected themselves to their Ikrans and took off into the sky with the Recoms following behind them; they flew past their hut and headed into the canyon further from the village. They passed by the many waterfalls and the homes of the Na'vi that lived within the canyon walls; many locals waved at them as they flew by.

They flew until they reached the same entrance they passed through when they were first brought here and landed on one of the ledges. Two young warriors greeted them as they landed; Lyle smiled as he recognized them as Leuto and Neyhu. He had taught them some fighting styles, and they kept following him to teach them some more.

"What brings you all here," asked Leuto.

"We are here to teach them how to fly like us!" Seytawni said excitedly, causing Leuto and Neyhu to laugh, "Oh, this will be funny."

"What do they mean funny?" asked Prager, confused, only for Seytwani to smile and pat him on the shoulder, "Don't mind them."

"To fly like us, you must be one with your Ikran." Kayri explained, pointing towards the thick fog, "You must go through the fog without crashing."

The Recoms looked at her in shock; they had forgotten about the pillars scattered in the fog, and now they knew why Leuto and Neyhu were laughing. Prager went up first; before he took off, he looked back for reassurance. Seytwani and Kayri gave him looks of encouragement while the Recoms behind them saluted him, and Lopez did a cross.

With much hesitation, he took off in the fog; his mind was on overdrive as he tried to look through the fog. He could barely dodge a pillar before he slammed into another one; his Ikran shrieked while he grunted in pain at their connection and began to get disoriented as he continued to slam into more pillars.

The Recoms and the others stood outside the fog, wincing with every shriek from the Ikran and thuds against the pillars. Seytawni looked at Kayri with worry, understanding the silent message Kayri connected to Ralu and flew into the fog; a few moments later, Fike's Ikran flew out of the mist without him, then Kayri with Prager on her Ikran. When they landed, the Recoms took Prager off Ralu and sat him down; he swayed as he babbled a mix of Na'vi and English words.

"Hey. Hey. Prager, you good." Lopez said, smacking lightly on Prager's cheek, then held up two fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"September." Prager replied before promptly passing out; the Recoms looked at Lopez, who shook his head, "Yup, he's got a concussion."

"So, who's next?" Kayri asked. The Recoms looked at each other before putting a finger to their noses, with Lyle being the last, "Damn it!"

So, one by one, they entered the fog only to be rescued by Kayri or Seytawni and gain a concussion. At the end of the lesson, they took a moment to heal, and Lopez gave them herbs for the pain; they all looked utterly defeated.

"Don't worry. None of us got it the first time. All it takes is practice." Seytawni to cheer them up, but only got groans from the Recoms at the idea of doing this all over again.

Spider flew back with Kayri while the Recoms flew shakily behind her and landed roughly on the cliff's ledge, stumbling off their Ikrans and returning to their hut. Ja nearly vomited over the rope bridges as their swaying didn't help his dizziness. They all stumbled into their hut and plopped their bruised and sore bodies into bed; Kayri fed Spider and prepared them dinner with the help of her sister.

Miles heard a faint humming as he slowly began waking up; he felt like he was hit over the head with a bat. He groaned as he sat up in bed while messaging his temple. He turned towards the fireplace to see Kayri rocking a sleeping Spider in her arms while humming him a lullaby; looking at the scene made him almost burst with happiness. Was Sully's life like this before the RDA came back, him waking up to his wife humming to their tired children as they snuggled back to sleep? He felt a pang of jealousy as he continued to think about it. He wanted the life that Sully had, but he knew he could never get it; he didn't deserve it, everything he touched died, and he didn't want that for Kayri.

He got up from his bed, made his way over to the fire pit, sat next to Kayri, looked at the Recoms, who were still asleep, and chuckled when he saw Seytawni sleeping on top of Prager. He accepted the food Kayri offered and ate as he stared into the fire; it was silent until he finished eating, and Kayri turned to him, giggling at his blank stare.

"You always seemed to be lost in thought, Miles." she said; he looked at her and chuckled, "I'm just thinking, that's all."

"About what?" asked Kayri as she tended the fire, "About the past, the future, and a bit of both." 

"Dwelling on the past and worrying about the future will only rob you of the present's joy," Kayri said as she placed Spider into Miles's lap. Miles smiled down at his son while Spider gripped one of his fingers. Miles looked up at Kayri, who was smiling at him; he opened his mouth to tell her something but was interrupted by the Recoms sitting up with groans and yawns.

"What are we eating, 'cause it smells delicious," Lopez said as he rolled out of his bed, walking towards the fireplace with the Recoms behind him. 

Throughout the week, it played out the same as every other day, with the Recoms having to be rescued by Seytwani or Kayri; the only difference was that there always seemed to be more and more Na'vi coming to watch them attempt to fly. They would laugh at the state of the Recoms as they were taken out of the fog with only bumps and bruises, with the worst injury being Fike.

After one flight, he came back with Kayri and was screaming up a storm as he clutched his knee; he almost punched Miles when they took him off Ralu. When they laid him on the ground, Lopez checked his knee and saw that he had dislocated his kneecap and would have to pop it back in.

"So... uh, what anesthetic are you going to use?" Fike asked, looking nervously at Lopez as he shrugged.

"Well, in this case, you'll need about 8cc of- GRAB HIM!" Fike screamed as the Recoms grabbed his arms and legs and pinned them down; the Na'vi winced at Fike's screams.

"NNNOOO-" With a quick push, Fike's kneecap was back in, "Haha, look at that."

After that injury, they decided to call it a day, went back to their hut, and began to patch themselves up. Miles smiled as he watched Spider trying to help Kayri apply medicine to his wounds. Seytawni was scolding Prager to sit still as he flinched and hissed as she tried to apply the medical paste; she then caught sight of a chocker around Z-Dog's neck as she bandaged herself up.

"Oh, that necklace is so pretty, Z." Seytwani eyes sparkled in awe at Z-Dog's necklace; Ja thought that the choker looked familiar but dismissed it as he continued to bandage his injuries as Mansk looked on in nervousness.

"Oh, I got this from a friend of mine." Z-dog said, smiling as she fiddled with the purple stone; Ja finally put two and two together.

"Oh! Ohh! Oh!!" Ja exclaimed as he pointed from Mansk to Z-Dog. Mansk shot up and made his way over to him, "Ja, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Oohh!! Ohh! Oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh!!" Mansk grabbed him and dragged him outside their hut, with Z following behind them. At the same time, Ja kept looking between them, leaving behind the Recoms looking at each other in confusion before shrugging and returning to treating their wounds.

Mansk pushed him across the bridge and led him over behind a pillar. Z looked around to see if anyone was around and slammed him against the wall.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Ja's cries were muffled as Mansk tried to cover his mouth.

"Yes. Yes." Mansk repeated calmly as he slowly let go of Ja.

"You?!" Ja pointed to Mansk and then to Z-Dog, "And-and you?!"

"Yes, but you cannot tell anyone! No one knows!" Mansk said as Z-Dog nodded her head, "How?! When?!"

"It happened on the first night when we got chased by the Viper wolves." Z-dog said. Ja's eyes widen that they'd been hiding this for five months, and yelled, "THE FIRST NIGHT!!!"

"The reason we didn't tell anyone was because we didn't want to make a big deal out of it." Mansk whispered, trying to shush Ja as Z covered his mouth."

"But it is a big deal!! I have to tell someone!" Ja muttered as he moved to leave but was pushed back against the wall again, "No-no-no-no-no! You can't!"

"Please? Please?! We just don't want to deal with telling everyone, okay? Just promise you won't tell." Z-Dog pleaded to clasp her hands together; Ja was torn but ultimately relented.

"All right! Man, this is unbelievable! I mean, it's great, but…" mumbled as Z looked at Mansk with a smile.

"I know, it's great!" she said, wrapping her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her into a kiss.

"Aww, I don't want to see that!" shouted Ja, going back to their home, leaving the two lovebirds.

Two days later, they got the hang of it, much to the disappointment of a few Na'vi that their entertainment was gone. They flew past the pillars and each other with ease; they laughed and cheered at their achievement, glowing with pride as they added a new bead to their Songcord.

They had no trouble firing their arrows while flying their Ikrans, and Fike was fixing their throat radios to use while they flew. He was tinkering with his radio since it didn't seem to be syncing up with the other radios; Prager walked into their hut to get Fike so they could eat but then saw him looking frustrated at his radio.

"Still having trouble with that thing." Fike looked at Prager with a defeated look and sighed, "Yeah, I can't seem to get the frequency right."

Prager sat beside Fike and watched him work until they heard Z-Dog's voice, "Oh hey, I think it's working now."

"That's weird. This is a private line," Fike said, confused as to why Z would have a private line. "I can't wait to be with you. I'll tell Lyle I'm doing laundry for a few hours."

"Laundry? Is that my new nickname?" They turned to each other gobsmack; that was Mansk's voice that they just heard.

"Aw, you know what your nickname is, Mr. Big..." they screamed as Fike turned off the radio and threw it across the room. They stayed silent for a second before mindlessly standing up and heading over to where the Recoms were eating, silently agreeing not to mention anything.

They were still awkward around Mansk and Z-Dog the next day but tried not to show it. The Recoms were in a joyous mood; they had completed all the tests and would finally be accepted into the clan. They had grown roots in the clan; they had seen Spider grow alongside them; they finally understood why Sully fought for Pandora and the Na'vi, and they learned to love her just as much. They waited for Kayri to arrive but were met with her father and mother with Kayri behind them; they all stood and greeted them. They looked pleased and nodded at their greeting. 

"My daughter has told me that she has finished teaching you all that she knows." the Olo'eyktan said. Miles nodded, "Your daughter was a good teacher, Sir."

The Tsahik smiled as Miles spoke; she and her mate had watched them grow and earn their and the clan's trust. She placed her hand on her mate's shoulder and nodded, stepping forward to address the Recoms.

"You have all learned the way of our people." The Recoms smiled at her words, "Now you must use all that you have learned for your hunt." 

They left, leaving the Recoms confused about what they meant before Kayri explained it to them, "You all be joining the hunting party to show everyone what you have learned, then you will be one of the people."

The Recoms looked at each other with excitement and anticipation for their chance to prove themselves to the Kekunan clan.

Chapter Text

The day of the hunt came. The Recoms had their hunting gear and Ikran ready to fly with the other hunters, but there was one problem. Miles couldn't seem to get Spider off of him, and when he did, Spider would start to cry and reach out for him. His son has gotten really attached to him and would cry if he left him with anyone but Kayri, so when it came time for the Recoms to join the hunting party, Spider was crying a river. The Recoms were already in the sky with their Ikrans waiting as Miles tried to soothe him, but nothing was working; he saw Ralu and Iziria land and Kayri approaching him.

Kayri was going to be with them for the hunt, and when Spider saw her, he reached out his arms for her, "Be calm, Spider, your father will return soon."

Spider quieted in her arms as he rocked him softly; she then went to Seytawni and put him in her arms, "You will be having a fun time with my sister today."

"Come, Spider. I shall properly introduce you to Mother and Father." Spider seemed to relax, looking at Seytawni's smiling face as she turned to make her way toward the huts.

"Should I be worried about that?" Miles looked at Kayri with a worried look while she brushed him off, "Don't worry, she knows what I'll do to her if something happens to Spider."

Miles chuckled as they mounted their Ikrans and took off after the hunting party; once they were out of the fog, they started to have some fun. They dip, roll, and dive over the jungle, pulling off daring maneuvers with honed refinement, making them seem effortless. Miles did a jackknife as he headed skyward, rolling and tumbling through the ethereal cloud-scapes before rejoining the hunting party as they soared in formation. 

Kayri cheered at his flying stunts; Miles turned to her and gave her a mischievous grin before he flew close to her Ralu, causing her to lose control; she gasped in surprise while he chuckled. She grinned back at him and flew Ralu close to Cupcake; they continued to do this until they were playing hide and seek among the clouds. She smiles and banks hard, diving, sending Miles a "catch me if you can" as he laughs and dives after her. The Recoms joined in for a while before Ley'waye called them to focus because they were now approaching the herd of Strumbeest running.

Miles, Kayri, and the Recoms flew low above the stampeding herd, rapids of thundering muscle. Taking a chance, Lyle swooped down, leveling with the herd; he shot his 7-foot arrow into the Sturmbeest, causing it to crash down and flip twice from the momentum. The Recoms cheered at Lyle's success as they went for their kills; with the way they were hunting, the hunting party would have to stop soon because the village would have meat for weeks.

Miles rolled in by the herd like a fighter jet; he steadied himself as he drew and fired his bow. The arrow strikes true in the plexus between the armored shoulders, and the beast crashes to the ground. It skids to a stop in a cloud of dust; Kayri swoops in next to Miles, arms raised and grinning wolfishly; the Recoms flew around them as they whooped and cheered. Ley'waye banked around Miles's kill; Miles looked up, and Ley'waye saluted in grudging admiration.

They began their flight home, carrying many Strumbeests and dropping them off on the wooden ledges for the Na'vi to skin. They landed their Ikrans and headed towards Kayri's home; they whooped and laughed, still pumped up from their hunt with an itch to hop back on their Ikrans and fly. They entered Kayri's home to find Spider on her mother's lap while feeding him fruit, Seytwani sitting beside her, peeling more fruit while her father was telling a story; he waved his hand to act out the story of Lesngä’iuk. He stopped when he noticed them at the entrance and motioned them to come in. Spider looked to where the Olo'eyktan was looking; he lit up with joy as he crawled out of Tsahik's lap and towards his Spider. Miles smiled as he picked him up and kissed him on the cheek.

"With the looks on your faces, I'd say the hunt went well." Kayri's father said as he stood; Kayri nodded proudly.

"You have all done well. Tonight, we will celebrate." Tsahik said, looking at their sweaty bodies, "Now go and clean yourselves up."

Ja was the first one to arrive to bathe at the stream, then Fike and Prager, who looked around in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Ja asked. Fike and Prager had a look of realization, "Oh, um, we just saw Mansk and Z leave before us, that's all."

"Oh, they're probably going to wash up on their own," Ja said nervously as Fike and Prager entered the stream.

"Yeah. Well." Prager pauses, giving Fike a look before continuing, "Hey, uh, Ja, you wouldn't mind coming with us to find them, right?"

"Now? Do you want to look for them now? Ja asked, shocked; Fike nodded, "Yeah!"

"Do you know something?" Ja tensed as he stared at them as Fike and Prager looked at him warily, "Do you know something?"

"I might know something," Ja said quietly. Prager looked at Fike briefly before turning back to Ja, "We might know something, too."

"What's the thing you know?" Ja moved closer to them, "Oh no, we can't tell you until you tell us what you know."

"I can't tell you what I know." he answered them, "Well then, we can't tell you what we know."

"Okay, fine." said Ja as he turned away from them; they stayed silent before Ja turned back to them and stared for a moment before scoffing, "You don't know!"

"All right, how about we go over there, and we'll walk over to a stream, and we'll see that thing that we think that we know is actually the thing that we think that we know!" yelled Prager as he pointed his finger off into the jungle.

"YOU KNOW!!!!" gasped Ja, pointing at them. Fike pointed back, equally surprised, "AND YOU KNOW!!!"

"Yeah, I know!!!!" Ja gripped Fike by the shoulder as Prager returned to the stream next to them, "Mansk and Z-Dog?!! Oh, this is unbelievable!! How long have you known?"

"Too long! Oh my God, guys, I've been dying to talk to someone about this for so long!" exclaimed Ja as he began to shake Fike before he stopped at pointing at both of them, "Listen, listen, we can't say anything about this to anybody, they're so weird about that! Listen..."

Before he could continue, Lopez, Lyle, and Miles arrived; looking at them confused, the trio quickly separated, giving them a nervous smile. They stared at them for a moment longer before heading into the water and began to bathe until they noticed Mansk wasn't there.

"Hey, where's Mansk?" asked Lopez. Prager nudge Ja to say something, "Oh, he, uh, decided just to wash up somewhere else."

They believed Ja since Mansk would tend to bathe alone for some peace and quiet since the Recoms would sometimes mess with each other, leading them to wrestle in the water. They finished soon after and returned to their hut, where Mansk and Z-Dog were waiting with them, along with Seytawni, who was carrying Spider; she told them Kayri wasn't there because she'll be performing a dance for the hunting festival.

The clan was content when the hunting party came back with a bountiful hunt; they lit a bonfire at the central space of Lesngä’iuk's alter, and the hunting festival was already in full swing. There were Na'vi dancing, gnawing on massive Sturmbeest ribs, and bowls of some kava-like intoxicant were passed around. Fike played music with the other Na'vi as Kayri and Seytawni danced in flowing costumes like Ikran spirits. Lyle, surrounded by young hunters, told them about his hunt and how he was the first to take down a Sturmbeet; Prager and Ja were eating while Mansk and Z-Dog got up to dance with Kayri.

Miles sat and watched his team have fun while he fed his son; he enjoyed these moments of peace where his men weren't tried as weapons but as equals. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the Olo'eyktan seat next to him until he cleared his thoughts, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, uh, Olo'eyktan, I see you." The Olo'eyktan nodded in acknowledgment with the usual scowl on his face; Miles was confused as to why Kayri's father would sit next to him, of all people. 

Miles braced himself for a fight but relaxed as he held up a Kava bowl, offering it to him. Was this a challenge or an olive branch? Miles slowly took the bowl from him and raised it to his mouth as the Olo'eyktan stared at him intensely; he took a long, hearty drink of some of the Kava and offered it back to him. They locked eyes; it became a battle of nerves; neither dared to look away as the Olo'eyktan drank the rest of the Kava in the bowl. He tossed the empty bowl to a pile of empty bowls near the fire; they stared down at each other before Kayri's father's scowl broke into a grin.

"I thought with enough drinks, you would not be so ugly, Milus Quarich." They both laughed at the jab, "Sorry to disappoint."

Their laughter died down as they became quiet again; Miles played with Spider while the Olo'eyktan looked deep into the fire, "You and your warriors will be Kekunan now."

"You may make your battle ban from the gold of the Cave of Voices. And you may choose a woman." Miles turned to him, confused, only to see him looking at something; Miles turned to what he was looking at, only for him to be watching Kayri dancing.

"Sir, It's not what it-" Miles stopped talking when the Olo'eyktan raised his hand to silence him, "I understand more than you know. You and I are the same."

Miles looked at him confused as he continued, "Before I was the Olo'eyktan of the Kekunan clan, I was called Ayvawkx Te Aie' Ulea'itan, a simple warrior of the Olangi Clan, The Horse Clan of the Plains. I believed I was destined to be a pa'li warrior and ride through the plains, that is, until the Kekunan Clan came to visit my clan, and my fate changed. The former Olo'eyktan of the Kekunan had come to our village to trade and brought his eldest daughter with him. And when I first laid eyes on her, I knew that she would be the only one I would have as a mate, and she had felt the same. So I left my home to be with her. I was an outsider to the clan; I was not a Kekunan, nor did I have an Ikran. Her father hated me the most that I, an outsider, would dare mate with his daughter. There were days I longed for the plains and to feel the ground thundering beneath my Pa'li's feet as I rode until it was eclipse. But then I would think back to when Ma Peitey chose me and no one else. It gave me strength to push forward and earn my place among them as you did."

Miles looked in awe when the Olo'eyktan finished his story, "Why are you telling me this."

"I'm simply telling you this from father to father: We all want what's best for our children, but we also wish for their happiness." Ayvawkx finished saying, standing up to be with his mate.

Before Miles could question him more, Kayri's lithe shape runs through the circle of silhouetted dancers toward him; she takes Miles by the hand and pulls him up.

"You must dance! It is the way." Kayri led him to dance as Seytawni took Spider and sat by her parents to watch the duo dance. The Recoms and hunters whooped and cheered as Miles joined the circle of dancers. Miles lets the drums and chanting flow through him; he lets himself go, dancing from the inside, channeling the primal energy as he and Kayri flow amongst the dancers, looking only at each other.

Lopez stumbled away from the festivities, drinking too much Kava; he went to find a quiet place to steady himself. He forgot that he wasn't in his old body anymore, so he was a lightweight now when it came to drinking. He found a spot where he could rest; he sat there for a minute, pulling himself together. When he could finally see better, he found Prager sitting not too far away from him.

"That Kava bowl kicked our asses." Lopez chuckled with Prager when he said that; he stood up and stretched out his legs but then heard something," Huh, what was that?"

Lopez turned to where he heard the noise and saw Mansk and Z-Dog sitting together on one of the cliff ledges in the distance, "Oh, look! There's Mansk and Z-Dog!"

"Hey! Hey, you guys! Hey!" a tipsy Lopez yelled as he waved his hands, but he sobered real quick, looking on in horror as they began to make out, "Ohh!! Ohh! Ahh-ahh!!"

"What?!" Prager stood looking at Lopez as he pointed towards the cliffs, "Ahhh!! Mansk and Z-Dog!! Mansk and Z-Dog!!"

"Oh, my God!" Prager yelled out in equal horror as they both were now looking at them make out, "MANSK AND Z-DOG!!!!"

OH MY GOD!!! Prager's eyes widen in terror as Mansk's and Z's make-out session becomes more heated while Lopez covers his eyes and turns away, "OH!! MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!"

Lopez!! Lopez!! It's okay!! It's okay!! Prager gripped Lopez's shoulders to steady him as Lopes continued to freak out, "NO! THEY'RE DOING IT!!!"

"I KNOW!! I KNOW!! I KNOW!" Prager yelled, trying to calm him down; Lopez's eyes widened in realization, "YOU KNOW?!!!"

"Yes, I know! Fike and Ja know! But Lyle and Colonel don't know, so you have to stop screaming!!" Prager shouted, tired of trying to calm Lopez down; before he could continue, Lyle came to find them since they hadn't come back to the party yet.

"What's going on?" Lyle asked, confused as to why they were yelling; they both turned to him, surprised, "Oh Lyle, hey uh, nothing happened. We just saw a weird-looking bug crawling up on Lopez."

They quickly guided Lyle back to the party, away from Mansk and Z, and pulled Fike aside, who was taking a break from playing music with the other Na'vi, to talk. The festival ended as the Na'vi began to head home with their families for the Recoms' welcome into the clan. Miles felt a strange wave of deja vu as he stared at the hut's ceiling; he couldn't sleep. The anticipation for tomorrow was eating him alive. He turned his head to see Spider curled up to his side, fast asleep; he was glad at least one of them was getting some sleep.

"Hey, Colonel, you awake?" Lyle whispered; he looked towards his bed to see Lyle looking back at him and their others too, "Yeah, and I'm guessing else is too."

He got a mix of hums and whispers; he laid his head back on his bed as he and his team lay in their beds and stared at the roof of their huts in silence.

"Hey, what do you think we'll see when connected to the Ancestral Tree?" Lyle asked no one in particular, his eyes still staring forward, "I feel like it gonna get freaky."

The Recoms laughed silently; Miles wondered if he'll see what his son saw or if he would see nothing. Miles continued to think as the Recoms fell asleep one by one, their snores filling the hut. Miles didn't even realize how long he'd been up until his eyes became heavy as he yawned; he turned to his side and held Spider in his arms while Spider cuddled deeper into his chest.

They woke up the next morning as giddy and excited as a kid on Christmas day; Kayri and Seytwani came later with food, white-looking paint, and other Na'vi. They sat, eyes closed, as Kayri and the others began to paint his face and body in preparation for their integration. Miles opened his eyes when Karyi finished painting his face; her eyes were brimming with pride and happiness. When the Na'vi had finished painting them, they stood and looked at their bodies, amazed by the designs decorating their skin. Miles then heard a gasp as Kayri, who was next to him, placed one hand on his shoulder and the other covering her mouth in shock.

Everyone turned to where she was looking; Miles's eyes widened in shock, and his heart began to beat thump against his chest. There was Spider, white paint drawn on him just like him, shakily standing on his two legs. Miles slowly crouched down with Kayri following him down as Spider looked at them with a smile; he looked proud of himself for standing on his own. He then took a shaky step towards them; excited smiles bloomed on everyone's shocked faces as Spider steadied himself after his first step.

"Come on, Spider, Come to Daddy," said Miles, stretching out his arms to encourage Spider to continue. He took another step forward and almost fell; Miles leaned forward to catch him, but Karyi stopped him as Spider caught himself.

"Come, Spider, you're almost there," Kayri said softly, motioning him to keep going.

Slowly but steadily, Spider made his way to Miles and Kayri until he was close enough to throw himself into Miles's arms; Miles laughed as he raised him in the air while the Recoms and the other Na'vi cheered and whooped at Spider's success. Miles then brought Spider into a tight hug; Spider snuggled into his father's neck for a moment before lifting his head to Kayri, whose eyes held so much love for him; she lovingly placed her hand on Spider's cheek as he cooed in with content. She moved away as the Recoms circled Miles and Spider; they ruffled Spider's hair and pinched his cheeks.

"I got it on video! Another memory for the books." Prager said proudly, holding up his camera; he had started making home videos when Spider started crawling and made quite a collection.

As the excitement of Spider's first steps settled down, the Recoms and the other Na'vi made their way to the alter of Lesngä’iuk. With every step they took, their feet grew heavier, and their stomach became knots. They finally reach the altar of the giant trapped in amber, where they were first brought to be judged and now where they will be accepted. 

The Tsahik said a few prayers, and they sang songs; Ayvawkx then placed both hands on Miles's chest and held them there, looking at each of the Recoms as he spoke.

"You are now the children of the Kekunan. You are part of the People." Kayri placed a hand on Spider and the other on Miles's shoulder, smiling at him. Then Seytwani placed her hands on Prager's arm, Tsahik placed her hands on Lopez's back, happy to have gained a new healer to teach, and Ley'waye placed his hands on Lyle's shoulder as he gave him a nod of acknowledgment from warrior to warrior. Soon, all the clan members came forward, crowding around and putting their hands on the Recoms' shoulders, back, and chest, placing their hands upon hands until they were connected to everyone.

Chapter Text

The day went by so fast with the celebrations that before they knew it, it was already eclipse, and everyone went to their homes to sleep. Miles turned around as the Recoms went inside their hut when he heard Kayri calling for him. Miles gave Spider to Lyle to put him to bed as he made his way over to Kayri.

"Hello Kayri, Is there something you need." Miles asked as Kayri smiled, "Come, I wish to tell you something."

She took Miles's hand as she began to drag towards the canyons to the Cave of Voices; they ran silhouetted in the night, behind the waterfalls cascading down the canyon in the silvery light. Laughing, they ran together through the Cave of Voices; the stones in the walls seemed to shine as bright as the stars in the night sky as they ran past them. They finally made it to the cavern that protected the Ancestry Tree. It was just as beautiful as the last time Miles saw it; its long, faintly glowing tendrils hung straight down in pastel curtains; woodsprites were floating down from the holes in the ceiling and surrounding the tree. 

It is an exquisitely beautiful spot.

The willows stirred, responding to their presence as they approached; Kayri held her hands, letting the tendrils caress her.

"This is a place for prayers to be heard. And sometimes answered," she said, turning to Miles. He hesitantly reached behind his head and grabbed hold of his queue.

Miles put out his other hand to grasp a tendril from the tree; the tendril played over his fingers, palms, and forearms. He brought his queue forward but stopped. He couldn't do this; he thought he could but couldn't. he sighed, lowering his head, and let go of his queue and the tendril. He placed a hand on his hip, and the other rubbed his face; Kayri walked behind him, placing her hands on his shoulder.

"You are more than your past, Miles. You are a son of Eywa." Kayri whispered to Miles as she stepped back; Miles stood frozen in thought.

He knew he couldn't avoid this forever; he could try to run away from this as much as he could, but it wouldn't make a difference. With a heavy sigh, he reached his hand back again for his queue, and the other seized the tendril. He looked on anxiously as his queue connected to the tendril. His eyes widened, and he began to hear the whispering of ancient Na'vi voices. He shut his eyes as a bright light blinded them. When he could open his eyes, he looked around his surroundings in confusion; he didn't expect to be brought to a lab. He recognized that this was the same lab he saw in the video his past made for him; he continued to take in his surroundings until he heard a woman's voice behind him.

"Well, if it isn't Ranger Rick." Miles turned to see a Red-headed woman in a green shirt and lab coat; her arms crossed as he leaned against a table, looking at him with a smirk.

"Dr. Augustine?" Miles, more confused, wondering why she, of all people, was here, "Well, who'd you expect, numbnuts?"

"Well, to be honest, I wasn't expecting you of all people, you know, due to our past." Miles watched Grace circle him, "I had a problem with the other guy, not you. Wow, don't you just look incredible!"

"But I'm Miles Quaritch." Grace stopped in front of Miles, looking up at him with a knowing look, "Oh please, if you were Quartich, then you'd be at Bridgehead being a good soldier and hunting down Sully instead of talking to me right now. You became someone else when you took your son and ran."

"So, why are you here then," Miles said. Grace fell into a troubled look, "Something is coming."

"What's coming?" Miles was now nervous, looking at Grace's troubled face, "Don't know, she won't tell me much."

"Eywa?" Grace nodded, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because what would a mother not do for her child? She holds you like all her children close to her heart." Grace changed into her Na'vi body and patted Miles on the back, "You're gonna be fine. Just be there for your son and your family."

When he came to, he let out a shaky laugh, turning to Kayri, who gave him a soft smile. A few Woodsprites circle around them, some alighting on their shoulders and arms; they stood close together now. Her eyes were intense, almost luminous; he felt drawn into them.

"You are Kekunan now. You may make your battle ban from the Cave of Voices." she turns back to look at the Woodsprites around them, "And you may choose a woman."

Kayri tried so hard to sound casual when she said that while Miles attempted to suppress a smile.

"We have many fine women. Rase is the best singer," Karyri said as she held a Woodsprite in her hand, "I don't want Rase."

Kayri smiled as she blew the Woodsprite away, turning her head to Miles, "There is Ingu. She is a good hunter."

"Yeah, she is a good hunter," Miles said, still smiling. Kayri turned to face him with a look of worry as Miles gave her a reassuring smile.

"I've already chosen. But this woman must also choose me." Miles whispered to her. She had a look of pure joy as she moved closer to him, "She already has."

He places his hand on her cheek as he leans his face closer to hers, bringing her into a soft kiss; they hold each other close as they explore each other's mouths. She pulled back, giggling as Miles tried to lean forward to connect their lips again. She pulls him down until they kneel, facing each other on the faintly glowing moss. Kayri takes the end of her queue and raises it; Mile does the same, with trembling anticipation. They bring their queue closer, and the tendrils at the ends move with a life of their own, straining to be joined; Miles slightly gasps as their tendrils intertwine with gentle undulations.

They hugged tightly, feeling every emotion and every memory that ever had passed through their bodies. They were one, Kayri felt everything Miles had experienced, and she understood why he and his team had sought uturu in her Clan. She learned everything about him in just a matter of seconds, and so did he about her; he saw all the love she had for him, for Spider, her family, and her Clan. 

They come together into a kiss and sink down to the bed of moss, and ripples of light spread out around them, his body pressed against hers. He deepened the kiss, parting his lips and slowly pushing his tongue in. She was moaning already, desperate for more. She had waited so long for the perfect mate; now that he was here, she couldn't hold back.

"I love you," he said, pulling her into another heated kiss. He was extremely overwhelmed; all he needed was her. Her heat and the bond were making him lose his mind.

"I see you," Kayri whispered as Miles kissed her neck, where her scent was the strongest. He licked and nipped at her skin, pressing his face into it; he repeated, "I see you." She smiled, tears filling her eyes; she wished this moment would last forever.

"Ma Miles." she whimpered as he kissed away her happy tears; the saltiness of her tears aroused him. His hands moved alongside her hips, pushing up her necklace; he cupped her breasts softly, massaging them, causing soft sounds and purrs to leave Kayri's mouth as his thumbs made circles on her nipples. Miles began to kiss lower and suck on Kayri's neck, leaving many dark hickeys; she whimpered when Miles found her sweet spot. He smirked at her reaction as he moved down to her breasts; Kayri moaned, gripping Miles's shoulders as he took one nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it.

She shuttered beneath him as he moved to the other, giving it the same gentle treatment as he carefully massaged your other breast in his hand. He was settled between her legs; her hips moved, looking for friction while he sucked on her breasts. They both moaned as they began to grind against each other; he pressed his clothed groin against her core. She gasped, digging her nails into his shoulders.

He groaned at the slight pain, but damn, he loved how he was affecting her and how she was unraveling underneath him. He stopped his attack on her breasts, raising his head; his mouth was watered at the sight of her, almost naked, moaning his name.  

"Miles..." She bit her lip, upset that he pulled away. His nose flared as he could smell her heat and slickness. 

"You are so beautiful." He whispered, licking over a nipple once more before moving to the other one.

He licked her nipple one last time before moving down. he removed her loincloth, and she held her breath in anticipation. Gripping her thighs with his large hands, he pushed them apart even more. Miles kissed lower and lower, giving her clit a soft kiss; Kayri gasped, words stuck in her throat. She wanted to tell him how much she needed him, how much she ached for him. But she also wanted to savor every second spent with him. He dipped his tongue between her folds, tasting her sweet nectar. His pupils widened; never had he tasted something this good.

"Ma Miles." She cried, gripping his hair. He pushed her leg over his shoulder, allowing him more excess into her throbbing opening. It was leaking so much slick; her heat made her ready for him.

"Mine…" he growled; this animalistic urge took over his body. He pushed his tongue deep inside of her, swirling it around. Then he returned to her clit, swirling his tongue around it first. Then sucking on it lightly. His long fingers found her opening, slowly pushing two of his fingers inside. He felt her walls tightening around him; he knew she was close. He started moving his fingers, curling them up, his tongue never leaving her clit as he licked it steadily. Kayri moaned loudly, arching her back as an orgasm rippled through her body; her vision went white as she let out a silent scream.

Miles purred around her entrance as he continued to suck, lick, and swirl his tongue inside her clenching walls. He felt her hand move into his hair, pulling on it as her gasps and moans echoed around them. He purred as her nails scratched at his scalp, and he shoved his face deeper into her core, devouring her up; he felt her walls clench. Kayri's heart continued to race as she came down from her high. He pulled away, panting, and licked his lips.

"Please, I need you." She breathed hard as her arms reached for him, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

She kissed him hungrily, tasting her nectar on his tongue. She pushed down his loincloth while he kept sucking on her bottom lip, making her sigh into the kiss. As his cock sprang free, he pulled away. He discarded his loincloth, now kneeling completely naked in front of her. Her eyes twinkled as she took in the sight of Miles kneeling above her, taking in the hard-muscled of his body.

They sat there momentarily, neither one moving, overwhelmed by the onslaught of sensation and presence. Soon, the heat building between them brought them back, and Miles ran a gentle hand along the underside of Karyi's thigh. She spread her legs wider in response, affection and want running heavily through their connection as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Miles sank in slowly, savoring the sensations of filling and being filled, until he had pressed his way to the hilt, his body stilling as he tried to control his breathing. While he had memories of sleeping with quite a few women, nothing compared to what he felt right now with his mate. Burrow deep inside her wet, hot, throbbing core. He was so wrapped up in this new sensation that he nearly missed Kayri's desperate request for him to move, but some small part of him, which wasn't solely focused on how tight Kayri was around him, listened as he began to move slowly.

"More." She moaned, quickly getting used to his girth, thanks to all the slick provided by her heat. Miles looked down at her and smiled as he pulled his hips away, only to drive himself back into the impossible heat beneath him. Kayri's back arched, and Miles found his hands gripping harshly against her hips, desperate to ground himself as he took up a punishing pace. Kayri was soon completely lost in the pleasure and all the emotions she felt through the bond. He ran his hands over her whole body, hips snapping faster and faster. He wanted to engrave this moment into his mind. The way her back arched, how she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the pleasure.

Half blind with pleasure, Kayri leaned forward, pulling Miles to meet him in a desperate kiss. Miles swallowed the cry that tore its way from Kayri's throat as she came, her walls clenching around him, bringing Miles to his climax close behind her. They stayed motionless for a while, their lips parting to pant out heavy breaths, hearts beating wildly against their chests as though intending to break free and merge as one.

Miles reluctantly pulled out; Kayri sighed at the sudden emptiness, pulling her close. He turned to lay on his back as Kayri collapsed across his chest, exhausted. He stroked her face tenderly; his whole body was filled with love and hope, and everything was good. Not a drop of worry was left in him; he knew that he could finally be happy with her by his side. He let out a blissful sigh as they cuddled and eventually fell asleep underneath the Ancestral Tree.

Miles groaned as the sunlight fell upon his face; he moved to sit up only to feel something heavy on his chest. He slowly opened his eyes to see Kayri snuggling into his neck while she lay across his chest, sleeping. He then remembered last night's events as his eyes widened to the fact that it actually happened. He smiled warmly as he pulled Kayri, burying his nose into her hair until he realized his team should be up by now.

"Kayri, we got to get up." Miles whispered as he gently shook Kayri, causing her to groan in protest, "No, let us sleep more."

"Wish we could, sweetheart, but people are gonna wonder where we are." Miles said as he began to look for their clothes, "Fine, let's go."

They quickly dressed and made their way out of the cave towards the Clan, their hands interlocked as smiles never left their faces. As they made their way through the village, Miles noticed that the Na'vi were stealing glances at them and whispering to one another. Before Miles could question Kayri, he heard Lyle calling for him; he looked tired as he carried a fussy Spider in his arms.

"There you are, Colonel. Where did you go last night?" Lyle asked as he made his way towards the duo, "Spider wouldn't go back to sleep when he realized you-"

Lyle stopped and sniffed the air before making a weird face, "Ya'll smell weird. What did you guys do last night?"

"Well... uhh... I sorta got hitched last night." Miles chuckled, raising his and Kayri's intertwined hands to Lyle's shocked face, "Woah... I owe Z-Dog so much money."

Spider began to whine again as he reached towards the duo; Kayri was the first to act as she took Spider in her arms and began to soothe him. Miles looked at the sight with pride at his little family he has now; Lyle gave him a side hug with a pat on the shoulder.

"Well, Colonel, I'm happy for you; come on, we gotta tell the others that there's a mama bear now." Miles laughed at Lyle's nickname for Kayri, and the group made their way back to the hut. When they entered, the Recoms looked just as bad as Lyle, with dark bags underneath their eyes. They perked up as Lyle entered and were relieved as Miles walked in right behind them, but then were confused when they saw Kayri enter, too, with Spider. But it didn't take long when Mansk sniffed the air and looked at them with shock.

"Oh shit, you sleep with the Olo'eyktan's daughter!" The Recoms gasped, looking at Miles flabbergasted. Lyle looked at them, confused, "Weren't you all putting down bets!"

"Yeah, but we didn't think he'd actually do it!" Ja said, still shocked, "Damn, and we thought Mansk and Z sleeping together was the-oop."

Ja suddenly became silent as he let the secret slip; everyone looked at Ja with blank expressions while Lyle whipped over to Mansk and Z-Dog, his jaw hanging open, "You two are sleeping together!"

"I already knew that." They turned to Miles, confused, "You knew. When? How?"

"Oh please, ya'll think I don't know what happens in my own squad." Miles smirked as he crossed his arms, "So you also know I'm seeing Waeyo."

Now everyone's head turned to Fike, who spoke; Miles looked shocked, "Well, I do now."

"Who the hell is Waeyo? Prager asked, looking at Fike confused, "Well, her name is Waeyo Te Ipa Kxeppxo'ite, and she's one of the dancers who would ask me to play songs for her."

"Okay, uh, back the fuck up!" Lyle pointed at everyone, "When did this become a WHORE HOUSE!!!"

Lyle was tired and hungry, and now he was the last to know that his teammates were sleeping with the locals or each other. But before he could even start his rant, Seytawni came running in with a look of worry but relaxed at the sight of Kayri. She was soon followed by her parents and Ley'waye, who looked worried until they saw Kayri; her mother went over and examined her.

Ley'waye raised his nose into the air, taking a few sniffs; he turned to Miles with a snarl; he walked right up and shoved Miles with both hands. Causing Miles to stumble back, Ja and Lopez steadied him as the Recoms stepped forward to fight, but Miles put up his hands to stop him as Kayri's father had his arm across Ley'waye, preventing him from going forward. 

"You mated with this woman?!" shouted Ley'waye. Her parents and Seytawni turned to look at Kayri with shock.

"Oh shit." Miles heard Lopez whisper behind him. Kayri's mother stared at her with a severe expression, "Is this true?"

"We are mated before Eywa. It is done." Ley'waye turns to the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan, his face in anguish, "Kayri was promised to me!"

"And the plot thickens!" Ja whispers as Mansk elbows him to shut up. Ley'waye points to the Recoms, his pain shifting to rage, "These aliens shouldn't have been brought to our home. They are like parasites."

"Hey, I thought we were becoming friends." Lyle said, offended, while Kayri's father stood in front of Ley'waye with a stern look, "Enough, Ley'waye, the clan follow the ways of the Ikrans, and my daughter has chosen."

With one last glare at Miles, Ley'waye stormed out of the hut; the Olo'eyktan sighed, watching Ley'waye's figure grow smaller. He turned to Miles with a stern look on his face, "Sit down. We have a matter to discuss."

Miles and the others did as they were asked, sitting in a circle with Kayri sitting next to Miles. Kayri took a deep breath before he spoke, "Milus Quarich, do you realize the weight of your decision to mate with my daughter."

"Yes, I do.", Miles said, grabbing hold of Karyi's hand, but Lyle raised his hand to speak and gestured to the Recoms, "Uh, we don't."

The Tsahik sighed and answered Lyle's question, "When I was still the eldest child of the former Olo'eyktan and the future Tsahik, I chose ma Ayvawkx as my mate, and he became the Olo'eyktan of the Kekunan Clan, and now our oldest child and future Tsahik has taken a mate. Ley'waye was to be mated with Kayri and be the next Olo'eyktan, but she has chosen you, Milus Quarich."

The Recoms were dumbfounded, slowly turning to Miles, who looked equally shocked, "Damn Colonel, way to climb up the social ladder." Ja was hit again by Mansk. 

"But there is something I must ask you, Milus Quarich." Miles perked up, looking at Karyi's father as his eyes bore into him, "Will you care for the people as you would your own family."

Miles remained quiet, but his thoughts began to swirl in his head. He had never been affected by people's eyes on him, not even when he was in his new body. But now, with everyone's eyes on him, he couldn't think properly; he thought he was having a heart attack as his vision began to narrow. He then felt someone grab his hand; he saw Karyi gripping his hand tightly and giving him an encouraging smile. He took a deep breath before turning to the Olo'eyktan, a determined look on his face.

"I love your daughter and this village. I am willing to fight for this Clan until my final breath." Miles said, staring into the eyes of the Olo'eyktan with an unflinching gaze, "I am a son of the Kekunan Clan and a son of Eywa."

They stared at one another as they did by the fire pits, neither backing down; Ayvawkx saw the fire and resolve in Miles's eyes. He was the first to break contact; turning to his mate, they had a silent conversation with their eyes before they stood and made their way to Miles and Kayri. They kneeled in front of them and took their hands in theirs; the Recoms watched silently, not knowing what would happen next.

"Do you, Kayri Te Stayoika Eke'ite, swear to interpret the will of Eywa and pass on your wisdom to the people and next Tshahik." Kayri's mother said, looking into her eyes, "I swear."

"Do you, Milus Quarich, swear to lead the people through times of sorrow and peace? And will you pass on your wisdom to the people and the next Olo'eyktan?" Ayvawkx said, gripping Miles's hand, "I swear."

With satisfied looks, they stood; before they left, Ayvawkx looked down at Miles, "We will announce this to the people, and you will start your lessons tomorrow."

Miles nodded as they made their way out of their hut; Seytawni was the first to break out of their shock when she cheered and launched at Miles, making him fall to his back as she hugged him.

"Dada!" Spider yelled, climbing out of Kayri's arms and wobbling over to his father while Kayri and the Recoms laughed at the scene.

"I'm so happy. Now we are family-OW!" Seytawni cried as Spider began to pull on her queue to pull her off his dad, "Spider, stop! You shouldn't be mean to your Aunt!"

Spider continued to pull until she was finally off of Miles and jumped in his arms; as he sat up, he softly hissed at Seytawni before he buried his head into Miles's neck.

"So, congratulations on your marriage and your promotion to future chief, but what do we do now," Lyle asked as he and the Recoms looked at Miles for orders; before he could answer, he was cut off by his stomach grumbling.

"I tell you all later, but let's get some breakfast for now." At the mention of food, the Recom's stomaches also began to growl in hunger. They all agreed and went to get food, but after they finished eating, Kayri explained that as Miles is now mated to her, they must leave separately from the Recoms, who are not, and so would Mansk and Z-Dog.

"So our hut is now a bachelor pad!" Ja cried on his knees as he gripped his braids as the others lay around him in defeat. Miles chuckled as he watched the remaining single men in his squad wallow in their sorrow.

Miles and Seytawni moved to a small hut near Seytawni's old home; it was her parents' first home before they had her and her sister. They moved in all their belongings and cleaned around the hut while Spider ran around his new home; Z and Mansk also moved into one of the homes in the canyons. It was a big change for the Recoms, but they were happy to get more space in the hut.

Night fell as Miles and his family settled in their bed. Miles held Kayri close as Spider lay between them, tired from moving and exploring their new home. Miles looked down at them with utter devotion and love; he laughed as Spider refused to sleep; his son was as stubborn as him. Kayri smiled, pulling Spider close to her chest, softly patting his back while she began to hum and lullaby.

"What are you humming." Miles asked, curious, "I am humming our son's Songcord; all parents sing it to their children. And I know you haven't thought of one since I first asked you."

"Ha, you got me there." Miles chuckled. He could never describe his feelings, "Can I hear it?"

Kayri hummed in agreement as she leaned her head into his neck and laid his chin on her head. 

"Welcome, Spider
I bring you to the family
I experience the light
A miracle arrives, a birth from one
Great joy that is in the heart
Great joy that is in the heart
We thank you
For the nights of life
We thank you
For the days of life
O Eywa, o Eywa"

Chapter Text

General Ardmore sat in her commander seat on the Valkryie 24; she squeezed her stress grip slow and steady as she gazed out on Pandora. All she could see was the endless forests that seemed to stretch out forever. She squeezed her hand tight as she thought about her situation. It's been a year since the Recoms escaped Bridgehead, eight months since she lost billions of dollars of RDA property, and now the board members have had enough. She was out of time. This was the last search party before the board members pulled the plug on the project Phoenix, considered the Recoms terminated, and for her to be at their mercy.

"DAMN IT!" she yelled, chucking the stress grip at a monitor screen; she looked at her reflection in the cracked glass, she was screwed, and it was those blue monkeys' fault. She let out a ragged breath as she rubbed her face; everyone on this aircraft believed they were dead; there was no way they could be sure out in the wild with all the creatures and the locals. But she knew she just knew that they were alive, she just needed more time, if she could just get a little more time, her thoughts were interrupted one of the pilots radioed her.

"General Ardmore, there's something you need to see." She composed herself as she made her way to the cockpit; personnel would quickly step aside as she walked through. They have been scared shitless of her ever since they went to look for the Recoms and had to endure her frustrations.

"What did you find?" As she stood behind the pilot's seat, General Ardmore asked, "Ma'am, we were doing basic scans when we noticed we saw an object coming in and out of the radar, so we switched to the cameras to see what it was and saw this."

The co-pilot pulled up a video of a Na'vi on Ikran. General Ardmore was about to rip into the pilots for wasting her time since the Na'vi wasn't even one of the Recoms. That is until she saw the Na'vi raise and wave a familiar-looking object in their hands before flying North.

"Zoom in to what it was holding." When the co-pilot did, her lips turned into a Cheshire grin when she saw an M69-AR rifle, "Follow where that Na'vi is heading now."

General Ardmore walked back to her seat, her grin never leaving her face; she found those blue sons of bitches.

"SPIDER! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" Miles panicked, seeing Spider sitting atop their hut, "HOW DID YOU GET UP THERE!"

Miles finally knew why his son was called Spider; he could climb anything every time he needed to be put down for a nap or bath; he and Kayri would have to search everywhere, only to find him in high places. Miles didn't take long to get him down. Kayri took him in her arms when they came down, and her ears pinned down as she tried to scold him. 

"Mama!" With that little word, Kayri's anger disappeared as she began to shower Spider in kisses while he giggled. 

"That kid is a troublemaker, aren't you, Spider?" Miles joked as Spider shook his head in denial, "No!"

"What do you mean no?" Miles laughed as he poked Spider's sides, making him laugh and squirm; he chuckled as his son buried his head into Kayri's neck, "Stop, Dada!"

He couldn't believe his son was two years old; it felt like it was yesterday that Spider was rolling onto his stomach. Now we were running around and trying to explore every inch of the village and canyon. It didn't help that the Recoms and Seytawni tagged along and encouraged it; he thought back to the time when he and Kayri found the Recoms and Seytwani running away from a pack of viper wolves because they thought Spider was one of their cubs that they stole.

Lopez had officially become a healer and wore his necklace with pride. Lyle and Prager had many bracelets and necklaces made by young warriors who decided to become their students. Fike had mated with Waeyo and now had a home of their own, and Ja had become popular as he began to craft beautiful jewelry and weapons for the village. At the same time, Mansk and Z continued to live on in their honeymoon romance life.

Spider would often join his grandmother Peitey to the Ancestral Tree; he would run around the tree chasing the Woodsprites that seemed to be playing with him. The tree's tendrils would glow brightly as if content with Spider's presence and glow softly when Spider was tired and slept at the tree's base. He would ramble on as he tried to explain his dreams to her, and she would smile as she held him in her arms and told him stories of the past.

Before Kayri could stop Miles from teasing Spider, Seytwani approached them, "Miles, sister, I see you. Hello Spider, it's me, your aunt Seytawni."

"Seytwani, I see you. Are you looking for Prager?" Miles asked. Seytawni smiled mischievously, "No, not yet, but Mother and Father want to see you two."

"Alright, can you take Spider to Lyle then?" Seytawni's smile fell as she looked annoyed, "Can't I just take care of him by myself, please."

"No, he is still a baby; maybe when he's older." Kayri said Seytwani rolled her eyes, her tail whipping in irritation, "Fine, I'll take him to Lyle."

"Thank you, Seytwani," Miles said as Kayri handed Spider to Seytwani, and they both began to make their way to her parent's hut. Seytawni grumbled as she carried Spider to the Recom's hut. She was old enough to look after Spider; she was an Ikran Makto, and sometimes the Recoms were worse than her. She put down Spider as he ran into the hut; when she entered, she saw no one was there. Spider looked at their empty beds before turning to her.

"Unc Lee not here?" Spider asked, confused, "Yeah, I guess Lyle and everyone are somewhere else."

Spider whined as his tail and ears drooped, and then Seytwani came up with an idea, "Why don't we go fly on Iziria."

Spider's ears perked up at the mention of flying; he looked at Seytawni's smiling face before he raised his hand to cheer, "YAY!"

Seytawni cheered, too; this was her chance to prove she could care for Spider herself to her sister. Before she left, she took Prager's radio necklace and giggled, imagining him trying to find it. She picked up Spider and began to make her way to the Cliffside. She called Iziria, and Spider squealed at the sight of her while Iziria cooed at Spider. Ja wasn't kidding when he told her his theory of Spider being "Na'vi Jesus," whoever that is, all animals seem to love and be protective of him.

Seytawni mounted Iziria and took off into the sky; she whooped as Spider screamed in excitement as they flew through the village and towards the canyon entrance. She waved as she flew past Leuto and Neyhu; they waved back but then called to her when they saw she was carrying Spider on her Ikran.

"Does Miles and Karyri know you have Spider!" Seytawni turned her head to yell before they entered the fog, "What they don't know won't hurt them!"

Leuto and Neyhu watched as she disappeared into the fog; they looked at each other briefly before shrugging it off. Seytawni quickly flew past the pillars as Spider giggled at the turns she'd take when they finally made it out the other side; Seytawni began to trick Iziria. Spider looked in awe as they flew above the trees and floating mountains, but then a massive shadow covered Iziria's entire body. Seytwani looks up, and her eyes widen in fear as a Striped scarlet, yellow and black, with a midnight blue crested head, Ikran in a delta-dive, whistling straight at them.

"Toruk," she whispers, frozen as she stares at the gorgeous and terrifying Ikran she only heard about in stories. 

She shook off her daze as Toruk began to get closer; she snap-rolls and dives toward the forest canopy. She plummets into the gloom as Toruk tears through the foliage, following her down, diving like missiles and yanks into a hairpin bank, right through a gap between two huge branches hiding beneath the smaller trees, forcing Toruk to brake and bank away before it hits the trees with its large stature, with a frustrated shriek. It circles the area for a minute before flying off above the canopy. Its fanged mouth opens in a bloodcurdling screech that echoes among the mountains; Seytwani breathes heavily as she calms Spider and Iziria.

"Calm. Calm," she repeated to both of them; they remained silent before Seytawni broke out in a fit of laughter. Spider, who felt the change in Seytawni's attitude, began to laugh with her.

"Okay, that's enough excitement for today. Let's go home." She said to Spider. She flew out of her hiding spot and barely reached the clouds when something hit Iziria's wing. She yelled in pain as she was forced onto one of the large pillar mountains. She was thrown off of Iziria as she made a hard landing; she rolled and got up to her feet to see Iziria skid to a stop a few feet from her.

"IZIRIA!" Seytawni yelled out in a panic as she ran to check on her Ikran. To her horror, she saw that Iziria's wing had small punctured holes in them. Spider whimpered as he saw the spots begin to spill a steady flow of blood; Seytawni tried to soothe them both until she heard a rumble behind her. She whipped her head around to see three metal objects flying toward her; the middle was much larger than the other two. She began to panic; it was the sky people the Recoms talked about, but how were they here? Miles said that they got rid of any clues of their travels.

She held Spider close in his sling as the large metal object landed before her. It began to open, and sky people began to walk out. She unsheathed her hunter dagger and crouched beside Iziria as she examined the Sky people; they had thin metal limbs that made them taller than her. She hissed, her tail whipped frantically, her ears pinned back down to her skull; she could not allow them to know she was scared; she had to protect Spider.

There were five in total, but only four began to approach her as one stood back, not moving, only watching. They took out metal sticks with lightning flickering at the ends; Seytawni swung her knife at them when they got too close; she wished she had brought her bow and arrows. She kept snarling and swinging her knife wildly at them; in her panic haze, she didn't realize she was being surrounded until it was too late.

She screamed as a wave of pain shot through her body, causing her to fall to her knees; she looked around like a frightened animal at the sky people that circled her. They continued to jab the metal sticks until she released her knife and could do nothing else but cover Spider's body with her own to protect him. At this point, Spider was wailing, hearing Seytawni's cries of pain; the two people in front of Seytawni stepped aside as the fifth one came forward. They reached down and grabbed Seytwani by her queue. She yelled in pain as she was forced to look up at the sky person; they were a female with brown hair and blue eyes.

"Where did your friend go?" she asked. Seytwani hissed at her. Even though she was confused about what the sky person was talking about, she came alone. The sky person didn't seem satisfied with that answer as she pulled her queue again harsher; she hissed in pain as Spider continued to cry.

"I won't ask again where is he?" the sky person held out her hand as one of the others handed her a glass plate like the Recoms had; she held it up to her face and showed a photo of Ley'waye on his Ikran holding up one of the Recoms old weapons.

"Ley'waye?" she asked herself in confusion; she was pulled out of her thoughts as her queue was pulled once again, looking at the sky person who was now smiling, "So you do know him. Now you're going to tell me where he is."

"I would rather die, demon!" Seytawni hissed; she watched as the sky person sighed, "Guess we're going to do this the hard way."

Before Seytwani could do anything, two sky people grabbed her arms, and the female sky person grabbed Spider from his sling. He wailed louder as he was torn away from Seytawni; she thrashed in the sky people's hold. She watched in terror as she had Spider and hung him by his leg at the edge of the pillar.

"NO!" Seytwani cried. Tears began to fall from her eyes; she thrashed more wildly, trying to get to her feet while the Sky people kept her on her knees, "I won't ask again, where is he?"

"Spider!" Seytwani cried again, but then the sky person looked at her confused, "Did you just say Spider?"

Seytawni said nothing and glared at the Sky person as she took Spider from the edge, turning him right-side up and bringing him closer to her face. She examined his face momentarily before she grabbed his tiny hand and looked at his finger with a sinister-looking grin spreading across her face.

"Well, I'll be damn," she said quietly. She turned towards the other four and raised Spider as if he were a prize, "The little bastard was delivered to us on a silver platter."

The sky people around Seytwani began to laugh; as the sky person who held Spider walked towards her, she crouched down to Seytwani's level. Seytwani tried to lung forward to grab Spider, but the sky person held him out of reach, and she stabbed again with the metal sticks. 

"Sey!" Spider cried. He reached out his hands for her, "Enough of that. Now you're going to tell me where-"

The sky person stopped talking when she saw Prager's radio necklace lying next to Seytwani; she picked it up and turned to Seytawni with an unsettling look, "Now, aren't you a helpful little thing."

She then stood up, Spider still struggling in her grip, "Cuff her and bring her in. Me and Miles Jr. are going to give Daddy a call."

And with that, she walked back to the large aircraft. Seytwani's hand was tied together by an orange band and was dragged right behind her into the giant aircraft. Seytani looked back at Iziria one last time; she was still lying on the ground in pain. She prayed to Eywa that she and Spider would be alright and wished she had never left the village.

Miles and Kayri had entered the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik's home, and when they did, they saw Ley'waye standing with them. Miles tensed slightly when he saw Ley'waye, that haven't spoken much since he found out he and Kayri mated. But he was surprised when Ley'waye didn't look at him with hate but actually greeted him and Kayri, but still, he kept his guard up.

"I see you, Ley'waye, Olo'eyktan, Tsahik." Miles greeted. Peitey and Ayvawkx greeted back and had them sit down.

"We called you here because Ley'waye wishes to make amends." Peitey said with a gentle smile, gesturing towards Ley'waye, who nodded, "I would like to hunt with you today as a fellow hunter and brother to correct my wrongs."

Ley'waye held out his hand for Miles to accept; Miles stared at him briefly before smiling and grabbing his forearm. Ley'waye smiled and gripped his forehand. Kayri and her parents looked on with smiles, relieved that there was no more ill will between both men. They talked a bit more before Miles got up to get his bow and arrows; Kayri followed behind him as they said goodbye to her parents and Ley'waye.

"I am happy Ley'waye is trying to bond with you now." she said, holding Miles's hand as they walked towards their hut, "I told you he just needed some time."

"Yeah, your right. He seemed sincere." Miles agreed, and then he saw Lyle sitting and talking to Lopez as they were grinding plants, "Hey, Lyle!"

"Oh, hey, colonel." Lyle turned and waved at them as they approached, "Where's Spider?"

"Don't know. I haven't seen him. Why?" Miles and Keyri looked at him briefly, "Because Seytwani was supposed to give him to you."

"Well, I haven't seen her all day either." Miles and Kayri sighed at Seytawni's antics, but then angry Prager ran towards them, "Have any of you seen Seytwani? I know that brat took my radio necklace!"

"Of course she did." Miles chuckled; he raised his hand towards his neck and turned on his, "Seytwani, I know you can hear this. I want you to come back to our hut with Spider and give back Prager's radio."

Prager grumbled angrily as Lyle and Lopez laughed at him as they waited for her to respond, but she didn't, so Miles tried again, "Seytwani, can you hear me."

They waited a few moments for her to respond until they heard a voice that made their blood turn to ice, "Your little friend can't answer you right now. She's a bit tied up."

The mood changed instantly; Lyle's and Lopez's joking expressions fell as Prager was no longer angry but worried. Their ears drooped as they came close to Miles and Keyri, their expressions matching theirs.

"I would like an answer, Colonel." They could hear the smugness coming from General Ardmore's voice through the radio; Miles hissed, "Where are they?"

"Well, the local is being held elsewhere, but your son is right here. Say hi to Dada." Ardmore's voice was drowned out by Spider's crying, "DADA!"

Kayri placed her hand on her mouth as she gasped in worry. Miles and the others snarled; their ears were down as their tails whipped erratically behind them. Prager was about to say something, but Miles stopped him, signaled him and Lopez to get the others, and turned to Kayri to do the same. They ran in different directions, leaving only him and Lyle to listen to Spider's cries coming through the radio; Miles clenched his jaw to bite back a hiss while Lyle squeezed his shoulder to comfort him.

"What do you want?" Miles managed to say without yelling; his son's cries grew distant again as Ardmore spoke, "I want RDA's property to be returned and finish the mission they were given."

Miles took a deep breath to calm himself, "Where do we need to go."

"That's a good little soldier," General Ardmore taunted Miles, a vein started to pulse in his forehead, "Come at the large mountain pillar outside the wall of fog your hiding behind."

Miles dropped his hands and clenched his hands and eyes shut for a moment until he opened them again and sprinted to the Recom's hut. Lyle, sensing what he was going to do, ran after him; many Na'vi jumped aside to avoid getting trampled by Miles as he ran to his old hut. They began to grow worried as they saw Lyle running right behind them; Miles ran into the hut and looked around desperately for something. His eyes landed on a green tarp covered by baskets; he slid to the baskets and threw them off.. he pulled back the tarp to reveal what was left of their rifles and pistols. He grabbed a rifle, loaded a magazine, and stood up as Lyle came through the doorway. Miles turned to him, and Lyle froze at the icy glare he was giving him; Lyle raised his hands to stop him.

"Colonel, I'm telling you this as a comrade and a friend: if you go in gun blazing alone, you will die." Miles seemed to calm down a little until Lyle came behind him and grabbed the rest, "So, I'm coming with you."

Miles gripped his hand tightly and gave him a thankful look as they both made their way out of the hut; as they crossed the bridge, they saw Fike and Ja running towards them.

"What happened? Prager just told us to run here." Fike said he was with Waeyo when Prager came running to him, telling him there was a problem before running off again; he had never seen him this frantic. 

"I'll tell you on the way. Here catch." Lyle said as he tossed two rifles to both of them. They looked at him in shock as they held them, but one look at Miles's face as he walked by them was all they needed to follow right behind them. The Kekunan clan began to sense something was wrong when they saw the Recoms pass them with their old weapons in hand. Some children tried to approach Lyle, but their mothers pulled them back at the dangerous look on his face. As if sounding the alarm, young and old warriors began to leave their houses with weapons, whooping and letting out war cries as they followed the Recoms to mount their Ikrans. 

The rest of the Recoms finally arrived, and Lyle quickly handed them the rest of the pistols and rifles; Miles whistled for Cupcake and mounted her, shooting off into the sky and toward the canyon entrance. Miles pushed Cupcake to fly as fast as she could. While he flew, he saw Kayri with Ley'wayei and her parents flying next to him; Miles faced forward, not wanting to see their sorrowful looks. They flew past Leuto and Neyhu, who were shocked to see the flood of Ikran Makto pouring out of the canyon's entrance; they looked at each other in worry. They knew something terrible must have happened to Seytwani; they instantly mounted their Ikrans and began to follow the group.

Mile's mind was such a mess that he could barely avoid the pillars as he flew through the fog; even if he did graze one, he probably wouldn't have felt it. It seemed to take forever until he reached the other side and headed towards the floating mountains. He gripped Cupcake's harness until his knuckles were white as he saw the two SA-2 Samson Helicopters figures in the air and the Valkyrie on the pillar. He then saw five figures equipped with the Skel suits as he went to land on the post; four were soldiers, one of them had a hold on Seytwani, and General Ardmore was holding onto Spider.

Miles hopped off Cupcake before she could land and began to march over to them until a soldier held a knife to Seytawni's throat, and Ardmore spoke, "That's far enough, Colonel."

Miles stopped; he continued to glare at her as the Recoms and the Kekunan clan landed on the pillar with him or on different pillars around them. They uttered war cries as they drew their weapons at Ardmore and the soldiers, but she didn't seem fazed by it.

"Look at you. You've completely gone savage." Miles hissed at her words.

"You even made friends with the locals," she said. Kayri snarled at her when they made eye contact and drew her bow with her parents. 

"Yeah, well, they don't like it when someone takes the chief's daughter," Miles said flatly, no longer looking at Ardmore. He stared at Spider with dried tears on his cheeks; Spider began to get teary-eyed at the sight of his father and mother.

"Papa, Mama!" Spider cried. Keyri's eyes dilated as her maternal instincts were at an all-time high. She growled and was ready to release her arrow when Miles held up a hand to stop her. Her tail thrashed in anger behind her as she reluctantly loosened her bow.

"So just let her go, and they won't attack." he said, looking into her eyes, "Now that doesn't sound like a fair trade, does it."

"Then let me take her place." Miles turned to see Prager walking forward, his hands raised. He had dropped his pistol and removed everything from his body until he was only in his loincloth.

"Prager, no!" Seytawni shook her head, and tears began to fall from her face, "It's going to be okay, Seytawni."

"How do I know they won't attack as soon as they have her." Ardmore said as she looked suspiciously at the Na'vi, who had their weapons drawn, "The Kekunan are people of their word."

The soldier holding Seytawni turned to General Ardmore for confirmation. She nodded, and he moved towards Prager with another right behind him, taking out the orange slap-on cuffs. As they came closer, Prager saw a sorrowful look on Seytawni's teary face as she kept shaking her head and muttering no; Prager just gave her a reassuring smile. When Prager met them halfway, he turned around and placed his hand behind his back, and after Prager was cuffed, Seytawni was thrown to Miles.

"Miles, you can't let them take him, please." she choked out while Miles cut her free and hugged her, "I'm sorry."

He then took her to family; Peitey and Ayvawkx lowered their bows, pulled Seytawni into a hug, and checked her for injuries. He then turned to Kayri, who had her bow still drawn.

"What will we do now, ma Miles," she whispered. He looked at her with a defeated look, "Now they take the rest of us."

Kayri looked at Miles in shock, "How can you say that they have taken our child!" She lowered her bow and began to go around Miles to charge at the sky people, but Miles grabbed her. She thrashed around in his grip, hissed, and snarled at him, going so far as to bite down on his shoulder, but Miles kept a firm hold.

"I know you want to save him, but you have to wait. If you act now, they will kill him," he whispered, gripping her shoulders. She soon had a blank face as tears began rolling down her cheek, "I can't lose you both."

"I know, but this is the only way to keep him safe. Just remember the plan." Miles wiped her tears away as they placed the foreheads together until Miles pulled away, "Keep this until I come back."

Kayri started to cry more as Miles handed her his song cord and held on to Spider's, "I'll hold on to this one to sing to him."

Miles turned to walk back to General Ardmore. Kayri took a step to stop him, but her mother grabbed her shoulder to stop her. Kayri turned her with a heartbroken expression, and Peitey pulled her into their family group hug. Now, both parents tried to ease both of their daughters from the pain of loss, one of losing her family and one of losing a friend. Miles went back to the middle of the pillar again with his hand up.

"Aw, you even had yourself a little girlfriend." General Ardmore smirked. Miles held back a growl, "Now have the rest of them stripped and detained."

Miles turned his head towards them and nodded; hesitantly, they dropped their weapons and began to take off their battle bands, bracelets, and hunting knives. Lopez had trembling hands when he removed his healer's necklace and placed it neatly on the ground. Lyle looked mournful at the bracelets and necklaces that young hunters in training gave him and began walking towards the soldiers despite the yells of protests from the Kekunan. Fike held back tears as he thought of Waeyo waiting at the village for him to return; they were soon cuffed and lined up beside Prager.

"And then there was one." General Ardmore said, looking at Miles triumphantly. Miles took a breath and began to unfasten his battle belt. But then a loud screech was heard, and Miles wiped his head around to see a giant Ikran fly up from the pillar and land in front of them. Ardmore stepped back; Spider stopped crying and looked at Toruk in awe while the gunmen in the helicopter aimed at the Ikran.

"Oh, not this guy again," Ja said. Before General Ardmore could give the order to fire, Miles ran in front of the Ikran, "Do not shoot!"

"Get out of the way, Colonel, before I shoot you down with it." General Ardmore said, but Miles didn't move, "If you kill this Ikran, you won't just have the Kekunan clan after you. You will have every clan on Pandora coming to kill you."

General Ardmore took a second to look around and saw the Na'vi ready to release their arrows; even the female Na'vi, who was crying in the arms of another, had her weapon drawn with a look that dared her to give the order. 

"Then what you expect we do then." Miles thought briefly before turning Toruk; one hand raised while the other held up Spider's Songcord, "Calm."

He slowly made his way towards him as Toruk was distracted by the scent of Spider's songcord; he was in a blissful haze as Miles approached his antenna with his queue in his hand. The Recoms and the Kekunan held their breaths as Miles got closer. Before Toruk could escape his trance, Miles jumped on him and connected his queue to his antenna; Toruk shrieked before remaining still.

"I don't know if you can understand me, but I need you to listen." Miles whispered to him before he looked toward Ardmore, "She has someone we both want, and I need you to trust me, okay?"

Feeling a wave of approval, Miles hopped off him and made his way to Ardmore, removing everything until he only had his loin cloth, "You don't have to worry about him. He won't do anything."

"So we don't have to shoot it now." Ardmore asked; Miles nodded, "He'll go wherever I go." 

"Alright. Get them secured and loaded up," Ardmore yelled at the soldiers as they cuffed Miles and began to load him and the Recoms onto the Valkyrie. Kayri looked on in misery as she watched her family be taken away from her; one last tear fell down her cheek. Miles and the Recoms were placed in seats on the lower deck; their ankles, necks, and cuffed hands were chained to the floor and wall.

"You'll be given further orders when we return to bridgehead." Ardmore said, placing Spider in Miles's lap before taking off her Skel suit and climbing up the stairs to the upper deck, "You should spend as much time as you can with your son before we get there."

Spider curled against his father's body for comfort as Miles lowered his head as much as the chain would allow, rubbing his head against Spider's to soothe him. Miles had a crestfallen look on his face as he looked up to see the rest of the Recoms looking at the father-and-son duo. They had the same look of defeat as the doors of the Valkyrie closed, engulfing them in darkness and then in red light; they heard the rumble of the engine starting and felt the shaking as the aircraft began to take off.

Chapter Text

Kayri watched as the aircraft that took her family flew further and further away; she wanted nothing more than to mount Ralu and chase after them. She tensed when she felt someone wrap their arms around her from behind. She heard Seytawni's soft whimpers and hiccups as Seytawni buried her head into her back. Kayri raised her hand and placed it on top of her sister. They stood frozen as they held each other for comfort while their people watched them in sadness.

"I'm sorry; this is all my fault," Seytwani whispered. Karyri stepped out of her grip and turned to hold her in a gentle hug, "None of this is your fault, Seytawni."

"But if—" Kayri silenced her. She held her face in her hands. Let's not dwell on the regrets of the past and focus on what we can now."

Kayri's parents walked towards the pair and placed their hands on her shoulder; they gave Kayri a look of encouragement, squeezing her shoulders firmly for a moment. She composed herself; she stepped forward with her head held high to address the clan while her Setwayne moved back to be with their parents.

"My people!" Kayri shouted, her voice filled with passion and fury. "The Sky People have sent a message that they can take whatever they want, and no one can stop them. But we will send them a message. Ride out as fast as the wind can carry you, and tell the other clans to come. Tell them Toruk Makto calls to them. Fly now with me, brothers and sisters! And we will show the Sky People the might of the clans!"

Kayri finishes with a bloodcurdling war cry, and the entire Kekunan clan responds, their shouts echoing across the mountains. Her parents and sister let out their own battle cries, but Ley'waye was the only one displeased with the clan's decision to go after the Sky people. He slowly made his way close to Kayri; when Seytawni's eyes landed on him, she made a face as if she remembered something.

"Kayri, do not let your emotions cloud your judgment.", Ley'waye said softly, not noticing Seytawni  coming closer to them, "We cannot put our clan and others in danger; we can think of another way when our hearts have settled."

Kayri looked at Ley'waye, perplexed as to why he would hesitate to fight when Seytawni came between them; Ley'waye took a step back and stared at Seytawni in confusion.

"Ley'waye, I have a question for you." Seytwani said softly, looking at him blankly, "Yes, what is it?"

"Why did you have Prager's gun?" Ley'waye's eyes widened, and he stuttered, "Wh-what, what, what are you talking about?"

"Why were you flying with Prager's gun?" Seytawni repeated. Ley'waye lowered slightly, and his tail swayed nervously, "What? I did not."

"What are you talking about, Seytawni?" Kayri asked as Seytawni pointed accusingly at Ley'waye and hissed, "The Sky people showed me an image of him flying his Ikran with Prager's gun and flying towards the village."

Everyone looked at Ley'waye in shock and disbelief. He couldn't have done such a thing; he would never betray the clan and lead the sky people to them.

"When you invited Miles to hunt with you today..." Kayri whispered, her eyes widening in realization as she looked at Ley'waye. "You were going to lead him out for the sky people to find him... to take him away."

Ley'waye turned away from Kayri's gaze, saying nothing when her father said, "Is this true, Ley'waye?"

"I...I," Ley'waye hesitated, his panicked eyes focused on the ground. He then took a deep breath to steady himself before facing Ayvawkx emotionless, "It's true. I had planned to lead that demon to the skypeople." 

Kayri felt the world darkening around her; she only heard the muffled voices of her people's outrage at Ley'waye's betrayal. Her eyes seemed to be in a daze until they landed on Ley'waye. The guilty look on his face told her everything; before she could even think, she ran and lunged at him with the fury of Thanator while letting out a war cry. 

She blindsided and knocked him to the ground; she pinned his arms to his sides with her knees as she began to claw at him and rain punch after punch down at his unguarded face. She continued with a crazed look in her eyes; her ears were flattened as she let out a furious cry and bared her teeth. She snarled with primal fury as two warriors pulled her off Ley'waye. She flayed like a wild animal to charge him again, but they held a tight grip on her. 

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO THE CLAN, TO MY FAMILY!" Kayri yelled, angry tears going down her face as Ley'waye was helped up to his feet, his face bloodied and bruised.

Ley'waye's face was full of hatred as he yelled back, "They were a disease that needed to die; what I did was for the good of the people!"

"No, it was for your selfish desires!" Ley'waye turned to Ayvawkx, shocked at his words. "Olo'eyktan, you would choose those demons?"

"Bind him and lock him up in one of the huts." Ayvawkx snarled while Peitey glared at him. Ley'waye looked shell-shocked as his arms were bound behind his back without resistance, "You will face punishment for your betrayal. And if any of them departs from this life, I will not give you the dignity to be buried with the Ancestral tree."

The Kekunan clan gasped; not even the worst offenders have been denied to be laid to rest in Eywa's embrace. Ley'waye remained mute as he was dragged away to an Ikran and back to the village. Ayvawkx took a deep breath to calm himself as he turned to the clan; they had mixtures of disgust, shock, and even hatred on their faces as they all watched Ley'waye be put on the back of an Ikran and be flown back to the village.

" Calm, my people, calm." Ayvawkx, as the people cried out for the betrayal and demanded justice, "I, along with others, shall go to my former clan for their help, my mate shall go to our sister clan for theirs, and my daughter shall go to the Omatikaya clan in the Thundering Rocks. Return to the village and load the Ikran; we will fly when the sun is at its highest.

The Kekunan clan cheered one last time before mounting their Ikrans and flying back to the village; Seytawni had finished picking up the Recoms' things on the ground and placed them in Lopez's satchel before she went to Kayri.

"Sister, before we go back, I must check Iziria. She was injured badly by the sky demons; I need to see if she is ok." Seytawni pleaded to her; Kayri nodded before they mounted Ralu and took off while the parents returned to the village to pack.

When they finally reached Iziria, lying motionless on the ground, Seytawni's grip tightened around her sister as they landed. Seytwani quickly jumped off Ralu and ran to Iziria; she laid her head on Iziria's chest and sighed in relief when she heard a heartbeat.

"Thank you, Great Mother," she whispered as she made her way to her head, kneeled, and began to stroke Iziari's head. Iziria's slowly opened and then closed as she saw who was stroking her head; Kayri came forward and began to take out herbs from Lopez's satchel and crushed them in her hands before she began to apply them to Iziria's wings. Iziria hissed as Kayri applied the herbs and started to shift in discomfort, but Seytwani held her head firmly and whispered words of comfort to calm her.

"There. She'll be fine in a few days but must be taken back to the village to rest." Kayri said, putting the remaining herbs back in the satchel. They then heard the sounds of Ikran's screeching; they saw a large group heading towards them. The group landed, and Waeyo was the first to dismount and made her way over to the sisters. Kayri braced herself for an outburst from her but was stunned when she pulled them both into a hug.

"We will bring our families home," Waeyo said, assuring them and giving them a gentle smile. Kayri smiled as she returned the hug; she was happy that Waeyo was never someone who would hold grudges and was soft-hearted. They released each other from the hug, and Waeyo looked pitifully at Iziria, who was now being tied up to be taken back to the village, before turning back to Kayri.

"I've brought your things; I will start putting them on Ralu." Kayri thanked her as Waeyo began to walk her Ikran, "I will pray to Eywa that Iziria makes a swift recovery."

"Iziria will be fine. I know Seytawni will care for her when they return to the village.", Kayri said, giving Waeyo a reassuring smile. Seytawni turned to her sister in shock, "What do you mean return to the village? I'm going to go with you."

"No, Seytawni, you are also injured and need to rest." Kayri looked at her sister sternly while she, in turn, looked at her stubbornly, "I'm not that hurt; I can still help."

"It's not just me who doesn't want you to go; Mother and Father can't take you getting hurt again.", Kayri said as she made her way to Ralu, who had her things loaded on him, Seytawni following behind her, "I'll be more careful then, please you have to let me go with you."

"Stop it, Seytawni. This isn't a game anymore; this is serious. My answer is final; you're not going." Kayri ended their conversation as she mounted on Ralu. Seytawni grabbed her hand, giving her a desperate look, "I know it's serious, and I want to save them as much as you do. I want to make it right; I know you say it wasn't my fault, but I can't help feeling it is, so please let me go with you."

Kayri looked at her sister's eyes; she saw her unwavering determination to join them to rescue. Kayri sighed as she motioned Seytawni to get on her Ikran. Seytawni smiled as she hopped on Ralu, and they took off to the Thundering Rocks. Seytawni looked behind her with teary eyes to see Iziria being carried back to the village; she said a small prayer to Eywa for her recovery as they continued to fly.

Miles didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke up with a jolt when he felt the Valkyrie land and looked down in relief to see Spider still curled up on his chest asleep. Spider was in a deep sleep, utterly exhausted from the events and tears he had shed. Miles looked around to see the rest of his team beginning to wake up. They seemed dazed for a moment, but Miles saw the look of realization in their eyes that they were still chained up. It wasn't long before the cargo door opened, and soldiers came in; some were wearing Skel suits with taser batons, while others had their guns pointing at them. 

"Get these traitors to the labs for medical evaluations; I don't want them spreading any diseases they may have caught." Ardmore said as she descended the stairs from the upper deck; the Recoms glared at her as she stopped in front of Miles, "Your brat is going to be at the examination room. I don't want you getting ideas of escaping now."

With a nod towards a soldier with a Skel suit, they began to approach Miles as if he was a wild animal; they jumped back when Miles hissed at him when he got close to Miles. The Recoms laughed at the soldier's fear; Ardmore glared at them before turning back to the embarrassed soldier.

"Hurry up and take him already; we don't get all day for this." she snarled at him. The soldier nodded again before taking Spider despite Miles's growls.

"I find even a scratch on him. I'll slit your throat, boy." Miles threatened. The soldier gulped as he turned to leave the Valkyrie, but he began to break into a cold sweat as he felt the intense stares of the other Recoms when he walked past them, "You better be careful not to wake him, Douglas."

Douglas trembled a little at Lyle's underlying threat; he quickly picked up his pace and made his way to the awaiting doctors, who had a gurney ready. He laid Spider as gently as he could; he froze when Spider shifted on the gurney; he let out a sigh when Spider settled. They took Spider away before the Recoms could see where they took him; the Recoms were unchained one by one and were lined up behind one another. They had a single chain connected to all of them before they were moved out; as they made their way inside, Mansk would pin his ears down and bare his teeth towards male soldiers, giving Z perverted peeks at her top while she and the other Recoms gave them death glares.

They were then taken inside and escorted down the halls, which soon led to an unfamiliar hallway until they reached a vault-like door. They enter to see a large circular room with no windows, twelve glass cells, and a metal bed and toilet. When they were all placed in the separate cells, all personnel left, leaving only General Ardmore to stare at Miles with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"I'm guessing the cells were made before we even landed." Miles said, looking at Ardmore, "We didn't want another Sully incident, but then four died, and the rest of you ran within a month."

"The medical team will be here shortly for all your examinations," Ardmore said before she left, leaving the Recoms alone.

Miles sighed as he sat on the bed, putting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands; the Recoms looked at one another, not knowing what to say. They all remained silent for almost an hour before soldiers wearing Skel suits came in and approached Fike's cell.

"Face towards the wall and put your hands into the slot!" one of the soldiers ordered. Fike smacked his teeth before following their orders and being led out the door.

He was gone for 30 minutes before being dragged back unconscious by his arms; the Recoms were shocked by his appearance. He was wearing his old tactical gear, and his braided hair with colorful beads that were gifts from Waeyo was now his old haircut. They saw electrical burns scattered around his body and a bruise forming on his cheek; they could do nothing but watch as he was tossed back into his cell before the soldiers went to Lopez's.

"Put your hands in the slot and face the wall!" Lopez snarled at them, "Kiss my blue ass, you skxawngs."

"If you want to end up like the other one, you better do as I say.", the soldier said as the others turned on their electrical batons. With a soft huff, Lopez reluctantly put his hands in the slot; he hissed in pain as they cuffed him tightly around his wrists and was shoved out the door. The Recoms stared as the door was slammed shut before they turned their attention back to Fike's cell.

"Fike, you all right, man." Lyle shouted out, only to get a groan in response, "Damn, those bastards got you good."

"Yup, they sure did," Fike said as he pushed himself back onto his feet. He made an irritated face as he scratched his back, "Man, I never realized how uncomfortable these damn clothes are."

He then felt his hair and groaned, "Damn it, Waeyo is going to lose her mind."

Then, another 30 minutes later, Lopez was brought back in with his old gear and haircut, too, with bits of electrical burns. He was put back in his cell, and then the soldiers moved to Ja's cell. And so it went one by one with either burns or bruises until it looked like they never escaped; the only evidence they had to show that they had a life outside of the RDA was Spider's Songcord. Miles managed to hide it by sticking it under the metal frame of his bed; when they took him for his evaluation, he tried to see if Spider was there but couldn't find him. When they finished taking everything he needed, he was placed in a room to change back into his old gear. 

Miles had just finished changing when he already wanted to rip them off; these clothes were so confining. he was seated in front of a mirror when a soldier came around with a hair trimmer coming up behind him. Miles just knew that goddamn barber was trying to make him angry; he was aggressively cutting his hair, even nicking him a couple of times. Miles wanted nothing more than to knock the guy off on his ass, but he didn't want them to have the satisfaction of proving to them he was a savage. He only focused on how his braids fell to the ground; some of them had beads gifted by Spider and Kayri woven into them. He was pulled up and was turned to be escorted back until he was face to face with a much older-looking soldier.

"You know I used to respect you when you were Colonel Quaritch." he said, looking straight into Miles's eyes, "When they brought you back as one of them, I thought there was no way you, of all people, would go native."

He lifted the Skel's foot and stomped on a green bead, crushing it, "Those locals must have been pretty good if you all switched sides. Maybe I should get a taste of what you-." Before Miles knew it, he had head-butted the bastard so hard that he heard the sickening crunch of his nose breaking before he was laid out with his nose gushing out blood. The soldiers tased and beat down on him, but Miles couldn't care less; the Recom's moods lifted when they saw Miles covered with injuries but had a shit-eating grin with a bit of blood coming down his forehead. It wasn't long until General Ardmore came strolling in; she looked satisfied when she saw them now in their gear.

"Now, this is what I like to see. You all look so civilized now." Mansk, who was behind her, flipped her off as she continued to speak, "We'll get the results tomorrow to clear you all. You better rest up now; you'll need it; long-range patrol already picked up a radar hit. A rouge gunship at the easter sea, we lost it over the open water, but we projected the track and put it at one of the many hundreds of islands. And we've already wasted enough time tracking you down, and now we're on a tight schedule, but the higher-ups are happy that I got their property back."

They snarled and hissed at her last comment, their ears lowered as their tails whipped behind them. She turned to leave. Miles was about to ask about Spider, but she turned her head towards him as if predicting his next move.

"Your son is fine, but he's being kept somewhere else; he's my insurance to ensure you do your job." She gave Miles a sickeningly sweet smile, "I'll make sure to tell him sweet dreams for you."

Before Miles could snap back at her, she slammed the door shut; Ja pressed his head against the glass, muttering, "We should've burned this place down when we had the chance."

A sentence Miles couldn't have agreed with more.

Chapter Text

The Recoms didn't know how long they'd been in their cells until guards pushed carts in with their dinner. They had to be up against the wall across from the glass barrier as they slid in the food trays. Miles approached the tray as the workers left them to eat, and upon closer inspection, he gave it a questionable look; the food looked unappealing, to put it nicely. It was a burnt yet undercooked-looking green casserole with a slice of bread, a bowl with what looked like gruel, a reddish jello, and a cup of water.

"God damn, how did this food get even worse since we left." gaged Prager as he took a whiff of the casserole, Z agreed, "This is making me want to throw up."

"We need our strength for tomorrow, alright? So suck it up, buttercups." Lyle said as he picked up his plastic fork and took a piece of the casserole.

"No, Lyle!" "Don't do this to yourself, man!." "You're going to give yourself food poisoning!" "Lyle, don't.", the Recoms cried as Lyle gulped nervously as he shakily brought the casserole closer to his mouth. He instantly regretted it when he started to chew on it; he had to stop himself from spitting it out when he bit down on something hard. A shiver went down his spine when he finally managed to choke it down.

"See. ack.. it wasn't that bad," Lyle said weakly, looking at everyone's horrified looks. They looked at each other as they slowly began to eat their dinners, much to their dismay.

"Oh. Keep it down, Vomit Lopez! Hurk... Keep it down, Daddy." Lopez heaved as he held his stomach in one arm and covered his mouth with his hand. A few minutes after they finished their meals, the guards returned to take them, leaving them alone again.

The Recoms began to talk amongst each other or exercise while Miles lay on his bed fiddling with Spider's Songcord; it wasn't long until the light turned red, indicating it was time to sleep. The Recoms quietly went to their beds; they shifted to get comfortable, but this bed was more metal than a bed. Miles stared at his son's Songcord for a bit longer before bringing it closer to his chest as he drifted off to sleep.

Miles found himself in the black void again; he hadn't had this dream since the first night they escaped. He tried calming himself down as a wave of fear crashed onto him; he looked around to see if he could find anything in the nothingness surrounding him. He then heard a soft humming sound like an old lullaby his mother sang to him and his siblings after a rough day with their father. It was soothing until he heard more voices; it started as whispers, then grew louder and louder as if they were trying to talk over each other; it became so loud that he felt like his ears were bleeding. 

His eyes shot open; he wince at the brightness of the white lights now shining in his cell and a loud alarm ringing in his ears. He quickly tucked Spider's Songcord into his pants and went up to the cell's glass with his hands covering his ears. He looks to see in the other cells to find the others with their hands over their ears and wincing at the alarm ringing. This went on for a few more minutes before it was turned off; they sighed in relief as they removed their hands from their ears and watched General Ardmore waltz right in with a smug smile on her face. It was like she enjoyed having the first thing she saw when she entered was Miles confined in the cell. Following behind her was a man in uniform and a group of soldiers wearing Skel suits and scientists rolling in carts of what looked to be medical equipment.

"Good morning, ladies. I hope you all had a good night's rest." she said as the Recoms glared at her, "The med team has cleared you all for active duty, but they did find something very interesting from one of you."

They watched in confusion as she walked along their cells until she stopped before Zdinarsk's cell, "You've been a busy bunny, haven't you, Zdinarsk."

Z-Dog glared down at her, crossing her arms, "I ain't have a clue what you're talking about, you old-looking raisin."

General Ardmore glared at her slightly before she grinned as if she remembered a funny joke, "So you had no idea you're five weeks pregnant."

"Oh shit." Lyle quietly cursed as the Recom's confused faces swiftly changed to looks of shock.

Mansk slammed his palms against the glass cell with his ears lowered and his tail beginning to move erratically. Z looked shocked as she covered her mouth with one hand, looking down to see her other hand on her stomach. General looked at their reactions with a satisfied grin before staring into Z's frightened eyes.

"Guessing by all of your reactions, I can assume that you all were unaware." She then turned to Mansk's cell to see him growing more frantic as he shifted from side to side, "And I'm willing to bet that you're the father."

Mansk seemed to ignore her as his gaze was locked in on Z's face; Ardmore turned back to Zdinarsk, her eyes fixated on her stomach. Z noticed her staring and backed up into a corner while she placed both hands protectively over her stomach.

"What are you going do to me." Z shakily said as she tried to press herself further into the cell wall, "Well, nothing now, but we got big plans for you; I mean, you just gave us a cheaper way to get more Na'vi soldiers."

Z-Dog hissed at her in disgust and fury at what she was insinuating; they would turn her and Mansk into some baby factory. They would use the baby in her and her future children as weapons; Z glared at Ardmore, her ears pinned down to her skull; they would have to kill her first if they thought she'd let them take her child without a fight. The others banged their fists against the cells, yelling profanities, with Mansk being the loudest.

"You lay a finger on her, and I'll squeeze your throat so tight that your eyes will pop out of your fucking skull!" Mansks shouted, his eyes glowing in hatred as he glared daggers at Ardmore while she gave him an amused look, "Well enough talk; I'm going to introduce you to all to your handler."

Miles clenched his fists when she said the handler, like some dogs, had to be kept on a leash.

"This is Colonel Brooks; he will oversee your mission's progress." Ardmore gestures to a man in uniform to step forward; he is a 45-year-old average white male with brown eyes, clean-cut brown hair, and a physique similar to Mile's old body.

"Not to worry, General. I'll have them fall back in order, and the mission finished in no time." Colonel Brooks smugly said while ignoring the hateful look on the Recom's faces. With that being said, General Admore nodded to Brooks and made her way out, with Colonel Brooks saluting her off.

"Kiss ass." Fike coughed; Colonel Brooks ignored him, "Alright, let's get them chipped."

"I'm sorry. Did you just say chipped?" Prager asked as the soldiers with Skel suits simultaneously approached their cells with the taser batons and orange cuffs while the medical team behind them began to pull out black cases.

"All of you on your knees and hands in the air!!" A soldier commanded. Not wanting to get tased like yesterday, the Recoms did as they were told.

All their cells were opened with two soldiers with the orange cuffs going in, quickly restraining them and dragging them out. They saw the medics taking out a bulky-looking gun and making their way over to them; their tails moved franticly behind them, revealing their real emotions as they tried to keep a straight face. They placed the gun to their necks, and the Recoms hissed out in pain as they felt a sharp pain.

"Injection successful.", a medic said as he stepped aside for another doctor to hold up a pad to see the chip in their necks, "Location verified."

They were released from the cuffs and began to stand up, with Mansk swiftly making his way to help Z-Dog; he held her face in his hands and pressed their heads together as Mansk whispered words of comfort to her. The medical had quickly packed up their equipment and made their way out, the soldiers following after them, leaving Colonel Brooks alone with the Recoms; he didn't seem at all panic being alone with beings three times his size.

"You have all been injected with a tracking device to prevent a repeat of your little vacation." The Recoms subconsciously raised their hands and gently rubbed the area where they were injected, "Oh, and another thing those little things can do is this."

He pressed an icon on a small screen pad fastened on his forearm; the Recoms then heard a buzzing from their necks. Instantly, they dropped to the floor, convulsing and withering in pain as if every cell in their bodies was on fire. Colonel Brooks watched with a sadistic smile as the Recoms could only let out silent screams in their paralyzed states. After what seemed like forever, Colonel Brooks pressed the icon again, stopping the onslaught of pain the Recoms were receiving. The Recoms gasped for air as they slowly began to move their aching bodies to stand; Mansk held on to Zdinarsk with a look of panic in her eyes as she touched her belly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! She's pregnant, for fuck sake?!" Mansk snarled at him as the others silently glared at him while Lopez went to check on Z, "I'm just demonstrating that I'm willing to use it, so if you don't listen, then that blood is on your hands, not mine."

It pissed Miles off that that fucker could talk so casually about killing a child before it was even born. With every minute, Miles was starting to see his old self in this man; his only goal was to finish his mission, which shook Miles to his core. The memories of his actions had always seemed to cast a shadow over Miles; even when he was with the Kekunan clan, he thought he could, in time, learn to accept his sins of the past entirely, but now he was facing the embodiment of all the things he loathed about himself.

Mansk let out a furious cry as he got up to launch at Colonel Brooks but was by Lyle and Fike; Colonel Brooks took a step back and laughed at Mansk's angry face, "Hey now, what did I just say earlier? But if you manage to kill me, you'd all be dead within 24 hours since that's the time limit before I have to reset the chips before they blow your heads off."

Mansk backed down after hearing that last part and turned his attention back to Z-Dog, who was finished being examined by Lopez. 

"The baby is still in the early stages for me to know their condition, but if they're anything like their mother, then they're going to be okay," Lopez whispered to Mansk and Z-Dog to comfort them. Mansk nodded in appreciation as he helped Z up to her feet; he held her close as they turned to Colonel Brooks, who just stood there waiting patiently to have all their attention.

"Alright, now, with all that out of the way, we can focus on finishing this once and for all. Now, like General Ardmore had briefed last night, Sully is hiding on one of the islands on the eastern sea, which was the last location of a rouge gunship. We'll be commandeering a large-scale marine hunting vessel called the SeaDragon, run by Captain Mick Scoresby, and we'll be going from village to village." Colonel Brooks explained as he projected the boat for the Recoms to see, "We'll be leaving immediately, so move your asses and let's go."

With that, Colonel Brooks turned to leave for the hallways; they all remained still for a second before Miles let out a sigh before he began to walk after Colonel Brooks, with the rest of the Recoms following behind him.

Chapter Text

Utter humiliation was what the Recoms felt following Colonel Brooks through the halls of Bridgehead as if he was a hero parading his spoils of wars. The stares and whispers of personnel towards them as they walked past were now more apparent. They didn't shy away when the Recoms glared in their direction; honestly, it seemed to encourage them to look at them more brazenly and voice their opinions.

"Looks like they're falling in line after Colonel Brooks gave them a little nudge." Lopez heard one of them whisper as the other laughed. Lopez turned to step towards them, "Oh, I'll give you a little nudge when I shove my foot up your ass!"

Before Lopez could get close to the fleeing workers, Prager grabbed his shoulder to stop; Lopez turned to him in annoyance while Prager shook his head and nodded towards Colonel Brooks, glancing back at them. Lopez let out a frustrating sigh as they proceeded down the hall, catching up with the group until Colonel Brooks abruptly stopped, causing the Recoms to bump into each other.

"Before we leave for the boat, the General has given you an extra task to complete." Colonel Brooks said as he swiped his keycard and entered the room with the Recoms after him. They were surprised to see a room that looked like a tornado had come through it. They took a moment observing the scratches on the wall and the torn fabric sheets of the bed in the corner, but then, as Mansk inspected the mattress, his ears twitched up when he heard a soft whimper from under it. He got on his knees and looked underneath; his heart broke to see Spider's pitiful attempt to look smaller as he curled himself in the corner.

"Spider..." Mansk whispered, waiting for a response. He smiled when Spider's head perked up and turned towards him, with tears beginning to form in his eyes as he saw the familiar face of his uncle.

"Unc Mans!" Spiders cried out. The others turned towards the noise only to see Spider crawling out from under the bed and launching himself in Mansk's arms while Mansk laughed.

Spider looked over at Mansk and was overjoyed to see the rest of his uncles and Aunt around him, "Uncs! Aunt!"

The Recoms smiled warmly at him but then parted to let Miles through, causing Spider's eyes and smile to widen as he hopped out of Mansk's embrace and ran as fast as he could towards his Father with his arms reaching out to him, "DADDY!"

Miles smiled back at him as he crouched and opened his arms wide. Spider jumped into his arms and latched on to him like a Koala with his little arms wrapped around his neck. Miles held Spider in such a tight hug that he thought he might accidentally hurt him; he kissed his head and buried his nose into his hair. He smelled so artificial and like chemicals that he could barely smell any remnants of their old home.

"He's a feisty little shit. He bites and scratches anyone that comes near him and almost bit a guy's finger clean off." The Recoms turned to look at Colonel Brooks as he talked while Miles still held Spider in a firm embrace. "Here's the deal: the General wants him more docile, so you either get him to be more cooperative or he gets chipped like the rest of you, and I don't think any of you want that now, do you? You have 15 minutes."

With that, Colonel Brooks left the room, leaving the Recoms frozen as Miles shook in anger and fear at the thought of his son being put through the same pain as them. Spider felt his Father trembling, releasing his grip before taking a step back, still in his Father's arms, and looked up at him, pointing at the tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Daddy sad," Spider said softly, his ears drooping down; his Father was the strongest in the world, and Spider had never seen him cry. Miles shook his head and gave him a reassuring smile, "No, Daddy's just so happy to see you." 

Spider smiled brightly, believing his Father but confused when he looked at Miles's new haircut; he asked, "Where's daddy's hair?"

"My hair- Oh, you mean this." Miles chuckled as Spider reached up to feel his buzz cut, "We lost a game, and now we have to look like Uncle Lyle."

"Hey!" Lyle shouted as Spider giggled, looking around to see his Aunt and Uncles without their braids and beads before turning back to his Father with a sad look, "I want to go home."

Miles smiled faltered a little as the Recom's solemn faces replaced their smiling ones, " I know. But we'll go soon little warrior, but you need to do something for me first, okay?"

Spider nodded enthusiastically as his tail wagged and ears perked up. Miles continued, "Me, your Aunt, and your Uncles have to do something before your mom can come to get you, so I need you to stay here and be good for me, okay?"

"But I want to go with you." Spider said sadly as Miles sighed, "I know you do, but you have to stay here, got it."

Spider weakly nodded as his tail and ears drooped sadly; wanting to cheer him up, Z-dog piped up, "But you'll be able to meet your cousin soon."

Spider spun toward his Aunt Z, who had a hand on her belly, and Uncle Mansk smiled at him before adding, "And you have to be brave if you want to protect your little cousin."

Spider smiled as he ran out of his Father's arms towards his Aunt and Uncle as they knelt to him. Spider stopped and waited before his Aunt Z gently took his hand and placed it onto her stomach; when Spider felt nothing, he looked up at his Aunt questionably, "Is it sleeping?" 

Mansk and Z-Dog laughed at his question as Z nodded, "Yes, the baby is still young and small, so they need to sleep to grow big and strong like you."

Spider giggled as his Aunt Z poked his belly before he placed his ear on her stomach, "Hello baby, hurry up and grow so we can play."

The Recoms laughed as Z-Dog stroked Spider's hair, but then the door opened behind them to reveal Colonel Brooks, "Well, judging by the looks of your faces, your kid won't be any more trouble, Quartich."

"No, not anymore, Colonel." Miles forced out, "Alright, let's get a move on."

Spider ran to his Father's embrace again and began to cry as the Recoms reluctantly exited, "Daddy, stay, please."

Miles shut his eyes tightly before pulling Spider off him, gripping his shoulder and looking dead in the eyes, " You got to be brave now, understand? You are Spider Te Stayoika Eke'ite, son of Kayri Te Stayoika Eke'ite and Miles Te Stayoika Eke'ite, child of the Kekunan Clan, a future warrior, and Olo'eyktan.

Spider sniffled before nodding as Miles wiped away his tears and brought him in for one last hug, picking him up, placing him on the bed, and covering him with a blanket, "I love you, Spider."

"I love you, Daddy," Spider whispered as he closed his eyes; Miles clenched his fists before turning to leave the room. 

"Don't turn around. Don't turn around." Miles repeated to himself as he left the room, flinching slightly as the door shut behind him.

He sighed as he turned to face his team, all with gloomy looks, until an impatient-looking Brooks proceeded down the hall with the Recoms following him. They finally made it outside to the airfield where Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson was after spinning up.

"I'll be taking off to the boat, and you all follow behind me, understood," Brooks said as he went in; they nodded as they watched the aircraft take off to the East.

"God, I hope that thing crashes into the sea," Ja said as they removed their boots and cut their pants short.

"Oh yeah, that feels so much better," Fike said as he messaged his feet. He was happy he was finally able to take off those boots. They then whistled for their Ikrans; the soldiers had their guns trained on them as they landed and grew more anxious when Miles whistled for his only to have two Ikrans land. Miles went over to Cupcake first and softly scratched her head; she leaned into his touch and cooed.

"Stay here and look after Spider," Miles whispered to Cupcake. She shrieked as if she understood and took off back into the jungle. Miles then slowly turned back to Toruk, who remained still waiting for Miles to approach him; when he did, Toruk lowered his head for Miles to climb onto him. Toruk didn't have a saddle, so Miles had to have a firm grip on his antennas when they took off following the direction of Colonel Brooks with the Recoms following behind him.

It took five days for Kayri and her group to finally find the Omatikaya Clan's High camp in the floating mountains; the clan gathered as they landed. The crowd parted as Mo'at and Tarsem walked to greet them; Kayri dismounted Ralu and made her way to Mo'at and Tarsem.

"Tsahik, Olo'eyktan I see you." Kayri greeted them as they returned the gesture, " I am Kayri Te Stayoika Eke'ite the Tsakarem and the eldest daughter of the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan of the Kekunan Clan, and I have come to ask for your aid."

Mo'at and Tarsem looked at one another before Tarsem spoke, "What matter has occurred that has forced you to come to us for help." 

"The sky people have taken my mate, his warriors, and our child as their prisoners." Many members of the Omatikaya Clan gasped in horror and began to whisper among themselves; Mo'at's tail whipped anxiously behind her as Kayri continued, "They threaten the life of our son if my mate does not obey them. My mother has gone to our sister clan, and my Father has gone to his former clan to ask for aid."

She turns and goes to Ralu's saddle pocket and takes out a small black USB before holding it up to Mo'at and Tarsem, "My mate has told me you also have Sky people that are allies and have the means to help in their rescue."

Mo'at and Tarsem nodded as Norm walked through the crowd, "Mo'at, Tarsem, I came as soon as I heard a group of Na'vi arriving."

"Yes, the Kekunan Clan is in need of our clan's aid and your tools," Tarsem said as he grabbed the USB from Kayri before handing it to Norm and turning back to speak with Kayri, "When will your Father and Mother arrive."

"In three days' time, if they do not stop to rest," Tarsem nodded, "We must be cautious and send scouts to meet them halfway so as not to alert the Sky people of the large war party beginning to gather."

Kayri nodded, and Tarsem ordered scouts to fly out immediately while other clan members began to help them remove their things from their Ikrans. Seytwani clutched Lopez's satchel close to her as she and Kayri followed Mo'at and Norm further into the cave. They finally arrived at a metal structure with a sky person waiting outside for them; Norm walked up to him and handed him the USB Seytawni hid behind her sister, her ears lowered and he tail twitching in fear at the sight of the sky person.

"Calm, Setwani, calm," Kayri whispered to her. Mo'at glanced toward them with a look of understanding before looking back toward Norm, "Max, I need you to download whatever is in this USB. I'll meet you in there after I unlink."

Max nodded and turned to Kayri as Norm left, "Come inside, and don't worry, we'll get you some masks."

The two sisters looked at each other apprehensively until Mo'at held Kayri's hand and gave her a reassuring smile. Kayri nodded at Mo'at as she led her toward the door of the metal structure. Seytwani could barely fit in as she and Mo'at had to crouch down to hit their heads on the ceiling when the door closed behind them, and the loud noise of air escaping made them jump in shock. Max then took off his mask and hung it up before handing them a different one; they copied the way Mo'at hung it around her neck and inhaled a few breaths of air; they frowned at the unnatural way it smelled.

They were guided through until they reached a much larger room with more Sky people, much to Seytwani's dismay, that was in front of screens much larger than Pragers and with glowing white machines in the wall. But then one of them stopped glowing while it pulled out of the wall and opened, revealing a sky person that looked similar to the Na'vi they had met earlier.

"Did you finish downloading?" Norm asked, walking over to Max, sitting in front of a computer, "Yeah, I'm almost done. It has a lot of stuff. But uh... how did they even get a USB?"

"The Tsakarem said that her mate had it," Norm answered Max, but that confused him even more, and he turned around to face him, "But that still doesn't answer anything. Why did the RDA take her mate? How did they know to get to High Camp when we hadn't told any other clans? And how do they have practically brand new-"

Max stopped questioning when he saw Norm was no longer paying attention to him but was staring at the screen behind him in utter shock. Max glanced at Mo'at, that wore the same expression as Norm, and slowly turned to face his screen only to be met with a paused video of Miles fucking Quaritch staring right back at him with a play icon over his face.

"Son of a Bitch!"

Chapter Text

"Do you know what they are saying," Seytawni asked Kayri as they watched the two Sky people rapidly talking between each other in their language, "No, they are talking too fast and using words I don't know?"

More sky people gathered around the screen in bewilderment and joined in the frantic discussion between the duo as Mo'at turned to them and pointed at the screen behind her, "Do you know him?"

Kayri was taken aback by the restrained edge in Mo'at's voice, "Yes, Miles is my mate and the next Olo'eyktan of the Kekunan Clan."

"He's going to be the WHAT?!" Norm yelled, turning to her with dismay. Mo'at tail whipped behind her angrily as she hissed, "How could you welcome that demon into your clan after he had attempted to destroy the Tree of Souls!"

Seytawni hid behind Kayri as she stood her ground, "He is different from his past. There was a sign from Eywa. He and his warriors fled from the sky people with his son. They sought Uturu in our Clan," Kayri then turned and reached into Lopez's pouch, pulling out the Recoms' Songcords and displaying them to Mo'at and the Sky people, "They learned the ways of our people and were accepted by Eywa and the Clan." 

"I cared for Spider as if he came from my body, and we lived happily." she cried through tears as her hand clenched tightly around the Songcords. Seytawni held her from behind to keep her steady, "But then the Sky people found them, and they surrendered themselves to them for the safety of my sister and Spider. And I will bring them back to me with or without the help of your Clan."

Kayri and Mo'at stared at one another while the others looked between them as if waiting for the shit to hit the fan. But Mo'at approached Kayri, clasped her hands around the Songcords in Kayri, and gave her a tender smile, "If it is the will of Eywa, then the Omatikaya clan will fly with you."

Kayri nodded in thanks as Max returned to the computer to start the recording. While he shook his head and whispered, "This is crazy. Why Quaritch of all people?"

The video message started with Quaritch steadying the camera frame and sitting straight before clearing his throat. Norm was surprised as he took in Quaritch's new look; he was no longer wearing his military gear but a battle band around his chest with a hunting knife and loincloth. His hair was longer now with beads and feathers braided into it, and he wore a necklace that future Olo'eyktans would wear as they learn.

"Well, ain't this a bitch." Quaritch sighed as he tried rubbing away the exhaustion on his face, "If this thing is playing, then the RDA found us, and they took us back. They're probably using some kind of blackmail against us, and I know exactly who they're using. Mansk downloaded all of Headbridge's access codes in this drive. If they haven't changed anything in the security details, then you'll be given a limited time where Bridgehead will be vulnerable for you to launch an attack. You can also find the layout of Bridgehead along with the scheduled guard switch and the blind spots for the security cameras."

"Daddy!" Quaritch stopped as he turned to face someone out of frame. Norm and the other scientists' jaws dropped as they saw a Na'vi toddler running into the hut and climbing into Quaritch's lap. Quaritch smiled down at the Na'vi toddler while he gave him a hug and a kiss on the head; the young Na'vi then turned towards the camera in curiosity.

"What's that?" the child asked Quaritch, pointing at the screen, "That is called a camera, Spider."

The boy nodded and began to play with Quaritched braided hair. Max looked at Norm with shock; there was no way that Na'vi was Spider. Maybe Quaritch had a kid and named him Spider as a sick joke. But they had striking similarities with Spider when he was young, and Norm saw the kid had an extra finger like all the avatars have as he fiddled with Mile's hair beads. But the age difference didn't make any sense. Spider was almost an adult, and the young Na'vi looked to be three years old.

"I know what you're probably thinking, and I don't understand it either, but this little guy right here is Spider," Quaritch said, seemly answering their thoughts, "Kayri said that it's a sign from Eywa, but I think she just has a soft spot for him." Quaritch smiled while poking Spider's side, forcing Spider to let out a giggle; Quaritch looked at Spider as if he was holding the world in his hands before turning to face the camera again.

"Sully, if you're watching this, I know you don't have any reason to help me, but the least you could do is save Spider. He doesn't deserve any of this; you could leave me to rot in Bridgehead for all I care as long as Spider comes out of this alive." Norm felt a shiver go down his spine as Quaritch's intense gaze through the screen; he turned to Spider with a playful grin, "Alright, bud, let's go find Mama."

Spider cheered as Quaritch leaned forward and ended the video with a freeze frame of the happy son and father duo. Kayri slowly walked toward the screen; Max moved aside to give her more room as she gently placed her hand on Quaritch's face with a longing smile. 

"How much of this do you think is true?" Norm whispered to Max while he skimmed through the information on his tablet, "It all looks pretty solid, but I can't say for sure this isn't a trap."

"The Kekunan Clan have already made it known that they will fight with or without our help," Mo'at said to them. Norm nodded, "Then we just have to trust Quaritch on his word and hope it doesn't backfire on us."

Mo'at turned to speak with Kayri when Tarsem entered, "The scouts have reported a group of Ikrans following an aircraft towards the Eastern sea."

"They are already being sent to find Jake, but how did- " Norm gasped and turned to Max in realization, "They picked up our bird's location when we went to treat Kiri. Oh, Eywa, this couldn't get any worse."

"Mo'at, the scouts have discovered something worse," Tarsem whispered to Mo'at; she noticed his tail swaying behind him anxiously, "They are saying they saw Toruk was leading the group of Ikrans behind the aircraft."

Mo'at felt her feet give out from under her; Tarsem caught her before she could fall as she muttered fearfully under her breath, "No, this can't be. Toruk Makto cannot fly with the Sky people."

Mo'at stood calmly and turned to Norm and the other scientists, who looked worried, "We will begin the preparations for the attack, so I suggest you do the same."

Norm and the others silently nodded and scrambled to get to work; Mo'at and Tarsem then led Kayri and Seytwani out of the shack. When they reached outside, Mo'at brought them to her hut and sat them down while she paced in front of them as Tarsem sat not too far from them with a severe expression.

"How could you not say that your mate had tame Toruk!" Mo'at hissed at Kayri, who remained composed, "Ma Miles did not tame Toruk. Toruk chose Miles to fly with him."

Mo'at froze and turned to stare at the sister in shock; Mo'at stood there studying their faces to detect any trace of falsehood. She then closed her eyes and took deep breaths before sitting in front of Kayri and Seytwani with a tranquil appearance, "Alright, let's start at the beginning, when you two first met."

The Recoms arrived at the S-76 SeaDragon within two days; the Recoms had barely any time to rest and feed their Ikrans before they were made to continue flying. They finally arrived at the ship and landed their Ikrans on the roof of the control room, with Toruk taking up almost the whole space. Miles dismounted Toruk and fiddled with the improvised saddle he made for him with the items his team found during the moments they could rest. He hopped off the roof onto a platform with Lyle behind him, where Colonel Brooks and a pissed-off man in a Hawaiin shirt were waiting for him. 

"This Mick Scoresby. He's the captain of the S-76 SeaDragon." Colonel Brooks introduced the man in the Hawaiin shirt before walking back onto the Bridge; Scoreby didn't spare a glance at them before following Brooks onto the Bridge.

Miles and Lyle soon found themselves on the Bridge with Scorcesby, Colonel Brooks, and another man with a brown vest, "The target is pretty much this whole island group." Colonel Brooks explained as he gestured towards the hologram of Islands.

"Never been up there," said Scoreby before turning to the man in the brown vest, "You know those waters, Doc. What kinda indigenous do we got?"

"Metkayina, mostly. Some Ta'unui. Maybe fifty villages." the man explained before Brooks spoke up, "And you are who?"

"I'm Ian Garvin. Marine biologist." he raised his hand for Brooks to shake but was ignored, "Fifty villages. A hundred villages. I don't care. We'll search'em all."

"I hunt Tulkun. That's what I'm rigged for. That's all my guys do. I've got quotas to make," Miles watched as Scoresby argued with Brooks, "Then we should get started; it would be a shame if the RDA suspends any of your hunting and selling permits."

Scoresby glared at Brooks before smirking, "Well, if you can't get out of it...get into it!" turning to his crew to give orders, "All crews to stations! Bring her up to flight speed!" 

Brooks smirked at Scroesby's reaction and turned to Miles and Lyle, "Inform the rest that we'll be arriving at the first Island within 5 hours."

"Yes, sir," Miles said stiffly as he and Lyle made their holding quarters.

The room was simple enough, with bunk beds on either side and two lockers at the foot of every bunk; the room had a bleak atmosphere as the Recoms seemed to mope around the place. The only small comfort to find was Z laying her head on Mansk's shoulder, but even that seemed to just damper the mood. Their heads turned in alert when they saw the door open, but they turned away when they saw it was Miles and Lyle.

"Alright, fall in," Miles said. They soon gathered around him, "In less than 5 hours, we will reach the first of many islands and begin the search for Sully."

The mood in the room seemed to darken further at that sentence as Fike muttered, "So this is it, huh?"

Miles sighed in defeat, "Yeah, this is it."

Kayri stood in front of a shack that the Sky People said belonged to her son when he was one of them. Her sister was with their parents, speaking with Mo'at and Tarsem and the Olo'eyktans of the Tayrangi and Olangi clans. Kayri was thankful to the Great Mother that they answered the call of Toruk Makto; while they planned the attack, Kayri grew curious about her son's past life; she wanted to know everything about him.

With some questioning, the Sky people gave her directions to her son's old living space; she shook with anticipation and excitement about what she might find inside. She went inside, hitting her head on the ceiling; she kept forgetting how small the place was. She rubbed the small forming bump on her head as she grabbed one of the breathing masks and made her way inside.

She observed the room around her in child-like wonder; the walls had numerous sketches depicting Pandora's beautiful greenery and wildlife. As she walked further into the room, she approached a desk with a small bow hanging over it. She smiled as she took the bow to the wall and inspected it; it was well-maintained and in good condition.

"This must have been his first bow." She noticed beads scattered around the desk near an unfinished bracelet, "It seems he has something in common with Ja."

Kayri giggled at the thought. She then made her way to the bed, amused at the attempt to tidy up. It groaned under her weight as she sat down. She looked at the drawings around the bed; they looked to have been drawn by someone much younger.

"Those must be the Sully children." One of the paper drawings had four blue figures with black hair and the smaller one holding the hand of a pink figure with yellow hair. She then noticed something peeking out of the corner of the pillow; she pulled it out to find a small photo. It had a female Sky person lying in a bed, smiling down at an infant she held in her arms.

"This is Spider with his mother." Kayri thought, smiling down gently at the photo while rubbing it with her thumb, "He looked so small when he was a baby."

She then looked over to her other hand that held the small bow; she stared at both items before gripping them tightly and bringing them to her chest.

"My baby. My sweet baby." She choked out through her sobs as she began to rock back and forth like she did to put Spider to sleep. She thought she would find comfort in the room where her child grew up, but it only seemed to amplify the guilt and shame she felt being unable to protect her child.

She should have fought harder against Miles to reach Spider. 

She should have thrown caution to the wind and gone after the Sky people when they flew off with her family in chains.

She should have killed Ley'waye when she had him pinned under her.

She was starting to feel light-headed; she placed the bow beside her, grabbed her mask, and took deep breaths as thick tears continued to flow down her face. Then the door to Spider's room opened to reveal Norm in his human body; he stood awkwardly in the doorway as he watched Kayri try to breathe through her sobbing hiccups.

"Your sister was wondering where you were, so I came to get you. Are you alright?" he asked as he slowly made his way over to her.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It's just this room." Kayri mustered out as she wiped her tears and stopped hiccuping. 

Norm sat beside her on the bed and patted her shoulder to comfort her, "It's alright, we'll rescue Spider."

"I know we will. But I mourn the end of his first life," she said as she looked around the room. Norm nodded, "Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that Spider is no longer the Spider I used to know."

Norm then chuckled, "I just imagine the look on Kiri's face when she finds out. Tuk is going to be the most excited since she's not going to be the youngest. And Neteyam and Lo'ak are going to argue about who's going to teach him to hunt." 

Kayri laughed too before picking up the small bow beside her and raising it with a smile, "I'll use his first bow he hunted with in his last life and teach him again with it in this life as a tribute."

"Well, we'll have to search for it somewhere in the forest." Kayri's turned to look at Norm in confusion, "What?"

"Spider's bow Kiri said he lost it when Quaritch took him," Norm explains, further confusing Kayri, "I don't understand. Is this not Spider's bow."

"No, that was Neteyam's bow when he was first learning to hunt, and then he gave it to Spider when he outgrew it," Norm said nonchalantly while Kayri stared at him, her tears all dried up, "Norm, the parents make a bow for their child when they reach the age to learn, that is how it has always been. Did Spider break the bow that Sully made for him?"

"No, Sully never made him a bow. What made you think that?" Norm asked, confused at her question, "Miles told me that the Sullys raised Spider."

"It's complicated," he said. Kayri dropped the bow and stood up, almost hitting her head again on the ceiling, her figure towering over him, "Explain."

"I think it's best Mo'at talks about this with you." Norm said as he rose to get off the bed, only to be pushed back down with Kayri's intense gaze staring down at him as she hissed, "Explain."

"Alright, um... there's always been tension between Neytiri and Spider since he was a Sky person, but she tolerated him since her children played with him." Norm paused, but a stern look on Kayri's face made him continue, "It got worse when she found out Spider was the son of the man who destroyed her home and killed her sister and father. She wanted to ban him from their village, but Sully convinced her not to since their children cared for him."

"Then you were the one that raised him?" Kayri asked, "Well, uh... no."

"Then the other Sky people." Kayri said, "Also, no."

"Who taught him to hunt, the songs and ways of Eywa then?" Kayri paced in front of Norm, her tail thrashing wildly behind her; Norm tried to answer but was cut off, "Who braided the beads in his hair? Who made his first loincloth? Who began the first knot in his Songcord?"

Kayri looked at Norm for an answer, but he remained silent and averted his eyes; she began tearing up again, not in sadness but anger, "Did you deny him his Songcord, the birthright of every child of Eywa?!"

"Please, Kayri, you have to understand the emotions that others felt towards Quaritch with all the suffering he caused, and Spider-" Norm jumped back in fear when Kayri yelled, "-had done nothing to any of you to entice your hatred!"

"He was a child, a gift from Eywa just like any other child!" Kayri growled inches away from him. She then marched towards the door, stopping in the doorway and turning back at Norm, "When this is over, I will make sure that MY son never suffers the way he did in his past life."

With that, Kayri left the room, leaving Norm alone; he sighed as he picked up the bow and the old photo of Spider and his mom that Kayri dropped and quietly put them away, "Why did I have to open my big mouth."

In the Ta'unui village, a young Na'vi child ran to the shoreline with others when they heard the humming of a strange noise in the distance. She grew curious when she saw a flock of Ikrans flying toward her home and then grew excited when she saw the orange and much larger Ikran. That must be Toruk Makto; she had only heard stories of the battle against the Sky people from traveling Na'vi about how Torku Makto united the clans to protect the Omatikaya's Tree of Souls. But soon, her excitement turned to fear as she saw a large gray thing flying behind them; that was the thing that was making the rumbling sounds.

"Children! Children!" she heard her mother call behind her and push her to her older sister while he came running behind her mother.

"Be calm... my people." her father said to ease the growing panic around them while her mother looked at him worriedly. 

RDA soldiers ransack the homes of the Ta'unui village, kicking and throwing their baskets and 

"We're looking for weapons... comms. Any kind of tech.", Brooks said as they began to restrain the Na'vi and forced them to their knees.

"Get down! You two.", Zdinarsk ordered as she forced down a couple before turning on her electric baton between them to scare them, "You see this?"

She secretly glared at a soldier wearing a Skel suit who tased a female Na'vi to the sand, "Stay down and shut up!"

"Where is Jake Sully? Miles questions the Olo'eyktan kneeling before him, holding up a tablet showing Jake's face, "We know he is one of these islands. Are you hiding him in this village?"

"We are a totally separate clan. This man in the reflection is from the forest.", the Olo'eyktan answered as Colonel Brooks stood to the side looking at Miles, "Now, what's he saying."

"They've never seen him. They're sea people. Forest people don't come here." Miles told Brooks, but he only scoffed, "I ain't buying that. Now get them to us where he is."

He asked the Olo'eyktan again, but he said, "You need to leave here and go to the forest to find this man."

"I know." said Miles as he turned to Brooks again, "They don't know anything."

Brooks became irritated at that answer; he turned to Lyle and pointed at the water where an ilu was swimming in the water, "Shoot that animal."

Lyle glanced at Brooks momentarily and saw him raising his arm with their chip controls; he swiftly raised his rifle and fired three bullets into the ilu. The ilu cried out in pain, flaying momentarily before floating motionless in the water. The Olo'eyktan cried out as if he was the one who was shot as the rest of the village began to join his woeful cry.

"Why would you kill her!" cried the Tsahik while Fike stood behind her with his rifle, silently muttering, "Be Calm."

"Your ears are working now," Brooks said in front of the Olo'eyktan, who was trying to calm his people.

"You see what these can do, huh." holding up his gun inches from the Olo'eyktan's face before putting it away and holding up the tablet with Sully's face, "Jake Sully! Toruk Makto!"

"He told you he doesn't know!" the Tsahik yelled to Brooks, which only angered him more, "Put her down."

The Tsahik shrieked as Lyle forced her face to the ground and pressed his gun to the back of her head; her mate cried out to her as her people started to rise from their knees in outrage before being pushed down again. 

"Stop!" Miles said to Brooks, "You make it real clear to him. He doesn't give up, Sully. We kill the Tsahik."

"These people don't know anything," Miles said desperately to a stone-faced Brooks before turning to Lyle, who was looking up at him.

"We're really going to waste her," he muttered to Miles in alarm as he gripped his rifle tighter while he heard the Tshahik muttering silent prayers to Eywa.

Before Miles could answer, Colonel Brooks tsked as he got a message from Scoreby that said they needed to hurry since it was getting dark and more dangerous, especially for the smaller boat, and he wanted to avoid paying to get new ones. 

"That cheap motherfucker," he muttered under his breath before turning to the Recoms and his men, "We're done here."

But he at least wanted to leave the Na'vi a warning, "Burn the hooches!"

Lyle was more than happy at that order as he got up and turned to Prager, "Hey, light'em up."

Prager nodded and went to the hooches with the others, "Light'em up! All of them!"

The hooches were instantly set ablaze as they began to torch them down; the villagers started to cry in despair as their home was being reduced to ashes. The Olo'eyktan cursed at them as the Tshaik cried with their people as the flames consumed more and more of their home before turning to Miles.

"Stop this madness!" she cried to Miles, but he kept a stoic face and ignored her while Brooks gave orders, "We're out of here."

"You are Toruk Makto!" Miles had begun to head over to their Ikrans when she yelled to him, causing him to freeze, "You were to unite the people!"

Miles could only clench his fist and continue walking, trying to ignore the heat of the fire and the cries of the Ta'unui people. He couldn't have flown out there fast enough; Toruk groaned softly from the overwhelming guilt he felt through their bond. Miles stroked the side of his head to soothe him as they flew back onto the SeaDragon. They landed, and he told his team to turn in their weapons and head down to their quarters.

"We'll alert you when we reach the next island," Colonel Brooks said as he finished briefing him and Lyle. They walked silently, ignoring everyone they passed until they finally reached their shared quarters. The atmosphere in the room was worse than before; it felt like they just walked into a funeral.

Ja lay quietly in his bottom bunk, staring blankly at the bunk above his. Mansk and Z were lying in one of the bunks, holding each other as Z cried softly while Mansk caressed her hair. Prager was sitting at the foot of his bunk, his head between his knees, muttering something. Fike was leaning against the wall, picking at his finger with his hands shaking. Lopez was sitting next to Fike, his head facing the ceiling with eyes closed, taking deep, shaky breaths every few seconds.

"It's kind of amazing how affected we are," Lyle said. Miles turned to him, confused, while Lyle gave him a weak smile, " The adrenaline hasn't gone down yet, and my hands are already shaking like a leaf."

Lyle let out a quivering laugh as he raised his trembling hand, "Never thought I see the day I'd get scared over some gunshots."

He began to get irritated when his hands continued to shake as he opened and closed them, "God damn it, they won't stop shaking."

Miles grabbed his shoulder and squeezed tightly to steady him as he brought him over to one of the bunks. Miles had said before that he was never a religious man; even after connecting to Eywa, he still had his reservations, but as he sat with Lyle's trembling form, he began praying to Eywa. It was a simple prayer for the Ta'unui clan and for the death of the ilu that Lyle killed, and it seemed to help calm Lyle down as he began his prayer. Soon, the other Recoms uttered their prayers until it seemed like it lightened up the room, even if it at the very least made it more bearable until they were called up by Brooks again.

Chapter Text

The rain poured down as Jake and Neytiri were in their marui preparing dinner; they had an eventful day with the arrival of the Tulkun. Their family was finally making the Metkayina their home; they had hiccups with Lo'ak's conflict with Tonowari's son and when Kiri had her Seizure at the Spirit Tree. But Lo'ak seemed to have made amends, even befriending Ao'nung, and Kiri is much better, though Jake would see her sitting by herself on the shore, looking off into the distance.

They were so absorbed in their sense of normality that they lost when the Sky people returned; Jake wouldn't have noticed Tonowari standing outside the entrance of their marui if it weren't for Neytiri looking behind him. Her smile was gone as Jake turned to Tonowar's gloomy figure; the rain made the situation more somber. Jake made his way outside, with Neytiri following behind him to Tonowari, who was waiting for them.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked Tonowari, who was looking out at the sea, "Sky people."

Tonowari turned to Jake with one hand pointed out to the water, "They're looking for you down south."

"Have they killed anyone?" Jake asked, uneasiness dripping from his voice as Tonowari lowered his arm while shaking his head, "Not yet."

"They threaten to, but villagers will not tell them where you are. By more order." Tonowari then had a look of outrage, "They are saying that Toruk Makto now flies with Sky People."

"What?!" Jake shouted as Neytiri gasped in shock before she rushed back into their marui; Jake thanked Tonowari and went back into their marui. He saw Neytiri pacing before her father's bow, letting out heated breaths while her tail thrashed erratically behind her. How dare that demon tarnish the name of Toruk Makto, an honor given to her grandfather's grandfather and her mate.

"We must hunt this demon. Trap him. Kill him.", she hissed as Jake grabbed her shoulders, "I know, but we got to be smart."

Neytiri was surprised that Jake agreed as he spoke calmly to her, "We got to be smart. If we attack Quaritch, they will follow us here with their full force."

Neytiri nodded, "Then what is our plan?"

Each day seemed to suck the very life out of the Recoms as Colonel Brooks took the SeaDragon from island to island, leaving nothing but sorrow by the time they were done. The cries of the Na'vi people echoed in the heads of the Recoms, and the heat of the burning villages felt like it was searing their skin. This was their 12th, maybe 13th village; Miles lost track after repeating the same questions repeatedly to every village they arrived.

"That's Toruk Makto!" Brooks yelled, using the Skell suit to pull the Olo'eyktan's queue, forcing him to look at a photo of Sully on his pad, "Has he been here?!"

When he was met with snarls, he became irritated and threw him to the ground; the Tsahik crawled to aid her mate, "This shit ain't working. They're stone wallin' us."   

"If you turn up the heat, he's just going to keep runnin'," Miles told Colonel Brooks, glancing at Tsahik and Olo'eyktan in pity before Brooks spoke, "We got to draw him out."

The Recoms flew back onto SeaDragon, landing on the bridge roof; they tended to their Ikrans while they waited for Colonel Brooks to arrive, only for him to meet an annoyed Scoreby waiting for him.

"I'm over it. I've got quotas to meet," he said; Brooks, matching his irritation, snapped back at him,  You wanna hunt? Let's hunt." 

"Here? Not here. There are too many villages," Scoresby retorted, shaking his head with Garvin speaking up behind him, "No. No, no, no."

The Recoms, who were eavesdropping on their conversation, were impressed by the soft-spoken scientist's outburst. But he quickly lost his nerve when he looked at Brooks's irked expression and backtracked.

"Respectfully, sir, you do not understand the kinship bonds between the Tulkun and the ocean Na'vi. It would be like murdering a member of their family," he explained; this piqued the Recoms' interest as they looked at one another, their eyes having a silent conversation. Miles saw the worried look on their faces and gave them a reassuring smile before nodding for them to head back to their quarters. They reluctantly made their way inside the boat while sending some hateful looks to the three men, leaving Lyle and Miles the only ones left behind.

"If we start hunting here, the hostiles will come after us," Scoresby said, which only made Brooks smirked, "Exactly. One hostile in particular."

Lyle stood watch beside Miles as he connected his queue to Toruk while Scoresby and Brooks were busy talking; Toruk let out a low growling hiss before Miles disconnected. Miles stroked his beak to calm him before sending him up to fly with the other Ikrans in the sky. Lyle and Miles looked up as they watched the giant Ikran fly higher to hunt for food with the other Ikrans; before Lyles could question what Miles did, they were called over by Brooks.

"There's been a change of plan; you'll remain in your quarters until further notice. Dismiss." They nodded and made their way down to the boat.

"So, what's the-" Miles shushed Lyle before he could finish while they walked through the halls, passing by the crew that gave them dirty looks, "Not here; there are ears everywhere."

Lyle nodded as they continued until they reached their quarters, where the Recoms were waiting anxiously; they stood silent when they entered, waiting for either of them to speak. Miles gestured for them to circle around before pointing to his ears; they nodded as they huddled in.

"Do we have a plan?"Lyle asked carefully to speak in Na'vi when he asked.

"Yeah, but I have only one, and it might not work," Miles answered, causing Fike to pipe up, "So, What are we going to do?"

The Recoms looked at Miles, waiting for their instructions, "Nothing, it's already happening."

"Huh?" the Recoms looked at Miles dumbfounded.

A pod of Tulkun peacefully swam in the water; they were traveling once again after they visited their brothers and sisters at the Metkayina Clan. Suddenly, a Seawasp flew above them and fired a tracking device on one of the females swimming with her calf. Back on the SeaDragon, Miles and Lyle were called back to the control room where Colonel Brooks was waiting for them. They and Garvin stood around a table as a hologram projected the pod when Scorseby walked in.

"You got my mother," he asked one of his crew, watching a large and smaller Tulkun in the hologram glow green, "Mother and calf strong signal Range 4,000."

"Bring it down on the hull," Scoresby said as he went to the front, "Comin' down, aye."

"Foils deployed," Lyle secretly watched as the helmsman pulled the controls beside him, watching to see what each one did. The SeaDragon began to lower into the sea, and the roof opened.

"Alright, show time," Scoresby said to Brooks; they began to leave the control room until Brooks stopped and turned to Miles, "Quaritch, you're with me."

Miles moved forward, with Lyle beginning to follow him, "Ah, just Quaritch."

Lyle lowered his ears slightly in annoyance and clenched his teeth before turning around to look at the hologram again with Garvin as Scroesby led Miles and Brooks to the lower decks.

"Sub teams two minutes. Let's get in there! Hatches closed! Come hustle! Hustle!" Scoresby yelled at his crew. Miles saw them jump into crab-looking suits and midget submarines as they made their way further back until they reached a small patrol boat. 

"Crews to their boats! Two minutes. Let's make some bank." he heard Scoresby say as Miles studied the small boat. The first thing that stood out to Miles about this boat was the large harpoon gun on the bow; Miles raised his hand to touch the sharp tip before he followed Brooks onto the boat.

"Boat crews. Let's get those tiedown off!" Miles watched as they unchained the boat, and a ramp began to lower behind them, "All boats in!"

"Let's go, baby!" Scorseby yelled as they went into the water with smaller boats, "We're rollin'."

The small group of boats began to make their way to the pod of Tulkuns and started to close in on the Mother and calf, who began to dive down deeper into the sea with the others, "Stand by depths charges and fire, fire, fire!"

With Scorseby's order, Miles watched as the gunman above him started to fire small gray cylinders into the water where the Tulkun dove. He saw bursts of water shoot up where the cylinders detonated before the Tulkun broke through the water's surface.

Back on the SeaDragon, Lyle stared at the screen showing the pod swimming with Gravin; he then pointed at the water splashes, "What's that? What are they doin'?"

"Those are echolocation sensors. How they navigate, they have to hold them out of the water, or they'll go deaf." Garvin said softly before returning to work; Lyle could hear the sadness and pity in his voice when he spoke. Lyle glanced at him for a moment before he turned back to the screen, watching the two boats go faster, crashing into the side of the Mother and using a weird-looking gun to lead the Mother away from the rest of the pod.

"They gonna cut the cow from the rest of the pod using the sound cannon. They target the Mother because the calf swims slowly, and she won't leave the calf." Lyle heard Garvin say, but his eyes remained glued on the screen as he grew nervous, "Come on, Colonel. It's now or never?"

Miles didn't know how he found the willpower not to knock the daylights out of Scoresby with his obnoxious attitude during this hunt. Miles constantly looked up toward the sky to see movement or a figure or something. He gripped the metal rails of the boat in worry, watching the smaller boats bully the Mother and child away from any sort of protection they had.

"Do they ever fight back?" Brooks asked Scoresby, who shook his head, " Nah, never seen them lift a fin. Tough bastards to kill, though."

"Sub-teams, go!" Yelled into the radio, Miles looked over to the side of the boat and saw blurry shapes pass them.

"See the subs go in from below where their gaps in the armor," Scoresby explained to Colonel Brooks, making his way to the giant harpoon on the boat's bow. Miles saw the Tulkun try again to dive down, but soon, two orange airbags appeared on either side of her body. Miles winced, seeing as one of the orange airbags was skewered in her front fin; he glanced over to Scoresby as he winded up the harpoon.

"You see, the bags slow her down and keep her up on the surface," Scroby said aloud to Brooks,  "Yeah. Get on her. Get me in there. Straight up on her. 30 meters."

Miles was fearful now as they closed in on the Mother and calf; Scorseby had a twisted look of joy as he positioned his harpoon, "Ten meters. Get me in there. Put me in the pocket."

"Shit!" Miles thought his plan wasn't going to work; there was no sign of Toruk as Scorseby readied himself to fire. But just as he finished his thought, a figure shadowed the boat; before anyone knew what happened, Toruk had slammed down onto the boat. Everyone was thrown about, and some, including Miles, got launched into the water while the impact threw Scoresby off the harpoon when he pulled the trigger, causing him to miss the Tulkun entirely.

Toruk shrieked as he dug his talons into the boat and flew up a few inches, carrying it before dropping it back down. Miles swam up to the surface and laughed, watching the once boastful now panicked crew holding on to anything they could get their hands on as the boat steadied itself. But it wasn't over as Toruk began to target the other boats, crashing down on them, grabbing them, and lifting them into the sky before dropping them again. When he was done with the boats, he flew up and began to chase after the Seawasp aircraft. He even dove down under the water to catch the small submarines, using his beak to grab and toss them out of the water.

After he was finished terrorizing them, he gently landed on the female Tulkun, shrieking and hissing at the Sky people as if to challenge them to attack him. Miles swam up to the Tulkun and climbed up on her front fins; she let out cries of panic as he climbed on.

"Hell yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Lyle said aloud with a shit-eating grin, looking at the soldiers in the water and Toruk's protective stance on the Tulkun. He then noticed Garvin staring at him and then at the screen; Lyle coughed, quickly composing himself, but his tail wagging behind him showed his real emotions.

"Calm, sister. Calm." Miles said gently to her as he softly patted her head above her eye, his face reflecting in them as he gave her a look of comfort, "You and your little one will be okay."

She seemed to relax and was less frantic when Miles said that, so much so that the baby Tulkun, sensing his Mother at ease, swam underneath Miles and nudged his feet in the water with his head. Miles laughed at this and playfully kicked his feet toward the baby Tulkun; he then let out a sigh of relief. he was worried for a second that Toruk wasn't going to make it on time, but that relief was shortly live when he saw the furious face of Colonel Brooks glare at him.

Before Miles could even blink, he was lying flat on the Tulkun's fin, convulsing as the chip sent intense electrical shocks through his body. This frightened the female Tulkun as she watched him writhe in pain, smacking her tail against the water in a panic. Toruk stopped his threatening shrieks, looked down at Miles, and growled in distress at the state Miles was in. This lasted a few seconds longer until it stopped, and Miles gasped for air while gripping the side of his neck; the female Tulukun let out cries of worry as her calf butted his head against Mile's feet. Miles sat up with a groan as the boat carrying came closer, and Brooks looked down at him at the side of the boat.

"Quatrich, you call that thing off now before I make sure you hurt!" ordered an angry Brooks, but Miles laughed and grinned up at him, "Sorry, but I got no control over him. You got to go through him if you want the Tulkun, and you don't want to do that 'cause you'll have another set of problems to deal with."

Brooks was enraged by Miles's answer and activated his chip again on a higher setting; he watched Miles jerk and twitch in agony on the Tulkun's fin before letting out a frustrated growl and deactivating it.

"Get that banshee and go back on the ship," he ordered Miles, who was groaning in pain and struggling to catch his breath.

"We'll continue hunting the Tulkun, but we're not going to harvest them. We'll leave them floating in the water for the Na'vi to find." Brooks said to a fuming Scoresby, "Didn't I say that I had quotas? I can't do that if my inventory is floating around dead."

"They can survive a few weeks without food, and when we get Sully, you do whatever you want with them," Brooks said. Scorseby scoffed before he had his crew go after the rest of the pod.

Miles watched them leave after the pod while he slowly made his way to Toruk; he gave the Tulkun mother one last smile and climbed up on her head. Toruk lowered his head and used it as a crutch for Miles as he limped over to his saddle and pulled himself on; Toruk let out a pained groan, feeling Miles's pain when he connected them. Lyle was anxiously waiting on the top deck, looking as Toruk's figure in the sky grew closer before landing hard. Lyle quickly reached Miles's side as he fell out of the saddle. 

"That was one hell of a plan, Colonel," Lyle said as he threw Miles's arm over his shoulder and steadied him with his other arm; Miles chuckled at his words.

Ever since the conversation with Norm, Kayri had been cold towards the members of the Omatikaya clan and would give short answers to Tarsem and Mo'at when they spoke to her. With the day of the attack growing closer, Kayri's mood was getting progressively worse. In their temporary home, her family watched as she aggressively chopped fruit for their dinner; her family shared a look before her Mother went to her side and landed her hand on Kayri's shoulder.

"Kayri, are you alright? Your mind seems to be troubled these past days," Peitey asked. Kayri sighed, looking at her Mother with a small smile, "I'm fine, Mother."

Peitey hummed, unconvinced, before she spoke again, "Very well, but if you ever seek guidance, know that Eywa is there to listen."

Kayri nodded, and they continued cooking dinner, but when night fell and her family was asleep, Kayri was wide awake; her mind refused to let her sleep, replaying the conversation with Norm. She wanted to know more about her son's past, but as soon as she approached Norm in his Na'vi body or his human one, he would run the other way, and Mo'at would fall silent. Kayri let out a sigh as she got out of her hammock and exited her family's tent; her final destination was evident in her mind as she made her way through the bioluminescent jungle. Kayri let out a content sigh when she finally arrived at the Tree of Souls; it looked much like the Ansecteral Tree but much more prominent and had a pinkish glow instead of blue.

She knelt in front of the tree's tendrils but made no move to connect her queue and remained motions while taking the sound of the forest around. She then untied Mile's songcord from her loincloth and traced her fingers along the cord, trying to memorize every knot and bead that was added. She stayed kneeling for a long time, turning the songcord repeatedly like she was in a trance, so much so that she didn't notice the figure creeping closer to her.

"It seems I am not the only one tonight who wishes to be in the great mother's presence." Karyi turned to see Mo'at standing next close to her. Karyi tried to stand and greet her, but Mo'at waved her off and knelt beside her; they remained silent before Kayri broke it. 

"Why did you allow your daughter to treat my son so shamefully in his past life?" she asked, but Mo'at remained silent, "You are Tsahik; you know that every child born is a blessing from Eywa, so please tell me why?"

"For a time, I was also blinded by the loss of my eldest daughter, my home, and my mate at the hands of the Sky people. And like my other daughter, I felt nothing but hatred toward the child, and when I saw him, I only saw the sins of his father. But the more he grew with the people, the less I saw of his father, but Ma Neytiri still saw him as the cause of her pain. Soon, I saw him for who he really was. A child who was in love with the beauty of Eywa and only wished for a place where he belonged." Kayri listened intently to Mo'at's story before Mo'at grasped her hand and placed something on her palm. When Mo'at removed her hand, Kayri saw what it was; it was a songcord, "Spider may not have found a place where he belonged in his last life, but Eywa made sure he was led to you with his father in this life."

"This is..." Kayri said, fiddling with the songcord, "A songcord I made for Spider. I didn't know how to give it to him, but now I give it to you for his new songcord as a bridge between his past and his future."

"Thank you, Tsahik," Kayri said, her eyes watering as she gripped the songcord tightly; Mo'at gently smiled as she wiped the tears that fell down her face before they turned back to the Tree of Souls in now peaceful silence.

Miles traced his finger along Spider's songcord, lost in thought as he and Lyle stood outside the boat control room on the platforms. It's been a week since they stopped burning down villages and started hunting Tulkun, but with the threat of Toruk, the crew would leave them to float in the water. Miles could only hope that the Na'vi found them and the Tulkun were being cared for. He wondered if the Mother and calf they first caught were still alive; he knew the Mother would be alright, but he worried for the calf; it needed more food for even a chance to survive.

After the Toruk incident, Colonel Brooks no longer allowed them to be in the control room and doubled the surveillance on them. If they even attempt to speak anything close to Na'vi, then a good dose of pain goes through their bodies. Miles sighed, tired, before putting away Spider's songcord and got back to looking out for the new Tulkun that Scorseby's crew was tracking, though Miles found it strange that the Tulkun was on its own.

As they got closer to the signal, Miles looked through his binoculars to scan the area until he spotted a large mass floating on the water's surface, but then seven blue figures on top and surrounding it. Three had a light blue skin color like the other water Na'vi, while the other 4 had a much darker shade of blue, very similar to their own. It didn't take him long to put two and two together and recognize who they were.

"Oh shit," he muttered, lowering his binoculars and trying to message his oncoming headache; Lyle looked at him perplexed before he looked through his own.

"Don't tell me that's who I think that is," Lyle asked blankly, still looking through his binoculars while Miles lowered his head in defeat, "Those are Sully's kids."

"Where are these kid's parents?" Lyle said, dropping his binoculars and sighing as Colonel Brooks suddenly burst out of the control center, looking as giddy as a kid on Christmas.

"We got'em. Now saddle up." Colonel Brooks said to Miles.

Miles and Lyle soon mounted their Ikrans and took off toward the Tulkun with boats following them. They saw that the Sully children were trying to escape on their ilus; Scorcesby's ships began to fire depth charges into the water as the kids started to dive under.

"No depth charges. Do you copy Scorseby?" Miles heard Brooks say on his radio, "Those kids are worthless to me dead."

"Circle them and get your subs in the water," Brooks ordered Scorseby, who rolled his eyes, "Sub team, get wet."

With that, Miles and Lyle could only circle above as Scorseby's crew chased after Sully's kids; they soon got a signal that they had caught them. Miles dived into the water, seizing the net with Toruk's talons, and returned to the SeaDragon with two kids in the net and one hanging outside. The Recoms, Brooks, and his team were waiting for them when they dropped the kids on the deck.

"Drop your weapon," Fike said, but Lo'ak only growled at him before he tried to swing at him with his knife, but Fike easily disarmed and pinned him down.

"Calm. Calm." Prager said softly to a frightened Tsireya as she struggled against him when he grabbed her forearm to lift her.

"No, no, no, put that knife down, please," Z-dog said to Tuk as Mansk held her arms and tried to gently pry the knife from her hands. Tuk looked at her, surprised, causing her to loosen her grip and for Z to take her knife, but what surprised Tuk even more was what she did after.

"Be brave. Everything is going to be okay." Z whispered to her with a kind smile as she fixed her braids while Mansk gently squeezed her shoulders.

Miles and Lyle soon landed, and Lo'ak was shocked at the sight of Miles dismounting Toruk, the Ikran whom he had heard legends about and stories people told about his dad becoming Toruk Makto and leading the battle against the sky people. He now understood why his Mother had been in a bad mood ever since the Tulkun visited the Metkayina clan and how it got worse when the Metkayina clan found their Tulkun brothers and sisters floating in the water, starving and with awful sunburns.

Now wearing his skel suit, Brooks walked to Miles with a huge smile, "Good job, Quaritch. Now get me Sully's head, and you'll get your Spider brat."

Lo'ak ears perked up at Spider's name, and he turned to them as he was brought up to his knees, only for Quaritch to be looking down at him, "I remember you."

"Cuff'em to the rail. All of them." Miles ordered, and the three children were soon cuffed to the rails. Tsireya and Lo'ak struggled against their restraints while Tuk didn't move at all, with a dazed look on her face.

"Be brave," Lo'ak said to comfort Tuk, believing she was too frightened to move.

They just had to wait until their family came to save them, and when his dad finished kicking Quaritch's ass, Lo'ak was going to find and save Spider where ever he was on this ship. 

Chapter Text

The eclipse was steadily approaching all over the high camp, everyone was rushing to ready their Ikrans, weapons, and battle parties to commence the attack on Bridgehead. They had listened in on the RDA using the USB and learned that Brooks and the Recoms had captured Sully's children. They could no longer wait; they had to act now, or things would get worse for all of them. Max readied his pad with all the viruses he had using the access codes. When he's close enough, he'll connect to the servo and have the viruses create a base-wide meltdown, leaving Bridgehead defenseless. He just hopes it'll be enough.

Kayri finished painting the last of her war paint on her face and gathered her bow and arrows to join her family, waiting outside. Her father wore similar protective eyewear, with his faces painted with traditional designs and Ikran leggings. Her mother pressed her head against each of them while murmuring a small prayer to Eywa before she and Seytawni left to be with Mo'at to prepare for future casualties of the upcoming battle. Seytawni wanted so badly to come, but she didn't have her Ikran, and she was lucky enough that their parents even let her stay for this long after they told her she had to remain in their village.

Waeyo and others were already mounted on their Ikrans, waiting for her, their eyes filled with determination. Her heart began to pound in adrenalin as she made her way to Ralu; then, from the corner of her eye, she saw Norm looking at her, but when she turned to look at him, he quickly turned away to go with Max and the other scientists. His cowardly actions angered her ever since their conversation in Spider's old room; he avoided her as if she were a Thanator. He didn't even have the nerve to try to explain himself to her like Mo'at, which made her want to shoot him with her arrows.

She quickly cleared those negative thoughts out of her head; she had no time or energy to think of anything else but her family's rescue. Once they're together, she and Miles will handle this issue together as a family. Waeyo waved to Kayri on her Ikran as she and others waited for her to lead their small battle party; she turned to their father one last time before he left to join his group.

"May the Great Mother protect you and lead you to victory, Father," Kayri said; her father smiled before pulling her into a tight hug.

"And to you as well," he whispered to her; they soon separated, and he placed a hand on her cheek, "I thank Eywa that she had blessed me with such a strong daughter."

They tearfully smile at him before they separate, "And that dream walker who has been running from you will soon have to answer to me when you are done with him."

Kayri giggled at her father's statement he loves his grandson. They parted ways, and Kayri joined her group, climbing onto Ralu. She took steady breaths to calm her nerves and gripped her saddle tightly until she heard calling her. Kayri turned to Waeyo, who gave her an encouraging smile. Kayri smiled back at her as they heard a horn blowing, signaling to take off. With one last calming breath, Kayri let out a battle cry and took off into the sky with her group taking after her with battle cries of their own after they took off towards Bridgehead under cover of the eclipse.

The sky darkened outside the large window behind General Ardmore as one of the many eclipses of Pandora began while she worked on her everlasting paperwork in her office. She had just gotten Brook's report update and was pleased to hear he had apprehended Sully's children. Everything is going according to plan, and soon, they get rid of the biggest thorn in their sides since they returned to this god-forsaken planet.

She reached to take another sip of her coffee when she realized that her mug was empty; she sighed as she got up and went out to the hall to get more. She soon reached one of the common rooms for the higher officers; the lights flickered on in the empty room as she made her way to the coffee maker. Placing her mug on, she typed in her order and waited as the machine began to heat up. She rubbed the back of her neck; it ached with the much time she looked down at paperwork.

And then, as if she had a sixth sense, she tensed and went to reach for her pistol in her holster; something felt off just then. She slowly looked around the empty room, trying to convince herself no one else was with her. She jumped as the lights flickered off momentarily before the red emergency backup lit up the room; she silently cursed in frustration at the electrical malfunction. She rubbed her face to ease the oncoming headache; she was going to get another stack of papers about this; she just knew it.

With a grunt, she grabbed her mug filled with fresh coffee and left the room into the empty and now crimson hallway. Her footsteps echoed as she made her way down the hall, walking many windows nonchalantly, taking sips of her coffee. The color red flooded her vision so much that she had to do a double take when she saw the red hues of fire outside her window when she walked back into her office. Dropping her coffee, she ran to the window, and her eyes widened as she saw it was complete and utter chaos.

The fire engulfed every aircraft on the flight line, and Na'vi rode their direhorses past them and attacked her soldiers or trampled them. Then, up in the sky, she could barely make out the silhouettes of banshees as they dove down toward the roof, most likely to hit the soldiers stationed there. She snapped out of her bewildered trance when she heard the faint sounds of guns firing and the panicked yells of her men.

She turned to pick up her phone, pressing it to her ear, and she realized it was dead; she cursed again, slamming down the phone, and ran to one of the touch pads on the wall. She repeatedly tapped the screen to do something, but it didn't respond.

"What the hell is going on?!" she thought as she ran out of her office and ran to the control center, where she found everyone running around like headless chickens.

"Someone better explain why the hell our defense weapons aren't destroying these blue fuckers!" she yelled as everyone froze in horror when it was her.

"We don't know what's happening, General. We're locked out of the system, and everything is being forcefully shut down." A woman squeaked out; that was the wrong thing to say as General Ardmore's face turned red with anger, "Then hurry up and fix it!"

Then, a large explosion shook the building, causing some to stumble and fall to the ground as they ran to different monitors to run diagnostics. General Ardmore silently rages as she watches them work, wondering how the Na'vi were able to infiltrate their network. Her eyes widened in realization when she remembered a few days after the Recoms's escape, One of the techs informed her that they had noticed something strange, but she was too irritated about the Recoms and the board members that she brushed him off.

"Son of a bitch!" she yelled, startling everyone in the room as they watched her run out. They looked at each other, confused, before the screens started to flash, and an automatic voice recording began to play through the speaker.

"Attention, this is not a drill. Building structure compromised. Please make your way to the emergency mask station." the voice repeated in the speakers; the techs turned to one another in alarm.

The Na'vi have breached the building, and they're now inside.

General Ardmore was running back to her office; she had a private radio to Colonel Brooks just in case Quaritch got any ideas, but she never thought he would hit them back this hard. Cursing out loudly but was drowned out by the emergency message being played above her, she would make sure to make him pay for this, and she knew which little guy would pay for his dad's big mistake. She finally made it and yanked her drawer open a semi-large radio phone; she had a triumphant smirk as she grabbed it but was quickly annoyed when she activated it and saw it didn't have a signal. 

She then went to open her door only to be face to face with an angry-looking female Na'vi; startled, she screamed and stumbled back, dropping the radio to grab her gun. The Na'vi, seeing her reach for her weapon, let out a battled cry and tackled her to the ground. Her pistol slipped from her hand and across the room as they rolled until the female Na'vi had her pinned to the floor. The female Na'vi hissed down at her and tightened her grip on her shoulders so much that Ardmore clenched her teeth to not yell out in pain while the female Na'vi yelled words in her native tongue.

"My Son! Where?!" General Ardmore heard the Na'vi say; she looked at her confused before asking, "The fuck are you talking about?"

"My Spider! Where?! the Na'vi yelled; hearing the name, Ardmore took a good look at the Na'vi on top of her despite the red light shining down on them, and she realized that this was Quaritch's little girlfriend that had gone crazy on the cliffs.

"Well, hello, Mrs. Quaritch. Yeah, I know where the brat is, and I'm going to make sure he's taken real care of when this is all over." Ardmore said as she smirked up at Kayri. Kayri let out a growl as she drew her blade from the sheath on her chest and placed it on Ardmore's neck, putting enough pressure to make her draw a little bit of blood.

"Release. Or I cut." she snarled, glaring down at Ardmore only for her to chuckle and say, "Go to hell."

Kayri said nothing and quickly raised her knife and cut Ardmore straight from her eyebrow to her jaw before more aggressively hissing, "I cut."

Ardmore shouted in pain as she felt the warm liquid of her blood flow down the side of her face, and some go into her ear; she looked up at the seething Na'vi and made one last attempt to call her bluff.

"I ain't telling you a damn thing," Ardmore said, glaring up at Kayri, trying to hide the bit of fear she felt.

They stared at each other momentarily before Kayri cried as she raised her knife before swiftly bringing it down, causing Ardmore to break. "Wait, I'll tell you!" the knife stopped inches from Ardmore's chest; she could feel the sharp tip of the blade poking her chest as she took panic breaths to calm herself.

"Take me now," Kayri said, pulling Ardmore up by her collar to her feet. She put Ardmore in front of her; she had a tight grip on the back of her and her knife against her throat while they walked down the maze of hallways. Kayri, at times, applied pressure to her blade or gave General Ardmore a warning hiss as they walked until they reached a door with heavy security.

"Open!" Kayri demanded, growing restless at the idea that this metal door was the one thing separating her from her child. Ardmore begrudgingly complied, typing in the access code and scanning her handprint. When the door was opened, Kayri quickly removed her knife from Ardmore's throat and used the butt of the blade to knock her out.

Throwing the Skyperson aside, Kayri rushed into the room and looked frantically around the small space but found no one there; her tail whipped angrily as she thought the sky person had lied to her. But then she took a moment to collect herself before she remembered teaching Spider to hide and not to move until she called out to him if he were in danger. She let out a loud chirp and froze her ears, moving slightly to listen to any noises; she grew worried when she heard nothing and called out again. She listened to the sound of movement, turned towards the metal bed in the corner, and saw Spider's teary eyes looking up at her.

"Mama..." he whispered, looking at her as if it were his imagination. Karyri smiled at him with tears in her eyes, "Ma Spider."

"Mama!" Spider cried as she scrambled from under the bed and ran to her. She knelt and opened her arms to catch Spider as he threw himself in her arms, wrapping his arms and legs as best he could around her body while Kayri held him tightly as if he would disappear again.

"Mama mama..." Spider repeated as he sobbed into her neck while Kayri whispered soothing words to her as she stroked his head and sprinkled kisses all over his face.

"Thank you, great mother." Kayri whispered lastly as she pulled away slightly from Spider to see his state, "Are you okay, my son? Did they hurt you?"

"No, but my hair is itchy," Spider said, shaking his head while wiping away his tears. Kayri chuckled that the only thing wrong was her son's hair.

"Come, we have to go now," Kayri said, lifting Spider and using the bed sheets as a makeshift sling to keep him in place.

"What about Dada?" Spider asked as Kayri turned to leave the room, "He's busy right now, but we're going to see Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Seytawni, okay."

Spider nodded as Kayri left the room and began to run down the hall to escape before she paused and turned to the sky person who stole her child lying motionless on the floor. Kayri gripped her knife tightly as she glared at the unconscious, sky person; this was her chance to end her while she was vulnerable.

She could make sure she could never steal anyone's child again, but before she could step towards her, she heard heavy footsteps thundering down the hall towards her. She looked down at Spider, who looked up at her in fear as she listened to the footsteps get closer; she hissed in frustration. The demon would have to live another day, but she had to get her son out of this horrible place right now.

"Keep your head down, okay, Spider," she whispered. Spider nodded and buried his head into her chest as she began to run down the hall. She soon heard yells and gunfire as she turned the corner.

Spider whimpered, but all she could do was hold him steady and run faster down the hall. She franticly looked for a way out but seemed to get more lost until she rounded one last corner and found a hatch that led outside. She quickly made her way through the small door with difficulty but managed to make it out; she called to Ralu as she ran through the battlefield, carefully avoiding debris.

She saw a Sky person raise their weapon to fire at her, but she was faster as she drew her bow and fired her arrow straight through their chest and out of their back. She continued to run until she reached the end of Bridgehead, where Ralu was waiting for her; she instantly climbed on him and took off into the air. When she was high enough, she pulled a horn from Ralu's sachel, and before blowing, the sound rang across the flight line, with other Na'vi blowing their own horn to signal their retreat.

It wasn't long until they all fell back, with some carrying the wounded and taking some of the Sky people's weapons. Karyi flew towards high came when she saw Waeyo come flying next to her; she looked at Kayri, worried that she was unable to find Spider. But her worry was soon replaced with utter joy when Kayri pulled down the sling, and Spider's head popped up and smiled at Waeyo.

Both women began to laugh and cry out in victory as more of the battle group gathered; they smiled and cheered for Spider's safety as Spider giggled with them. Spider looked at high camp in awe as Karyri landed; Seytawni ran out of one of the nursing huts with other Na'vi waiting for the war parties to return. She was relieved when she saw Ralu land and her sister waving to her as she dismounted him; Seytawni went to her with a massive smile until Spider peeked his head out from the sling.

"Sey!!!" Spider yelled out with a smile as he reached for Seytawni to hold him. It was then the guilt she had when she let the Sky people take her nephew came crashing down on her, and tears fell down her cheeks as she began to sob, "I'm sorry, Spider. I'm so sorry."

Spider began to whine, seeing his aunt so upset; Kayri sighed with a sympathetic smile as she walked to Seytawni and pulled her into a hug, with Spider reaching up to wipe her tears away. When the two sisters separated, Seytawni took Spider from his sling and pulled him into a tight hug as she sniffled. It wasn't long before their father landed; many minor injuries littered his body as he made his way to his daughters. His heart soared when he saw his grandson was with them.

He ran towards them and pulled the three into a big hug, thanking Eywa that mother and son were together again. The last war parties arrived, and Seytawni took Waeyo, Spider, Kayri, and her father to the healer huts to treat their injuries. Spider sat beside Seytawni, giggling at his grandfather, who hissed lightly as Seytawni applied herbal paste to his wounds.

Kayri also helped apply ointment to Waeyos' bruises while she did the same for her. Kayri's mother soon entered, with Ma'ot, Max, and Norm behind her. She looked franticly around the hut until her eyes landed on them; she released a sigh of relief and approached them.

"Ma Ayvawkx." she whispered as she placed her hand on his cheek; Ayvawkx closed his eyes, content with the touch of his mate as he put his hand over hers, "Ma Peitey."

"Grandma!" Spider shouted as he hopped off the cot and hugged her leg; his tail wagged happily behind him. She laughed as she scooped Spider in her arms and began showering him with kisses. 

"Ma Spider, I'm so happy that you are okay," Peitey said, but she then took hold of one of his braids, disapproving, "But we must do something about your hair."

"It's very itchy, Grandma," Spider said, agreeing. He then looked behind her to see the trio with looks of delight and astonishment.

"Hello," Spider whispered as he shyly waved at them; Norm seemed to be the first one out of their trance as he walked over to Spider with a smile, "Spider, I can't believe that it's you."

But before he could take another step, Peitey stepped back, holding Spider protectively while Ayvawkx and Kayri stepped between and hissed warningly at Norm. He quickly backed away from them, his hands raised in surrender as Seytawni and Waeyo glared at him from the cot. 

"Did you forget my warning to you when we last spoke?" Kayri snarled; Norm looked at her in dismay. "Yes, I remember, but I care for him, Kayri. Please, at least let me and Max look at him to see that he's alright." 

"He will only be taken care of by the Tsahik," Ayvawkx stated, stepping forward; his demeanor is no longer that of a loving grandfather but the Olo'eyktan of the Kekunan Clan.

"With all due respect, we don't even know if Spider's biology is fully Na'vi; he could still have a human anatomy for all we know," Norm said to persuade Ayvawkx, but he didn't budge, "He shall be treated only by the Tshahik, he has already been around enough Sky people."

Norm was slightly offended by Ayvawkx's last comment about him and Max being humans; his very own grandson used to be one. Norm was about to speak out, but Mo'at placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head to stop him. Norm looked at her for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh as he backed down; then Max stepped up to take Kayri to their shack, with Norm and Mo'at following behind them as they placed Kayri in front of their long-distance radio.

"In the information Quaritch gave us, it said that you have the channel number for a radio," Max explained. Kayri nodded as she fiddled with it until she reached channel 73.4, where there was only static on the other line; she grabbed the tiny microphone and pushed the button on the side. Mo'at and Norm watched silently as Kayri let out a series of small chirps before she turned it off.

"Weren't you going to send a message?" Max asked, confused as to what had happened, "She did," Mo'at answered, looking over to Kayri.

Now, they only hope that any of the Recoms heard it.

Chapter Text

Tuk squirmed in discomfort as the orange cuffs dug into her skin; any kid her age would be terrified if they were in her position, but she was only annoyed by how uncomfortable she was. She knew her mom and dad were coming to save them; she stopped fiddling with her cuffs when she heard someone gag. She turned curious as to who it was when she was surprised to see it was the Na'vi lady who fixed her hair. 

Tuk only saw her back, but she recognized her tattoos; she stood on the ship's edge, taking breaths and putting her hands on her hips to keep her balance. Tuk was confused. Was she sick? It wasn't long before the Na'vi with the sunglasses jogged towards her; he placed his hand on her back before offering her canteen to drink. They seemed to talk for a moment; the Na'vi with sunglasses seemed worried, while the lady Na'vi seemed to be trying to comfort him, gripping his wrist to reaffirm something.

"Zdinarsik, Mansk, get back to your positions!" Tuk turned to the Sky person in the weird machine that ruined their moment before returning to them. Zdinarsik glared at him while Mansk slightly bared his teeth, but they soon obeyed and returned to where they were. That was weird. Tuk turned to Lo'ak to ask what he thought, but he was staring off into the distance; it seemed only Tsireya noticed and looked at Tuk, puzzled.

It wasn't long before they heard the war cries of the Metkayina and then the mob heading toward them on their skimwings. 

"Na'vi inbound." one of the crewmates yelled, leading Colonel Brooks to bark orders, "Spread out! weapons up!"

The crew and Brooks's men got into positions, their weapons ready; the Recoms were about to move to get into place when they froze at the sound of their radio collars crackling to life. Their ears perked up to detect any noise hidden in the static before they heard a chirping call through. Their eyes widened slightly as they glanced at one another in disbelief and jubilation while small grins formed on their faces.

"Quaritch, Is there a problem?" Brookeds demanded, annoyed at their lack of response. Miles quickly recovered from his stupor, "Just a radio problem; we're all good now."

"It's go time," Ja whispered excitedly to Fike as they moved to their position with a newfound energy that they were shaking in their boots. Miles and Lyle gave each other a slight nod before moving toward Brooks and standing beside Lo'ak, watching as the Metkayina came closer.

"Got any ideas?" Lyle whispered to Miles; he gave Lyle a sly look before taking Lo'ak's radio collar and earpiece, whispering to Lyle, "Play the part. Make distraction."

Lyle understood; raising his gun, Miles put the earpiece on as the Metkayina stopped their charge; they soon heard Scoresby talk from his patrol boat, "It's Sully."

"Jake, tell your friends to stand down. You want your kids back. You come out alone." Miles said into the radio collar, his tone now ruthless like it was back then. He took out his pistol, raising it for Sully to get a good view before pointing at the back of Lo'ak's head, "You know better to test my resolve."

Miles heard the other two cry out Lo'ak's name; he hated to do this, but he needed to make sure Brooks fell for this, "I took you under my wing, Jake. You betrayed me. You killed your own. Good men. Good women. I will not hesitate to execute you, kid."

"Just wait one." he heard Sully's voice in his ear. Miles looked back at Brooks; he had a smug smirk as if he had finally broken Miles into being a good soldier. It made him want to smash his face in. He clenched his jaw and gripped his pistol tightly, almost making his knuckles turn white; he had to hold it in a little bit more, and then they would show them what real devil dogs look like.

"Offer's fixin' to expire. What's it gonna be?" Miles said, turning back to the water for Sully's answer, "Check your fire. I'm coming out."

They watched as Sully began to make his way forward; Lyle aimed his rifle at Sully, "Easy shot." he said, knowing what Brooks wanted him to do, but it also discreetly asked Miles if they should attack now. Understanding what Lyle meant, Miles lowered Lyle's rifle, "You hit him now; they attack."

"Wait till he's on board," Miles said loud enough for the others to hear. Miles ignored Sully's son's angry cry, watching as Sully got closer. But suddenly, a Tulkun rose from the sea; they all looked at it in shock, which quickly turned to fear when they saw it coming down on the deck.

"Oh, my God! It's Free Willy!" Fike screamed out as he and Ja jumped out of the way as the Tulkun landed on some unfortunate soldiers who weren't that lucky. The impact rocked the SeaDragon, with some of the Recoms being thrown off their feet; they stayed low and avoided the hits of the Tulkun's fins. Miles turned back to Sully to see him charging forward, with the Metkayina following behind him as they engaged Scoresby's smaller boats. 

"Well, that's one way to cause a distraction," Lyle said to Miles before they ducked from an incoming fin.

The Tulkun raised its tail and hit a crane, causing it to launch the crab suit it had across the deck; Brooks managed to avoid it but then was hit by one of the Tulkun's fins. He was flung across the deck and hit the platform rails; he would've been dead if it wasn't for the Skel suit. But he soon realized that the Recom's control pad had broken off his forearm.

"No!" Brooks yelled. He watched as the tablet fell to the loading bay to who knows where. He looked around, panicking, hoping none of the Recoms saw him lose his means to control them. To his utter horror, his eyes landed on Lopez, who stared at him with a devilish smile. Brooks scrambled to get up as Lopez reached for his radio for all the Recoms to hear, "The warden has lost his keys."

Lopez then approached Brook, his smirk never leaving his face as he cracked his knuckles, "I'm sure Colonel wouldn't mind if I get the honor of finishing you off."

But before Lopez could reach him, the rails supporting Brooks's Skel suit broke, and Lopez watched as Brooks fell back. Lopez ran to look over the platform, only to find Brooks's still body on the deck with a puddle of blood beginning to form on the back of his head.

"Scratch that; the Warden has left the building," Lopez said into his radio, a bit disappointed he didn't get to kill him. Oh well, he'll take what he can get.

Miles looked at Lyle, who smirked when they heard what Lopez said. Miles soon had the same expression before he reached for his radio, "Copy, give 'em hell, boys."

With a battle cry, the Recoms turned their guns at the crew and began to gun them down, catching them all off guard. Miles then whistled for Toruk as he and the Recoms's Ikrans began to attack Scorseby's boats, with the smaller Ikrans going after the sailors while Toruk lifted the whole ship.

Prager laughed as he watched Scoresby try to fire his harpoon at the Tulkun, only for it to move its head, ricochet off tusks, and damage his boat. Z then saw the soldier that tased the female Metkayina from one of the first villages they hit, "Oh, your ass is mine."

She ran, dodging and shooting down whoever got in her way until she reached him; he was too preoccupied shooting at the Tulkun that he didn't notice Z-Dog sneak up behind him. She picked him up by his collar and grabbed his legs to raise him over her head before slamming his back onto her knee. She was satisfied when she heard a crack and the soldier dropping on the deck, now motionless.

"What a woman," Mansk sighed lovingly as he watched Z charge at her target before turning back to the crewmate with his hand wrapped around their throat, "That's my mate."

He then used the crewmate as a shield while he charged at a group of men firing at him before chucking the now-dead crewmate at them. The soldiers groaned as they rolled the sailor off them, only to find a grenade with its pin pulled; they were all blown to pieces before they even realized what happened. Prager and Fike grabbed the arms and legs of the Skel suit that a soldier was in and threw him towards the Tulkun that flicked them away with one of its fins before the Tulkun dove back into the sea. They laughed and high-fived before they saw Neytiri fly over the SeaDragon and shoot the pilot of Seawasp, trying to take off. 

"Okay, I got to admit that was pretty badass." Ja said to Prager as they watched Seawasp crash back down onto the SeaDragon, "Yeah, it was."

"Fike on me!" Lyle yelled. Fike followed Lyle as they both ran toward the bridge, "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to sink this tin can, and you'll cover me. Got it?" Lyle asked. Fike nodded as he kicked open the door and opened fire. Lyle went past him to the controls, kicking over the helmsman and engaging the turbine engines to full speed before destroying the controls.

One of the crew members jumped on Lyle's back to pull him away, but Lyle slammed his back on the floor, crushing the crewmate and forcing the sailor to lose his grip. Lyle got out of the sailor's grasp and took out his knife before he turned around, stabbing the man in the chest. He and Fike left the bridge but soon noticed the SeaDragon approaching some rocks.

"Everybody grab onto something; this thing is about to go airborne!" Lyle yelled into his radio before he and Fike grabbed onto the handrails.

"Lyle, you psycho!" Prager yelled as the Recoms ran to hold on to something as the ship hit the rock, sending it up into the air. Ja screamed with Tuk as he gripped the handrail next to her before he groaned in pain when he landed on his side when the ship dropped back into the water, "Yup, that's gonna hurt in the morning."

Lyle and Fike let out shaken laughter before they saw the alarms going off behind them on the bridge. Water was flooding the engine room, and the crew was now abandoning the ship.

"Colonel, it's time to go," Lyle said into his radio as he and Fike made their way to the others. "Copy," Miles answered as he finished off the remaining soldiers on the deck before he joined his team, who were waiting for him.

"Lopez, give me the tablet," Miles said, looking at Lopez, his hand raised expectantly. Lopez looked at his hand, then at Miles's face, confused, "What are you talking about."

"The pad Brooks had," Miles said. Lopez, still confused, said, "It fell to the lower decks."

"Damn it!" Miles cursed, his tail whipping behind, "Isn't that a good thing now he can't control us anymore."

"Lopez, did you forget that tablet has a timer that Brooks has to reset, or the chips explode, killing us." Ja said, pointing at all of them; Lopez's eyes widened, "Oh shit!"

"Alright, new plan, Lyle; get everyone off this ship. Get as far as you can if you find any hostiles; you put them down. I'm going to find that tablet. Got it?" Miles said to the Recoms; they nodded, watching Miles go down the stairwells.

"Okay, you heard him. Let's free these kids and get the hell out of dodge. Fike, Ja, we're covering them," Lyle said. Fike and Ja went to the edge while Prager, Z, and Mansk went to the kids struggling to free themselves. They hissed and tried to kick them as they approached with their knives.

"Calm, Calm. We're getting off this ship." Prager said to Tsireya, who didn't know if he was lying. She got her answer when he cut her orange cuffs and led her over to jump the ship.

"I'll tell you when to jump," Prager said. Tsireya nodded, and they soon jumped into the water with Fike, Ja, and Lyle firing at incoming boats. When Prager began to swim towards the surface, Tsireya stopped him from pulling her up with him when she heard the calling of her ilu. Prager was freaked out when he saw the ilu approach them but calmed when he saw that it was friendly with Tsireya; she connected with her ilu and began to swim away while dragging Prager along for the ride.

As she continued to swim, she felt Prager begin to flail behind her and was horrified when she turned back, only to see that he was struggling to hold his breath. She quickly approached the surface and noticed Neteyam swimming past her and toward the ship. When they broke through the surface, Prager's face was dark purple as he coughed up water and tried to inhale as much air as possible. Tsireya supported him as they climbed onto a rock before Prager dropped to the ground, exhausted.

"I'm so sorry! The Sullys were with us for so long I forgot that forset Na'vi can't hold their breath for long." Tsireya apologized. Prager smiled reassuringly, "I'm just glad you didn't kill me."

Tsireya smiled at him before she got up and back on her ilu. Prager looked at her confused, "Hey, where are you going?"

"My friend, Neteyam, I saw him heading towards the ship. I have to get him." Before Prager could stop her, Tsireya dove into the water towards the SeaDragon, leaving Prager on the rock dumbfounded, "Seriously, What is wrong with these kids!?"

But Prager heard a large splash and turned to see an ironic scene before him. The Tulkun from earlier was jumping over the boat Scoresby was on with the wire from Scoresby's precious harpoon in its mouth. The wire wrapped around the boat, trapping it against some rocks close to Prager and forcing the wire to cut through the boat.

Prager watched as sailors fell into the water. He smirked when the wire cut too fast for Scoresby to dodge and pinned his upper arm to the harpoon gun. Prager could hear Scoreby's cries from where he sat when suddenly he saw Scoresby flying into the water with his harpoon gun. His forearm was cut clean off from his body.

"Whoo! You know he dead." Prager said to no one in particular. But then he saw Garvin, the last alive on the boat, stand up; he was shaking more than a wet dog. Prager felt pity for him and called out to him, "Garvin! Come over here if you want to live."

Garvin didn't have to be told twice as he jumped off the boat and swam over to Prager. Prager quickly pulled him onto the rock, and Garvin slightly shivered as he and Prager watched silently as the Metkayina dealt with the last of the remaining boats.

Tuk didn't fight after she saw Prager jump off the ship with Tsireya; she stayed still when Mansk cut her cuffs and pulled her into his arms, holding her close as he and Z went to jump. But Lo'ak still fought against Lopez so much so that Lopez gave up cutting him loose, "You want to be like that. Fine. You're gonna be the last one off."

"Mansk, Z, wait up!." Lopez called out to the duo and jumped after them.

"Ja, Fike you two go. I'll handle the kid." Lyle said. They nodded and jumped in; Lyle went to turn to Lo'ak but then was fired on by the crew; he returned fire before looking at Lo'ak, "I'll be right back."

Lyle fired at the crew before charging at them; when Lyle was far enough, Lo'ak started to kick the handrail, trying to break it. He heard a splash and an ilu cry; when he turned, he saw Neteyam with his hunting knife, "Hey, baby brother. Need some help?"

"Shut up. Come on. Get me loose." Lo'ak said, annoyed. Neteyam smiled, jogging over to Lo'ak, and began to cut his cuffs while he joked, "Who's the mighty warrior? Come on. Say it."

"Bro." Lo'ak laughed, rolling his eyes. Neteyam laughed as he freed Lo'ak, "Come on. Let's go!"

Neteyam turned to jump off the ship, expecting Lo'ak to follow, but then did a double take when he saw Lo'ak go the opposite direction and grab a gun from one of the fallen soldiers.

"Lo'ak." Neteyam said, frustrated as Lo'ak faced him with the gun, "They've got Spider. We've gotta get him. Come on."

"Come on, bro. We can't leave him." Lo'ak pleaded when Neteyam hesitated to follow him into the ship. Neteyam let out a defeated groan before he followed behind Lo'ak. Lyle was panting as he jogged back; new scratches covered his body; he ran out of bullets and had to restore to hand-to-hand combat. It wasn't easy when it was a three-against-one fight, even though he was twice the crew's size.

"Okay, kid, let's- where'd you go?" Lyle stared at the empty spot where Sully's kid was supposed to be cuffed. He then saw Sully's kids heading deeper into the ship and toward the launch ramps. He looked at the ship's edge, his ticket to freedom, then back towards where Sully's two kids went and started contemplating his next move.

"Nobody would know. Nobody." he whispered to himself; he remained still for a moment, weighing his options before pinching his nose. He groaned in frustration and began to jog after them while mumbling to himself, "Well, the last I saw them was when the soldiers gunned them down. Oh...yeah, they'll be missed, those stupid little bastards. I miss them already."

Lo'ak and Neteyam climbed along the pipes on the ceiling of the ship's deck, freezing when Sky people ran past them to get to the boats to evacuate. They went further in and stealthily walked on top of a crane when they saw a group of six walk past them with someone with blonde dreads in the middle.

Did they make Spider wear clothes like them?

Neteyam quickly hopped down behind one and stabbed him in the back while throwing another against a wall. Lo'ak soon follows, using the rifle to beat one down and break another's mask, with Neteyam throwing the last one off the rail.

Lo'ak turns to look at Spider, only to realize it isn't Spider but a crew member raising his rifle at him, and without thinking, Lo'ak raises the gun, shooting the crewmate, losing control of the rifle for a moment. They stood still, high on adrenaline, when suddenly Lyle appeared in front of them; startled, Lo'ak raised the gun and aimed at Lyle.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Lyle shouted as he quickly grabbed the gun and pointed it up as Lo'ak pulled the trigger, firing a few shots in the air.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Lyle said as he yanked the gun out of Lo'ak's hands, "Give me that! You're gonna kill someone if you use a gun like that!"

Lyle's ears twitched when he heard more crew members heading their way; Lyle grabbed their arms and dragged them down the stairs to the lower loading deck away from the oncoming trouble. But it was hard to do that when they kept fighting against him, "Let go! You're not keeping us from Spider." 

"Spider is not here.' Lyle said as they made it to the loading bay.

"Liar!" shouted Lo'ak as he struggled to free his arm. Lyle was fed up and let go of both their arms, causing Lo'ak and Neteyam to stumble back a bit before Lyle turned to them.

"When I say "Spider is not here," what do your brains hear?! Chocolate!?" Lyle shouted at them; he was so frustrated that he could barely talk properly to them in Na'vi.

"What's chocolate?" Neteyam asked, confused; Lyle gave them an exasperated look, "That's what you got from all that?!"

Before they could answer, soldiers began to fire at them; Lyle pushed Neteyam and Lo'ak to cover before pressing them against a wall, his arm across their chests to hold them in place so they wouldn't do anything stupid. He quickly checks how many bullets there are in the gun before cocking it. The mag didn't have much, and he needed to get these two out of there; he then saw the pool in the launching area for the Mako subs and got an idea.

"You two jump in there, and I'll cover you," Lyle told them, pointing at the pool; they hesitated, still wary of him. Lyle sighed, "Listen, you're gonna have to trust me, okay?"

With the soldiers closing on them, Neteyam and Lo'ak didn't have much choice as they nodded and waited for Lyle to tell them when to go; Lyle was relieved at their cooperation. He peeked out of the cover and saw two men on the deck and three on the stairway; Lyle took a deep breath before turning to Neteyam and Lo'ak.

"Run!" he shouted before they all ran out of their cover and towards the water, Lyle using his body to shield them while shooting at the soldiers. They dove into the water and began to swim below the ship; Lo'ak and Neyetam swam ahead as Lyle followed them. They resurfaced when they made it outside and started celebrating.

"Bro, that was insane!" Lo'ak cheered while Neteyam laughed; they high-fived when Tsireya arrived riding her ilu, "Get on!"

They swam towards her and were about to climb on, but then they heard struggling breathing and groans behind them; turning around, they saw Lyle fighting to stay above water as he tried to swim with one arm.

"What's wrong?" Neteyam asked as he swam towards Lyle. 

"I got hit," Lyle grunted while he tried to apply pressure on the left side of his abdomen that was pouring out blood. Neteyam hooked his arm around Lyle as best as he could and guided him towards Tsireya's ilu, "Come on, Lo'ak, help me get him on!"

"What? Bro, you've got to be joking!" Lo'ak argued with Neteyam. Lyle wanted to point out that he just saved their asses, but he was too busy trying to stay alive; then Neteyam came to his defense, "He's saved our lives, Lo'ak! Now help me, you skxawng!"

Lo'ak let out a huff before he swam over to help Neteyam; Tsireya got off her ilu and helped them get Lyle on. Neteyam was in the front, with Lyle behind; his right arm hooked around Neteyam while his left kept applying pressure on his wound. Tsireya and Lo'ak were on each side of the ilu as they began to leave to where the others were.

"Where's Tuk?" Lo'ak asked Tsireya as they swam away from the ship, "She's with the others."

"Others?" Neteyam asked, confused as Lo'ak's eyes widened before turning to Tsireya, "You left her with them!?"

"Hey, I just happened to be one of them, so watch it." Lyle told Lo'ak before turning to Neteyam, "You know you're starting to be my favorite."

Lo'ak didn't know whether to be offended when Lyle finished, while Tsireya tried not to smile when she saw Lo'ak's expression; they soon made it to the rock where Tuk and the Recoms were waiting for them. Tuk was sitting next to Z, leaning her head against her arm as she played with her bracelets; Mansk had cut the remaining orange cuff off her wrist and was standing next to Lopez. The sky dimmed as the Ecpilsce began; they franticly scanned the water and nearby rocks for any sign of the other Recoms. 

"Teyam!" Tuk shouted out as she sprang up to her feet, waving her hands excitedly at the sight of her brother. Z, Mansk, and Lopez looked at where Tuk was waving and saw the Sully kids and Tsireya heading to them. Smiles began to form on their faces as they saw the prominent figure of Lyle behind Neteyam, but it soon disappeared when they saw he wasn't moving.

"Oh, shit," Lopez said as he soon saw the worried faces of Neteyam and Tsireya as they got closer. Z-dog got to her feet, pulling Tuk back as she tried to go to her brothers, whispering, "Stay back, kid."

Tuk was confused as to why until she saw Lopez and Mansk run to the edge of the rock and begin to shout, "Come on over here! Bring him over here!"

Lopez and Mansk were so close to jumping in to get Lyle themselves when Sully's kids finally got to them. "Here! Take him." Neteyam said as he got off the ilu and used the tide to bring Lyle closer to the rock with the help of Tsireya and Lo'ak.

"Come on, Come on," Lopez said as he and Mansk grabbed each of Lyle's arms as they tried pulling him onto the rock, "Pull!"

"Watch his head!" Lopez yelled to Mansk as they pulled Lyle out of the sea with the kid's help and dragged him to the center of the rock, laying him down, "It's going to be okay, Lyle. We got you."

"Thank you," Lopez said to Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Tsireya; they nodded before they went over to Tuk as Lopez and Mansk got to work on Lyle.

Miles stepped on a puddle of blood when he landed on the ship's lower deck; the ship groaned as it sunk lower into the sea. Miles scanned the immediate area where Lopez said the pad fell, but it could be anywhere, with the SeaDragon becoming an Ikran momentarily. Miles began to search, moving the ship's wreckage out of the way as he desperately tried to find the tablet. He'll soon run out of daylight, looking up to see the eclipse about to start.

He was so focused on looking for the tablet that a couple of stragglers almost ambushed him, but he put an end to them real quick. "Come on. Come on. Where is it!?" he thought as he began to run around kicking and throwing anything that got in the way. And that's when he saw it on the ground in plain sight; he sighed in relief as he jogged over to it, but just as he was a few feet away, it was snatched up.

"Oh shit." Miles looked up in horror as Brooks's bloodied face stared at him with a wicked grin. 

"Suprise!" Brooks shouted as he pressed the icons on the screen. Miles could only take a step forward before he heard the high-pitched activation of his chip and collapsed to the floor. 

Lyle hissed in pain as Lopez removed his vest and cut off his shirt, examining the bullet wound on his abdomen, "Mansk, help me turn him to his side to see if there is an exit."

Manks grabbed to turn Lyle over, only for him to touch the exit wound, causing Lyle to cry out in pain, "That… Gah! That bullet went straight through. Good. Cool."

"Wait, wait, wait. Bullet? You were shot?" Tuk asked, watching as Mansk used Lyle's shirt as wound-packing gauze. Lyle turned his head to Tuk with a not-so-friendly face, "Yeah… No, actually, no. No, I was stabbed with a bullet. What do you think, you little brat."

"Brat? She's not the skxawng who was shot." Lo'ak said, coming to the defense of his little sister.

"All right, okay, that's it." Lyle strained out, slapping Lopez's and Mansk's hands away, and tried to sit up but ended up coughing. Then he heard a farting sound; Lyle paused, looking down at his wound, coughing again; he listened as his bullet wound made another fart sound.

"That… Wow… That, uh… That's weird. It farts when I cough." Lyle said, morbidly curious; he coughed again, listening to the fart sound. Tuk made a disgusted face, "Gross."

"Yeah, Super gross." Lyle agreed as Lopez pushed him back down, and Mansk resumed applying pressure to his wound, "Lyle, just stay still and breathe, okay? You're losing a lot of blood."

"Okay, okay. Do you know where the others are?" Lyle asked, taking deep breaths, "They're on different rocks right now. We can't be bunched together like sitting ducks. Now, can we?"

Lyle laughed at that until he heard a high-pitched sound; he looked at Mansk and Lopez, who shared the same expression of horror.

"Z!" Mansk yelled, panicked, looking over at Zdinarsik before he fell on top of Lyle and began to convulse. Tuk shrieked in fear as she watched the Recoms go from acting normal to being on the ground writhing in pain. Neteyam only managed to soften the fall for Z when she also dropped to the floor; her mouth was wide open as if she wanted to scream. He then noticed black veins forming on the side of her neck.

Tsireya dropped down to Z and began to look over her frantically to see what was wrong with her before looking at Neteyam, worried, "What's happening to her?!"

"It's happening to them too!" Lo'ak yelled to them as he ran to Mansk, pushing him off Lyle to apply pressure on his wound, "Bro, help me keep him still!"

Neteyam jumped to his feet, ran over to Lo'ak, and tried to hold down Lyle as best as possible. Tuk shrunk into herself, her ears pinned down and her tail wrapped tightly around her leg; she desperately wanted to help. But she didn't know what to do; she was so scared she wanted her sister Kiri; she knew how to heal anyone.

"Tuk!" As if Eywa had heard her, Tuk heard Kiri call her name; she turned, squinting for a better view in the dimness of the eclipse, and saw familiar faces of Kiri, Aonung, and Rotxo.

"Kiri!" Tuk yelled happily as she frantically waved her arms for Kiri to come quickly. Tuk practically dragged Kiri out of the water and began to push her toward the Recoms, "You have to help; something is very wrong with them!"

But as soon as Tuk finished speaking, the Recoms gasped for air as they moaned in pain. Tsireya gripped Z's hand in both of hers; Z quietly whimpered, tears sliding down her face as she laid her hand on her stomach.

"Lopez, you said that Brooks was dead?" Mansk choked out angrily as he struggled to lift his body ground. Lopez looked at him equally pissed, if not more, "He was literally in a pool of his blood; you can't get any deader than that."

"That's why we double tap to make sure they're dead. Have you learned nothing from horror movies?" Lyle managed to say before he started to cough again. Mansk then wobbled over to Z; Tsireya moved aside as he knelt beside Z, taking her hand in his and holding it up against his cheek.

"Ma beautiful Zdinarsik," Mansk whispered before kissing her hand. Z could only muster a small smile at him before more tears began to form in her eyes. 

"Kiri, come over here and help me," Lo'ak said. Kiri knelt beside Lo'ak and helped as best she could with Lyle's wound. Neteyam had let go of Lyle and soon turned to Lopez with a look of concern, "What has happened to you?"

"It's the chips in our necks," Lopez pointed to the side of his neck where the black veins were, "Every time we refuse to obey orders, we- OOHH MOTHERFUCKER!"

Neteyam jumped back from Lopez's outburst before he reached to catch him as he crashed to the ground again, twitching as he struggled to breathe.

"It's happening again!" Lo'ak yelled as he tried to hold down Lyle, who was convulsing. Aonung went to help his sister. She panicked as she watched Mansk and Z jerk around, but then it suddenly stopped, and they were again gasping for air.

"That's what happens." Lopez stammered out between breaths, "Something's gone wrong. I think the colonel is in trouble."

Neteyam, understanding, stood up and called his ilu as he made his way into the water.

"Bro, where are you going?" Lo'ak asked, looking at Neteyam mounting his ilu, "I'm going back to help."

"What?!" Lo'ak said before he stood and went to the edge of the rock. This is different from how his older brother acts; Neteyam is always cautious when he does things while he dives in head first without thinking. But the determined look on Neteyam's face told Lo'ak everything he needed to know; his brother was never one to stand by and let others suffer.

"I'm going with you," Lo'ak said, calling his ilu and hopping into the water. Neyetam smiled at him, "You would have come even if I told you to stay here."

Lo'ak smiled back while he got on his ilu. Lopez trembled as he picked himself up, "I can't let you two kids go alone. I'm coming with."

Lo'ak and Neteyam protested but were cut off when Lopez and the other Recoms were on the ground convulsing for three seconds before they were released from their torture. Neteyam and Lo'ak cringed at the sight of them trying to catch their breaths.

"You need to stay here. It would be bad if one of your attacks happened in the water." Neteyam told. Mansks then spoke up, "The kid got a point, Lopez. Besides, we have to make sure the rest of us aren't dying on some other rock.

Lopez begrudgingly agreed. Neteyam turned to Aonung and Rotxo, "Go search for their group and bring them here if you can."

They nodded, going to their ilus and taking off into the water; Neteyam then turned to Tsireya, Tuk, and Kiri, "Try to help as best as you can and wait till mom or dad show up."

"God, their parents are the last people I want to show up," Lyle said, watching Neteyam and Lo'ak swim towards the burning ship sinking lower and lower into the sea.

Miles gasped for air, disoriented; his vision was fuzzy as he could barely make out the flames surrounding him. He pushed himself up to his wobbling feet; he hissed in pain when he raised his hand to his head only to touch a small bleeding wound. He must have hit his head when he fell; he heard someone shouting in frustration. He turned to see Colonel Brooks clenching the tablet in one hand, tapping the screen harshly as he cursed.

"Come, you stupid thing," he growled, smacking the already cracked tablet that repeatedly flashed an ERROR on the screen. Seeing Brooks distracted, Miles made a lung at him, tackling him, but as they hit the ground, the pad hit the deck and activated the chips again, causing Miles to seize up. Seeing this, Brooks used his Skel arm to punch Miles and push him off him. Brooks made a grab for the tablet, but Miles grabbed his suit's leg, and Brooks barely grazed the tablet before he was pulled back towards Miles.

Brooks had enough of their struggle and landed a solid kick with his free foot, hitting Miles square in the face and sending him backward into the rising water. Miles thought that same way about their little scuffle; he growled, getting to his feet, pulling out his knife from his vest, and holding it in a reverse grip.

"You ain't gonna win against me, Brooks. And you know it." Miles hissed, his tail whipped behind him as he raised his knife.

Brooks gave him a deranged smile, pulling out his knife, "Oh, I know I can't win. I just need to hold out until you run out of time and your brain is splattered all over the ship. And when you're gone, I'll kill your whole family."

"Then let's get it done," Miles said before he charged at Brooks.

They swung their knives wildly at each other, barely able to avoid or block one another's attacks, while they tried to avoid equipment sliding toward them as the ship was starting to tilt. They then grabbed the wrists of the other, locking them in a hold as they pushed their knives back and forth to stab each other.

Brooks saw one of the ship's large hardware sliding down and kicked Miles in front of it, taking him down and losing his knife in the water. Brooks then turned to the tablet lying a few feet away and made his way to it but was grabbed and put into a chokehold by Miles; thinking quickly, Brooks stabbed Miles in his arm. Miles yelled in pain as Brooks ripped the knife out of his arm; Miles's grip loosened, and Brooks broke free.

Thinking fast, Miles kicked Brooks back and in front of a Mako Sub, which almost pinned against handrails but managed to climb on top of it. Miles quickly removed his belt as Brooks jumped from the Sub, launching himself towards Miles, his knife raised to stab him. Miles wrapped Brooks's wrist with his belt, pulling Brook's arm across his throat and over his shoulder.

Brooks attempted to break free from Miles by elbowing him in the face with his free arm, but Miles slammed him to the deck, knocking him out and cracking his mask slightly from the impact. Seeing Brooks unconscious, Miles ran to the tablet, skidding toward the water, and grabbed it before it was lost to the ocean.

"Come on. Come on." Miles muttered as he tapped the unresponsive tablet until it suddenly showed the detention timer with five minutes on the clock.

"Yes! Hm... not bad if I do say so myself." Miles said, looking at the time left. Distracted by deactivating the tablet, Miles failed to notice that Brooks was no longer on the ground but had a gun in his hand aimed at Miles's back. He didn't even get to let out a single shot before he was tackled to the ground by Neteyam and Lo'ak. Miles turned at the sound of Brooks cursing, and his eyes landed on the two brothers.

"Thanks," Miles said, going over to them; Lo'ak didn't know how to feel in this situation. Here was the man who wanted to kill his father, drove them away from their home in the forest, and threatened his life twice already. They shouldn't be anywhere near him, let alone help him, but he nodded at Quaritch as he and Neteyam held down Brooks.

"Let me go, you blue fuckers! When I get up, I'll skin you alive and mount your head on my wall, Quaritch!!" Brooks howled, glaring up Miles. But then he saw the 'passcode required' on the screen, and his anger soon turned to glee as he gave Miles a smug look.

"Ha! You're screwed now 'cause I ain't gonna give you shit." Brooks said, but Miles ignored him, reaching over to grab Brooks's knife on the floor before giving him a smug look of his own, "Oh, I know that's why I paid extra attention every time you had to restart the clock."

Brooks now had a look of confusion as Miles knelt, cutting him from his Skel suit, and brought him to his feet right in front of him, " I just need a fingerprint, and it didn't say the hand still had to be attached to the person now, did it?"

,

It was now Brooks's turn to have a look of horror; the knife gleamed in the light of the fire as Miles brought the blade closer to his hand, "Wait! No! Quaritch, stop!"

The knife stopped inches away from Brooks's hand; he sighed in relief that maybe his cries stopped Miles, but that hope was quickly dashed when Miles looked to Lo'ak and Neteyam, "You two wait here."

"Wait, I'll do it myself! I'll put my hand on the screen, alright!" Brooks begged while Miles dragged him away from the view of the two boys; when they were in a more secluded part, Miles turned to him with a cold look, "Oh no, this has been a long time coming. I have to pay you back for all the shit you've put me and my family through."

And without breaking eye contact, Miles cut Brooks's whole hand off; he felt a sick satisfaction watching Brooks' face turn from fear to shock and finally to pain. Brooks howled in pain, looking at his stump squirting out, but he was cut off when Miles ripped off his mask and threw it into the ocean. Miles let go of Brooks's shirt and watched Brooks squirm on the floor as he tried to breathe.

"Now do me a favor, would ya, Brooks." Miles said, typing in the passcode and scanning Brooks's hand before dropping them and stomping on the tablet, "Make sure to save a seat for Admore in hell."

Miles then walked away from Brooks, leaving him to die alone as he pathetically tried to reach out for the broken tablet. "Problem solved." Miles thought, holding his injured arm as he made his way over to Sully'sboys, the visible tense as they saw Miles approach them.

But before he could get any closer, Sully appeared, hopping off his Skimwing, and stood protectively in front of his son with his gun raised at Miles. Tonowari and other warriors quickly followed him on their Skimwings; they charged and surrounded Miles, their spears pointing at him. Miles slowly raised his hands in surrender, "New problem begins."

Ao'nung and Rotxo found the other and were taking Prager back to the rest of the Recoms with Garvin riding with Rotox. Lopez waved at their approach before turning his attention back to Lyle; Prager quickly got off Ao'nung's ilu and hurried to others who gathered close to Lyle.

"T-t-thanks," Garvin stuttered to Rotxo before he followed after Prager; the Recoms were the only protection he had against the Na'vi.

"Hey, how you doing, big guy." Prager asked, kneeling to Lyle, "Pretty great for someone bleeding out."

Prager chuckled; Lyle noticed Garvi standing behind Prager, "Hey Doc, how've you been?"

"Oh, I'm good. You know I could be doing much worse." Garvin said, gesturing to Lyle's wound. Lyle forced out a laugh but ended up in a coughing fit.

"Stop talking, you skxawng! You're worse than my brother." Kiri hissed at Lyle as Lopez gave her another one of the Recoms shirts for Lyle's wound, "If you keep moving, you're going to lose more blood, and then you're going to die."

"Promise?" Lyle asked Kiri with a grin. Kiri rolled her eyes, trying to hide her growing smile; then they all heard a screech from an Ikran, and all eyes looked up to the sky. The Recoms perked up as they watched the Ikran fly closer, wondering if it was one of theirs, but they then saw the rider of the Ikran.

"Mama!" Tuk shouted excitedly as she jumped to her feet and waved happily to her mother. Lopez moved close to Kiri, placing his hand over hers, and began applying pressure on Lyle's wound, "Go to your mother. I'll take care of him."

Kiri nodded and went to wait for their mother to land with Tuk, but Kiri saw the Recoms around them backing away, and then she heard Ja say under his breath, "Oh, Hell no."

"We need to get the fuck out of here," Fike said, just as panicked as Ja. Mansk held Z close as they stepped back; Tuk looked at them confused, "What's wrong? It's just Mama."

"Yeah, kid, you realize we and your parents aren't on the best terms, right?" Prager said, getting up, his eyes still locked on the Ikran that was getting closer, "You think she'll be distracted long enough with Lyle for us to book it."

"It's a 50/50 chance," Lopez said. Lyle looked between Lopez and Prager in shock, "What? No! You assholes are not leaving me here with that crazy b-women."

Lyle saved himself on that last part when he saw Tuk staring at him, although his words didn't stop the other Recoms and Garvin from trying to make a run, but when Prager turned to run, he was met with the sharp point of a spear.

"Uh, guys." Prager said, raising his hands in surrender and walking backward as the female Na'vi went forward; everyone turned and saw Prager with Ronal pointing her spear at his throat. Ja sighed tiredly as he raised his hands, "Oh man, why is it always us?"

"Mother!" Tsireya and Ao'nung shouted, running over to Ronal, and Rotxo ran to his father as he came onto the rock with other warriors. Ronal pushed her children behind her as she hissed at Prager.

"Mom," Kiri said when Neytiri landed. Getting off her Ikran, Neytiri went to them and pulled them in a tight hug before she checked for any injuries; she panicked as she saw the blood on Kiri's hand, "It's okay, Mom. It's not my blood."

"Oh, thank you, Great Mother," Neytiri whispered, relieved, pulling her daughters into a hug again, kissing their heads. She looked up from her daughters to the Recoms; her face now showed nothing but fury as she stepped in front of Kiri and Tuk, drawing her bow as she growled, "Demons! I will kill for you for taking my children!"

"Ra'un!" Yelled Mansk. The Metkayina stopped when Mansk shouted, "We can not fight. We have wounded, and my mate is with child; they both need to be treated."

Ronal looked at Mansk before her eyes moved to his mate; she had a calm expression, but Ronal saw she was nervous, seeing how she subtly leaned closer to Mansk. She scanned over the other Recoms; their hands were not on their weapons but raised in surrender; only two were not standing, with one lying on the rock and the other kneeling beside him. She then notices a sky person with his hands in the air like the rest, shaking in fear while he tries to avoid eye contact with her.

Ronal took a moment to think with her people waiting for her next command; Ronal lowered her spear with others coping her, "We will take the demons back, and they will face punishment for their crimes!"

"Ronal, we can't let these demons live; they must die," Neytiri growled, watching the Metkayina bind the Recoms' and Garvin's wrists and take to the Skimwings except for Lyle and Lopez, who were brought together to prevent more bleeding.

"They have surrendered Neytiri; it is now a matter of Tsahik and Olo'eyktan," Ronal stated sternly before taking Ao'nung and Tsireya to their ilus. Ronal then goes her skinmwing and begins swimming back to Awa'atlu, with everyone following behind her, leaving Neytiri alone on the rock with Tuk and Kiri.

"Let's go," Neytiri told Tuk and Kiri, leading them to her Ikran and taking off to the sky, following the Metkayina back to their village.

"What about Dad?" Tuk asked, looking up at her mother, "Your father will be okay; we'll see him when he returns to the village with Tonowari. But I need to make sure you are safe first."

"Okay," Tuk said before she looked down at the Metkayina below them with a worried look, "I hope they're okay."

"Ra'un," Miles simply said, catching Tonowari's attention and his warriors; the atmosphere around them was no longer one of hostility but anticipation. Tonowari lowered his spear; he straightened up to his full height, looking at Miles as if trying to see if he was lying.

"Take him," Tonowari ordered. Two warriors behind Miles acted swiftly, tying Miles's wrists; Jake looked at Tonowari confused, "What are you doing, Tonowari?"

"He has surrendered, Toruk Makto. We both know the practice when a warrior surrenders." Tonowari responded. Jake wanted to protest that Miles wasn't a true warrior, but it wouldn't matter once Miles surrendered; it was out of Jake's hands. He watched as Miles was searched and then dragged to the skimwings that were waiting; he then turned to his sons.

"Are you alright? Hurt anywhere?" He asked, worried as he looked them over.

"We're fine, sir," Neteyam said. Jake hugged them, and they soon separated, "Where are your sisters?"

The two hesitated to respond. What were they going to say? They left their sisters with the team of their father's enemy, but before they had a chance to speak, Jake heard Neytiri's voice in his earpiece, "Ma Jake.''

Neytiri, I can hear you." Jake said Lo'ak and Neteyam were thankful for their mom's interruption, "I have Kiri and Tuk. I'm taking them back to Awa'atlu. Do you have Neteyam and Lo'ak?"

"Okay, I'll meet you there." Jake responded, confused by how tense she sounded, "Come on, your mother has your sisters."

Neteyam followed their dad into the water, getting on their ilus while Jake went on his skimwing and began to follow Tonowair's battle party back to Awa'atlu. As they swam, they heard the screeching of Ikrans; they looked up to see the Recoms's Ikrans and Toruk following above them. Jake tightened his grip on his saddle; it's been years since he last saw Toruk, but he never could have imagined Quaritch being his rider when they met again.

Quaritch would face judgment, and Jake's family would finally be free from him once and for all.

Chapter Text

Kayri paced anxiously in her tent, with Spider sleeping soundly in his bed, oblivious to his Mother's dilemma. Her Mother and sister were tending to the injured while her father went to speak with the elders, the Tsahiks and Olo'eyktan of the Tayrangi clan, Olangi clan. Waeyo was resting on one of the beds close by. Kayri knew she should as well, but she couldn't relax even when she cuddled with Spider to sleep.

It had been hours since Karyi sent her call to Miles, and Max hadn't heard anything back. She wondered if the Recoms had never heard her call or if they did and something had gone wrong, and here she was doing nothing while her mate was dying somewhere.

"No, I must be strong if not for me, then for Spider." She thought, turning to Spider, curled up on the cot. She knelt beside him, laying her head on one arm while her other gently stroked Spider's head as she softly hummed a lullaby.

She remained that way until her Mother and sister came in looking exhausted; Kayri got her feet and helped her Mother to one of the beds. Her Mother let out a tired sigh when she sat down, while Seytawni let out a small groan as she lay down on her cot. They had finished treating the last of the wounded. Kayri felt guilty that she could not help them, but when she tried, her Mother told her that her primary concern should be Spider.

"Mother, you should have at least let me help grind medicine for you," Karyi said, sitting beside her Mother and began to massage her hands. Kayri heard her laugh softly, "Even when injured, you still push yourself to do more."

Kayri hummed as she continued to massage her Mother's hand when she spoke again, "Have there been any news about Milus and the others?"

"No, there hasn't. I have been here with Spider, and no one has come with any news." Kayri whispered as she switched to message Peitey's other hand, "I'm worried that something has happened, Mother."

Peitey tsked, pulling Kayri into a hug, laying her head against her chest, and stroking her hair while Kayri still held on to her hand like she used to do as a child.

"Don't let worry plague you, my child. Your mate is as stubborn as you. The Great Mother herself would have to take him with her kicking and screaming." Kayri giggled and looked up at her Mother with a smile, "Thank you, Mother."

Peitey smiled and kissed Kayri's head; the two held each other before Kayri stood and turned to her Mother, "I'm going to the Tree of Souls to pray. I'll be right back."

Peitey nodded, understanding what Kayri meant, and went to lay beside Spider, holding his sleeping form close. Kayri went to the entrance of their tent, looking back one more time at the sleeping bodies of her family before leaving. 

Karyi walked through High Camp; her eyes flickered from tents with the wounded to tents with the dead. She dreaded when the time came for their allied clans to bring home their dead and inform their families. Her guilt squeezed her heart tighter, imagining the wails of mourning loved ones who had now lost a friend, sibling, mate, or parent. But Karyi forced herself to keep going; the least she could do was go to Eywa and pray for them.

She finally arrived at the Tree of Souls, seeing how similar it looked to the Anstral tree made her homesick. She wanted to know any news about Miles, good or bad; the suspense of not knowing was killing her. Taking a calming breath, Kayri walked under the tendrils of the Tree of Souls; raising her hand, she grazed the bioluminescent branches as she walked past.

She knelt in front of low-hanging tendrils and reached behind her to grab her queue, slowly raising it to connect still she hesitated momentarily. She had only ever been attached to the Ancestral Tree her whole life. But she knew the Great Mother was always with her children wherever they went.

She bonded her queue to the tendrils and closed her eyes; her mind wandered to sweet memories of her home. She could feel the air hit her face and the wind roaring in her ears as she and Ralu flew through the air. She could hear the chants of her clan's ancestors singing the First Songs.

Kayri smiled as she listened to the steady singing; she opened her eyes, believing she would see her home but shocked to see she was in the Skypeople's lab shack. But it looked different, cleaner, bigger; Kayri scanned the lab, confused as to why she would be brought here of all places. 

"Finally, I meet the women that made Ranger Rick fall head over tail." Kayri whipped around, her ears pinned, as she came face to face with a red-headed sky person who smiled, "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dr. Grace Augustine."

Spider had a wonderful dream; he was back home with his father and Mother, and they were playing with the toys his uncles and grandfather had made for him. Spider laughed as his father made his toy Ikran fly in the air while his Mother smiled at them as she prepared dinner. That was when they heard an Ikran screeching and a low rumbling noise; he didn't understand what was happening when his Mother scooped him up and ran out of their home with his father following behind them.

Then he saw it, a dark mass in the distance growing rapidly and consuming everything in its path; he watched as it ate the sky, mountains, and waterfalls. He saw it get closer, now devouring homes, bridges, and soon the unfortunate Na'vi that could not flee in time.

Spider gripped his Mother tightly in fear as they continued to run; he looked around to see if he could find his grandma, grandpa, or maybe even his aunts and uncles, but he didn't see any of them. The mass was now growing faster and was gaining on them, and he saw that his father was beginning to fall behind as his Mother ran.

"Mama, We have to get Dada!" he pleaded to his Mother, but she ignored him and ran even faster. Spider could only look on in horror as his father was lost in the mass when it finally caught up with him.

"Dada!" he sobbed; fat tears ran down his face; he trembled, watching the black mass stretch over him and his Mother like a wave; he closed his eyes as it came crashing down on them. Spider woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He noticed that he was in the arms of someone; he looked back, expecting his Mother, but saw it was his grandma. Confused, he sat up and removed his grandma's arms from him, looking around the tent to find his Mother, only to find his Aunts Seytawni and Waeyo fast asleep in beds.

His ears drooped as he let out a shaky breath. Spider wanted his Mother to be with him after his awful nightmare, but then his ears perked up, hearing Irkan shriek like the one in his dream. He shook slightly in fear and was going to wake his grandma when it finally dawned on him that the Ikran cry he heard sounded very familiar.

"Cupcake," Spider whispered, a smile forming on his face as he quietly got off the cot and snuck out of the tent, unaware his grandmother and his aunt Sytawni were already awake, and got up to follow him. When Spider was far enough from the tent, he sprinted, running as fast as his little legs could go towards the cry of the Ikran he knew by heart. He finally reached the edge of High Camp and saw Cupcake perched on one of the ledges of the mountain.

"Cupcake!" Spider yelled happily. Cupcake's head perked up hearing Spider call her; turning to see Spider's happy face running towards her, she chirped joyfully. Her chirps encouraged Spider to run faster until he slammed into her beak, giving her a big hug. Cupcake cooed as she closed her eyes and took in Spider's calming scent; she then lifted her head, causing Spider to shriek with laughter as he dangled from her beak.

"I missed you so much," Spider said as Cupcake lowered him back to the ground. He snuggled into her beak for a moment before he separated from her, "Do you know where daddy is?"

Cupcake let out a small whimper, and Spider sadly sighed, understanding that she didn't know where he was. He then heard what seemed to be a whisper; his head whipped towards the sound, his tail moving anxiously behind him as Cupcake let out a warning growl, sensing Spider's distress. But to his relief, he only saw an atokirina' he smiled as he remembered playing with them when he was with his grandma at the Ancestral Tree back home.

"Hello, friend." Spider said, waving at the floating atokirina'. Suddenly, more atokirina' appeared, forming a trail back to High Camp; they must want to lead Spider somewhere. Trusting them, Spider went to go with them, but not before saying goodbye to Cupcake, "I'll be back."

Cupcake let out sad whimpers, watching as Spider left her side. Spider hurried as he followed the atokirina through the quiet High Camp; the fire around each tent brunt low. Only a few scouts and healers were awake watching over the camp while the others slept, tired from the battle. Spider passed by them unnoticed until he found the last atokirina' floating in front of a tent; Spider approached carefully, confused as to why they led him there.

He then pulled back the drapes of the tent and peeked inside; he saw many wounded warriors lying neatly on the cots in the tent. But when he stepped inside, he began to notice that everyone was lying too still, and it was deadly quiet; no one was snoring, and their chests weren't moving at all. Spider's tail and ears drooped, his heart pounding as he held his hands close to his chest.

These Na'vi were all dead.

Spider was no stranger to death; his Mother and father would bring him along while hunting for dinner. They were merciful and respected the prey they caught. He would watch his grandma and grandpa perform burial rituals for the elders who became one with Eywa. He watched as his grandmother prayed before placing an atokirina' on the remains, followed by the individual's family.

Spider always felt a twinge of sadness when they finished burying the body, but Spider knew they were at peace. But this didn't feel right; looking at the fallen warrior made him feel terrible like he would be sick. They should be surrounded by their families, not alone in this dark place.

He nervously approached an atokirina' that landed on the chest of one of the dead warriors. Spider looked down at the male warrior; his war paint resembled his grandfather's former clan. His eyes would always sparkle when he told stories to Spider about his old home in the plains.

It made him feel even worse that his grandfather went back to his old clan not to visit but to ask for help to save him from the Skypeople. He stared at the Na'vi, taking in his features; he looked around the same age as his dad and uncles. 

Does he have a son waiting for him to come home, too? 

Spider began to get teary-eyed thinking about it; he looked up to scan the room again, wondering if they also had someone waiting for them. He looked down at the Na'vi, glancing at the Atokirina' that lay perfectly still on the dead warrior. Spider had a feeling that it was trying to tell him something, and as if being guided, he reached out and laid both his hands on the Na'vi's chest, each on either side of the atokirina'. 

Spider shuddered as he touched the cold body and looked at the atokirina' like he was waiting for it to tell him what to do next. But it flew off the body and landed on Spider's head, leaving him puzzled about what to do, "I don't understand. How do I help him?"

He then saw a faint glow from his fingertips and watched how it rolled over the body. He gasped and yanked his hands away as if the body was on fire; he saw the weak light of the Na'vi's frickles darken when he pulled away. Gathering his courage, Spider placed his shaking hand back on the Na'vi before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"Wake up," Spider whispered; he slowly opened one eye to peek but saw no glowing. He hummed, confused, but pulled himself together, relaxed with a more concentrated look, and tried again, "Wake up!"

Spider felt a warm feeling go through him to his hand, and he watched in awe as his palms began to glow and pulse, sending wave after wave of luminous light like a steady heartbeat. And the more the warrior was bathed in light, his injuries, big or small, were closing and healing until he looked as if he was never wounded. He was so captivated by the spectacle that he was unaware his grandmother was watching by the entrance with a similar look of awe and wonder.

"Woah," Spider breathed out as the glowing faded from his palms until the only light source came from the atokirina' on his head. Spider slowly removed his hands from the body and waited, looking for any sign of life coming from the Na'vi.

Then, as fast as lighting, the Na'vi opened his eyes and took a deep breath as he began to look around in confusion. He jumped when he heard Spider's excited squealing and stared at him as he ran, to his horror, to the dead Na'vi lying next to him.

"Boy! What do you think you're doing? Show some respect!" the warrior hissed as he watched Spider place his hands on the body and went to stand. But he froze when he saw a blue light leave his hands and begin to envelop the body in a radiant glow. His eyes widened in amazement as he rose to his feet, watching the wounds on the Na'vi start to glow and shrink. He stepped towards Spider but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He looked behind him to see Peitey; he turned to greet her, "Tsahik Peitey, I see you."

Peitey silently returned the gesture before they heard a gasp, turning the Olagni's warrior's jaw dropped when he saw the Ikran Makto from the Tayrangi clan breathing while looking around in confusion.

"It would seem that Eywa has given another gift to my grandson." Peitey chuckled softly to herself; the direhorse rider turned to her in disbelief at her calm reaction to what they had witnessed. He had many questions but chose not to voice them, yet slowly turned back to Spider, who was running to the next Na'vi.

"Why am I here!?" hissed Kayri at Grace. Grace raised her hands in surrender and gave Kayri an apologetic look, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Just got a little ahead of myself."

"You still haven't answered my question," Kayri said, looking suspicious of Grace observing her as she leaned against one of the tables, "Well, I was going to give you some news about Quaritch."

Grace stood up and walked over to one of the lab's doors, "But I can tell you you don't want me here, so I'll just go."

"Wait!" Kayri shouted, stopping Grace. She looked back at Kayri with an innocent smile, "Yes?"

"You know ma, Miles?" Kayri cautiously asked. Graced turned, walking towards Kayri, "Oh yeah, I know him. Well, the old him mostly, and I must say you did a fine job teaching him."

"Oh, well, thank you." Kayri reluctantly said, unsure what to say, "I am Kayri Te Stayoika Eke'ite. You said you had some news about ma Miles."

"All I can say is that he's safe for now." Kayri sighed in relief before her legs felt like jelly and drooped to her knees, whispering, "Oh, thank the Great Mother."

"Yeah, the Great Mother cherishes her beloved Spider. I'm glad she changed his family's fates." Grace said with a smile. Kayri looked up, confused, and before she could ask, Grace beat her to it, "Now I know you're wondering what I mean. Well, let me show you."

Grace stretched out her hand for Kayri to take; Kayri glanced from Grace's face to her hand, unsure before accepting it. In an instant, they were suddenly in the forest. Kayri rose to her feet, confused about why Grace would bring her here first. Grace tapped her shoulder and motioned Kayri to follow her. They walked toward a fallen tree; they peeked over it, and Kayri's heart seemed to stop after what she saw.

There was her Miles with his team, but there were four more Na'vi with them, surrounding three Na'vi children and a Sky person. They had them on their knees; her eyes widened when she saw Fike aim a gun at the young Na'vi boy's head as he gripped his queue. What would Wayeo think if she saw him like this? Kayri jumped over the trunk without hesitation and ran to them, her ears pinned as she was now in the center of the group, hissing at them, "What are you doing!"

But they ignored her, which agitated her more, but then she saw Miles, Lyle, and Z approaching from the trees. Miles's hair was now as short as the day she met him; she smiled, her anger calming slightly, and she began to well up with tears as she saw him come closer to her.

"Ma Miles, I missed..." Kayri quieted when Miles ignored her, too, "Miles?"

"What have we here?" Miles said, studying the children kneeling. Lyle then forcefully grabbed the older female child's arm and looked at her hand before smirking and turning to Miles, "Hey, Colonel, check it out. Four fingers. We got a half-breed."

Kayri was shocked by Lyle's actions; he was always gentle with the new and younger hunters who followed him around the village, laughing and playing games with them. But seeing him gripping the girl's queue and being unaffected by her painful cries made her uneasy.

"Show me your fingers," Miles told the Na'vi boy. The boy raised his hands and flipped Miles off just as Ja did to Prager when they argued; Miles chuckled, "You're his, aren't you."

Kayri looked between them as the boy hissed at Miles, who wasn't affected by it, "You're his alright."

Miles then grabbed the boy's queue and forced him up to his feet, angering Kayri as she charged Miles to grab his arm, "Miles, stop!"

But her hand only passed through Miles, causing her to jump back in alarm; she tried to grab Miles again only to get the same result, "There's no use in trying to stop them."

Kayri turned to see Grace walking towards her, her hands stuffed in her lab coat pockets, "These are glimpses of the past. You can't do anything since it already happened."

They watched on as Miles didn't get any answers from the boy about his father and unsheathed his knife, not to threaten the boy but the Na'vi girl that Lyle had. Kayri and Grace tense as they watch Miles approach Kiri; Kayri learned her name when the others called out to her worriedly. The Sky person was the most vocal as he yelled, "Hey! Hey, don't touch her!"

Kayri turned to him and slowly knelt at his level; she instantly knew by looking at his face that this was her baby when he was still a Sky person. Kayri smiled as she took in Spider; she looked so handsome, and his eyes were as blue as the sky. She didn't focus on anything else but her son; she so badly wanted to hug him and take him to the Kekunan clan so she could spoil him with his favorite food.

"Miles?" Kayri turned to see Miles kneeling beside her, looking at their son in disbelief. She would have been happy with the reunion if this were her Miles, but this wasn't him. She got up and followed them as they led the Sully children to an abandoned and damaged shack. Kayri hissed softly about how the Recoms handled the children even when she knew this was the past.

Kayri followed Miles as he approached a giant metal suit and wiped the dirt away from the side of the arm; the air in her lungs left her as she saw the last name of her mate. Her tail moved erratically behind her as she saw the skeleton of her mate's past body. She tore her eyes away from the remains and stood beside Miles as he watched his final battle with Sully. She noticed that Spider was also watching from behind the foot of the metal suit.

"Miles, you can not let our son watch you die." Kayri pleaded in vain as they continued to watch; she had to look away as Neytiri shot Miles twice in the chest with her arrows. It was soon eclipse; the only light came from the luminescent plants around them. She heard a calling chirp with children as they subtly looked at one another; she then heard Kiri start to pray. Suddenly, an arrow flew through the air, hitting one of the Recoms she didn't know.

Miles and his began to fire their weapons while Spider and Sully's kids started to run away. Another Recom caught Kiri but was quickly shot dead by an arrow; she saw Miles hide behind a trunk and began to talk to Neytiri to distract her as one of the unknown Recoms went around to take her down. But before he could, he was killed by who Kayri believed was another one of Sully's children; she was relieved that the children could escape. But it was dashed when Miles fired a grenade that exploded, launching Spider from the tree and knocking him out.

Kayri panicked and ran to his unconscious body, hissing in frustration that she could not move him to see his injuries. She heard Kiri calling out to him; she looked up only to see Neytiri pulling her away, leaving her son behind. She hissed protectively over Spider's body as she saw Miles and his team approach, picking up Spider's body and heading over to the giant metal bird that pulled them up.

The scenery around her changed as she and Grace were now in the small white room where Spider was held. He hissed, threw a chair at the glass window, and cursed profanities not even her father would use when he was frustrated. Soon, two Sky people grabbed Spider and dragged him to a large room where Kayri's blood began to boil as her eyes landed on General Ardmore. 

"Demon! I will kill you!" Karyi roared, launching herself at Admore only to go through her; Kayri screamed in frustration that she couldn't strangle the person responsible for her misery. Grace placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a pitiful smile, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. But seeing her face makes me lose my temper." Kayri said, standing up. Grace's face turned to a deep frown, "I didn't mean about her."

Kayri was confused about what Grace meant until she saw Spider strapped to a machine, and it slowly started to spin and light up. Her son began to scream in pain, putting her in a frenzy as she sprinted to him, trying to set him free, only for him to be intangible, "Ma Spider!"

Her tail whipped frantically behind her, and her ears were down to her skull as she could only cry while her son wailed out. Her hands hovered over Spider in an attempt to comfort him. Fat tears fell from her eyes, and in her blurry vision, she saw Miles standing in front of a screen doing nothing as their son was being tortured. She bolted to him and practically begged him to do something, but then something caught her eye; one of the screens was trying to form an image.

"Just form a thought, and we'll see it." She heard Admore tell Spider it was then an unspeakable realization came to Kayri.

They were forcing a Tsaheylu on her son.

"Ma Miles, don't you hear our son is in pain! This is a crime against Eywa! Make them stop, please, I beg of you!" Kayri cried, her eyes widening in shock when Spider yelled at them to kill him. How could her son say such an awful thing? Does he think so little of his life? Thankfully, Miles pressed a large red button, stopping the machine, and Kayri scrambled to Spider, who was fainting from in and out of consciousness.

She let out shaky breaths, listening to Miles and Ardmore agreeing to get information out of Spider, but she soon blocked them out as she listened to her son's steady breathing. Kayri closed her eyes and soon found herself back in the room where Spider was kept; she saw the hiding under the table; he was shaken but awake. 

"This is supposed to be the moment Eywa intervenes, and your family's path changes," Grace said, moving to Kayri, "But she doesn't here, and this is their true fate."

Grace suddenly disappears, leaving Kayri alone with Spider before Miles enters the room. Spider tries to escape, but Miles stops him; he then tries to give Spider the dog tags from his dead body, but he throws them across the room. Kayri winced when Miles told Spider they meant nothing to each other, but she was thankful that Miles took him away from the Sky people. She laughed with Spider when the Recoms were back in the forest, and Miles tried to speak Na'vi with the terrible accent he had when they first met.

Spider leads them to the floating mountains to gain their Ikrans. Kayri shook her head in disapproval when he saw Lyle loading his gun to shoot the Ikran. But when Spider egged Miles on to do it without a weapon like Sully, Kayri couldn't help but smile in amusement as Miles's pride got the best of him. Her smile widened when Miles approached a familiar-looking Ikran; she jumped when she saw Miles punch Cupcake and tried to make the bond, only for Cupcake to drop off the mountain's edge.

Kayri worried if this was the true fate of Miles, but not a second later, Miles was flying on Cupcake, thrusting his fist in the air, and letting out a victorious yell as the others cheered with him. They were soon soaring in the air on their Ikrans; Kayri wished she had Ralu to fly beside him, but she was content with listening as her son and mate bonded. She laughed with Spider as he tried to get Miles to pronounce 'oel ngati kameie,' but he couldn't say it correctly and kept fumbling as Spider teased him.

But the playful mood between them died when Lyle said they got a signal from a rogue gunship, and the atmosphere became tense. Miles discussed with Admore that the last location of the gunship was traced in an area filled with hundreds of islands. Admore told Miles that a boat called the SeaDragon would be helping him in his mission to search each island. Kayri immediately disliked Scorseby, the leader of the SeaDragon, when he was disrespectful to her mate when they arrived on the boat. 

She didn't have time to think much about Scorseby when she was in an island village. The people were dragged from their Marui pods; their arms were tied as the Sky people forced them to their knees. Miles was questioning the Olo'eyktan, demanding to know where Sully was and if he was on the island. Spider translated to him that they didn't know where Sully was. Miles didn't believe him and told Lyle to shoot the ilu swimming in the water.

Kayri jumped at the sudden sound of Lyle's gun, and she soon began to cry out with the Ta'uni people at the unjust death of the ilu that now floated motionless on the water. Miles now questioned the Olo'eyktan more aggressively while Spider watched helplessly. And when the Tshahik spoke against Miles, he had Lyle force her down and aimed his gun at the back of her head. 

The Olo'eyktan yelled out to her, and Miles told Spider that if they didn't give up Sully, they would kill the Tsahik. Spider refused to say anything, and Kayri was torn as their fragile bond was broken before her eyes. But she still had little when she saw the hesitation on Miles's face when Spider pleaded for him not to hurt anyone while Lyle waited for his next orders. Kayri was relieved that Miles didn't kill the Tshaik, but she silently cried when they started to burn the Ta'unui's home and utter a prayer as the inferno engulfed the Marui pods.

Spider apologized to the Olo'eyktan and the Tsahik as Miles dragged him back to the ship, away from the destruction. Kayri watched as Mile's and Spider's relationship worsened with every village they destroyed in their search for Sully until they weren't talking unless Spider had to translate for him. Scorseby said he was done looking for Sully and needed to make his quotas; Kayri was confused. What was a quota?

Miles was on board with Scoresby's desire to hunt, but Scorseby voiced that they couldn't hunt here since there were too many villages. The other Sky person behind, Kayri, recalled that his name was Garvin, speaking out against hunting Tulkun near villages. Kayri was interested in the Tulkun; she had never left her village and only heard stories of the Tulkun from traveling Na'vi.

Kayri was shocked and disgusted when Garvin explained the relationship between the water Na'vi and the Tulkun; it would be as though they had killed a family member. Kayri's mind and emotions were in a frenzy about the new information; she didn't notice that the boat was now moving towards a herd of Tulkun. Karyi was disturbed at how meticulous the Sky people were when they locked on a Tulkun mother and calf before they engaged.

She didn't follow Miles when he and Scorseby left the bridge but stayed with Spider, watching with him as smaller boats on a screen headed towards the Tulkun mother and calf. Kayri continued to stare at the screen as she listened to Spider ask Garvin questions about what they were doing. Garvin explained to Spider their process of hunting Tulkun by separating the Mother and baby from the protection of the herd, leaving them vulnerable since the Mother would refuse to leave her calf.

Kayri covered her mouth as she saw the Sky people force the Mother to float on the surface before stabbing her in the chest with a giant harpoon. Kayri closed her eyes, tears running down her cheeks; her ears drooped, hearing the Mother's painful cries before she finally succumbed to her wounds. Kayri hissed when the demons clapped and cheered at the murder of a mother; she wanted to tear them to shreds.

She couldn't stand to look at Miles as they were in the mouth of the dead Tulkun; she was only there because of Spider. Her son was the only thing keeping her sane in this twisted reality. She nearly demanded Grace show herself and return Kayri to her real family. She didn't know how long she could stand her son's pain and her mate's ruthlessness. 

Kayri cringed at the sound of Scorseby drilling into the roof of the Tulkun's mouth and into her brain. Once done, he injected a needle and drained a yellow liquid in the vial. When it was full, Scorseby detached it and had a merry attitude as he shined a light through the vial. He showed it to Miles and Spider, telling them this was what they were after and how it was precious. Kayri stood frozen in disbelief that little thing was the reason for the death of a mother. Kayri bit down on her lip and clenched her fists to stop herself from punching and ripping the demon's throat out with her teeth, knowing she would only pass through him.

Though she did pity Garvin, he was just a scientist like Norm and Max, wanting to know everything about Pandora and all its creatures. But he was made to kill the very animals he wanted to study; Kayri saw the faint excitement in his eyes as he talked about the Tulkun. Scorseby was about to sink the Tulkun, but Miles told him to let them float so the Na'vi would see and bait Sully out of hiding.

They hunted more and more Tulkun, not even sparing the calves. Kayri didn't know how much more she could take of this senseless slaughter. The SeaDragon was now tracking a lone Tulkun, and Kayri was stunned to see the Sully children with others trying to take off the tracker that the Tulkun had. The Sky people wasted no time and sprung into action, going after the children; Lyle and Miles left on their Ikrans, leaving Kayri with Spider on the bridge.

Kayri waited anxiously at the bridge with Spider; they hadn't any news from the demons; she hoped the children were able to escape. But her wishes were shattered when she heard Miles say they caught three over the radio. She hurried after her son as he ran out of the bridge onto the deck where Sully's youngest child and a water Na'vi were restrained while one of his sons was pinned down by Prager.

The three were cuffed to a rail, and Kayri stayed on deck as Spider was dragged back to the bridge. Not long after, a mob of water Na'vi arrived on their Skimwings. Kayri shifted uncontrollably as Miles treated Sully to surrender or he'd execute his son. Kayri heard Sully's surrender and saw him make his way to the SeaDragon; he wasn't even halfway when a Tululun suddenly rose from the Tulkun onto the deck, crushing unlucky soldiers beneath them. 

The Tulkun smacked anyone near his fins and used its tail to cause more damage around him; the Recoms and Skypeople tried to shoot it, but its skin was too tough. Scorseby tried to shoot it with his giant harpoon, but the Tulkun moved its head at the last moment, causing it to bounce off its horns and hit a part of the SeaDragon. Kayri cheered as the Tulkun returned to the ocean and saw Jack with the Metkayina clan charging toward the boat.

But her cheers fell silent as she saw the motionless body of Ja lying a few feet away from the children; she knelt beside him, looking over him in disbelief. This can't be it. Ja always worked with the craftsmen, making beautiful necklaces and bracelets for ceremonial costumes. Was this their true path, as Grace said? They're supposed to kill Sully or die trying while leaving nothing but destruction and death everywhere they go. 

Miles and his team got on their Ikrans and flew off to fight the Na'vi, leaving Kayri alone with the children. Kayri paced, agitated she could not call Ralu and fight the Sky people, but she was also worried for the Recoms' lives. Her heart skipped a beat when Neytiri shot Lopez on his Ikran with her arrow.

"LOPEZ!!" Kayri shrieked, running to the handrails; her eyes widened in fear as she watched Lopez's body disappear into the ocean. He was learning so much from her Mother and herself; he was always eager to learn new techniques and remedies. In her grief of losing two family members, she didn't notice the SeaDragon moving and heading toward rocks until she saw up in the air and slammed down, bringing her out of her daze. Fires were erupting all over the SeaDragon, and Kayri panicked for the safety of the children.

As if Eywa heard her pray, Sully's oldest child, Neteyam, made it on the deck with his ilu and set everyone free. Kayri was glad that Lo'ak and Neteyam decided to go to rescue her son, but she worried for their own lives. She followed them anxiously when they ambushed the Sky people leading her son somewhere; she smiled at their reunion until Lyle and Prager fired upon them.

They jumped for cover before they escaped through an opening of the SeaDragon into the water; Kayri ran to jump after them but soon found herself alone on a rock. Sully arrived, hopping off his Skimwing pass Kayri to the edge of the rock and calling out to Lo'ak, Spider, Neteyam, and Tsireya on an ilu. Kayri's heart dropped when she saw Neteyam holding a bloody hand to his chest. Kayri was distressed as they got Neteyam out of the water and lying on the ground; she is Tsakarem, yet she can not even help this child.

That's right.

This was a child who shouldn't be anywhere near a battlefield, but it was decided that war would come to him, and this was the consequence. Lo'ak applied pressure on Neteyam when Neytiri landed, jumping off her Ikran and running to kneel beside her son.

"No, no, no." Neytiri, as she looked down at her son, who struggled to breathe, begged his father to go home until he succumbed to his wounds. Kayri closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before she opened them again and knelt beside Spider. She raised her arms over Neteyam and began to pray for his spirit's safe journey to Eywa as the Sullys began to mourn him. Kayri choked up as she prayed, hearing Neytiri wailing in sorrow for her son. 

She stopped praying when Sully grabbed Neytiri's shoulders; turning to face him, he told her that Miles had their daughters. In an instant, Neytiri was no longer grieving; she now had a cold, emotionless look as she grabbed her bow and flew off on her Ikran to the SeaDragon. Kayri realizes that Sully and Spider are now gone, heading to the SeaDragon with Lo'ak following them before they get too far, leaving her and Tsireya alone with Neteyam's body.

Kayri jumped to her feet, upset that Sully would take her son back to the place Neteyam gave his life to rescue Spider from. Kayri was back on the ship again when there was an explosion; the boat shook, knocking her off her feet. She scrambled to stand as she saw the Skypeople attempting to avoid debris. She saw Prager running past her to help drag a Skyperson from the fire when Sully leaped from the smoke and stabbed through the chest with his spear.

"Prager!!" Kayri yelled in horror, running to him while Sully began to shoot at the Sky demons. Kayri knelt to Prager's fallen body, her trembling hands hovering over him as her tears blurred her vision. Prager was Seytawni's brother in all but blood; she would laugh at the fights they would start over silly and petty things. And how Seytawni was so proud of Prager when he was dubbed the best tracker and would brag about how she was the one who taught him everything he knew, only for him to smack her on the head playfully. 

She knew this wasn't real and that Prager was somewhere alive, but his dull eyes looking up at her were making it difficult for her to breathe. She looked up, hearing Z's war cry; Kayri saw her firing at Sully when Neytiri came down from her Ikran and shot an arrow in Z's side. Neytiri finished off the two remaining Skypeople and used the arrow that saw was still lodged in one of them to end Z.

Kayri let out a silent scream as Z's head lurched back as the arrow was embedded in her eye before she dropped dead; she and Mansk were so happy together as mates. Sully and Neytiri pushed forward, killing anyone in their way as a shell shock Kayri filled behind them. She stood there frozen; time seemed to slow down as her remaining family was massacred. Sully shot Fike while Mansk and Lyle were thrown over and lost to the sea. 

What would Waeyo think if she heard Fike had died? They danced and sang together, composing the most beautiful songs anyone has ever heard. Mansk always made delicious food for the younger Na'vi when he had leftovers from the fests. He would wear a calm smile, but you could practically see the happiness in his eyes past his sunglasses when the children begged him for more snacks. Lyle was respected by all the Ikran Makto, but the younger seemed to have taken him as their teacher, asking him new ways to fight or to tell them old war stories. Even Leuto and Neyhu, who already passed their Iknimaya, were attached to Lyle's hip, always following along with the younger hunters. 

Kayri hiccupped softly as she wiped the tears from her eyes, but then her ears perked when she heard her son begging. In an instant, she ran towards her son's voice only to find Tuk behind Sully and her Miles with a knife against Kiri's neck while Spider begged him not to hurt her. Karyi was anxious seeing her mate's cold and determined look, but that quickly changed to fury when Neytiri appeared, grabbing Spider and holding a knife against his neck.

Kayri hissed, baring her teeth and glaring at Neytiri as she threatened Miles with his life. MIles acted calm, saying that Spider meant nothing to him, but Kayri knew he was lying; even though he looked indifferent, she could see the worry in his eyes.

"A son for a son," Neytiri said coldly before cutting across Spider's chest, drawing blood. Kayri shouted angrily, getting close to Neytiri.

"I will bath in your blood!" Kayri hissed. Then Neytiri raised her blade to strike Spider on instinct; Kayri tried to grab Neytiri's hand to stop her, only for her hand to go through her. She was terrified that this was how her son would die, but to her relief, Miles yelled at her to stop moving his knife away from Kiri. Neytiri froze, looking down at Spider angrily before turning to Miles, who threw Kiri away with Neytiri doing the same with Spider.

Spider and Sully's family went to the water to escape while Miles taunted and threatened Sully to fight. Only when Miles threatened to kill his family did Sully charge at him as his family fled. They were evenly matched as they traded blow after blow; Kayri was frustrated that she could not defend her mate, but the situation worsened when the boat began to capsize, taking Kayri, Miles, and Sully with it.

But before Kayri could even hut the water, she was now another rock; some time must have passed as the sky was no longer dark and the sun shone off the water. Kayri looked around frantically; she couldn't find anyone; she was all alone. Was this finally it? But where was her mate and her son? They had to be somewhere.

She jumped when Spider broke through the service of the water and dragged a battered Miles behind him onto the rock. Kayri smiled with tears in her eyes, thanking the Great Mother that they both survived. Cupcake landed, and Miles pushed himself up, grabbing onto Cupcake to steady himself before holding his hand towards Spider.

"Son. Come with me." Miles said in a raspy voice. Kayri wanted nothing more than for Spider to accept and for them to run away together, far away from everything. It broke her heart when Spider hissed at him before jumping back into the water as Miles called out to him. She turned to look at Miles and winced; seeing his bloody and sorrowful face, she pressed her head gently against his and closed her eyes, whispering to him, "Know that he is loved, ma Miles."

Opening her eyes, she recognized that she was back in the lab where she first met Grace. Grace, in her avatar body, stood before her with a sympathetic look as she mentally braced herself for Kayri to yell or even attack her. Instead, Kayri engulfed her in a hug; Grace froze, not knowing how to react; she wasn't this kind of reaction.

"I'm so sorry. Your daughter must have been so scared." Kayri said, giving Grace a gentle squeeze. Grace's face softened, and she returned Kayri's hug; they soon separated, with Grace whipping away her tears.

"Thank you, sister. For showing me this." Kayri didn't know why, but her concerns seemed to have washed away, and she felt more at peace. Grace nodded before her ears perked up, "I think it's time for you to go. I wish you a safe reunion with your family."

"Goodbye, Grace!" Kayri yelled while Grace waved goodbye as she began to drift away until a white light engulfed her. 

Kayri gasped as her eyes shot open, taking deep breaths as she found herself back under the Tree of Souls. She smiled at the atokirina' floating around her and staggered up to her feet, laughing at the numbness in her legs. She must have been kneeling for a long time; she looked up to the glowing tendrils of the Tree of Souls, smiling, "Thank you, Eywa, for letting me see."

"Kayri! Kayri!" Kayri's ears perked at the sound of Seytawni calling her name. She spun around to see her sister running to her; Kayri walked to her, meeting her halfway. Seytawni could barely get a word in as she tried to catch her breath.

"Seytawni, what's the matter?" Kayri asked, confused as to why her sister was here instead of resting in their tent. Seytawni took deep breaths before gasping out, "It's... about... Spider."

Before Seytawni could continue, Kayri sprinted past her back to High Camp; she groaned, watching Kayri grow small before running after her. Seytawni had never seen Kayri run that fast before she returned to their tent at High Camp long before Seytawni caught up with her. Seytawni made her way to their tent, watch shaking slightly as she heard things inside being thrown about before Kayri came running out with a worried look. She ran to Seytawni, gripping her shoulders painfully tight, and looked her straight in the eyes with murderous intent.

"Where is my baby!?" Kayri hissed, her face inches from her sister's. Seytawni gulped as nervous sweat began to form on her brow, "That's what I wanted to tell you. Spider is fine. He's with Mother."

Kayri calmed down, letting go of her sister before giving her an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Seytawni. I was a little on edge. But why is Mother with Spider and not resting."

"That's another thing I wanted to tell you. You have got to see what your son is doing." Seytawni said excitedly, grabbing Kayri's hand and dragging her until they reached a large crowd of Na'vi. Kayri was confused by all the commotion as Na'vi noticed their approach and stepped aside to let them through. Kayri saw Na'vi staring at her with teary eyes filled with joy and gratitude, some reaching out to her as she walked by.

They finally arrived at the entrance of a hut; Kayri jumped back when a Na'vi from the Tayrangi Clan ran out, searching out into the crowd before stopping on a group of Tayrangi warriors calling out to her. Kayri watched her run to the group that cried out in jubilation, and they enveloped her in a group hug before Seytawni pulled her into the hut. The only ones left in the hut were her Mother, her son, a male Na'vi, and a deceased Na'vi lying on the last cot.

"Mother, what is happening?" Kayri asked aloud. All heads turned to her. Spider perked up, hearing her voice, and ran to her with his arms stretched out, "Mama, you back!"

Kayri held Spider close as he snuggled into her neck; she looked back to the male who greeted her, "I see you, Tsakarem, Kayri. I am Yeran Te Pxewlngìrtì Upi'itan of the Olangi clan."

Kayri returned the greeting and turned to her Mother, "Well, Mother?"

"Eywa has smiled upon her blessed child once more. Giving him a gift none could imagine." Kayri was confused about what her Mother meant. She knew that Spider had a deep connection to Eywa; it was as if every animal and plant wanted to befriend Spider. Before Kayri could ask, Seytawni piped up, "He's having a "Na'vi Jesus moment" like Ja always says."

"Yeah, look, mama. Watch me." Spider said, thrilled to show his Mother what he could do. Jumping out of her arms, Spider ran to the dead Na'vi lying on the cot; Kayri moved to stop him, but her Mother raised her hand to stop her. Spider laid his hands on the Na'vi's chest; he stood still, and Kayri's eyes widened in awe as a pulsating glow spread from Spider's hands through the Na'vi's body. Wounds began to heal, and the light from the Na'vi's frickles returned; the glow slowly faded, and the Na'vi slowly opened their eyes before sitting up, confused about where he was.

Kayri's mouth was agape as her son turned to her with a proud smile, waiting for her to tell him he did a good job. Peitey laughed at her daughter's reaction before walking over and closing her mouth, "You should have expected this. Your son never ceases to amaze me."

Spider giggled at his Mother's reaction before running back into her arm and latching on to her. Yeran helped his fellow clan member up, keeping him steady as he faced Kayri and bowed his head, "The Olangi Clan is forever in your debt."

Kayri nodded as the two Olangi warriors passed her, leaving the tent. Kayri could hear the muffled cheers of the people as her Mother guided her and Seytawni out of the now-empty medical tent. When they made it outside, the cheering stopped, and all eyes were now on three matriarchs of the Kakunan Clan; Kayri fidgeted under all the stares. She felt her Mother's hand on her shoulder, reassuringly squeezing her.

The Silence between the two groups was broken when Moa't, Tarsem, Norm, and her father, the Tsahiks and the Olo'eyktans of the other clans, rushed to the crowd, probably hearing about the commotion. Ayvawkx pushed through the crowd, confused and a bit worried, when he reached his daughters and mate, "I just heard the strangest thing when I was finishing my meeting with the clans."

"I'll tell you everything inside," Peitey said, looking behind him towards the equally confused Tsahiks and Olo'etktans, "You may come in as well. This has involved your people."

The leaders followed behind the Kekunan family into the hut while the crowd began to disperse, only leaving a handful of Na'vi to stand guard. They gathered around, listening intently to Peitey's story of following Spider when he left their tent and him being guided by the wood sprites to the hut where the dead were kept. And how she witnessed a miracle only Eywa could achieve of returning the breath of life to the fallen warriors.

"That's impossible!" Norm shouted, not believing what Peitey said. Peitey remained calm at Norm's outburst, "You can question any of the Na'vi outside, and they will give you the same answer."

"So what? Spider is some kind of Na'vi Jesus!" Norm said Seytawni missed the sarcasm and perked up at the last two words, "That's what they all say."

"What?" Norm asked, confused, looking at Seytawni, who continued, "Miles and the Recoms. Well, mostly Ja; he always says Spider was having a "Jesus moment" when unexplainable things happen to Spider. Like the time with the Ikrans letting him pet them, the time a hammerhead licked him, the atokirina's playing with him. Oh! There's also the time viperwolves..."

Norm stood still, their mouth agape as Seytawni rambled about Spider's connection to Pandora. Mo'at was also amazed and curious to learn more about Spider's relationship with Ewya. Still, before she spoke, Tarsem stood with the other Tsahiks and Olo'etktans of the Olangi and Tayrangi Clans.

"However, the method one thing is clear. Your son has brought back our brothers and sisters; we are forever grateful." Tarsem said, bowing his head in thanks with the others following his actions. 

Max came running in, out of breath, his pad clutched in his hands, trying to form a sentence, "There's been some activity over the radio of a boat called the SeaDragon's sending out a distress signal, but since Bridgehead is still on lockdown we were able to intercept it before they got it. The signal was close to the Awa'atlu village where Jake is. We think it's the Recoms."

"Am I interrupting something?" Max said awkwardly, looking at Norm's bewildered state before Kayri stood up with a huge smile, "No, you didn't thank you, Max."

"YAY! They were able to escape!" Seytawni cheered, hugging Kayri; Spider perked up at the news, excitedly looking at Kayri, "We're seeing dada now?"

Kayri giggled as she nodded to her son, causing Spider to cheer with their family as they got up to hug one another.

"Come, we must pack our things and head out when the day breaks. Oh, I must tell Wayeo about this wonderful news!" Kayri said before turning to the leaders of the clans, "I thank you all for what you have done for my family."

"We wish you a safe journey and reunion with your mate." Ikeyni, the Olo'eykte of the Tayrangi, said, raising her feet and gripping Kayri's forearm for thanks and farewell. She nodded to Peitey and Ayvawkx before leaving the hut with the other leaders to celebrate the return of their brothers and sisters with their people. 

"Thank you again for all that you have done for us." Kayri told Tarsem before turning to Mo'at, "I'll be sure to tell Sullys that they are safe to return home."

Mo'at smiled at Kayri's promise; Moat hoped that her daughter and grandchildren would return to the forest. But she couldn't help but notice the tension in Kayri's voice when she spoke about the Sullys. They all left, leaving Mo'at, Tarsem, Max, and Norm alone before Norm said, "Mo'at, are you really going to let them go with Spider? This is his home. We need to figure out why did this happen to him."

"This may have been Spider's home once, Norm, but not anymore. You must learn to accept that." Mo'at said. Tarsem nodded while Max spoke up, "Mo'at is right, Norm. Spider doesn't even know us. You saw how he tensed up when he saw me; he's still scared of humans, and if we keep him here, he'll only get worse."

Norm clenched his teeth as his eyes dropped slightly; he knew what they were saying was right, but he couldn't accept it. Kayri's enraged face haunted him for days after their encounter in Spider's old shack. Guilt began to weigh heavily on his shoulders with every memory he looked back on of him or the other scientists, ignoring Spider through his childhood. He would think about the times he did his best to help around the lab, but they would never notice or didn't care as they focused on their research.

Norm wondered when Spider began to stop caring if they noticed him or not. Oh, Ewya, he could barely remember him yelling out to Spider when he was a little kid to grab an extra mask when he left for the village. Was that when it started? You only know what you have once it's gone. It was so selfish of him to want Spider back when he was the one who partially threw him away and had no right to demand him back.

But he couldn't just give up that easily; he wanted a chance to prove he cared and loved Spider just like them. The gears in his turn as he thinks about how to prove himself when Kayri and his family won't let him anywhere near him. His face lit up as he approached Max, "I have an idea. Come on, we have to get back to the shack."

"Goodnight, Mo'at and Tarsem," Norm said while he ushered Max out of the tent before Mo'at could finish her farewell.

"This will not end well." Mo'at sighed aloud. Tarsem agreed, "Yes, but I believe all the pieces are falling into place."

And everything will finally soon be resolved once and for all.

Chapter Text

"I know my rights! I want to call my lawyer!" shouted Ja as the Metkayina warriors dragged him through the sandy beach to a secluded hut away from the Awatlu village with the other Recoms hauled right behind him.

"Waah! Don't you know what they do to pretty boys in prison!" cried Fike as a Na'vi pushed him forward, with Prager joining in, "This is traumatizing me! Now I'm going to be weird and socially awkward!"

"Hey, if you keep holding her like that, I'll rip your eyes out!" Mansk threatened, glaring at the firm grip a Metkayina had on Z while she bared her teeth and hissed at the men. She squirmed in their hold as the Metkayina pulled her away from the group, leading her somewhere else with Lyle and Lopez.

"I'm not really with them. I barely know these guys." Garvin said, giving a nervous smile to the Na'vi as they pushed him to walk faster to join the rest of the Recom.

Lopez refused to leave Lyle's side until they reached the Marui pod, where the Metkayina zeykoyus rushed to them and laid Lyle on one of the cots. Lopez removed his hand from Lyle's body and stepped back, watching the healers begin treating Lyle. He wouldn't be of any help seeing the healers prepare medicine with plants he didn't recognize. It irked him. He was a healer, too; he was one of Piety's brightest students, but he could only identify herbs that grew in the mountains and not from the island.

Lopez wanted to help the zeykoyus in any way he could, but his hands were tied the second he removed them from Lyle's body. Zdinarsik was soon brought in and placed on one of the cots; she saw the healers crowding around Lyle and the warriors leading Lopez out of the Marui pod.

"I'll look after him, Lopez!" She shouted for Lopez to hear. He nodded to her before looking back at Lyle one last time, "Lyle, don't you dare think about dying a second time!"

Z watched as Lopez was dragged out before she turned to look over her at Lyle's unconscious body. Her heart grew weary as her eyes locked on Lyle's bleeding wound; it was becoming clear that Lyle could die, and there wouldn't be another do-over. Her tail coiled around her leg as she hugged her knees close to her chest, trying to make herself look smaller. She sat silently like a statue, her eyes only moving, observing the Metkayina coming in and out with the wounded or the zeykoyus getting more supplies.

Zdinarsik soon found herself nodding off to the soft noise of the healers grinding herbs and their hushed whispers. She raised her head in alert when it suddenly became silent and saw a female Metkayina standing at the entrance of the Marui. Zdinarsik recognized her; it was the same woman from the rock who ordered the men to take us back to their village.

"She must be the Tsahik." Z thought, staring at the woman as if she was a hungry viperwolf; she hoped the Tsahik wouldn't notice her if she stayed as still as possible. 

The Tsahik scanned the room, and Zdinarsik's heart got stuck in her throat when the woman's eyes landed on her. Without a word, she strode over to Zdinarsik, the stoic expression never leaving her face. Z squirmed against her bound wrist as she quickly closed the gap between them; before Z could speak, the Tsahik removed her arms from her knees and pushed Z gently to lay down on the cot.

"You must lay down for me to treat your child." the Tsahik said sternly as if scowling a child. Z tensed slightly when she drew a dagger but relaxed when she simply cut her hands free and put it away. She didn't know if the woman saw her tense or didn't want to say anything as she called over two healers with herbs and small shell bottles. The Tsahik lifted Z's shirt, exposing her stomach and a barely forming baby bump. Laying her hands on Z's stomach, Zdinarsik watched as the Tsahik closed her eyes, her ears twitching, as her face scrunched in concentration before opening them to grab a bottle and needle from the healers. 

Dipping the needle into the bottle, Zdinarsik remained still as the Tsahik pricked around her stomach as she whispered prayers to Eywa. She then cupped her hands, laying them on her hump again, taking short breaths from the gap of her hands before raising them and letting out a long puff of air through the same opening. During that action, Z saw her very noticeable and swollen belly.

"Did she go to fight against the RDA while she was pregnant?!" Zdinarsik gaped as the Tsahik repeated the same action. Z stared, no longer in fear but in admiration. "She's so badass!"

The Tsahik then laid her head on Zdinarsik's stomach as if listening for something; they waited in silence for a moment before she let out a satisfied hum before lifting her head to face Z. She sat up slightly, her ears straight, anxious to know the health of her baby.

"Your child is strong to have survived this long with such little nourishment," she told Z, her cold, judgmental eyes stabbed into Z. Her ears lowered, ashamed, "I could not down the food the sky people gave me."

"Rest for now. I will have someone to bring you a meal soon." the Tsahik said as she stood to turn her attention to the other wounded, "Thank you, Tsahik."

 She didn't reply to Z as she walked to an injured Metkayina warrior lying on the cots. Zdinarsik laid back down on the cot, staring at the ceiling, thinking of the Tsahik's words, but smiled when she remembered her calling her child strong.

"Yeah, they're strong. Strong, just like their mama." Z thought proudly, laying a hand on her stomach. She turned her head to look at Lyle, still surrounded by the group of Na'vi, praying that it wouldn't be the last time she saw him before closing her eyes for some well-deserved rest.

Lopez didn't know if Lyle heard him as he was taken out of the Mauri and taken towards the hut where the others were being held. He stumbled to the ground when they shoved him in before shutting the door. 

"You good, Lopez," Ja said, watching Lopez spit out some sand as he stood. Lopez saw everybody sitting down and propped against the hut's walls, "Yeah, I'm Good."

"Did you see Z?" Mansk asked, his ears drooping down, showing his worry. Lopez turned to Mansk, reassuring him, "Yeah, I saw her. I'll tell ya everything when Colonel gets here."

Lopez sat down, squeezing between Prager and Fike, exhausted; they waited silently for Miles to get thrown in with them. It could have been no more than 5 minutes before the door opened again, and Miles was shoved in. 

"Hey, Colonel," Ja said. Miles didn't answer him as he did a quick head count; they were missing two members, and he was surprised to see Garvin, who was awkwardly waving at him.

"Where's Z and Lyle?" The mood became somber with his question, and Miles held his breath, worried they may have been injured or killed. Lopez coughed, getting everyone's attention, "Z is fine; she's being cared for by the healers. But I don't know about Lyle; he lost a lot of blood and wasn't talking anymore when we got on shore."

"Oh, thank Eywa," Mansk whispered, letting out a sigh of relief that Z was okay, but he began to grow concerned for Lyle's condition.

"Shit," Miles cursed under his breath. All eyes were now on Miles, waiting for him to say something, but Miles didn't know what to say; he had no game plan. They were all at the mercy of Sully and the Metkayina Clan. Miles sighed, sitting next to Lopez, groaning in pain as the adrenaline began to wear off, and he was starting to feel the pain of his stab wound.

"Oh shit! You okay, Colonel?" Lopez asked, looking at Miles's injured arm and face. The lack of light in the hut made it difficult to see Mile's injuries, but with him sitting next to Lopez, the bruises and the dried blood were more evident. Miles looked at Lopez confused before following his stares to his wounds, "Oh yeah, that. I'm fine. It already stopped bleeding."

"You sure? You look pretty bad." Prager chimed in, cringing at the stab wound on Mile's arm, only for him to shrug, "They'll have someone stitch it up. They can't put me on trial if I'm dead."

Miles yawned; his eyelids were getting heavy as he began to nod off. As much as he wanted to stay awake with the rest of his team, he no longer had the energy. Before he knew it, his head drooped down, and he was knocked out. The Recoms sat silently as their leader slept; Lopez observed him while he slept, watching his chest go up and down in a steady rhythm. One by one, they succumb to fatigue, some resting their heads on each other until Lopez was the only one fighting to stay awake as he trained his eyes on Miles, but he too soon fell for the temptation of rest.

The sound of the hut's door opening jolted them from their sleep; looking up, some squinted their eyes as light flooded into the room. They must have been asleep for a while as they noticed the sun setting behind who they assumed was the Olo'eyktan as he walked in with other warriors. Miles had to admit he was intimidated now that he got a good look at the Na'vi he met briefly on the capsized SeaDragon.

He was huge, with his broad shoulders and large, webbed-like hands, which added to his already large stature. Now that he thinks about it, his physique resembles his old, robust body more than his current slimmer body. If he had a choice of picking a Na'vi body when he was a human before he died, he would have chosen these Na'vi. He knew Lyle would agree with him and ask how much they could lift, but he's getting side-tracked right now.

His tribal tattoos decorated his face and neck, covered by a large necklace with blue stones. He also wore what looked to be their version of a battle ban on his chest and was draped with colorful feathers and orange braided rope, with his loincloth looking similar to his battle ban.

It reminded Miles of Ayvawkx's attire when he and the Recoms were first brought to the Kekunan Clan. Then, a female Metkayina stepped out from behind him with facial tattoos, a top made of orange thread, and shells that decorated her loincloth. But what caught Miles's attention was her pregnant stomach. The Olo'eyktan scanned the hut, observing each of them briefly before moving to the next. Garvin was nervous when the Olo'eyktan eyes landed on him, and he quickly avoided eye contact, wanting nothing more than for him to move on to someone else.

When he was done, he turned his attention to Miles, "I am Tonowari, and this is my mate, Ronal. We are the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik of the Metkayina Clan." 

"I see you Olo'eyktan Tonowari and Tsahik Ronal. I am Miles Te Stayoika Eke'ite of the Kekunan Clan." Miles said, bowing his head slightly. Unable to greet them properly with his hands behind him. He heard Ronal let out an aggravated scoff at his words, making her dislike for him clear. Raising his head, he saw her glaring down at him with a deep frown; Tonowari moved closer, getting her attention.

They said nothing, but Miles knew the looks they were giving each other; he and Kayri would do the same when they didn't want Spider to hear them talk. It soon ended when Ronal was calm but still upset before nodding in understanding. Tonorwari turned to the two warriors beside him, "Release them."

The men nodded, walking to each of them and cutting their binds off before stepping away, their bodies tense like they were anticipating them to attack once they were no longer tied. But they were confused when the Recoms rubbed their sore wrists and shoulders but still let their guard down. Ronal came forward with another healer behind her, carrying a large shell with bottles and herbs. They looked over the Recoms, who only had scratches and bruises that needed herbal paste and ointments.

They ignored Garvin as they passed by him to tend the Recoms next to him, but he didn't mind; he was actually glad they didn't see him as much of a threat to acknowledge him. They were almost done with them until they got Miles and saw his wounds. Ronal grabbed his arm to inspect his stab wound better while Miles clenched his teeth and tried not to growl at her as she did.

"Bring me the thread and needle." She said to the Metkayina. She nodded and grabbed them from the shell, along with a small bottle, before kneeling beside Ronal. Ronal opened the bottle and held it up to Miles's lips, "This will help ease the pain and numb the wound. It's not too deep; I will be able to sew it close."

Miles nodded before drinking the bitter liquid from the small bottle as Ronal threaded the needle. Miles hissed softly when she stabbed the needle into his wounded skin, but it became more bearable as the medicine began to take effect. She finally finished applying paste before dressing Miles's wounds while the other healer finished treating his more minor injuries. She got up and went to leave, finishing her duty as Tsahik when Miles called out to her.

"How are the other two?" Miles asked, restless to know the state of Lyle and Zdinarsik. Ronale turned back to him, "The female is resting now. She and her child are well. We were able to stop the male's bleeding, but he has lost much blood, and his breathing is shallow. I do not know if he will make it through the night."

Shell shock.

The Recoms were like statues at Ronal's words; the weight of it sunk in, and all they felt was fear. They couldn't lose another brother, not after losing Warren, Walker, Brown, and Zhang. Miles closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself; he couldn't show them any weakness right now.

"Thank you, Tsahik Ronal, for telling us," Ronal said nothing, only glancing at Tonowari before leaving the hut with the healer following her. Tonowari went forward until he was in front of Miles, looking down at him, "In three days, when we have finished tending to our wounded and buried our dead, you all shall brought to trial for the crimes against the people of the neighboring islands and our spirit sister and brothers."

Tonowari then went to leave when Miles stood up, causing the warriors to cry out and point their spears at Miles as he called out to Tonowari, "Wait! Olo'eyktan Tonowari!"

Tonwari spun back to Miles, his spear ready for an attack, while he let out a warning growl. Miles raised his hands peacefully before pointing towards Garvin, "Our friend can not breathe the air without his mask. I ask if you can find more masks for him before the air in this one runs out."

Tonowari glances at a nervous Garvin before turning to Miles, "I do not know about these sky people devices. I will ask Toruk Makto more about them. But I will see what I can do. This will be the only kindness I will give you as the 7th Toruk Makto."

With that, Tonowari and his men left, leaving the Recoms in silence and near darkness, with the only source of light coming from the torches placed outside their guarded prison. Miles remained standing, staring at the closed door, straining his ears to listen as Tonowari's footsteps grew distant.

"How much air do you have in the mask, Garvin?" Miles asked, looking over to the scientist. Garvin fumbled to grab the gauge in his trembling hands to read it before answering Miles in a shaky voice, "N-not much, but I think it'll get me through the night."

Miles nodded before rubbing his face in his two hands and letting out a tired sigh before addressing the rest of the Recoms, "I know you are all upset about Lyle, but moping around ain't gonna help him, you hear?"

The Recoms nodded before Miles returned to his spot next to Lopez, "Now, all of you get some rest. We need to be ready for whatever happens tomorrow."

"Your what!?" Kayri asked, stopping from strapping the last of her things onto Ralu before spinning around to face Norm in shock. "We're coming with you."

"Absolutely not!" Kayri hissed, stepping towards Norm, causing him to take a step back, "I'm just saying you're going to need Max and me to support your claims about the difficult and complicated situation Quaritch and his team were forced into."

"The words of my father and mother will be enough to assure the Metkayina Clan that we speak the truth," Kayri said, going past Norm and into her family's tent, where they were packing their belongings. Peitey and Ayvawkx were on their way outside, side-eyeing Norm as they walked by him to their Ikrans; they had nothing more to say to him.

Seytawni and Waeyo giggled excitedly as they finished folding their bedding; they'd been this way since Seytawni told Waeyo the fantastic news about the Recoms. Kayri couldn't blame them; she was just as giddy as them. How they managed to even go to bed after that is a mystery. A smile formed on Kayri's face, seeing Spider trying to help Waeyo roll up the last of the bedding. He had been vibrating with anticipation since he woke up, asking every five minutes if they were leaving yet.

"Mama!" Spider cried, running over to Kayri as she approached them. He practically slammed into her legs for a hug and almost sent her off balance before she caught herself, "Spider, I told you shouldn't run into people or you could get hurt."

"So, are we leaving now?" Spider asked, his tail wagging behind him. Karyi sighed at her son's enthusiasm, which surpassed his instincts for self-preservation, kneeling to his level and pinching his cheeks, "May the great mother give me strength for your future."

She laughed as she watched Spider whine and struggle to escape her grip. When she finally let go, Spider pouted his lips while he soothed his cheeks when he noticed Norm standing behind his mother. Spider recognized him as the man he met when his mama saved him; however, mama and the others seemed to stay away from him. They never let Spider go near him, but he was okay with that; the man was always around sky demons like the one who took his that took his dad away.

Spider raised his fingers to his forehead to greet the man. His mom and dad told him to always be respectful and greet adults, "Hello, my name is Spider. What's yours?"

"My name is uhh... Norm. Norm Spellman, it's a pleasure to meet you, Spider." Norm said with a sad smile, crouching down and extending his hand for Spider to shake. He heard Spider gasp with joy when he saw his fingers and raised his hand to show Norm, "You're just like me and Daddy's family."

Spider once asked his father why they had an extra finger, and he told him that he got it from his side of the family after the Recoms also showed him their extra fingers. So he was thrilled to find someone other than his father, who had an extra finger, but his mother pulled him back before he reached out to touch Norms's hand.

"Spider, go with your aunts. I'll be right behind you," Kayri said, ushering him to Seytawni and Waeyo. Spider wanted to protest, but with one look from his mother, he obeyed and sulked over to his aunts, who had finished packing and were already outside. Norm watched Spider as he walked away with the two women to their Ikrans before turning back to Kayri.

"Okay, I'm going to ignore the fact that you don't even want Spider to touch me and go back to you needing me to help you with not just the clans but with Jake," Norm said through gritted teeth, trying not to express his annoyance with Kayri's treatment of him.

"Why do I need to convince that man?!" Kayri's tail whipped angrily behind her as she grabbed the last of Spider's things and pushed past Norm, "The ones I must speak to is the Metkayina Clan. He is no longer the Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya, nor is he the Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina, so he has no power to enforce judgment."

"And you don't know Jake like I do!" Norm shouted as he ran ahead of Kayri, stopping her from going further, "He's been rattled ever since he found out Quaritch was back, okay? That's why he ran away with his family to the Metkayina clan in the first place. He wants to keep them safe and will do everything he can to keep them safe. He won't believe that Quaritch has changed even if you smack him over the head with evidence. But he trusts me and Max; if we tell him what's happened, he may be convinced."

Kayri stared at Norm's pleading face as she thought about what he said; she didn't want any more unnecessary fighting, especially in front of Spider. And if Jake Sully is as hard-headed as her mate, it would be best if Norm was there to reason with him.

"Alright, you may come along." Norm smiled while silently cheering, "Thank you. You will not regret this. Max and I already have everything we need on the bird and are ready to go.

Before Kayri could say anything else, Norm was already running off to tell Max, and Kayri immediately regretted her decision. When she rejoined her family, she saw Moat and Tarsem also there, saying their goodbyes.

"There you are, Kayri. Did you get everything you need?" Ayvawkx asked, turning his attention away from Tarsem, "Yes, but father, I must tell you that the Sky people will be coming with us."

Ayvawkx became irritated and smacked his lips in annoyance, "Those demons do not understand where they are not wanted."

He calmed himself before turning to Tarsem, "I thank you again for all you have done for us and will pray to Eywa for the prosperity of your clan."

"I pray for your clan a safe travel home and you well on your journey," Tarsem responded. It was decided that the clan would fly with them until they split up, with the clan going back to their village while they headed towards the islands. Votxongna would act as Olo'eyktan in their absence; he was the second choice for the role of Olo'eyktan after Ley'waye, so they had little to worry about.

"Thank you, Moat. Spider loves the Songcord that you made for him." Kayri said to Moat, who gave her a gentle smile, "I am happy to hear that. I pray that my daughter does not give you much trouble when you arrive."

Kayri gave her a small smile; she couldn't tell Moat what Eywa had shown her last night. She doesn't even know how she'll react when she finally meets the woman who threatened her son's life and spilled his blood. Kayri hushed those thoughts; she didn't want to ruin her joyous mood. Once they finished their goodbyes, she looked for Spider and found him talking to Cupcake, who let out gleeful chirps.

"Spider! Come, it's time to go now!" Kayri called to him. He quickly said goodbye to Cupcake and ran over to her.

"What were you talking about with Cupcake?" Kayri asked as she saddled Ralu and sat Spider in front of her, "I was just telling her that we were going to get Daddy now. She was really happy when I told her."

Kayri giggled when her father blew his horn to signal the clan of their departure and launched off on his Ikran, followed by her mother with Seytawni together on her Ikran. Spider let out a cheer as Ralu took off from the ledge and watched in awe as more Ikran Makto began to take flight until there were hundreds of Ikrans in the air. They poured out of High Camp like a waterfall with them, following Ayvawkx and Peitey.

Kayri would have enjoyed the moment of her family flying without fear if she hadn't heard the rumbling of the Sky people's flying machine carrying Max and Norm behind her.

Chapter Text

Jake watched as Quaritch was taken away by the Metkayina when they arrived back in Awa'atlu. His brain screamed at him to go with them to ensure Quaritch didn't try to escape, but he had to take his sons home. They were silent the whole trip back. Who knows what happened when they were alone with Quaritch before he got there?

They were still quiet, and their eyes were glued to the floor when they walked to the Mauri pod, where Neytiri and their sister were waiting. Tuk was fast asleep when they arrived back at the village and was put to bed while Kiri was quietly grinding herbs while Neytiri paced back and forth, anxiously waiting for Jake and their sons. She froze when she heard them coming and hurriedly went outside to meet them halfway.

"Oh, thank the Great Mother, you are all safe." Neytiri hugged her sons tightly while reaching out her hand for Jack. He grabbed her hand and was pulled into a hug, squishing Neteyam and Loak between them. They soon pulled away, and Neytiri looked at him anxiously, "The demon, is he dead?"

Neteyam and Loak looked nervously at each other while Jack let out a tired, "Boys, go inside for a second?"

"Ma Jake?" Neytiri asked, confused as her sons quickly made their way inside the Mauri pod, leaving Jake to break the news to Neytiri, "They've locked him up in one of the huts on the outskirts of the village. They're keeping him and his team there until their judgment."

"No! The demon must die today!" Neytiri hissed as she moved to pass Jake and finish him off herself, but Jake grabbed her arm to stop her, "Neytiri, stop he declared Ra'un before I could do anything, and Tonowari and his men had already secured him and brought him here. There's nothing we can do now until their trial."

"That demon has tormented us, drove us from our home, and almost killed our children! Now that he is here, vulnerable, we can be rid of him!" Neytiri yelled, her tail moving erratically behind her. She tried to free herself from Jake's grip when he grasped her shoulders, forcing Neytiri to face him, "I know that you're frustrated, alright, I am too, but this is out of our control. Tonowari and Ronal decided how they would deal with Quaritch, and right now, the only thing we can do is watch from the sidelines in case things get out of hand. So let's just be satisfied that our family is safe, and we can deal with whatever comes at us tomorrow."

Neytiri stared at Jake's pleading face and then behind him at their Mauri pod, seeing the faint light of the fire pit and their children's hushed voices. She breathed a tired sigh of acceptance before nodding and letting Jake take her back inside their pod. When they entered, Loak was helping Kiri serve food while Neyeyam was carrying a half-awake tuk who lazily hung on to him while she eyed the food with hunger.

"Is everything okay, Mom?" asked Kiri, looking at Neytiri's bothered and stressed look. Neytiri gave her a small smile, "Yes, everything is fine, ma Kiri."

Neytiri then sat beside Kiri, kissing her gently on her temple before taking over for her to serve food. The Sully family sat in relative silence, but a lingering tension hung over them as they ate. Jake noticed Loak and Neteyam seemed to avoid making eye contact with him whenever he looked their way; he wondered if they were still trying to process what happened on the boat. Jake wanted them to tell him about it, but he didn't want to push them until they were ready to talk.

They finished their dinner and cleaned up as the sky took on an orange hue and the sun dipped into the ocean. The silent tension was still there, but not so much now, as their kids whispered to one another as they got ready for bed. Jake went to settle in for the night; he finished checking that the kids were asleep when he heard someone approaching their pod. He went to the entrance and saw Tonowari arriving.

"Tonowari, Is something the matter?" Jake asked nervously. He waited for Tonowari to say that Quaritch and his team had escaped. He hoped he did, so he had an excuse to break Quaritch's face in. He never got the chance in the forest or on the boat. If only Tonowari and his men were just a few minutes late when he got to Quaritch. Tonowari cleared his throat before he spoke, "No, Toruk Makto, there is nothing for you to fear. The demons and his men are being guarded."

"Well, that's good to hear, but I'm guessing that's not the only thing you wanted to say." Tonowar nodded, "I must ask if you know of any alliances the demon has made with Na'vi clans beyond the forest."

"None that I think of. Norm didn't mention anything when he came after Kiri's episode, and it has been a while since I contacted him." Tonowari hummed, nodding at Jake's response, "I see."

"Why do you ask?" Tonowari was silent momentarily, "The demon had spoken in a way that made me very curious... and you say they know nothing of our ways."

"Yeah, they barely know anything about Eywa'eveng or the ways of the people. " Tonowari hummed at Jake's words, "There is one thing I must ask of you. Are the sky people still able to use their masks even after they are placed in water?"

"Yeah, they are. Why?" Jake asked, curious, "The demons were brought in with a sky person, and they asked me to bring him more masks for him."

Jake's eyes widen, looking at Tonowari excitedly, "A Skyperson!? I think I know him. Is he a young boy with blonde dreads and wearing a loincloth? His name is Spider, you don't need to worry about him. He's a good kid, one of my own."

"No, it was an older man with dark hair and Sky people's clothing." Jake's ears drooped as the glimmer of hope died in his eyes, "I see. Tonowari, is there any way you could let me talk to Quaritch? I want to know where he's keeping him." 

Tonowari shook his head, "I am sorry, but no one except the Tsahik and I are allowed to speak to the demons until their trial. I will not make any exceptions, not even for you, Toruk Makto."

"I... I understand." Jake sighed, "Is that all you needed to know?"

"Yes, thank you for your time, and rest well," Tonowari and Jake said their goodbyes, but instead of going back into the pod, Jake watched as Tonowari headed back to the center of the village before turning his gaze to where Quaritch and his team were being kept. Jake clenched his fist in frustration before taking deep breaths to calm himself and returned inside. Jake quietly went to Neytiri, who was lying down with Tuk sleeping in their bed.

She looked up and saw Jake's troubled look as he lay beside them, saying nothing as he pulled them close. He wished his other children were huddled around him and Neytiri like they used to do when they were kids, so he knew they were safe. Neytiri wanted to ask Jake what he and Tonowari spoke about outside, but looking at her mate's state, she decided to talk to him tomorrow. 

The next day came quickly, and the sliver of light through the hut's opening hit Mile's face, waking him from sleep. He yawned, raising his hand to rub his neck, which was stiff from sleeping in the same position all night. He suddenly froze and groaned in pain as the medicine Ronal gave him had worn off overnight, leaving him to endure the full impact of his injuries on his body. Slowly, he lowered his arm, taking deep breaths as the movement seemed like pins and needles stabbing into his muscles until his hand was back on his lap.

"I could really use a drink right about now." He thought before looking over to his team, still asleep on one another. On any other day, Miles would have just let them sleep, especially after what they'd been through, but then he noticed Garvin's arm sticking out from the pile, and the rest of his body was nowhere to be seen, which led Miles to the conclusion that Garvin is being buried alive right now.

"Ja. Ja, wake up." Miles whispered, his throat too dry and sore to speak any louder to Ja, who was sleeping the closest to him. When he got no response, Miles groaned in annoyance before slowly leaning and reaching out his hand to grab Ja's queue. He gave it a slight tug as he whispered again, "Ja. Ja."

Ja shifted slightly at Miles's attempts to wake him up as he grumbled in a tired voice, "Five more minutes, Mommy."

Miles, annoyed, used whatever strength he had and yanked Ja's queue back so hard it looked like he gave him whiplash.

"OW! What was that for?!" he cried out, looking back at Miles with an irked look, "Sorry to ruin your beauty sleep, but you guys are killing Garvin right now."

"Huh?" Ja was confused and half asleep after what Miles said, but he quickly connected the dots when he saw Garvin's arm but no Garvin, "Oh Shit! Everybody, wake the fuck up!"

"Hey!" "Seriously!" "I'm trying to sleep, man!" "Ouch!" Lopez, Fike, Prager, and Mansk yelled as Ja shook them awake and shoved them out of the way. They finally moved and began to panic when they saw Garvin lying motionless on the ground.

"Garvin. Garvin." Ja said, poking Garvin's side, but the scientist did not respond. 

"Oh my God, he's dead! We crush him to death!" Fike panicked, gripping his head while the Mansk tried to calm him down, "We got to hide the body and say he escaped!"

"Will you relax, Fike! Let me check him." Lopez shoved Fike aside before kneeling beside Garvin and grabbing his wrist to check his pulse, "Just like I thought, he's okay. I can- wait a minute."

The Recoms watch with growing nervousness as Lopez moves from Garvin's arm to his neck, rechecking his pulse. They waited in silence for ten long seconds before Lopez removed his fingers from Garvin's neck and turned slowly to them with panic written all over his face, "I can't find his pulse."

"I'll start digging," Mansks said nonchalantly before clawing at the ground while Miles smacked his hand against his forehead, and the rest descended into chaos. They froze when they heard a noise outside the hut door; when it stopped, they waited a few moments before moving. Prager and Ja went over to help Mansk with the hole while Lopez and Fike moved Garvin closer to them.

The mask must have snagged on something because it was pulled off when they almost got Garvin's body to the hole. Garvin's eyes suddenly snap open as he lets out a desperate gasp, causing Fike and Prager to jump away from his body in fear.

"Oh my God! He's a Zombie!" Prager yelled before covering his mouth, looking over to the hut entrance while Garvin flopped around like a dead fish as he frantically felt for his missing mask. It wasn't until Fike grabbed Garvin's mask and placed it back on his face, calming Garvin down as he took deep and steady breaths,

"What the hell?!" he cried, looking around at the Recoms' shocked faces when Lopez spoke up, "We thought you were dead."

"No, I was just asleep! What the fuck is going on?" he asked, confused, before realizing he was lying beside a barely dug hole and connecting the dots. Lopez saw what Garvin was looking at with a look of realization in his eyes and quickly tried to explain, "You were very still. Prager poked you."

"I'm a very sound sleeper- Sorry!" Garvin paused, sitting up and pointing at them in shock. "You all thought I was DEAD, and instead of calling for help or something, you all just unanimously decided to do nothing and fucking bury me!"

"Well, you did say you barely knew us." Mansk shrugged, wiping the sand and dirt off his hand. "Oh, this is bullshit!"

Miles, who was silent the whole time, burst into laughter; everyone stared at him dumbfounded as he continued to laugh, not caring if he was loud before joining in. They laughed so hard that their sides began to hurt and were leaning against one another for support. Miles laughed at the ridiculousness of this situation; they were prisoners, and Lyle could be dead right now, but here they were about to bury Garvin alive. It was so stupid, but it was a nice distraction from his worries and the pain in his body.

Slowly, their laughter died down to chuckling as they tried to catch their breaths and wipe away their tears.

"God, I needed that." Miles snorted out, his shoulders still shaking, before looking over to Garvin, who was holding his sides, "But really, how much air do you got left in there."

"Let me...hehe... see... um...I got about 2 hours left." Garvin managed out as he looked at his gauge. Miles nodded before turning to the others, "Y'all better start filling that hole back up. We don't want them thinking we're trying to break out.''

They nodded and quickly filled up the hole they had just about finished when the hut doors opened, revealing Tonowari and Ronal. The Recoms and Garvin stood up to greet them as they entered, except for Miles, who was still sitting and leaning against the wall for support.

Two Na'vi trailed behind them, a woman carrying bowls of food with water and a man dragged along a net filled with exo-packs. The man tossed the net at Garvin's feet for turning to leave while the woman placed the food on the ground before silently following him out of the hut.

"These are your meals until the afternoon," Tonowari told Miles as Ronal checked his dressings. Miles tried to be as still as possible when Ronal examined him; he thought if he moved even the slightest, she would think he was trying to attack her.

"Drink this after your meal. It will soothe the pain." Ronal said, handing Miles a small shell-like bottle similar to yesterday's. Miles nodded before asking Ronal the only question that was in his mind.

"Is he dead?"

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning when Neteyam woke up with a jolt; he rubbed his eyes and sat up, realizing he was the first of his siblings to be awake. He had a strange dream last night; it felt so real, yet he forgot it when he woke up. Nevertheless, he still felt an overwhelming sadness when he tried to remember, but he faintly remembered lying down while staring at the sky.

He pushed away his thoughts as he quietly made his way to the fireplace, careful not to wake Lo'ak and Kiri. He relit the fireplace and tended to it as he warmed the leftover food his mom made last night. He sat staring into the fire for the longest time; he almost missed his dad coming out of his room. Neteyam looked up in surprise at his dad, who was wearing the same expression when he saw Neteyam already awake.

"Neteyam, I thought you'd still be asleep," Jake said, sitting beside him. Neteyam smiled weakly at his dad, "I just woke a while ago and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Oh, okay." Jake nodded as they both fell silent, watching the flames. Jake glanced at Neteyam before coughing awkwardly, "Are you sure you're doing alright."

"Yeah, I'm fine, sir," Neteyam answered quickly. Jake hummed, disappointed by his son's answer; he hoped Neteyam was ready to talk with him. Jake tried again, "Is there anything you wanted to talk about? You know about yesterday."

Jake watched Neteyam tense up and put his hand on Neteyam's shoulder to put him at ease, " I'm not mad at you or Lo'ak. I just want to know what happened. You know I'm always here if you need to talk."

Neteyam clenched his fist and broke into a small sweat as the knot in his stomach grew tighter at his father's words. He felt like throwing up at the idea of telling his mom and dad about what happened yesterday on the boat. He could already see the look of outrage and disbelief on their faces. What was he supposed to say?

The demons that hunted them down saved his siblings and Tsireya from the sky people on the ship. One of them used his body to shield Lo'ak and him from bullets when he was getting them off the boat. Or that they were all being controlled by chips in their necks that hurt them when they didn't obey the sky people.

It sounded so unbelievable that Neteyam couldn't even believe it, and he was there. He couldn't imagine his parents believing him that Quaritch, a man who was a taboo subject for his parents and his clan, was the good guy. Neteyam wanted to think that Quaritch was pretending and was planning something and was waiting for them to let their guard down so he could strike.

But Neteyam had a nagging feeling that that wasn't right either; if Quaritch wanted to, he could have used him and Lo'ak as leverage to get their dad, yet that didn't happen. Instead, he went after the sky person and surrendered when his dad and the Mektayina warriors arrived. It frustrated Neteyam, as the oldest son, that he couldn't tell his dad, but he knew his dad wouldn't understand.

"Yeah, I know, sir. I'm okay." Neteyam smiled at his dad before turning his attention to the fireplace to serve himself breakfast. Jake sighed, accepting his son's rejection to talk before he squinted his eyes as the sunlight entered their pod and heard the tired yawns of his other children waking up. It wasn't long before Lo'ak and Kiri left their room, enticed by the smell of breakfast. 

"Good morning, Dad," Kiri said as she sat down while Lo'ak gave a quiet greeting before sitting down for a while. Jake wasn't going to try to ask Lo'ak what happened; they hadn't talked much since Tonowari's talk of Lo'ak's newly formed bond with Tulkun outcast. Tuk and Neytiri soon woke up and joined them for breakfast, with Tuk mostly doing the talking while they ate.

When they finished breakfast and cleaned up, Jake had them gather to talk, "Alright, me and your mother are going to be helping Ronal and Tonowari in any way we can today. You'll be helping with anything around the village, but I don't want you straying too far from here, so no riding your ilus until I say so. Even though we sunk the boat, we still have crew survivors in the water, and some could have guns, and I don't want to take that chance. Do I make myself clear?" 

Lo'ak wanted to protest, but a look from Neytiri silenced him as Neteyam spoke for his siblings, "Yes, we understand, sir."

"Good." Jake nodded before standing up, "Make sure to stay out of trouble and take care of your little sister."

"Is he dead?"

It was so silent you could hear the wave crashing onto the beach in the distance and could cut the tension in the room with a knife. All eyes were on Ronal as she kept a cool expression, not giving away any emotion. 

"No, he is not," Ronal said bluntly as she stood up. Miles and the Recoms sighed in relief, unbothered at Ronal's answer, and were just glad that Lyle was still kicking. Miles quickly composed himself, "I understand. Thank you for all that you have done, Tsahik Ronal."

Ronal hummed in response before she turned to Mansk, "Your mate and child are doing well. She is eating to regain the nutrition she needs for her child's growth."

Mansk's ears perked as a small smile appeared, "Thank you, Tsahik."

She nodded before she and Tonowari left the hut; once the door closed, the Recoms stood, looking at one another. With their major worries gone, their desire for food returned with a vengeance. Their stomachs growled with hunger, and their mouths watered when they caught a whiff of the food in front of them.

It was a plain rice porridge with pieces of fish mixed into it, but with the food the RDA gave them, this was a four-star meal. Seeing no spoons, the Recoms grabbed a bowl, with Lopez getting extra for Miles, and wolfed it down.

"Oh my God, I miss this food." Ja groaned as he paused to wash the porridge down with some water. The only one who wasn't eating was Garvin, looking at his bowl hesitantly.

"What's the matter? You don't like fish." Prager said, noticing Garvin not eating, "No, it's not that it's just some Na'vi foods are not safe for human consumption, aka me."

"Oh," Prager nodded in understanding before he shrugged, "Well if you think you could survive without a little food until the afternoon, go for it, but if you're not going to eat, that can I have it."

Garvin quietly handed over his bowl to Prager, who cheered for the extra food bowl before Fike yelled out, "Aw, what?! No fair, Prager, give me some."

"What? No way I got this fair and square." Prager scooted away from Fike and held the bowl close to him, "Besides, you already have a Wayeo making your food. She can cook you as much porridge as you want when we get out."

"Well, she's not here right now, so come on, just a little bit, please, old buddy, pal." Fike pleaded. Prager looked blankly at him, then glanced at the bowl in his hands before he began to devour it.

"Hey!" Fike screamed, tackling Prager to the ground while Prager tried to keep the porridge from spilling. Garvin grabbed a bowl of water and sat down, lifting his mask to take sips of water as he watched Prager and Fike wrestle with Recoms.

It was close to the afternoon, and Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Kiri were helping Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo weave nets and baskets while Tuk made a bracelet. Their families kept them in the village doing chores and forbidding them from riding their ilus, so they were stuck doing mundane tasks. Jake was with Tonowari and his men, cleaning the boat's wreckage and rounding up the remaining sky people who evacuated the SeaDeagon. While Neytiri was helping Ronal with the wounded, using her knowledge as a Tsakarem.

They had short conversations with each other, trying to avoid the topic of yesterday's events, but Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo were curious. The Sullys have never really talked about their reasons for seeking Ututru from their clan, but they pieced together that it had to do something with the fake Na'vi from the rock.

"Were the fake Na'vi the reason why you sought uturu from our clan?" Ao'nung asked out loud. Everyone looked at him, surprised at his question; they didn't expect him to be this blunt. Neteyam sighed as he felt the eyes of his siblings shift towards him, waiting for him to answer Anoung's question, "Yeah, they were the reason."

"Really? They didn't seem that dangerous to me." Anoung scoffed. Tsireya smacked her brother's arm, but his dismissiveness irked Lo'ak, and he snapped, "Hey, you weren't there, okay! You have no idea what they did to us!"

"Lo'ak, calm down," Kiri said, placing her hand on his shoulder. Lo'ak huffed, glancing at Tsireya, who gave him an apologetic smile before he turned his attention back to the net and aggressively tied another knot on the rope while Neteyam spoke to Anoung, "What my brother was trying to say is that they are the same Na'vi, but they are different at the same time."

"What do you mean?" Rotxo tilted his head, confused, when Tuk said, "They were nice."

"Huh?" they all turned to Tuk, who finished her bracelet, decorated with colorful beads and shells. Tuk turned and giggled at their confused faces, "When we were on the boat, the lady and the man. They didn't hurt me when they took my knife, and she even fixed my hair and told me everything was going to be okay. Don't you remember?" 

"One of them did tell me to be calm." Tsireya said before they all turned to Lo'ak; his face was scrunched up as he tried to remember, "I don't know. All I remember is being pinned down by one of them and tied to the railing."

"And when Payakan came to save us, they started to fight the sky people, and then they got us off the boat," Tuk said, looking at Tsireya, who nodded in agreement. Lo'ak also nodded begrudgingly, "Right, I remember that, and then when me and Neteyam went to find Spider, the blad-headed one recused us and got us off the ship."

"Yup!" Tuk nodded with a grin. Kiri spoke up, surprised, "Wait, Spider was on the boat?!"

"No, I thought I saw him, but It wasn't him, and then the bald-" Tuk cut off Lo'ak, "His name is Lyle."

"LYLE told us that Spider wasn't there, but he had to cause I heard the Skyperson say he would give Spider back to Quartich," Lo'ak said, crossing his arms, frustrated. Neteyam sighed, "I wish we could find out where Spider is."

"Why don't you just ask them?" Tsireya blushed when all eyes turned to her. Ao'nung was shocked at his sister's idea, "Tsireya, you know the law: no one but the Tsahik and the Olo'eyktan are allowed to speak to the prisoners."

"Yes, I know, but the other two are not prisoners. They are an injured party being treated, so we wouldn't really be breaking the rule." Tsireya fiddled with her hair as Lo'ak gave her a grin, "Tsireya, you're a genius!"

"You're spending too much time with Lo'ak! His attitude is rubbing off you!" Kiri laughed, nudging a blushing Tsireya. Tuk excitedly shook, "Come, let's go right now!"

"You can't all be serious, right?" Ao'nung watched as Lo'ak, Kiri, Tuk, and Tsireya stood up before looking at Neteyam sitting next to him, "Neteyam, you're not really going to let them go."

Neteyam was conflicted, looking at his siblings' hopeful faces before he shook his head, "No, you're not going."

"Aw!" "What?!" "Come on, bro?!" His siblings protested while Ao'nung nodded in agreement until Neteyam stood and grinned at them, "Not without me."

"Yes!" Lo'ak cheered, and Ao'nung looked at Neteyam in disbelief. He watched as the Sully kids and his sister began to walk toward the Zeykoyus's mauri pods, leaving him and Rotxo behind. Rotxo looked at Ao'nung, waiting for him to say something, when Ao'nung let out a frustrated sigh, "Come on, let's go."

He and Roxto then ran to catch up with the others, "Just so you all know, if we get caught, I'm saying it was Lo'ak's idea."

They stealthfully snuck past the many Metkayina as they made their way to the Zeykoyus's pods and ensured no one was around when they peeked inside the pod. They were confused to see only the Metkayina warriors being treated.

"Where are they?" Lo'ak whispered as the group of children moved away from the pod. Tsireya realized, "I know where they might be."

Following Tsireya, the group arrived at a smaller not too far from the larger Zeykoyus's pod, "This pod is for the Na'vi, who need extra attention from our mother."

Even though no Na'vi were guarding the pod, they were still careful to be as silent as possible, trying to prevent the fake Na'vi from hearing their approach. When they finally reached the entrance, they saw the two fake Na'vi lying on the cots. Lyle was asleep shirtless; his torso was wrapped with tendons as bandages for his wound, with green paste scattered his body, coating his wounds. Z was close by, sleeping on her side, her back facing the kids; they watched her shoulders move slightly in a slow rhythm.

"Come on, let's go." Loak whispered, stepping inside before being pulled back by Neteyam, "Maybe we should come back another time they're both resting."

"What?! We already got here. We can't lose this chance." Lo'ak hissed softly at Neteyam as they formed a huddle. Ao'nung whispered, "We shouldn't be here in the first place. We should leave before we get in more trouble than we already are."

"Hey, no one forced you to come with us." Kiri shot back. Ao'nung glared at her while Tsireya got in between them, "Please, we shouldn't be so loud. Someone might hear us."

"Well, it's too late for that." The kids jumped and turned to see Zdinarsik sitting up tiredly, "Come inside. If you all stay out there too long, someone will see you."

They looked at each other nervously before Neteyam took the initiative and stepped inside, with others following close behind them as they eyed Z anxiously. Zdinarsik found it cute seeing them all squished together. It reminded her of a documentary about penguins she saw as a little girl and how they would group for warmth or protection. She watched as they shuffled closer to her until they were just out of arm's length, fidgeting under her gaze.

"Sorry for interrupting your rest." Tsireya apologized ever so politely despite her wariness with the fake Na'vi, but Z only laughed and waved her off.

"It's fine. I was getting a bit lonely being the only one awake." Zdinarsik gestured over to Lyle, who was lying motionless. Neteyam looked at Lyle with a slight look of concern across his face before hesitantly turning back to Z, "Will he be okay?"

"He'll live and will have the scars to brag about," Z rolled her eyes, already seeing the smug smirk on Lyle's face. Tuk then spoke up, "Are you okay? I saw you throw up the boat."

"Oh, that. Yeah, the baby didn't like the food the sky people gave me and the smell of their machines." Z smiled as she rubbed her stomach. Tuk's shyness suddenly changed to excitement at Z's words, and she ran to her side before anyone could stop her. Her tail wagged uncontrollably with excitement as she asked questions, "What are you going to name them?" Is it a boy or girl?" "How big is your belly going to get?"

"Tuk!" Neteyam pulled her back, a faint purple spreading across his face before impulsively apologizing to Zdinarsik, "I'm very sorry my sister can get too excited for her own good."

"No worries, Spider was the same when I told him I was pregnant." Z laughed. That immediately caught Kiri's attention. "Did you say Spider?"

"Yes, you should have seen his face. He was so excited that he was going to have a cousin." Z let out a blissful sigh before Lo'ak spoke, "So you know where he is?"

"I think I know where he is, but it's up to Kayri." Lo'ak was confused by Z's answer, "Who's Kayri?"

"Oh well, Kayri is-" a groan interrupted Z as she turned to see Lyle stir in his cot. Zdinarsik smiled and moved to get off her cot to her friend's side when Kiri's instincts as a tsakarem kicked in. She placed her hands on Zdinarsik's shoulder, stopping her from moving, "I'll get him. You rest, okay."

Zdinarsik reluctantly accepted her offer and moved back onto the cot. Lo'ak gave Kiri a strange look, but she ignored him and stood beside Lyle, with the others becoming curious. Standing beside her, they waited patiently for Lyle to wake up. 

Lyle slowly forced his eyes open; his vision was blurry, but he could make out the outlines of people around him. He smiled, hearing Zdinarsik call out his name, believing he was with the rest of the Recoms, but he soon discovered that wasn't the case. When his vision cleared, he saw the Sully kids and their little friends from the rock circling above him. He blinked, thinking he was dreaming; when he realized he wasn't, he had a few chosen words on how he felt at that moment. 

"Oh god, I'm in hell."

Chapter Text

"Lyle! You're awake!" squealed Tuk as she smiled excitedly down at Lyle. He was confused about how that little girl knew his name, but he didn't have much time to think when she curiously asked, "What's hell?" 

Lyle tried to speak, but what came out were raspy coughs, and his throat felt dryer than the desert. Zdinarsik reached down on the side of her cot and grabbed a bowl of water the Zeykoyus had given her. "Here, give him some of this."

Ao'nung grabbed it and brought it to Neteyam to give to Lyle, but Tuk snatched it from him before Ao'nung could hand the bowl over, "I can do it!"

"Wait, Tuk!" Neteyam tried to stop her, but Tuk, with her desire to be helpful, ran over to Lyle and quickly poured the water into Lyle's mouth. Lyle's eyes widened as he began to drown in the water before Neteyam took the bowel from Tuk's hands. 

"Oops," Tuk cringed, watching Lyle whip his head to the side to cough up water. Ao'nung helped Lyle to his side as Tsireya patted his back; when he finished coughing, Ao'nung moved Lyle to his again. Lyle groaned in pain as they moved him, his gunshot wound throbbing in pain.

"I'm sorry." Tuk apologized. Her ears drooped down with guilt, but Lyle shook his head and choked, "It's alright, kid."

"Here, let us help you," Neteyam said, giving the bowl to Kiri while he and Ao'nung helped him sit up. Lyle hissed softly as they held him up, and Kiri placed the bowl to his lips, giving a little bit of water at a time. When it was empty, Lyle gave them an appreciative nod, "Thanks."

"For a second, I thought that was how you were going to die being drowned by a bowl of water." Zdinarsik laughed; Lyle gave her a blank stare before he weakly flipped her off. Lo'ak, looking baffled at his siblings' and friends' actions, finally shouted, "Am I the only one who thinks this is weird?!"

Everyone turned to Lo'ak; even Lyle raised his head to look at him, but Lo'ak wasn't backing down with all eyes on him, "Their boss had a gun to my head!"

"Seriously?! I'm the one lying here with an extra hole in my body! Is that not enough for you!? What else do you want?! A cookie?!" Lyle hissed when Zdinarsik spoke, "Lyle, calm down! You're gonna pop a stitch or something. We all got on the wrong foot last time, so let's start over. I'm Zdinarsik, and this is Lyle. What are your names? "

Z extended her arm for Lo'ak to shake, but he stood still, not saying anything as he glared at Zdinarsik. She sighed, dropping her hand, and gave Lo'ak a tired look, "Listen, Kid, we're sorry, honest. At first, we didn't care back then if we hurt any Na'vi, and our only goal was to get Sully no matter the cost, but then everything changed when we returned to the RDA with Spider."

"Yeah! You said he was with someone named Kayri." Kiri shouted excitedly. She blushed, realizing she interrupted Zdinarsik before sheepishly apologizing, "Sorry, please continue."

Zdinarsik chuckled before continuing, "Like I was saying, after returning to the RDA and hanging over Spider to be interrogated, Colonel realized that the RDA only viewed us as property to be used and thrown away once we've served our purpose."

The kids were soon gathered around her cot, with Tuk sitting by her feet, hanging on Zdinarsik's every word as she spoke, "Colonel knew that nothing good would happen if we stayed with the RDA, especially after what happened to Spider. So we ran and spent a while in the forest fighting off the animals and avoiding other Na'vi until we got our Ikrans. When we finally got our Ikrans, we met Kayri, the oldest daughter of the Kekunan clan, with her hunting party."

"So she's the Tsakarem like mom?" Tuk asked curiously. Zdinarsik nodded before she continued, "Yes, but please hold your questions until the end, alright? So we were taken to the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik, and they decided that we'd be learning their ways if we wanted to stay under their protection from the RDA. So, to make a long story short, we got accepted into the clan, but the RDA found us and kidnapped Spider and Kayri's little sister Sytawni, forcing us to surrender."

"They gave Setyawni back but kept Spider, chipped us with bombs in our necks, and had us search the villages on different islands to find Sully. When that wasn't working, they targeted the Tulkun to draw Sully out; they were just going to kill them and leave their bodies for you to find, but Colonel intervened with Toruk, so they just left them floating in the water. "Tsireya gasped at the reminder of what happened to their spirit brothers and sisters; she still shed tears remembering the fishermen bringing the pod to the Spirit Tree to be nursed back to health.

It broke Tsireya's heart when she saw her spirit sister so weak that she barely had enough strength to open her eyes. Her mother was the most affected by the tragedy, believing the sky people had killed her spirit sister's baby when she saw him motionless in the water next to Ro'a, but by the mercy of Eywa, the calf found the strength to survive. A great sadness cast over Awa'atlu when Jake Sully convinced her mother and father to send their brothers and sisters away for their safety.

They cried alongside their sisters and brothers, their wails of pain echoed through the reef as they removed the spears from their fins and applied ointments to their burnt skin. Tsireya Ao'nung and Rotxo were returning from visiting their spirit sister and brothers when they saw Lo'ak and Neteyam arguing on the dock.

They made it onto the dock just as Lo'ak jumped into the water and rode away on his ilu. Neteyam told them that Lo'ak was going to warn Payakan of the Sky People, and without hesitation, they began to follow Neteyam with her brother. Kiri and Tuk soon followed them when Lo'ak swam past them, and Neteyam told them where Lo'ak was going.

"So then, after we caught you three." Zdinarsik pointed to Tsireya, Lo'ak, and Tuk, "We got the signal that Kayri went full mama bear and rescued Spider from the RDA, giving us the chance to fight back, which leads us to Lyle getting shot and us getting taken as prisoners by you guys."

"Wow," Ao'nung was amazed at how calm the demon spoke about their situation. Zdinarsik nodded, "Yeah, wow. So now that you're all caught up, you should get going in case someone finds out you're missing and I get accused of trying to kidnap y'all again."

The kids understood and stood up to take their leave, with Tuk running over to Lyle, "Bye, Lyle, get better soon."

Lyle grunted in acknowledgment as he returned to sleep; Tuk giggled at his actions before tying the bracelet she made on Lyle's wrist. She wanted to give him a gift for saving her brothers from the Sky people since she knew Lo'ak would be too stubborn to thank him.

"There is something I'm wondering about?" Neteyam asked, looking at Zdinarsik, "Why would the eldest daughter of the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik care so much about Spider when you were accepted into the Kekunan Clan?"

"Because Kayri adopted Spider as her child," Zdinarsik said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, shocking and confusing Neteyam and his other siblings, "But why adopt Spider specifically?"

"Oh, 'cause you know. Colonel is Spider's dad..." Zdinarsik trailed off to give them a hint but was met with silence as the Sully kids stared at her dumbly, "And he mated with Kayri."

An awkward pause fell in the pod as the Sully kids froze up, and realization finally dawned on them. Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo were surprised but still confused as they looked between the Sullys and Z. Lyle opened one eye, curious as to why the sudden quietness, and saw the frozen siblings, "Z, I think you broke them."

"WHAT?!?!" the Sully kids screamed in disbelief, finally finding their voices again. Lyle groaned at their shouting before returning to sleep, too tired to deal with them; they were Zdinarsik's problem now.

There was no way that Quaritchhad mated with a Na'vi, especially one with a high status in her clan. Was this part of his plan? Use the warriors in her clan to hunt them down. No, that can't be right. The RDA wouldn't need to chip the Recoms if they were still working with them.

Then comes the situation with Spider.

He hated when anyone brought up Quaritch and would try to end the conversation. Spider would play with them from morning to night when they were younger. He never let their differences in size and strength stop him from wrestling with Lo'ak and Neteyam. He looked up to their dad as a father figure, copying his hairstyle and painting his blue strips to match his. Spider stood for everything Quaritch and the RDA were against, so why would he ever consider Quaritch his dad?

"Children! What are you doing here!?" Everyone jumped at the unfamiliar voice and spun around, seeing a female Metkayina carrying food bowls. She had the markings of the Zeykoyus tattooed on her arms, among the other tattoos that decorated her left leg and up above her belly button. Her top was strung with blue and white stones, and her loincloth was simple but had many different seashells sewn to it. She had strands of braided hair loopies tied back into a small bun while the rest of her hair was let down.

"Satari!" Tsireya cried out in surprise, recognizing the woman as one of the Zeykoyus' who helped her mother tend to the wounded warriors. Satari entered the pod, placing the bowels down before taking hurried strides towards them, "I'll ask again, what are you all doing here?"

"It was Lo'ak's idea to talk to the demons," Ao'nung said, pointing accusingly at Lo'ak. Neteyam smacked his arm and glared at him while Ao'nung shrugged, "I did tell him I would let him take the fall."

"We were just leaving Satari. Please don't tell our parents we were here. The Sully's just wanted to know if his friend was okay." Tsireya begged, with the others soon joining her, afraid that the Zeykoyus would alert the parents of their whereabouts. Satari was conflicted as she looked at their pleading before sighing, "Fine, I will say nothing, but you must leave now. The fishermen are returning for the afternoon meals, and the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan are finished with their duties for the day. They will be wondering where you are."

Thank you, Satari." Tsireya smiled as they quickly exited, yet Lo'ak wanted to stay; he had many questions and got few answers. Neteyam, seeing Lo'ak's reluctance to leave, began to drag him out despite Lo'ak's protest, "Bro, wait, I have to ask her some more questions."

"I know me too, but not today. We'll try again tomorrow." Neteyam whispered as they left the pod. Satari watched the children walk away before turning back to Lyle and Zdinarsik, who nervously smiled at her. She said nothing as she grabbed the bowls of food and gave them to Zdinarsik to eat.

"Thank you," Zdinarsik said, but Satari didn't respond. Zdinarsik sighed, looking down at her bowl of fish and rice, awkwardly scratching the outer bowl with her index finger. Satari's coldness towards her was reasonable due to what they had done to the villages and the Tulkun, but it still stung a little. It sucked to be accepted by the Na'vi in Kekunan Clan, only to be outcasts and demons again, "I understand why you hate us. I would hate me too if I saw what I did." 

"I hold no ill will towards you or the others." Zdinarsik looked up, surprised, as Satari handed her a small bottle of medicine, "Then why did-"

"I have trouble speaking with everyone," Satari said shyly, looking away to avoid Zdinarsik's gaze as a slight blush crept on her face. When she glanced back, she saw Zdinarsik with an amused grin on her face. Satari felt her face grow hotter. She snatched a bowl of soup next to Zdinarsik and hurried over to Lyle, nearly spilling the soup on him.

Lyle had ignored her entrance and kept his eyes closed, pretending he was still asleep until he got curious when he heard her approach him. He opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were as blue as the sea he felt like he could drown in them; her freckles scattered on her face were like the stars in the night sky, and her lips were so plump he'd want to kiss them all day long.

"Oh, you're awake. You're very strong to have recovered so fast from such an injury." Satari said, giving him a small smile. Lyle thought her voice sounded as sweet as honey while he stared dumbly at her.

"Uh...um...I...ah." Lyle couldn't think he was stumbling over his words as he tried to talk while Zdinarsik looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Satari quickly stopped him, "You shouldn't talk when you have just woken up. Here, drink some of this to soothe your throat."

Satari slowly sat him up before sitting behind him for him to lean on her for support. Lyle felt like his heart would bust out of his chest as he felt her press behind him. She spooned some of the soup off the bowl, blowing it on to cool before putting it up to Lyle's mouth. Lyle mindlessly began to eat, and this repeated until the bowl was empty. She then grabbed another bottle to give to Lyle to drink before laying him back down.

Lyle was disappointed, no longer close to Satari, and watched as she went to collect the empty bowls Zdinarsik finished, "I'll be back to give you your dinner."

"Thank you again, but you sure you not a little mad at us," Zinarsik asked, somewhat curious at Satari's lack of malice towards them, "Yes, like I said before, I hold no malice towards any of you."

"Why!?" Zdinarsik blurted out without thinking; Satari smiled gently, "My spirit sister Otea was one of the injured from the sky people's hunt."

Zdinarsik cringed, "I'm sorry I-"

Satari raised her hand to stop Zdinarsik as she continued, "When she was brought with the rest of the pod, she told me that your leader saved them from being killed before she collapsed from hunger and exhaustion. I could not tell anyone. They were all so angry for our brothers and sisters that they would not believe me if I told them."

"But, I shall be the first to thank you for saving my spirit sister," Satari smiled, grabbing Zdinarsik's hand. Zdinarsik smiled, placing her other hand over Satari's, giving it a good squeeze. Satari was the first to let go of her hand before standing up and collecting the rest of the bowls, "I pray to Eywa for your health."

"For all of you," Satari nodded towards Lyle before leaving while Lyle tried to say anything before she left, "Uh, yeah, um, T-thank you!"

Satari giggled, looking back at Lyle when he called out to her before waving goodbye as she left. Zdinarsik turned to Lyle, looking disgustedly like a love-sick puppy, "What are you doing, you oaf."

Lyle sighed blissfully, staring at the pod's entrance, "She's pretty."

"And you're ugly. Now go back to sleep." Zdinarsik said, rolling her eyes, Lyle glared at her as she laid down to sleep, "You're such a bitch."

"What was that!" Zdinarsik shot up, giving Lyle a murderous look, "I have an itch."

Chapter Text

Neteyam and the others returned to their half-finished baskets and nets, saying nothing and keeping their heads down to not draw attention to themselves as they passed by the people. They soon made it back to their pile of unfinished baskets and nets. Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Roxto returned to weaving while Neteyam, Lo'ak, Kiri, and Tuk sat beside them to help, albeit sluggishly.

The trio noticed the sibling's dismay but decided it wasn't the right time to discuss the sensitive topic with their current mood and remained silent. However, they were curious about this Spider. The Sullys had never mentioned him before, and judging by their reactions to Zdinarsik's news, they seemed to care very much about him. Tsireya would try to ask about him later when Lo'ak is in a better state to talk.

Lo'ak sighed frustratedly as he tied a tight knot for the net. He tried to focus on his mending, but his mind would drift to what Zdinarsik said. If only he had more time to ask questions before the Zeykoyus came. He always saw Spider as a brother and believed that Spider felt the same way, too, but now he's not so sure.

Seeing Lo'ak's sadness, Neteyam playfully nudged him, "If you keep scrunching up your face, you'll get more wrinkles than Dad."

Tuk and Kiri giggled while Tsireya covered her mouth to hide her amused smile as Ao'nug and Rotxo made no effort to conceal their laughter. Lo'ak's face grew hot in embarrassment before shoving Neteyam, "Bro, Shut up!"

Neteyam smiled, glad his brother didn't let loose his firey attitude. He suddenly saw from the corner of his eye that their father was heading towards them; Neteyam coughed loudly, grabbing his siblings' attention, and subtly nodded in their father's direction.

"Dad!" Tuk shouted, running over to Jake, her arms open. Jake smiled as he lifted her in his arms and placed her on his hip while walking towards the group. Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Roxto went to stand up to greet Jake respectfully, but he waved them off, "There's no need for that. I just wanted to see how your chores have been coming along and get you all for lunch."

"Everything is good, sir. We're just finishing the last of our chores." Neteyam lied so effortlessly that it still surprised Lo'ak that his perfect brother would even lie to their father. Jake seemed convinced by Neteyam's words and turned to Kiri, "How about you, Kiri? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad, don't worry," Kiri said casually, knowing that her mom and dad had kept a close eye on her since her seizure, always asking if she was okay. Jake turned to Lo'ak, who had his head down, "And you Lo'ak?"

"I'm fine, sir," Lo'ak shrugged. Neteyam and the others cringed at the awkward tension between them as Jake frowned, "Lo'ak-"

The sound of a horn soon filled the air; they turned to see a group of Metkayina on their Skimwings and ilus heading towards the island. Many villagers began to go to the shorelines to greet the group, "It looks like the other clans are arriving earlier than expected."

The children looked at each other with worry at Jake's words; if the clans were already here, the Metkayina would put the Recoms on trial, and then they'd never get their answers. Loak was going to have to go and see them later tonight.

"Toruk Makto!" Jake was surprised to see Tonowari approaching them. Tsireya and Ao'nung greeted their father, followed by the others as Jake put Tuk down, "Tonowari, I thought you'd be welcoming the other clans' arrival."

"Ronal will greet them, and I will greet the Olo'eyktan and the Tsahik later tonight, but I've come to ask for your help." Jake was perplexed by Tonowari's request, "What is it?" 

"Come, it is better for me to show you." Tonowari motioned Jake to follow him."Ao'nung, Tsireya, go to your mother to welcome the Tipani Clan to our village."

"Yes, father." Tsireya and Ao'nung answered simultaneously before making their way to the growing crowd in the distance, with Rotxo quickly following behind them. Seeing the trio walk away, Jake turned to his kids, "You three should head back to the pod. Your mother is probably done cooking your lunch."

"Yes, sir." "Okay, Dad." The Sully answered differently as they headed over to their pod. Lo'ak looked back curiously as he watched his dad and Tonowar head deep into the island's jungle, "Where are they even going?"

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Neteyam saw him falling behind, "Bro! Hurry up, we can't leave Mom waiting!"

Lo'ak jogged to catch up with his siblings; as Tuk ran ahead, Kiri slowed her pace for Neteyam and Lo'ak to catch up. When they reached her, Kiri whispered, "I'm going back to talk to Lyle and Zdinarsik tonight. I need you two to cover for me if Mom and Dad ask."

Both Neteyam and Lo'a looked at her, surprised that she had beaten them to what they were going to say. Lo'ak was the first to object, "No, I'm going to go! I thought of going tonight first!"

"Well, I said it first, so I'm going," Kiri said with a smug smile as Lo'ak rolled his eyes before Neteyam chimed in, "We'll come up with something later so all three of us can go alright."

"Fine," Lo'ak said begrudgingly, still upset. Neteyam chuckled and playfully ruffled Lo'ak's hair; Lo'ak swatted Neteyam's hand away and marched ahead, annoyed at his older brother's actions. Kiri and Neteyam watched Lo'ak stomp off; they glanced at each other momentarily before laughing at Lo'ak's childish attitude before running to catch up to him.

 Jake was curious and confused as Tonowari led him through the jungle, not saying a word to him. They had walked a good distance until they got closer to the mountains; Jake's ears perked up as he heard the familiar shrieks of Ikrans filling the air. He and Tonowari instinctively crouched down as a large shadow flew past them momentarily before disappearing. Tonowari looked back at Jake with a hint of concern in his eyes as they stood and continued forward.

When they arrived at the mountain's base, Jake saw a group of four Metkayina warriors waiting for them. They quickly greeted Jake and Tonowari before guiding them up the hill of rocks; as they hiked up, Jake noticed Tonowari and the others move slower as they lowered themselves closer to the ground. Following their lead, Jake dropped to their level as they reached the top and peeked over.

Jake's eyes widened as he saw Toruk and the other Ikrans resting on the ledges of the mountains. Some Ikrans were sleeping, and others were returning with their latest hunt to eat. Meanwhile, Toruk sat above the highest ridge, watching over them.

"Are those..." Jake muttered, shocked, as Tonowari nodded, "Yes, they are the Ikrans of the demons we brought."

"So this is where they've been." Jake had noticed that the group of Ikrans had followed them when they brought the Recoms to the island, but he hadn't seen them since, "Yes, they seem to have settled in this area for now, but they are causing trouble. They've been scaring the people and the fish away to feed the arriving clans."

"I see." Jake nodded as he noticed torn nets and broken baskets scattered around and used as nesting materials for the Ikrans to sleep, "I have very little knowledge of Ikrans, so I went to ask for your help."

"I understand..." Jake said hesitantly, "But it's going to be difficult for me since Ikrans tend to only listen to their riders." 

"And these Ikran's riders are the demons." Tonowari sighed as Jake nodded, "Then it seems I have no other choice."

"What do you mean, Tonowari?" Jake looked at Tonowari, confused. He began to climb down, with Jake and his men following behind him. Once they reached the ground, Tonowari turned to Jake, "Me and my men will bring the demons here to pacify their Ikrans."

"Then let me go with you as extra protection." Tonowari nodded as they made their way to the hut, with Jake eager to face Quaritch again.

The Recoms were bored.

They were so bored that they wouldn't have minded if the Metkayina put them on trial already; at least they'd be outside doing something. They tried to keep themselves preoccupied, but I spy can only last for so long if the only thing they can see is brown damn wooden walls! Ja was so close to choking out Fike, as the ten rounds had the answer being the walls and Fike wanting to be a smart ass and, say, the sand.

They tried to work out in the small space and even had two go against each other as competition, but that got old fast, too. So now they've been doing their own thing to pass the time as they wait for their next meal.

Ja and Prager were now playing a tic tac toe game in the sand as Fike watched, waiting for his turn when one lost. Mansk was lying on the ground staring up and mindlessly counting the ceiling threads woven together from some fabric root.

Miles sat against the wall asleep with Garvin lying beside him as he tried to ignore his growling stomach. Lopez was close by, examining the small bottle the Tsahik gave Miles as he tested himself to see if she had used any herbs he was familiar with. The door suddenly opened, and Tonowari marched in with Jake and the guards following him.

"Oh, Shit!" Mansk thought, getting to his feet as they entered with the others, except for Miles, jumping to attention; their bodies tensed as they moved up against the hut's walls. Their nerves were on high alert when they saw Sully with Tonowari, as they tried to keep as much distance between them. 

Jake would be lying if he said he didn't feel satisfaction with Quaritch sitting weakly before him, his bruises beginning to darken and his cuts barely forming scabs. He didn't try to hide the smug smirk forming on his lips as Quaritch forced himself to his feet, swatting Lopez and Prager away when they tried to help him up. It was just like Quaritch to put his pride before anything else, but that's what led to his downfall the last time they fought.

"Olo'eyktan Tonowari, I see you." Miles's voice was hoarse, but Jake was surprised at Quaritch's fluent Na'vi, "I've come to ask for your help."

"Oh?" Miles raised an eyebrow as Tonowari continued, "Your Ikrans have been causing trouble for my people, so I come to ask you to calm your Ikrans."

"I see we'll be more than happy, but in exchange for food for our friend to eat." Miles gestures to Garvin. Tonowari was perplexed at his words, "I do not understand I made sure my men brought enough for all of you."

"Yes, but some are harmful for him to eat so he can't eat most of your food," Miles explained.

"I see." Tonowari mumbled, nodding in understanding before turning to Jake, "Toruk Makto, do you know of any food we have that is safe for the Sky person to consume."

"Yeah, I have something to help identify safe food," Jake said, glancing briefly at the Recoms before looking back to Tonowari. Tonowari, now satisfied, faced the Recoms, "It's settled then. Now let us go."

With that, warriors beside Tonowari and Jake stepped forward, quickly bonded the Recoms' hands, and began to lead them outside.

"You'll survive alone for a little bit, right?" Miles looked back at Garvin, who waved his hand dismissively at him. "Oh yeah, no, no. You guys go outside and enjoy the fresh air. I'll just stay here in the barely lit hut, hungry, alone, slowly drifting into madness with voices in my head."

"Way to be a team player, Garvin!" Mansk shouted as they left. The Metkayina shut the hut door leaving Garvin sitting in the dark, "I can't believe those assholes actually left me here."

The Recoms barely had a moment to enjoy the sun warming their faces before they were dragged into the jungle. Their shirts and pants began to stick to their sweaty bodies as they trudged along, tripping on the occasionally overgrown tree root. It became apparent that their time on the SeaDragon affected their stamina and endurance when they were already out of breath when they reached the mountain.

"Ah!" "My lungs hurt." "I need to work on my cardio," voiced the Recoms, taking deep breaths. Tonowari then pointed towards the top of the rocks, "Your Ikrans are past this."

The Recoms nodded; Tonowari signaled his men to cut them loose as Jake remained on guard, his hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. He tensed when they cut Quaritch, expecting him to take a swing at the Metkayina and make a grab for their weapons. But Qauritch walked past them and began to climb up the rock with Recoms following behind them. 

When they stood on the peak of the small mountain, Quaritch put two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle. The shrieks of Ikrans were heard as Quaritch and his team disappeared, dropping down to the other side of the mountain. Jake, Tonowari, and his men rushed up to the top; looking over, they saw Recoms cooing over their Ikrans, scratching and cuddling up to their heads.

Yet the Recoms' attitudes and actions towards their Ikrans weren't what shocked Jake. He had been holding out hope that the rumor of Quaritch being Toruk Makto was a lie, but he watched as Quaritch walked over to a docile-looking Toruk, which was the final nail in the coffin. While Jake looked on with dismay, Tonowari was curious as to why Toruk, a powerful and noble creature, would follow a demon.

Tonowari then noticed the demon pull out something for his clothing and held it to Toruk's nose. Tonowari squinted his eyes for a better look but couldn't see exactly what it was. It looked to be a bracelet, maybe a necklace? Whatever it was, Toruk leaned down to inspect the item, giving it a sniff, and just like that, the deadliest creature in the sky turned into a baby ilu nuzzling into the demon's hand.

"Hey there, buddy," Miles spoke calmly as he steadily approached Toruk. The large Ikran gave a warning growl as Miles approached, one hand raised while the other dug into his waistband, "Hey, hey, easy."

Miles pulled Spider's Songcord and held it up for Toruk to see; Miles watched as Toruk observed the Songcord, and when he got Spider's scent, he became an overgrown puppy. Miles laughed; it never got old seeing the Ikran like this because of his son. Toruk released a soft purr, nuzzling into Miles' hand while Miles connected his queue to his antenna. Toruk froze and hissed in agitation as he felt the pain of his rider through their bond.

"Woah, there, calm down. I'm alright." Miles reassured the Ikran as he scratched his head to comfort the large Ikran. Seeing Toruk relax at his words, Miles put away Spider's Songcord, "There we go, and you know my family is coming here soon. So let's try to stay out of trouble until they do."

Miles grinned, feeling Toruk's excitement and anticipation as he roared, getting the attention of the Recom's Ikrans and scaring the Metkayina. Miles disconnected from Toruk and moved out of the way as he spread his wings to take off into the sky. Jake and the others jumped back as Toruk flew up past them, with the other Ikrans following behind them and watching as they flew off.

"That should do it. They won't be bothering anyone anymore." Miles said when they climbed back up to Jake and the Metkayina. Tonowari nodded, relieved that the matter was resolved quickly; he then signaled to his men, and the Recoms' hands were tied again.

"Seriously," Ja whispered, annoyed, looking at his once again bonded wrists. Tonowari turned to Miles, "The Tipani clan and neighboring villages have arrived a day early. Your trial will be tomorrow at sunset."

Miles and the Recoms looked at Tonowari as if he grew two heads. Now that they think about it, maybe staying in that tiny hut a little longer didn't seem so bad after all.

Chapter Text

"Wait, what?" Prager asked before the Recoms were dragged through the jungle again, not putting up much of a fight, still shocked by Tonowari's news of the clans' arrival. They were soon shoved back into the hut, where Garvin checked the air in each Exo-Pack that the Metkayina had brought. 

"Oh, that was fast. I thought you guys would gone for a while." Garvin chuckled, looking up from the Exo-Packs, but stopped when he saw their expressions, "Yeesh, what's with the long faces?"

"Well, everyone decided they really want our heads on a stick. So now that they're all here, our trial to determine whether we live or die is tomorrow at sundown." Miles said straight forward as he sat down. Garvin looked at each Recoms, looking for confirmation that Miles was telling the truth before letting out a tired sigh, "Oh fuck me."

"Lyle..."

"Lyle, wake up," Lyle groaned, forcing his eyes to open as he heard Z's voice; he hissed as the sunlight blinded him for a moment. He saw that the sun was now close to setting, then turned to Z sitting on the cot right beside him, looking incredibly bored, "Shit, how long was I out."

"A good five hours. Satari was coming in every half hour to check on us." Lyle looked at Z, confused, "Who?

"Satari. The Metkayina healer that you went goo-goo eyes for." Zdinarsik was looking deadpan at Lyle. Lyle's eyes widened in realization as he sat up. "Oh yeah, she- Ack."

Lyle groaned as he gripped his bandaged wound; Zdinarsik sighed, rolling her eyes at Lyle's action, standing up to force him back down, "Will you stop moving! You're going to mess up her bandages. You can stare at her later when she brings us dinner."

"Alright, I get it. Don't get your braid in a twist." Lyle huffed, laying back down as Zdinarsik sat back down on her cot when Lyle suddenly got a familiar pressure below his waist, "Damn it."

"What is it now, Lyle?" Zdinarsik sighed, annoyed, "I gotta pee."

"Oh, don't worry, she'll handle that too." Lyle's head whipped his head towards Zdinarsik, one leg over the other while picking at her nails as a grin slowly formed on her face, "What did you just say?"

"You heard what I said. What did you think she did when you were in a coma and you had to go." Z slowly looked up to see Lyle's horrified face, "You mean that she-"

"Oh yeah, she saw it all." Zdinarsik's grin turned into a wicked smile. Lyle stared at her, the color drained from his face while wishing that the bullet had killed him so he wouldn't have to suffer this kind of embarrassment. Lyle slowly turned his head and stared blankly at the ceiling while Zdinarsik flopped on her cot, holding her stomach as she snorted with laughter.

"Ha ha ha, Stop making that face, ha ha ha. I'm gonna pee." She whizzed, turning away from Lyle, unable to stop laughing at his face. When she finally managed to catch her breath, she noticed Satri was making her way to the Mauri pod.

"Oh, here she comes. Don't blow it, Romeo." Z said as she sat up and composed herself. Satari greeted them as she entered the pod, "Hello, Zdinarsik. Hello Lyle, I'm happy to see that you are awake."

"Hello, Satari, it's good to see you," Zdinarsik said as Lyle lay frozen, avoiding eye contact with Satari. Satari's ears dropped in confusion at Lyle's unresponsiveness to her greetings, remembering his more friendly attitude from earlier. Did she do something wrong? She sat beside Zdinarsik and reapplied ointment to her bruises and scratches, looking over to Lyle every few seconds to catch him awkwardly stealing glances at her.

"Zdinarsik, is Lyle alright? I feel as though I have upset him?" Satari questioned Zdinarsik worriedly. Zdinarsik side-eyed Lyle before she got the look of a mischievous child, "Don't worry about him, Satari. Lyle just gets cranky when he has to relieve himself."

"Oh, I understand. I'll get the pot." Satari chirped happily that Lyle was not mad while Lyle let out the final cry of a dying animal as he slowly turned to glare at Zdinarsik. And before Lyle knew it, Satari was sitting by his legs with a pot in one hand and the other reaching for his loincloth, "Here we are.

"No, no, no! It's fine I can do it myself." Lyle frantically said, pushing her hand away, but Satari was persistent, "It's no problem. I have done this many-"

"NO!" Lyle shouted, too embarrassed for Satari to finish her sentence. But seeing her flinch back, with her ears down, Lyle coughed and spoke calmly, "I mean, I am grateful for all you've done, but I can do this on my own."

"Oh, alright." Satari gave him a small smile before handing over the small pot, "If you change your mind, I'd be happy to help."

"Thank you, and I'm also sorry for yelling." Lyle smiled nervously. Satari laughed and shook her head, "It's okay. I was just surprised."

Lyle sighed in relief that she wasn't scared of him. Satari stood up after redressing his bandages, "Your body is healing faster than I thought. I'll speak to the Tsahik about your progress and return with your food."

"Oh, that's great, and take your time," Lyle said, trying to keep calm even though he could feel his face growing warm. Satari nodded, and Zdinarsik waved goodbye as she left before turning to Lyle, clasping her hands together and looking at him with pity, "Aw, young love."

"Fuck you, Z." Zdinarsik just laughed and laid back on her cot while moving his sore body to use the pot. After he was done, he began to stretch and bend his arms and legs, even though his body protested. The ache in his joints was uncomfortable. It wasn't long until Satari returned with food and saw Lyle trying to get out of his cot, "I'm back with- Lyle! What are you doing?!?!"

"Oh, your back already. I'm trying to stretch my legs a bit, don't worry." Lyle grunted, waving back at Satari as he shakenly got to his feet. Satari placed their food down and rushed over to stop Lyle. Z sat and watched, "I did try to stop him, Satari."

"Lie down right now! It's only been two days since your injury. You shouldn't be pushing your body," Satari said sternly as she pushed Lyle back on the cot. Lyle protested, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm as tough as a Hammerhead."

"It does not matter how strong you think you are. Your body still needs time to heal." Satari hissed, walking over to get Lyle's food. Lyle looked down at his fish porridge, happy that he had something more solid than soup, and practically inhaled his food. Satari watched him eat, astonished, while Zdinarsik looked at him disgustedly, "Ugh, Lyle, you're making me lose my appetite."

"If you're not going to eat, can I have your food?" Lyle asked, wiping his mouth. Zdinarsik shook her head, "No way in hell, you blue Kirby."

"It's fascinating to see you two talk the sky people's language," Satari said, trying to figure out what they were discussing. Zdinarsik turned to her, "Sorry about that. We weren't allowed to speak like this when we were with the sky people, so it's become a force of habit."

"It's fine. I find it interesting, especially the last word. What was it called...um... Kirby?" Satari asked, her eyes shined with curiosity. Lyle looked at her in disbelief while Zdinarsik wheezed, "Of all the words she could have asked, she picked that one."

"I don't understand. Was it something I said?" Satari asked, confused, seeing Lyle bury his face in his hands and Z laugh. Zdinarsik shook her head, calming down, "No, no, no. You're fine. Um, you see, Kirby is a small and round creature that eats everything like it's inhaling it. And since it also doesn't have any hair, I called Lyle that name since he's eating like Kirby and doesn't have any hair.

Satari sat silent for a moment before bursting into laughter, with Z joining her and Lyle turning away from them to sulk. After a few moments of laughter, Satari managed to catch her breath, "That was very funny. Can you tell me more?"

"Sure, what do you want to know?" Zdinarsik asked Satari, leaning in excitedly, "Everything."

Hours seemed to pass as Lyle and Zdinarsik told Satari about some funny memories from when they were humans, how they escaped the RDA, and their lives with the Kekunan clan. Satari absorbed every word they said as Z decided to play Wingman for Lyle and have him talk about his hunt with the Strumbeest.

 "...Then I released my arrow, killing the Strumbeest in one shot." Lyle finished. Satari clapped at his story while Zdinarsik could see his ego swelling up his head at Satari's compliments, "Incredible. It must have been exciting, flying in the air so fast."

"If you ever want to see how it feels, I don't mind giving you a ride." Lyle offered. Satari nodded eagerly at his offer, "I would love to go."

Zdinarsik grinned when she saw the faint blush on their faces as they gazed at each other, but her ears perked at the sound of quick footsteps heading to the pod. She loudly coughed, snapping the duo out of their daze. Startled, Satari stood up from Lyle's cot and stepped away to create distance as Ronal and three men entered.

"Tsahik Ronal I see you." Satari quickly greeted. Ronal strode over to the Satari and examined her; once satisfied, she said, "Your family was worried that you had not come home for dinner. I came to see if you were okay."

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm very sorry, Tsahik. I had lost track of time." Satari said nervously, looking behind Ronal and seeing how late it was. She was having a wonderful time talking to Lyle and Zdinarsik, and she didn't realize she had stayed longer than she was allowed. She lowered her head in shame for her carelessness, but the Ronal patted her head, "Do not worry, my child. I am simply relieved that you are fine. Now go back home. Your family is waiting for you."

Satari nodded as Ronal turned to one of the men, "Be sure to get her home."

The man nodded and stood beside Satari, but as they left, Satari glanced back at Lyle one last time. Lyle wanted to say goodbye to her, but he knew it would be a bad idea in front of Ronal, so he tried to avoid eye contact when she turned towards him.

"Look at me, demon." Lyle looked up to see Ronal had closed the distance between them. She glared down at him, baring her teeth, and hissed, "You will stay away from that child. Do you understand demon?"

"Yes, I understand, Tsahik," Lyle said softly as Ronal huffed before she turned away from him and left with the two men following behind her.

Zdinarsik sighed and sat beside Lyle, softly patting his shoulder to comfort him as he stared at the pod entrance. He knew they fuck up by keeping Satari here, but Lyle just got lost in their conversations together. It felt like it was just the two of them in that moment. And now they may have just killed any chances of making a decent impression for the Metkayina Clan.

"What the hell am I going to tell Colonel." Lyle thought, panicking he was lying in the dark. Zdinarsik had already gone to bed after comforting Lyle, but there Lyle was, trying to focus on his breathing while his brain refused to let him sleep. He would route between looking at the ceiling, the pod's entrance and Z sleeping to pass the time as he tossed and turned.

Thankfully, it was soon becoming difficult to keep his eyes open. He slowly blinked, ready to succumb to exhaustion. But one moment, he was staring at the ceiling, barely illuminated by the moon. The next thing he knew, he had Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Kiri staring down at him.

"Oh my fucking God. Can't you three at least wait until tomorrow to bother me." Lyle hissed, glaring at Sully's three older children. Neteyam cringed at Lyle's words before speaking, "We're sorry for waking you, but we need you to tell us about Spider."

"How come I'm the one you wake up? I'm the one who's injured and needs rest." Lyle pointed to Zdinarsik, still sound asleep, "Ya'll go wake up Z and ask her some questions. If not, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to ask me."

"Well, there might be a tomorrow for you," Lo'ak hissed, catching Lyle's attention, "Huh? The hell are you talking about."

"The Clans have arrived early, and the Metkayina are putting you on trial tomorrow," Kiri said as Neteyam and Lo'ak nodded in confirmation.

"Now see, why would you tell me this right after you woke me up, huh? Do you enjoy seeing me suffer? Is that it?" Lyle hissed at them before calling out to Zdinarsik, "Z are you hearing this shit!"

"Yes, I've been awake since they got here. Just give them what they want so they can leave already," Zdinarsik grumbled, opening one eye to them before turning to her other side and falling back asleep. Lyle sighed, turning to the trio, "What do you want to know."

"Why did Spider agree to get adopted by Quartich and his mate?" Lo'ak blurted out before his siblings could say anything. Lyle yawned, "Well, Kayri was feeding him, playing with him, and making him clothes like any mom would. And Colonel was taking him on rides on his Ikran, making sure he was behaving, teaching him stuff."

"That can't be it!" Lo'ak frowned. There is no way that was all it took for Spider to forgive and accept Quaritch after everything he did to their family. Kiri and Neteyam gripped each side of Lo'ak to calm him down and stop him from launching at Lyle.

"Lyle, are you sure nothing else happened between them specifically? Didn't Zdinarsik say something happened with Spider and the RDA when you all decided to escape?" Neteyam asked. They watched Lyled tiredly, rubbing his face, before his ears perked up and his eyes widened, remembering, "Oh right, the interrogation. I was there with Colonel when Ardmore interrogated Spider."

"Who's Ardmore?" Kiri said, confused, "An evil lady that's been a pain in our asses."

"So what happened with her." Neteyam urged him to continue, but Lyle seemed hesitant, "I really think that Colonel should tell you this and not me."

"He's guarded all the time. There's no way we could ask him, so spill it already," Lo'ak demanded. Lyle sighed and shook his head, "Alright. So Ardmore had Spider connected to this machine that was supposed to reach inside his mind and get an image of where your dad was."

"Like Tsaheylu?" Kiri asked. Lyle froze before hesitantly nodding, "Yeah, something like that, but..."

The trio looked at Lyle's nervousness, "But instead of a natural connection, this thing forces its way into the mind and hurts the subject."

They stared, horrified at Lyle's explanation, unable to move until Kiri let out a feral growl before launching at Lyle, "Oh Shit!"

Zdinarsik shot up at Lyle's yell and saw Kiri trying to claw Lyle's eyes out with Neteyam, and Lo'ak struggled to pull her off him while he tried to push her off. She ran over to help, fearing that someone would hear the noise, come to investigate, and they'd have another set of problems. When Kiri suddenly bit down on Lyle's forearm, luckily, Z acted swiftly and slammed her hand over Lyle's mouth, muffling his scream. 

After more struggle, they finally managed to pry Kiri's mouth open and pulled her off Lyle. Neteyam and Lo'ak were surprised by their sister's sudden strength and aggression towards the Recoms. Everyone was breathing heavily; the siblings stared at the two Recoms, saying nothing when Kiri snarled, "What you did was a crime against Ewya! How dare you do that to Spider!"

"Sshh. I know you're angry, but you got to keep quiet, or someone will come, and we'll be in trouble." Z whispered, panicked, glancing over to the pod's entrance as if waiting for a mob to storm in. She sighed in relief when nothing happened, then felt Lyle tapping her arm to remove her hand from his mouth. When she did, Lyle looked at the bite mark and smacked his lips, "Damn it, kid, I'm bleeding now."

"That's the least you deserve! You hurt my brother!" Kiri snapped, her tail whipped widely behind her, hitting her brothers on either side of her. Lo'ak and Neteyam tried to calm her despite their growing anger towards the RDA's treatment of Spider.

Lo'ak couldn't have agreed more with Kiri's words. The Recoms let the Skypeople hurt their brother, and they had to pay for it, but he couldn't help but feel hatred for himself. If only he had been stronger, Spider wouldn't have been taken in the first place. While he was here in the Awa'atlu village, having a great time playing in the water and spending time with Payakan and Tsireya, Spider was being tortured for information.

Neteyam was struggling with his feelings of anger. He felt as though he had no right to be angry for Spider. There once was a time when Neteyam and Spider were as close as brothers, but as he grew older, his mother would tell him not to go near Spider, and he was no good. With the desire to be a good son, Neteyam did as he was told and began to avoid Spider until he no longer sought him out, and Spider began to spend most of his time with Lo'ak and Kiri.

Neteyam winced whenever he rejected Spider's invitation to play, using different excuses. Spider's hopeful face would fall slightly before he'd cover it with an understanding smile before running off to play with his younger siblings. Neteyam would always feel jealous when he saw his siblings play with Spider. He always thought it was because Spider was hogging all of his siblings' time, but he knew it was because his Siblings got to play with Spider and not him.

"We didn't know any of that. The RDA didn't bring us back to learn about the Navi or Pandora. We were only brought to take down Sully, so excuse us for not getting the memo." Lyle snapped, wiping the blood dripping from his arm. Kirir clenched her teeth and took deep breaths to calm herself, "So, is that why Spider is happy to be with you all? Because Quaritch saved him from the RDA."

"And we've looked after him while we were running from the RDA," Lyle said, and Zdinarsik nodded. Kiri hummed before standing up, "We'll be leaving now."

Without giving her brothers a chance to protest, she grabbed Lo'ak's and Neteyam's arms and quickly dragged them out of the infirmary, leaving Lyle and Zdinarsik dumbfounded by their quick exit.

"She didn't even say thank you even after she nearly took a chunk out of my arm." Lyle said, holding up his arm to show Z the bitemarks Kiri left, "Oh wow, she really got you good."

"So, you think the kids were telling the truth about the trial tomorrow?" Lyle asked Zdinarsik as they both lay in their separate beds. Zdinarsik didn't answer for a minute, blankly looking up at the ceiling, slowly rubbing her stomach, "Yes, and that scares me."

Chapter Text

Kiri had been in a bad mood and didn't speak to Neteyam or Lo'ak as she marched in front of them, muttering to herself. She suddenly turned around Neteyam, and Lo'ak stumbled back from her frustrated look.

"Can you believe what he said!? 'And we've looked after him while we were running from the RDA,'" Kiri quoted Lyle mockingly in his voice before letting out a frustrated sigh. Neteyam and Lo'ak tried to respond, but Kiri began her rant again, "Spider was probably too weak to leave them when they escaped! Have they ever thought that?! And they went to the Kekunan Clan, who live in pillars of stone and canyons high above the ground, in the West, far from the high camp!"

"Kiri..." Neteyam said to catch her attention to no avail, "So, of course, He wasn't going to risk losing all the air in his mask trying to escape! I bet that's how they kept him close by and quiet while Quaritch went after the Olo'eyktan's daughter!"

"Kiri," Neteyam said again, louder, "Well, just wait until the Kekunan clan comes, and when we tell them what they did to Spider, whatever they were planning will be ruined! And then Spider will be-"

"Kiri!" Neteyam shouted, finally quieting Kiri. Kiri turned to him, confused, "What?"

"I know that you're worried about Spider. We all are, but do think that maybe they're telling the truth, and Spider had gotten attached to Quaritch." Kiri and Lo'ak stare dumbfoundedly at him. Neteyam sighed, "I mean, if you think about it, Spider could have told the Kekunan Clan he was being held hostage by them in Na'vi before they understood it, but he didn't. He chose to stay with them."

Kiri let out a sarcastic laugh, "Wow. After all these years, you still don't trust Spider. You know, I think that you were glad that Spider was taken. The demon wouldn't be near your family anymore, huh?"

"That's not what I meant." Neteyam hissed. Kiri glared at him challengingly, "Really, 'cause you're starting to sound a lot like mom."

They both stepped toward each other before Lo'ak jumped between them, his arms stretched out to create distance between them, "Hey, come on, guys. Let's just breathe for a second, huh."

Kiri uttered an angry huff, spun around, and marched to their Pod, with Lo'ak and Neteyam following. Luckily, their parents were still asleep when they arrived; silently, they crept past them to their beds. Kiri and Lo'ak were fast asleep as Neteyam twisted and turned in his bed, the guilt of hissing at his sister and accusing Spider gnawed away at him. His mind kept visiting old, happy memories of him and Spider, amplifying his guilt each time until he was close to tears.

The next day could come fast enough when Neteyam forced his tired eyes to open. His head was pounding, and his dry mouth desperately needed water. He could hear the lively noises of the Metkayina, who were already going about their day. Looking over at Lo'ak and Kiri, who were still asleep in their beds, clued him in that they had all overslept. It was confirmed when Tuk came bolting in to wake them up.

"Wake up, you guys!" Tuk yelled as she ran in to wake them up. Getting no response, Tuk sighed before she went over to Lo'ak's hammock and shook him awake, "Come, you guys! You've been asleep forever!"

"Tuk, knock it off." Lo'ak groaned, shrugging Tuk off him before turning away from her and going back to sleep. Tuk stomped her feet in frustration before going to wake up Kiri and getting the same response. Dejected, Tuk shuffled her way to Neteyam, rested her chin on his arm, and whined, "Teyam! I'm bored without you guys."

"Alright, Tuk, we're up." Neteyam let out a tired yawn before he got out of bed. He picked up Tuk and went to eat; Tuk stared at the motionless figures of her siblings for a moment before turning to Netyam, worried, "Is something wrong with Kiri and Lo'ak?" 

"Lo'ak's fine. He's just tired, and Kiri..." Neteyam hesitated, but Tuk's pleading eyes forced him to continue, "She needs some time alone."

Neteyam arrived at the fireplace, where Neytriri and Jake finished cleaning their plates. Jake noticed the first and greeted them, "Hey, Good morning. I was surprised that Tuk was the only one awake this morning."

"Good morning. We're fine. I think our bodies are finally feeling the effects of the fight." Neteyam said, setting Tuk down and sitting next to Neytiri. She scooted closer and touched his forehead to feel his temperature, "Are you certain you are not ill? I have some herbs all of you can eat for a fever."

"No, I'm fine, Mom." Neteyam smiled at her before he began to eat his food. He felt weirdly unsettled, sitting beside his mom, thinking about what Kiri told him last night. Jake stood up, "Okay, your mom and I are going to head out now, so stay here with Tuk until Lo'ak and Kiri wake up, and take it easy today if any of you don't feel right. And remember, you're all still grounded, so no riding ilus, you understand."

"Yes, sir, I understand." Neteyam nodded. Jake smiled and patted his head before he and Neytiri left. Neteyam quietly ate as Tuk played with her bracelet when Lo'ak stumbled over to them tiredly. Neteyam offered him a plate when he sat down, which Lo'ak gladly accepted, and soon Kiri came in silently and grabbed her food before Neteyam could offer any.

Neteyam sighed, watching Kiri take small bites of her food. Lo'ak looked at Neteyam, nodding at Kiri, but he shook his head and continued eating. When they were finally done eating and cleaning their plates, Neteyam stood up, "Alright, let's get going and meet Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo,"

Tuk cheered and was the first to run out of their Pod, while Kiri looked like she would rather go back to sleep. Lo'ak ran after her, leaving Neteyam and Kiri alone. Using this opportunity, Neteyam squatted beside Kiri and softly asked, "Are you okay, Kiri?" 

Kiri ignored him and stood up to leave their Pod. Neteyam sighed, thinking it would take a while for Kiri to start talking to him again, when she suddenly stopped at the entrance, "I'm sorry for what I said last night. I'm just worried about Spider?"

Neteyam, happy she was talking to him again, walked up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You don't give Spider enough credit. He has almost met Eywa many times with his recklessness. Remember when he fell off the floating mountains because he refused to let Lo'ak pass him in their race."

Kiri laughed and nodded, "Yeah, he landed on a small hidden ledge on the side of the mountain. The panicked look on Lo'ak's face was priceless."

"And even after that, Spider still ran on the vines as if it never happened the next day because that's how Spider is. He never lets one bad event hold him back from living his life to the fullest." Neteyam said. Kiri gave him a small smile. Neteyam then had a look of remorse, "I'm sorry too for what I said about Spider. I know that he wouldn't abandon us."

"And we'll all make it up to him when we see him again," Kiri grinned, grabbing Neteyam's hand and running to catch up with Tuk and Lo'ak. They soon arrived by the shore, where they were all waiting for them; Lo'ak was happy to see them both getting along again. It was weird for him to be the level-headed sibling for once, but he was glad that was over. 

"Finally, you guys show up! We've been waiting for you guys forever!" Lo'ak shouted to them as they made their approach. Time went by faster than they'd realized as they did their chores and helped around the village. Lo'ak, Kiri, and Neteyam would find themselves glancing over towards the Mauri pod Zdinarsik, and Lyle were in but would look away before anyone could notice.

Their parents were tense when they came home in the afternoon to eat lunch. Neytiri was aggressively wrapping food silently; she had a stoic expression, but her ears and tail gave away her distress. Jake was more relaxed, but they could hear the tension in his voice as he asked them about their day, and he seemed distracted when Tuk was telling him what they had done that day.

Their behavior continued until dinner, with Jake glancing towards the Pod entrance as if waiting for someone to arrive while their mother silently stewed in her anger as she ate. It was close to sunset when Tonowari arrived at their Pod, waiting outside for Neytiri and Jake to meet him. Both parents looked at each other knowingly before turning to their children.

"Kids, your mom and I are gonna be gone for a while. You three stay here and take care of Tuk, alright? No leaving the Pod until we come back." Jake said as he and Neytiri hugged them goodbye and left to join Tonowari. Lo'ak watched until they were far away before whispering to Neteyam and Kiri, "Come on, let's go."

They nodded as they walked out of the Pod when they heard Tuk's voice as she ran after them, "Hey, wait for me!"

"No, Tuk, you go back and stay there," Neteyam said sternly. Tuk pouted and crossed her arms, "But I want to come too."

"We already said no, Tuk. Go back now." Lo'ak said, pointing back to their home.

Tuk huffed before marching back into the Pod but not before sticking her tongue at her older siblings. Lo'ak, Kiri, and Neteyam made their way to the docks, where they saw Rotxo, Tsierya, and Ao'nung waiting for them.

"We better hurry. They're about to start the trial soon." Ao'nung said, calling his ilu and jumping into the water with the others soon following. They rode stealthily underwater until finally resurfacing right underneath the opened pod area where the trial would be held.

"We just have to wait now," Ao'nung whispered. They quieted their ilus as they saw the figures of the Metkayina walking right above them and heard the muffled whispers to one another.

A few hours earlier...

"What's with the face, Lyle?" Zdinarsik asked, curious, watching Lyle furrow his eyebrow. They've been up for a while, waiting for Satari to bring them breakfast. Zdinarsik was bored looking at the gloomy sky outside when she noticed Lyle staring off into space. Lyle turned to Z with a blank expression, "You know that feeling like you forgot something and can't remember what it was, but it's at the tip of your tongue?"

"Yeah?" she answered, confused, "Well, I've had it since I woke up, and it starting to piss me off."

Zdinarsik rolled her eyes before Ronal came in with two other zeykoyus. They were surprised to see them instead of Satari, but they both sat up to greet her, "Tsahik Ronal, I see you." 

Ronal hummed as she examined Zdinarsik while the two zeykoyus redressed Lyle's bandages before leaving to return with food for them. As they handed them their food, Ronal noticed Lyle repeatedly glancing over at the Pod's entrance as he ate.

"Satari will not be returning to care for you," Ronal said aloud. Lyle choked on his food, "Oh, I see."

Suddenly, Ronal grabbed Lyle's arm and raised it to her face, inspecting it before turning it to show the marks on his arm. She raised an eyebrow, her face screaming for an explanation as nervous sweat formed on Lyle's face from Ronal's heated look.

"The uh... bugs were vicious last night." Lyle laughed anxiously. Ronal stared suspiciously at him before she smacked her lips, dropped his arm, and turned to leave, "You and the others shall be tried for your crimes at sunset."

Ronal soon left with her zeykoyus carrying the empty bowels, leaving Lyle and Zdinarsik alone again. Lyle dropped back onto his cot, sighing, "So those kids weren't lying after all."

Zdinarsik hung her head in defeat, "Yeah..."

The day went by fast as the zeykoyus with Ronal came to treat them and bring them their lunch and dinner without speaking of them. Lyle bounced his leg nervously as he sat on the cot, watching as the sun lowered closer to the sea. Their heads snapped toward the entrance as Metakinya entered. 

"Alright, let's get this over with," Lyle grunted as he got to his feet. Zdinarsik quickly came to his side, placing his arm over her shoulder to steady him, "You got me, Z." 

"I got you," she muttered as they began to follow one of the men while the other sandwich behind them. They made their way on until they reached the sandy path leading to a small hut with a guard on either side of the door. Seeing their approach, they straightened their posture before the one on the right opened the hut's door as Lyle and Zdinarsik were nudged in.

They were temporarily blinded by the sudden lack of light when the Metakyina shut the door. When their vision adjusted to the room, they saw the Recoms sitting around, staring at them in shock as if they were imagining them.

"Zdinarsik!?" Mansk shouted, surprised, jumping to his feet. Zdinarsik gasped, leaving Lyle's side, and rushed to Mansk, "Mansk!"

"Oh shit!" Lyle yelped, losing his balance, but was caught by Prager and Ja. Zdinarsik and Mansk pressed their foreheads together as they held each other close. He softly whispered to her, "I'm so glad you're okay."

"What are you two doing here," Miles asked, gripping Lyle's shoulders, glad to see he was doing alright. Lyle grinned, grabbing Miles's arm, "What? You didn't think we'd miss the party, huh?"

Miles laughed, pulling Lyle into a hug with a firm pat on the back before helping him sit down as Mansk did the same for Zdinarsik. The anticipation and nervousness that hung over the Recoms since they woke up disappeared now that they were reunited with two missing family members. 

"Here, are you hungry, Z," Mansk asked, offering what was left of his dinner to Zdinarsik. Zdinarsik looked at the barely eaten bowel and looked at Mansk with concern, "I'm fine, Mansk; you should eat. You haven't even finished half of your dinner."

"I'm good, Z. I wasn't that hungry anyway," Mansk reassured her, placing the bowl aside and sitting beside her. He pulled her onto his lap, holding her securely as she nuzzled into his chest affectionately. 

"I'm just happy you and our kid are here with me." Mansk cooed, stroking her hair. The single males in the hut looked at them with disgust, and Prager audibly gagged, "I think I just threw up a little in my mouth."

Mansk and Zdinarsik glared at Prager before settling in, and their reunion's joyful bliss soon turned into nervousness. The Recoms sat among each other in silence, with some pacing anxiously around the hut. Their anticipation at the Metkayina bursting through the door made them jump at any small noises.

"So, how do you guys think this is going to work? Are we gonna have a lawyer or what?" asked Ja as he mindlessly doodled in the sand. The Recoms looked at him bewildered while Lopez raised his hand threateningly, "Ja!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you'll smack the stripes off of me if I don't shut up. Excuse me for being a little curious?" Ja sighed and lay on his back.

"We'll have a chance to plead our reasons before we connect our queue with the Tsahik or the Olo'eyktan so they can see our memories." Everyone turned to Miles, and he shrugged, "Well, that's how Ayvawkx explained it when he was teaching me about future duty as the Olo'eyktan."

He seemed to be the only one calm at the moment, sitting against the wall as he spoke, "Don't worry your little heads about the trial. I'll handle it."

They all seemed hesitant to relax even though they believed in Miles's words when the hut door was opened, and a dozen or so Metkayina hunters were waiting for them outside.

"Each of you will come out one at a time before we take you to the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan." The older Metkayina of the group spoke firmly before stepping aside to let the Recoms out. Miles stood up first and made his way outside. His hands were tied in front of him, and his queue was gripped firmly by a hunter with a knife placed under the base of the braid.

One by one, they made their way out of the hut. Mansk's hands were bound when Zdinarsik stepped out. He tensed when the hunters approached her but was put at ease seeing how careful they were with her. Even after her hands were tied, no one grabbed her queue but placed a hand on her shoulder to move forward.

"She is with child. Be gentle." the leader said to the younger hunters, guiding Zdinarsik. Garvin came out, staring at the ground, scared to look at the Navi that towered over him, sticking as close to the Recoms as possible. The last two to get out were Lopez and Lyle, with Lyle's arm wrapped around Lopez's shoulder as he helped him out the door.

"I told you will come out one at a time." The Metakinya hissed, pointing his spear at them. Lopez squared his shoulders and looked at the hunter stubbornly, "He is injured. I'm supporting him since he is too weak to walk on his own for too long."

The hunter looked surprised to see him speak fluently but composed himself with a huff before stepping aside to let them pass. Their hands weren't bound, but two Metkayina stood close on either side of them. The group began to march the Recoms toward the village, bouncing slightly with every step they took on the woven trail that connected the entire village. They were led through the Mauri, catching glimpses of Metkayina staring at them from their pods as they walked by.

Soon, they heard the aggravated cries of the Metkayina as they approached a mob gathered at an open area of the Mauri where the Tsahiks and Olokyeans were standing on an elevated part of the Mauri. Lyle's eyes widened when he saw the Tsahik of the Tipiana clan, the same one he had his rifle pressed against the back of her head. Then, a few Metkayina noticed their approach and turned to them, and the mob began clearing a path for them.

They glared and hissed at the Recoms as they passed them until they were in front of Tonawari and Ronal. Jake and Neytri stood among the furious Metakyina in the crowd, watching Quaritch's and the other Recoms's every move. Neytiri felt her hand twitch as she felt the urge to grab her bow and fire an arrow at the demon's chest as she did years ago. She let out a slight hiss as her ears lowered in anger, and Jake grabbed her hand to calm her.

The sound of a horn indicated the sun had reached the water. Tonowari raised his hand, and the crowd silenced, waiting for him to speak.

"Tonight, brothers and sisters, we are here to pass judgment upon these demons for their actions against the Metkayina." Tonowari pointed his spear at the Recoms, "They hunted our brothers and sisters, forcing them out of the water and leaving them to die out in the sun."

"They had burned our homes to the ground, leaving us defenseless." Lyle looked away from the Ta'unui Tsahik's gaze as she spoke. Her mate pulled her close as he pointed at Lyle, "That one killed one of our ilus and almost killed my mate."

Lyle looked down in shame, remembering the cries of the Tsahik as he forced her to the ground. The crowd cried out in anger, with some slamming their spears and sticking out their tongues. Jake felt the shame rise in him as the Olo'eyktans and Tsahiks recounted the crimes of Quaritch and his team to their people. He should have stayed back in the forest to lead the fight against the RDA, but instead, he ran with his tail between his legs and brought their destruction to the Metkayina.

He told himself that he ran to protect his family from harm, but he knew that a small selfish part wanted to stop fighting and return to simpler times when his kids didn't have to worry about surviving. Even when Quaritch is gone, the RDA won't stop hunting his family, but he'll take the satisfaction of Quaritch getting his just due by the Metkayina.

Tonowari raised his hand again at the crowd before motioning towards the warriors holding Miles to bring him forward. The warrior did as he was told to push Miles front and center; Tonowari glowered down at him when he spoke, "You and your companions have caused many heartaches for our people. Do you have any guilt for what you have done?"

There was a pause, and Miles remained silent as the tension around him grew. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the Tonowari and the others with a resolved expression. "Yes, I do have guilt, but I don't regret anything that I have done, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again."

The outrage of the Metakyina was instant after what Miles said. Some stepped forward to strike the Recoms but were pushed back. Pager, flabbergasted, mouthed the words, "What the fuck?" 

"Oh, my God. We're all gonna die." Garvin thought panic. Quaritch said not to worry that he'll handle it. THIS. Is not handling it. Neytiri snarled as her tail wiped behind her. This demon had no heart, no soul. He is still the same as he was when she ended his life, having no regard for any living thing and destroying anything that got in his way.

Under the Mauri, the kids looked at each other in shock as they tried to listen over the adult's heated shouts. Tonowari slammed his spear for order in the crowd before hissing at Miles, "We offer you a chance to repent and spit it back in our faces!" 

"The girl we had on the boat, was that your kid?" Miles asked calmly, ignoring Tonowari's outrage. Tsireya was surprised at the demon's mention of her, and she felt her face grow hot at all the stares from her friends. 

"You dare speak of my daughter!" Ronal hissed, stepping forward. Tonowari grabbed hold of her hand to calm her before speaking, "Yes, she is our daughter."

"And the both of you didn't hesitate to come to her rescue her just like any other loving parents." Tonowari nodded while Ronal scoffed at the obvious reaction any parent would do, "Well, that's what I did, too. I did whatever it took to save my son."

Ronal and Tonowari were now surprised at the demon's words, and so was everyone around them, sharing a look of curiosity and confusion whispering among each other.

"What do you mean?" The Ta'unui Tsahik asks, stepping forward, a look of interest on her face. Jack and Netiryi looked at each other in shock. 

Miles reached into his waistband, pulling out the trinket Tonowari saw when he was with Toruk in the mountains. Now that he had a closer look at the object, Tonowari realized it was a songsord. His stomach turned into a tight knot when he saw the length of the songcord, indicating it was for a young child. His fears were confirmed when he heard the quiet gasp of the Ta'unui Tsahik. 

"This songcord belongs to my son!" Miles spoke aloud, raising the songcord high for everyone to see. The crowd was now conflicted, seeing the small songcord, unsure if the demon was telling the truth. Tonowari felt Ronal grip his arm as she placed her hand protectively over her pregnant belly.

Jake was shocked, staring wide-eyed at the tiny Songcord in Quaritch's hands. Thinking back to his talk with Tonowari, Jake finally understood what he meant when he asked about Quaritch's relationship with other Na'vi clans. Did that son of bitch mate with one of the women from a clan?

When Na'vi mate, they mate for life, and Moat had told him of instances when the bond was forced upon a Na'vi, which alarmed and angered Jake. He knew that Quaritch would do anything to find him, but to go as far as forcing a Na'vi to be with him was where Jake drew the line. He just hopes when the trial is over, he can find Quaritch's unwilling partner and help them before they do anything harmful. 

Beside him, Neytiri hissed angrily as she thought the same as Jake. She remembered the warning tales her mother told her of how the victims became shells of their former selves, with some leading to end themselves to end their suffering. She also felt pity for the women who had to bear that demon's children. The demon had left his first offspring here to live among her people. Now, this sadistic demon had created another to resemble them.

"We all lived happily as children of Eywa and of the Kekunan Clan until the sky people came." Miles continued putting the Songcord back in his waistband, "They stole my son and forced me to fight for them in exchange for my child's life."

Tonowari and Ronal looked at each other perplexed as the crowd murmured to each other when a male voice yelled out among the crowd, "The Demon lies!"

"They are not children of Eywa!" a woman's voice cried out, emboldened by the first Na'vi claim. The crowd soon shouted accusations and even cursed at the Recoms, continuously fanning the flames of anger in them. 

"If you don't believe me!" Miles hollered, quieting the mob. He raised his hands and pointed to the side of his neck, "Here! Right here! Cut me open, and you'll find your proof!"

Tonowari seemed hesitant before motioning his warriors to hold the demon still; he approached with Ronal close behind him. He unsheathed his dagger on his hip and raised it to the side of the demon's neck. Tonowari noticed how his companions tensed at the blade so close to their leader's throat, but the demon in front of him had calm without an ounce of fear in his eyes as he waited for him to make the first cut.

Steadily, Tonowari applied pressure to Miles's neck. He felt something hard stop him from cutting any deeper. Miles clenched his teeth in pain as he felt Tonowari make a small incision and squeeze out a tiny metal disc. Tonowari cleaned off Mile's blood as best he could before holding it up to his face, closely examining the device before showing it to Ronal.

"What is this?" Tonowari asked Miles while his mate inspected the disc in her mate's hands. Miles pointed his tied hands at the tiny device, "This is what the Sky people used to ensure we followed their orders. If we disobeyed, this would shock us; they threatened to do this to my son if we didn't agree."

Tonowari's hatred and disgust towards the Sky people intensified at the aspect they would go so far as to harm a child as Miles spoke, "We took no pleasure in causing any of you harm. We did what we could to keep everyone alive, including the Tulkun."

"It's true!" Everyone's head whipped towards the voice to see Satari stepping out of the crowd. An older couple came up behind her, grabbed her arms, and tried to drag her off, but she shook them off, "Mother, Father, please, I must say my peace."

"Who's this chick?" Lopez whispered, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Satari. Ja shrugged his shoulders when they heard Lyle whisper, "Satari?"

Ja's and Lopez's heads snapped towards Lyle, shocked and underlining annoyance. This bald bastard was staring at this chick like she was Ewya, standing right before him. The dopey look and the slight wag of his tail were all the two needed to connect the dots. And if he didn't wipe that stupid grin off his face, Ja was going to choke him out in front of everyone; consequences be damn.

"Tsahik Ronal, Olo'eyktan Tonowari, I wish to speak for them!" Satari pleaded while her parents tried to quiet her. Tonowari motioned to her parents to stop and let Satari speak. Reluctantly, they complied; stepping forward, Satari shrunk slightly under the glower of Ronal and Tonowari and the heated stares of her fellow Metakyina.

"My spirit sister told me that she was saved by the demon who flies with Toruk and the other Tulkuns in the pod," she spoke shakily. Even though the pressure of everyone staring at her made her feel faint, she couldn't stand by and watch as her spirit sister's saviors were wrongfully judged. She waited for them to reprimand her when the Tsahik of the Ta'uni spoke up, "I remember their behavior when they were in our village. They acted with hesitation, unlike the Skypeople. 

Ronal and Tonowari looked at the Olo'eyktan, who nodded in confirmation when another Olo'eyktan from a neighboring village stepped forward. "That's right, there was this one sky person making all the demands and giving orders to the demons."

The Metakinya from the different villages in the crowd began to whisper among themselves as they recalled when the Sky people invaded their villages. They remembered the actions of the demons and how the sky people were the only ones aggressive towards them. 

"Silence! We have heard the demons speak, but it is time to know the truth." Tonwari said before he held his queue up to Quaritch, "Show me."

Miles understood Tonowari's command and grabbed his queue, holding it forward for Tonowari to connect. When they form the Tsaheylu, Miles shuts his eyes in discomfort as memories flood his mind like a raging river. This felt very different from when he did it with Kayri, besides the fact that he only ever bonded with her like this. He felt like he was watching his life on a movie reel; it was incredible and also freaky at the same time.

He saw memories as far back as when he first woke up on the space station when he was suddenly pulled back to reality. He felt his heart beating a hundred miles a minute as he watched Tonowari break the bond, taking a deep breath to compose himself.

"I have seen enough. We will discuss the demons' fate." Tonowari said, leading Ronal, the Olo'eyktans, and Tsahiks into a Maruri pod. The crowd now stood in silence with an occasional hush whisper every now and then as they waited for the leaders to return. 

Tuk sat alone in her family's Marui pod. She aggressively weaved a bracelet, angrily mumbling how mean Lo'ak, Neteyam, and Kiri were for leaving her alone while they snuck over to see the trial with Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo. They always leave her behind when they're going to do something fun; it wasn't fair!

"Jake..." Tuk ears perked up at her dad's name. She looked around and wondered if she had heard it wrong when she heard it again. "Jake?"

Tuk got to her feet and hurried over to where she heard it and saw her dad's radio on. Tuk slowly approached it; she hadn't been allowed to touch it since her dad used it to contact High Camp. He has always left it on since Kiri's seizure in case he needs to contact Uncle Norm quickly.

"Jake, can you hear me?" Tuk quickly grabbed the radio's microphone when she recognized the voice on the other end, "Uncle Norm?"

"Tuk, is that you? Where's Jake? I really need to talk to him. It's important." Norm said, confused. Tuk had a hard time hearing him over the loud sounds of the helicopter. "Yeah, it's me. Dad isn't here. He's at the trail for the man who was after us. What was his name again? Quarich?"

"What!?" Norm yelled in panic, making Tuk jump in surprise, "What's wrong, Uncle Norm?"

"Tuk, I need you to do something, okay?" Norm begged. Tuk agreed, eager to help her Uncle Norm, "Okay!"

"I need you to get your dad to stop the trial right now." Norm sounded desperate when he asked. Tuk was confused, "What, why?"

"It's hard to explain, but something happened, and I'm heading to Awa'atlu right now with some Na'vi that are going to speak for Quaritch." Norm rushes as Tuk's confusion turns to excitement, "You mean Kayri is there?!"

"How do you know about Kayri?" Norm was now confused, "Lyle and Zdinarsik told us about her."

"Lyle? Wait. Are you talking about Wainfleet?! And what do you mean us?!" Norm yelled, baffled, but Tuk was too excited and ignored his outburst. "Is Spider with you?!"

"Yeah, he's with Kayri right now, and I don't know if you heard, but Spider-" Norm began but was cut off by Tuk, "Was adopted by Kayri. I know."

"I'll go get Dad right now, okay!" Tuk got to her feet and ran out of the Pod while Norm yelled after her, "Wait! Tuk!"

The sky had become a twilight hue, and the Metkayina had lit torches when Tonowari and Ronal returned from deliberating with the other Tsahiks and Olo'eyktans. The Recoms shuffled nervously as Zdinarsik leaned against Mansk for comfort while he whispered comforting to her. Lyle glanced over to Satari every other minute, hoping she was looking in his direction while Miles shook his leg anxiously. 

"God, how long is this going to take?!" Miles thought. His must have been answered when they exited the Pod and stood before the Recoms again. 

"We have come to a decision regarding the Demons." He paused, looking back towards the O'oeyktans and Tsahiks, waiting for their confirmation. Seeing them nod in acknowledgment, Tonowari turned back to the Recoms. Miles held his breath in anticipation, with his heart beating in his ears when Tonowari spoke, "They will not die today." 

There was an instant reaction among the Metakinya as they shouted angrily and protested while the Recoms were relieved. Tonowari spoke again, "But that does not mean they will go without paying their dues."

Metakyina were silenced and waited for Tonowari to continue while the Recoms tensed, fearing what punishment we would receive, "They will rebuild your homes and nurture our wounded Tulkun using the same hands they used to cause harm in the beginning. We will send a messenger to the Kekunan Clan to confirm their story; if they have lied to us, they will be put to death."

This seemed to calm the crowd, but some still grumbled angrily at the decision. Jake felt like he'd been kicked in the chest and felt like he couldn't breathe. There was no way these bastards were getting away with this, not after everything they did. He hadn't even gotten to speak to them, much less interrogate them, because of the Metkayina's rule. He had to know the RDA's next move or if they had reinforcements coming soon.

He took notice of Garvin and suddenly remembered Spider; where was he? Best-case scenario, Quaritch threw him away after he was done using him, and he's probably locked up somewhere in RDA. Worst case, the RDA killed him after he outlived his usefulness. He hadn't heard any major news from Norm or Max about Spider and the RDA for a long time and didn't think much about it. But they only monitored the outside of Bridgehead, watching as shipments and aircraft came and went, not knowing what was happening inside. It made him sick to think of his kid's faces if he ever told them that Spider was gone.

"We obey your word Olo'eyktan Tonowari." Quaritch said, bowing his head. Tonowari nodded before facing the warriors beside them, "Take them back to the hut."

Neytiri let out a feral growl as she glared at the Metakyina moving toward the demons before turning her glare at Tonowari. She felt disgusted at the Tsahiks' and Olo'eyktans' decision. Where was the justice for their people? Where was the justice for hers who are still fighting and dying against the sky people as they speak? This demon had done unforgivable things to both of them, and they were letting him live!

No.

She will not allow it even if she is punished for disobeying Tonowari's decision, but she will not let this demon live a moment longer. As she said to him when they first met again in the forest, she would kill him as many times as she had to. Her face was now focused as she placed her hand on the handle of her dagger and moved toward the Recoms, her sights locked on her prey. She didn't get far when she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her from behind. She looked back to see who dared to stop her, only to see Jake's concerned face, "Baby, I need you to calm down right now."

Under the Pod, the kids looked at one another in surprise, especially Ao'nung and Tsireya. Thinking back at how angry both their parents were for what happened to the Tulkun and the news of villages being destroyed, they didn't think they'd ever forgive the demons. Ao'nung believed their parents and the others were lenient with them because none of the people or Tulkun were killed. But Tsiryea feels that their parents' hearts went out to the demon, who was also a parent trying to protect his child and took pity on him to some extent.

"Come on, the trial is over. Everyone will be going back to their homes. We need to get back before our parents do." Rotxo said, looking up at Mauri's floor, watching as some of the dipped footsteps moved to leave onto the woven path. They all nodded and dived back into the water, returning to the docks. But as soon as they climbed back on, they saw Tuk run past them, calling out excitedly for their mom and dad.

Lo'ak, Neteyam, and Kiri gave each other panic looks before they chased after her with the others following behind them. Tsireya tried to follow but was stopped by Ao'nung while he shook his head, "Come on, we need to get home. They'll be fine."

Jake held Neytiri as he tried to calm her, tightening his grip when she attempted to break loose while whispering comforting words. He felt her nails dig into his arms and the rumbling of her growls as her predatory eyes never left Quaritch.

He suddenly heard a familiar voice shouting behind him, "Dad! Mom!"

 Jake spun around, and his eyes widened as Tuk ran toward them. He felt Neytiri stop fighting against his grip and saw she was also looking at Tuk, surprised and confused that she was there.

"Tuk, what are you doing here? Where are your brothers and sister?" Jake asked, letting go of Neytiri and catching Tuk before she crashed into him. Neytiri stood frozen as her youngest daughter babbled happily to her father, "Dad, you're never going to believe it! I was home alone, and then I heard-"

"Wait. You were alone in the Pod! Where were your brothers and sister?!" Jake was now angry, hearing hurried footsteps. He looked behind Tuk to see Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Kirir running over. Seeing their wet hair and bodies was all Jake needed to see to know where they were. 

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the pod and watch your sister?" Jake said sternly, placing his hands on his hips. Kiri, Lo'ak, and Neteyam shrank under their dad's angry face. When they glanced over to their mom, they saw her disappointed gaze.

"Yeah, but we just-" whispered Lo'ak, but Jake spoke over him, "I don't want to hear! I told you all to stay in the Pod! And Neteyam, you're the oldest; you should know better."

"Dad, I want to tell you something!" Tuk whined, grabbing Jake's arm and trying to get his attention. Jake looked at her, "Tuk, not right now. You can tell me later, but I have to talk to your brothers and sister right now."

"But Dad-" Tuk began to speak before a loud cry silenced her.

The guards leading Miles and the Recoms stopped as a scout soon came running through the crowd towards Tonowari and Ronal, "Tsahik Ronal, Olo'eyktan Tonowari, a scout has spotted a small group of Ikran Makto flying towards us with one of the sky people's birds flying behind them."

Some of the Metakina in the crowd gasped at the news and worriedly looked at one another. A shell horn was heard before Ronal or Tonowari could respond to the news. Then they listened to the faint sounds of rumbling from the Sky people's metal bird and the shrieks of Ikrans. The Metkayina looked toward the sky in a panic that the Skypeople had sent more of their kind to attack. 

"They're here!" Tuck cheered, jumping with joy. Everyone looked at her, confused. Jake knelt, grabbing Tuk's shoulders to keep her still, "Tuk, Sweetie, who's here?"

"Uncle Norm and Spider!" Tuk giggled; Neytiri's and Jake's eyes widened in shock as Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Kiri looked at each other excitedly. Mile's ears twitched, and his eyes widened as he recognized the Ikrans' shrieks. The Recoms looked up with smiles growing on their faces and then at each other with excitement. Before anyone could stop him, Miles sprinted past Tonowari and the scout through the crowd and towards the beach.

Following his example, the Recoms made haste to catch up with Garvin, being carried unwillingly by Pager while the Metkayina were still shocked at their sudden move. Hearing the commotion, Jake moved his attention away from Tuk to Quaritch and his team running toward the beach. Jake jumped up and ran after them, and the Metakyina finally broke out from their surprise daze, seeing Jake take action. They grabbed nearby spears and torches, running to catch up with Tonowari and the Olo'eyktans leading the group, leaving Ronal, the Tsahiks, and other women behind.

Neteyam, Lo'ak, Kiri, and Tuk wanted to follow, unable to contain their eagerness to Spider again any longer. But Neytiri stopped them before they could even step forward, "You are all going back home right now, and you will stay there." 

They all desperately wanted to argue, but Neytiri wasn't letting them get a word in and ushered them home. Satari watched as the flames of the torches became smaller in the distance before her mother began to pull her away toward their Pod. The group won't make it far with their hands tied and dragging along an injured body. She feared the thought of the Recoms getting caught and punished for attempting to escape after just receiving a merciful sentence. 

Miles stumbled forward as he finally reached the beach; the sea had already swallowed the sun as he frantically searched the twilight sky. He then heard the flapping wings of Ikrans passing over him; he ran after it and saw it a few feet from him. Even with the bit of light, Miles recognized the all too familiar forest green ikran and his rider, whom he dreamt about in his sleep.

"Kayri," Miles whispered.

Chapter Text

Kayri was exhausted, but she couldn't stop now, not when she was so close to reuniting with her mate again. She and her family have been flying for two days, stopping to rest on any island. The long journey wasn't the only thing draining her energy; it was also the skyperson Max and the dreamwalker Norm. They both are so eager to help with anything when they land to rest that it becomes bothersome.

The others agreed with her, and the only one who seemed to be having fun on their journey was Spider. He was in awe as they flew above the forest landscape when they left High Camp, staring in wonder as they passed the massive Kelutrals until they reached the coastline. Spider was saddened when they had to split away from their clan, waving goodbye to them as they began to fly back home. 

"Don't be sad, ma Spider. We'll be going home soon, too." Kayri cooed, planting a comforting kiss on Spider's head as they reached the ocean cliff sides. Spider's gloominess was quickly erased when he saw the ocean. He had never seen so much water before, and Kayri had to hold on to him tightly to stop him from falling into the sea when he wanted to take a closer look.

He laughed when Kayri lowered Ralu close enough for the rising waves to spray water at them. He would stare at the water, pointing out any creature he saw and asking his mom what they were. Kayri knew some of them due to her visits to her sister clan, but as they went farther out to sea, she became less familiar with the animals. When they landed on the islands, Spider would run straight into the ocean with one of them chasing after him.

They would plop him on the shoreline and watch him shout in delight as the water wet his legs before returning to the sea. He then notices the small crustaceans rising from the sand when the water is gone. Spider giggled as one of them climbed up to his leg, their tiny legs tickling him while they walked along his thigh. He didn't have much time in the sand before his mom took him back to his grandparents and aunts to eat.

After dinner, he would return to the beach and feed Cupcake some of his leftover food. He'd giggled when she'd affectionately nuzzled his face, and Ralu would get jealous, nipping at her to get away from Spider. Cupcake was so gentle with him but was also very protective, hissing and baring her teeth at Norm or Max if they tried to approach him when he was with her.

Spider noticed they were always nearby, not too far from their metal bird, as Spider's family sat around their campfire. He didn't know why everyone would become quiet and frowned at the people when they came close to them. He noticed his mom would tighten her grip on him ever so slightly when the dream walker, Norm, came to speak with them.

Spider didn't know what kind of Na'vi he was, but he knew he had two bodies, one of a sky person and one of a Na'vi. He was scared at High Camp when he heard Norm's voice and saw it came from a skyperson. When he asked his mother about it, she told him he was a dream walker, a skyperson who could take the form of a Na'vi. He then asked if his dad was also a dream walker, but his mom said he was different from Norm. 

Norm would awkwardly shift when he talked to them about reaching someone called Jake. His grandpa would give him a short answer before he sent him away, but he continually glanced at Spider before his mom blocked his view. Spider didn't know why he looked so sad when he looked at him. His mom told him to stay away from him, but he couldn't understand why he didn't seem bad and he was helping them find his dad.

In fact, he felt familiar to Spider, like he knew him from somewhere, and that goes for the skyperson traveling with him, too. Spider was scared when he first met him, but not anymore; he was more curious about him than anything.

They continued until they reached the burned villages, breaking Kayri's heart as she covered Spider's eyes. She remembered when Grace showed her the devastation her mate and his group had caused the Metakyina in their original destined future. Seeing it in front of her now was overwhelming, to say the least, knowing they were forced to carry out these atrocious.

The sun was setting when they reached the wreckage of the Skydragon with large pieces still afloat. Seytawni, Waeyo, and Ayvawkx cried out in victory, seeing the destruction of the Skypeople's large metal contraption.

"What happened, mama?" Spider looked up from the sunken machine to Kayri curiously. She pridefully smiled at her son, "Your father, Aunt, and Uncles made the Skypeople pay for taking you away."

"Woah!" Spider exclaimed before giving a toothy smile. Kayri smiled, too, yet she couldn't help the worried feeling in her heart, watching as a few bits of metal began to sink. Her mind once again went back to the vision of the Recoms dying on the ship, their bodies disappearing into the deep depths of the sea like the scraps below her. They may not have gone with the skypeople willingly, but they were still on the same boat.

What if it was their destiny to die there?

She shook the thought out of her head; she refused to believe that they were dead. Grace told her their fate had changed when they ran away with Spider. So why would the Great Mother change Spider's body, lead them to her clan, and lead Miles to her if she didn't have plans for them? She wouldn't have forged a new path just for them to live short lives.

Kayri sighed, wishing she could understand Eywa's reasoning, but her duty was simply to interpret her will to the people. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her arm. Spider must have noticed her worried expression; his ears drooped, and he shared the same look of concern.

"Are you okay, mama?" Spider asked, his golden, innocent eyes staring into hers. Kayri smiled, gently stroking his hair, "I'm fine, ma Spider."

Spider wasn't entirely convinced, but his grandpa's sudden enthusiastic shout caught his attention, "I see Awa'atlu!"

Kayri and Spider looked ahead, and in the distance of the twilight sky, they saw the fickle lights of fires. None of them could hold in their excitement; they cheered as Kayri began to push Ralu to fly faster, with Spider shouting encouragement, "Faster, mama! Faster, Ralu!"

She soon left her family behind as Ralu jetted through the sky, seeing the shine of the light grow bigger. She soon saw the outlines of the island's mountains and the village as they passed Seawall terraces. Spider bounced in excitement, his tail wagging as he shouted, "Daddy, we're here!"

Ralu shrieked like he was calling out to Miles with Spider; Kayri laughed at their actions as she looked for a place to land. She landed on the beach near the village, hopping off Ralu and helping Spider onto the sand. Her ears suddenly perked, hearing someone faintly calling her name; she turned around, and the world around her froze. There he was.

Her Miles.

Kayri's heart was in her throat, with no words leaving her mouth as they stared at each other in disbelief. Neither blinked nor looked away as if doing so would cause the other to disappear. 

"Daddy!" Spider yelled as he ran as fast as he could to his father. Breaking out of their hypnosis, they began to sprint toward each other to meet halfway. Miles slid to his knees as Spider tackled him into a tight hug, with Miles trying to return it as best he could with his hands tied. He didn't have much time to brace himself when Kayri threw herself at him, knocking him onto his back.

Miles let out a belly laugh as Kayri held him tightly when she noticed his hands were tied hurriedly; she unsheathed her hunting knife, cutting him free. With adrenaline still pumping through his veins, he sat up and got to his feet in one swift motion with him, still holding them tight in a hug.

"Thank Eywa, you both are okay," Miles whispered, kissing Spider's head before passionately kissing Kayri. She gently placed a hand on his cheek as they connected their foreheads, "I was so afraid, ma Miles, that you were-"

"I know, sweetheart, I know." Miles shushed her, kissing her on the head. Separating, he wiped Kayri's tears, which she didn't realize were streaming down her cheek. The stress and worry she held together for her son had finally broken free in the arms of her mate. Kayri believed she would never see him again and that Spider would have to grow up without his father there to see him become a great warrior.

She repeatedly thanked Eywa for saving him from his lonely fate and protecting him from harm. Well, mostly the first part; now that she had gotten a better look at Mile's face, she could see his cuts and bruises even with the bit of light she had.

"What happened to you?!" Kayri gasped, stepping back and saw his wrapped arm. Miles lifted his wounded arm before chuckling, "Well, I got my ass kicked for a while, but I got the last laugh. You should have seen his face."

"Don't joke about that. Look how hurt you are!" Kayri hissed, smacking him on the side of his head, making Spider giggle, "It's okay, mama. Dada beat the sky, man."

"Damn right, I did! Because no one messes with your dad!" Miles boasted, tickling Spider's sides, making him scream with laughter and squirm in his grip. Kayri shook her head, smiling at her mate's antics when she noticed movement behind them.

Looking behind Miles, she saw the Recoms jogging toward them; they all had huge smiles when they saw Kayri. Spider gasped; seeing them, he waved his hands frantically, calling out to them, "Uncs! Aunty!" 

"Spider!" they all yelled back, reaching them. Kayri began to cut their binds and hugged them before they turned their attention to Spider, who was all too happy to see them. Her eyes widened seeing Lyle's injury, but he waved her off before she could say anything. When she finally reached Prager, she froze, surprised to see a skyperson standing close beside him, looking nervously up at Kayri.

"Kayri, this is Garvin. He's a friend we made," Prager awkwardly introduced their new ally, seeing Kayri's expression. Miles and others watched nervously, ready to intervene if she pounced on Garvin since Kayri didn't have the best impression of humans. 

Kayri stared at the sky person, feeling strange that she had seen him before, when it suddenly clicked in her head. He was the sky person with her son on the Skypeople's metal boat. She pitied him for being forced to watch as the other skypeople killed the creatures he wanted to study.

"It's nice to meet you, Garvin." Kayri smiled, much to the Recom's relief. She crouched and cut him free while he timidly introduced himself, "Um, Hello. It's uh... nice to meet you too."

Spider watched from his dad's arms his mom's friendly demeanor with the sky person with his uncle Prager. He was excited since this could be his chance to talk to a skyperson up close. He must have be good if his uncle said so and his mom wasn't glaring at him.

Cries of Ikrans filled the air, and the rest of the group finally caught up to Kayri. Flying above them, Seytawni spotted Prager, and before their mother could stop her, she hopped off the Ikran, "Prager!"

"Oh no," Prager uttered, seeing Seytawni descending towards him. Kayri and Garvin took a step away from Prager before Seytawni crashed down onto him; he groaned in pain on the sand with Seytawni on top of him. Seytawni had her arms around his neck in a tight hug; her face squished against him, and tears fell freely from her face, "Prager, I'm so happy you're alright!"

"Oh, my Back," Prager wheezed. The wind was knocked out of him from being a living cushion for her. She soon let go of him, sitting up; her happy expression instantly turned to anger, remembering how he gave himself up to the Sky people in exchange for her and began to hit his chest, "Idiot! Why did you do that?! Huh?! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

"Hey! Ow! What are you doing!? Stop!" Prager hissed, pushing her off him. She rolled and was back on her feet while Prager pointed at her as he got to his feet again, "That's the last time I ever help you, you brat!" 

Seytawni childishly stuck out her tongue at Prager when she noticed his haircut. She pointed at him, laughing, "What happened to your hair?! You look like when we first met!"

She soon noticed the rest had similar hair and doubled over with laughter, "HA! You all look ridiculous! It's been so long seeing your hair like this!"

The Recoms stared deadpanned at Seytawni as she cackled at their misery. However, her laughs were short-lived when her furious mother marched up from behind her and pinched her ear.

"Reckless child! You should not have jumped off Seytawni! You could have gotten hurt!" Peitey hissed, tugging Seytawni's ear. As Seytawni whined for her mom to let go of her ear, Wayeo ran past them and into Fikes's arms. They shared an emotional embrace, with Fike wiping away her tears before she saw his haircut and broke out in giggles. 

"Hey! Don't start laughing too! It's not funny, Wayeo!" Fike blushes, his ears pinned down in embarrassment. Wayeo tried and failed to stop her laughter before burying her face in his chest to muffle the sound. Fike rolled his eyes, annoyed, before wrapping his arms around her with a slight grin.

Piety let go of Seytawni's ear, but her momentary relief ended quick when Ayvawkx made it to her side and smacked her armed, hissing, "What were you thinking!"

Seytawni shrank under both her parents' scolding. But then Peitey saw Lyle leaning against Lopez for support with his torso bandaged, and she gasped, rushing over to check his wounds, "Lyle, what happened to you!"

"Oh, I just got shot, no big deal. The bad news is, I'm still alive." Lyle grinned. Peitey clicked her tongue unamused and smacked him on the side of his head before turning to Lopez, "He must have been such a bothersome patient."

"Well, I can't take all the credit. The Metkayina healers were looking after him for the most part." Lopez smiled, happy to be reunited with his teacher. Peitey smiled as well before suddenly going over to Zdinarsik, placing her hands on her stomach, "I heard you were with child. Are you and the child well."

"I feel fine. The Tsahik said my child is healthy, though I feel nausea sometimes during the day." Zdinarsik said. Peitey sighed in relief. She had worried about Zdinarsik's state since Spider told them about her pregnancy. She was saddened that the news of Zdinarsik's first pregnancy wasn't celebrated with the clan, but she would ensure that Zdinarsik's journey through this pregnancy was stable.

She couldn't bear to think of the conditions and stress those demons had put Zdinarsik's body through. Peitey gently took hold of Zdinarsik's hands. "I had gathered some roots that help with that before we left. I'll grind them and make some tea for you." 

Zdinarsik smiled gratefully, "Thank you, that would be great."

Another Ikran screech filled the air; looking up, Miles smiled at Cupcake diving towards him. Everyone had run away to avoid getting crushed as she landed before Miles. He laughed, stretching out his hand to pet Cupcake while holding Spider in the other. Cupcake chirped happily, nuzzling into Miles's hand as he cooed, "Good Girl. You did a good job looking after Spider." 

Cupcake roared, spreading her winds in pride, accepting and agreeing with him. Spider laughed at Cupcake before looking at his dad, "I took care of her, too, Daddy. I gave her food every day and played with her."

"I'm happy you two are looking out for each other." Miles smiled. Their family reunion, however, was cut short when Cupcake suddenly lifted her head, turned, and hissed warningly in the direction of the village.

"Hey, what's the matter, girl." Miles looked at her, confused. He soon heard and saw a mob of Metakayina warriors with torches and weapons charging towards them. Right, he remembered he ran like a bat out of hell when the Metkayina had just given him and the others a very lenient sentence. 

Miles patted Cupcake to go with other Ikrans, much to her dismay, separating from her rider once again. She soon begrudgingly joined the other Ikrans that huddled together nearby, her eyes never leaving Miles, ready to spring into action at any moment.

With the mob coming closer, Kayri cautiously scanned the crowd when her eyes landed on the last man she wanted near her and her family.

Jake Sully.

She hissed softly, her ears lowered, moving closer to Miles and Spider with her hand on her dagger. Miles turned at her, confused, "Hey, sweetheart, what's the matter."

"Nothing, everything is fine." Kayri's voice was tense. Miles moved Spider to his other arm and pulled Karyi close to calm her as they braced for an altercation with the group.

But before the Metkayina could reach them, the Sky people's flying metal bird soared above them, and they ducked instinctively. They all remained frozen, watching the metal bird land behind the demons. That was when they realized the demons were no longer alone but with new arrivals and returning guests.

Norm and Max were already out of the helo before it was entirely shut down and were jogging over to the Recoms. Seeing them, Miles had a sense of familiarity with these two, but he really had to dig into his memories. 

"Quaritch..." Norm uttered; he stared at Quaritch in disbelief that he was in front of him. Norm heard about him coming back from Jake when he was leaving the forest and saw him in the video Kayri had, but to see him up close in the flesh was surreal and unnerving in so many ways.

Norm's heart thumped anxiously against his chest, seeing Spider sitting in his arms, his little head resting under Quaritch's chin. All he wanted to do was to snatch Spider and run as far as he could away from Quaritch, though he knew he wouldn't get far, especially with Kayri. Max then subtly nudged him and nodded over to a man standing in the middle of them. Before he could even process why another human was here, Quaritch brought him out of his thoughts.

"You're Spellman and Patel, right?" Miles guessed, staring at them and taking a shot in the dark with their names. Norm and Max flinched, with Norm stammering out an answer, "Y-yes, I'm Norm Spellman, and this is Max Patel."

"I thought you two looked familiar." Miles grinned slightly. Norm gulped, returning a nervous smile when he noticed Jake among the crowd of curious and suspicious Matkayina. Seeing the opportunity to get away from Quaritch, Norm turned to Peitey and Ayvawkx, "Olo'eyktan Ayvawkx, Tsahik Peitey, we should go now and speak to the Metakyina about your situation."

"That is the only thing I shall agree with you, dream walker." Miles raised his eyebrows, surprised at how Ayvawkx spoke coldly to Norm. Even back then, when Kayri first took them to meet him and Peitey, his voice didn't hold such venom.

Norm shrunk slightly at Ayvawkx's tone; Miles glanced at Kayri for her reaction but was surprised to see her look indifferent from the interaction. Miles looked around for the other's reactions, and the Recoms were as shocked as he was. Seytawni, Waeyo, and Peitey's expressions were the same as Karyi's, with Peitey glaring at Norm. 

Miles was now curious, wondering what the hell Spellman did to make piss them off. He remembered Spellman was one of the scientists who simultaneously came to Pandora with Sully. He was the same as all the other nerds rambling to each other about god knows what, and he didn't seem to be the type to rock the boat with others. 

He'll have to ask Kayri about it when they finish talking to the Olo'eyktans. Miles squared himself to speak with Tonowari about his brash action when Ayvawkx held his hand up, stopping Miles, "You had led your people to victory, Milus. Your part is done, and now rest. I will speak to the Olo'eyktan."

Miles wanted to protest, but Kayri placed her hand on his chest, turning to her. She gave him a comforting smile, "Don't worry, ma Miles. Everything will be alright now that we're all together again."

When Jake ran after Quaritch, he didn't have much of a plan; his body moved on its own. He didn't know what they were planning, but he was going to make sure they stayed on the island, even if he had to take all of them. His confidence grew with the number of Metkayina following behind him. 

But seeing Quaritch now with a toddler in his arms was the last thing he expected when he reached the beach. Other forest Na'vi surrounded him, and seeing the female Na'vi standing close to him with her hand on his arm, it all clicked together. They were Quartich's supposed mate and child.

Then, a helicopter flew overhead and landed close by. Like Tuk said, Norm came out with Max and conversed with Quaritch, making Jake question if he was having a nightmare. Norm then turned to talk to an older Na'vi male before they all began to walk over to Jake and the Metkayina, with the older male and female leading the group.

Their clothes and demeanor screamed they were the Olo'eyktan and the Tsahik of the Kekunan Clan. Jake tore his eyes away from them to look at Norm and Max, hoping they would feel his eyes on them and look his way. But he saw them avoiding eye contact, their gaze fixed anywhere but on Jake.

Jake furrowed his brow, puzzled by their behavior. He noticed that Tonowari was standing up straight, as well as the Olo'eyktans, and began to walk towards them to meet halfway. Jake moved to follow them, but Tonowari noticed and stopped him.

"Jake Sully, please stand back," Tonowari said, glancing at him before continuing. Jake was hesitant but had no choice but to stay with the other Metkayina. At times like these, he regretted giving up his title of Olo'eyktan. Having no standing in the village, no authority. He was a simple refugee who was excluded from important discussions like these. 

With both parties drawing closer, the sound of crashing waves served as a backdrop to the silent tension between them. Their footsteps slowed as they reached the midpoint of the beach; Tonowari, in front, was now face to face with Ayvawkx. For a moment, neither spoke, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of understanding.

"Olo'eyktans, I see you." Ayvawkx greeted them, the first to break the silence. Customary for visiting Na'vi to greet the host first, Tonowari quickly returned the greeting, "Olo'eyktan Ayvawkx. Tsahik Piety."

"I believe that you had already placed Milus and his men through your trial. " Ayvawkx motioned to the Recoms behind him. Tonowari could see them tense as he looked at them, "Yes, they were, and the trial became complicated due to the circumstances, I believe you know. But we can discuss this matter somewhere more private."

Ayvawkx nodded and beckoned the Recoms to come along as Tonowari turned back to the village. The Recoms were nervous to move, but then Miles took the initiative and moved forward, and like a domino effect, the rest followed. Miles's grip on Kayri and Spider tightened as they reached the warriors that were hunting them, now stepping aside to let them through. Miles could feel their hateful and suspicious glare digging into his skin.

Their gaze only softened when they saw Spider peeking at them with shy curiosity. Spider had never seen Na'vi like them before; their skin was lighter than his family's, and their hands were much bigger. Their tails were flat like the fish that swam in the river with no hair at the end. And with the light of their torches, he could see the tattoos that decorated their bodies, although they were much different from his daddy's.

Tonowari glanced behind him, staring at the young child in the demon's arms. He observed them, watching how Miles protectively close held his mate and son. Spider must have sensed him as his eyes locked with Tonowari before he hid his face in Miles' neck. Tonowari chuckled softly at the action, reminding him of when Tsireya was young and would shyly hide behind him.

Although he had seen Spider and the countless instances of his unique relationship with Eywa through the Tsaheylu, seeing him before him caught him by surprise. After all, there have been only a few Na'vi throughout their history that Eywa has favored in such a way.

Chapter Text

Jake watched among the crowd as the Metkayina made way for Tonowari with the presumed Olo'eyktan and Tsahik of the Kekunan Clan. As they walked by, he stared at Quaritch following behind them, a toddler in one arm, and the other was around the female Na'vi beside him. Jake tried to get a better look at the kid, but their face was turned away and tucked under Quaritch's chin.

Jake felt a strange pain in his chest, looking at the back of the kid's head, when a memory of when he held Spider as a baby for the first time flashed in his mind. He shook his head, confused about why he would think about that time after all this time.

When Jake first met Spider, he came to visit Norm and was surprised to see him tired and holding a baby, crying up a storm.

"Don't know who the kid is. No one claimed him. Both parents must have died at the battle of the Ancestral Tree, so I'm going through medical records to find his mom right now." Norm yawned as he awkwardly tried to rock the baby.

Seeing Norm dead on his feet, Jake offered to hold him, to which Norm happily agreed. He handed Spider to him before going to take a nap, muttering about how stupid the soldiers were for not using something simple as protection. Jake chuckled at Norm's tired rant before becoming nervous as he tried to soothe the crying baby in his care. The kid looked so tiny in his Na'vi hands than in Norm's arms that he thought he'd break him. 

Neytiri was going to give birth to their first child soon, and Jake was already stressed about being a first-time dad. But this kid made him think that maybe he wasn't cut out for parenthood. He tried rocking, feeding, burping, and changing his diaper, but nothing worked. He sighed before remembering that some babies liked the sound of their mother's heartbeat. Carefully, he placed the kid on his chest and waited, slowly patting his back.

His cries soon died down to a whimper and a silent snoring. Jake let out a triumphant laugh, knowing that it had worked. He stayed there in peaceful silence, still patting the kid's back and listening as he whimpered and grunted in his sleep. Jake didn't know how long they'd been alone there when Norm returned flustered, apologizing to Jake for oversleeping. Jake was confused until he looked at the clock and saw he had been there for half of the day.

"Thanks for looking after the kid. I take him off your hands. I don't want Neytiri coming after me 'cause I keep you here late." Norm laughed, holding his hands out for Jake to give him the baby. Jake hesitated, looking at Norm before looking down at the kid still sleeping. He wanted to hold him a little longer but needed to return to the Hometree to be with Neytiri. 

So Jake slowly removed the infant from his chest, feeling the warmth on his chest where he slept growing cold as the baby began to whimper. The kid started to cry once he was placed in Norm's arms, and Jake had this sudden urge to snatch him back. But he restrained himself and left, yet he came by the next day to see the kid again and soon almost every day. Norm and the other scientists were happy to hand Miles-they found his mother's records and name- over to him since he always calmed down when Jake held him.

He had started to get attached to little Miles, and when his son Nateyam was born, he imagined them raising both as his sons together. However, she refused when he suggested the idea to Neytiri, even when Jake brought her to see Miles. But Neytiri still refused, looking at the child indifferently when Norm showed them Garce's pregnant avatar.

It was there that Neytiri and Jake decided to adopt Kiri. Jake then began to visit Miles less as he juggled raising two children and leading the Omatikaya clan as Olo'eyktan until he stopped altogether when Lo'ak was born. Norm and the other scientists decided they'd raise Miles together, and Jake believed it was for the best for Miles. He grew alongside his kids, getting the nickname Spider. Jake had always held out hope Neytiri would change her mind as she watched Spider grow in the people's ways and become inseparable from their kids.

But she never did, saying that he belonged with his kind. That changed when they found out he was the son of Quaritch. Jake could never forget Spider's look of fear as Neytiri chased him out of the village before he could stop her. Neytiri forbade children from going near him. Neteyam, his ever-loyal son, listened to his mother while Lo'ak and Kiri secretly met with Spider. Neytiri was furious that they disobeyed her but knew she couldn't stop them. Jake had managed to convince her to let Spider return to the village, but she was always on guard when he was near, as if waiting for him to attack. 

He wondered if the child in Quaritch's arms would face the same treatment as Spider. He remembered when Spider was allowed back. Some clan members glared at him as they whispered harsh words about him. Jake clenched his jaw; he couldn't think about that right now; the guilt for not speaking up for the boy weighed heavy on his conscience. It got worse when he decided not to rescue Spider from the RDA but instead take his family and leave, thinking it was the best option.

But, after being with the Metakyina clan for so long, he began to miss Spider's presence. He was always willing to help around the Omatikaya village, gaining respect from the clan members. Jake would catch himself instinctively reaching out to him when he got hurt. He felt a sense of pride when he received praise from young warriors for his archy skills. He also felt possessive of him when older hunters would take him out to hunt, with some giving him bracelets for his excellent tracking. Jake knew Spider saw him as a father figure, but he always stopped himself from crossing the line Neytiri drew with his relationship with Spider.

Jake was suddenly pulled out his when the female Na'vi turned her head in his direction as if feeling his gaze and locked eyes with him. Jake gave her a respectful nod, but she seemed to glare at him before turning away.

Shocked by her action, Jake froze as the group continued towards the village, with warriors following them soon afterward. Noticing that he would be left behind, he began to move when he heard his name, "Jake!" 

Recognizing Norm's voice calling out to him, Jake mentally smacked himself for forgetting Norm and Max were there. He watched them jog over and quickly hugged Norm, "Oh man. I am so glad you're here, Norm."

"Yeah, me too, Jake. You would not believe how crazy these couple of days have been." Norm groaned. Jack laughed humorlessly, "I bet. I would never imagine you, of all people, going near Quaritch."

"Oh, Eywa, don't get me started." Norm sighed, exhausted. Jake's ears lowered in confusion look at Norm's face, "What's wrong?"

"What isn't wrong?! Norm's eye twitched, "We launched an attack on Bridgehead, and pretty sure we pissed them off! We have a rocky relationship with the Kekunan Clan and the situation with Spider and Kayri!" Frustration became evident in Norm's voice as he continued, with his tail whipping him.

"Wait, wait, wait." Jake raised his hand, stopping Norm. "Let me get this straight. You attacked Bridgehead and have a strained alliance with the Kekunan Clan. I get that. But uh, who's Kayri, and what does she have to do with Spider?"

"The lady walking next to Quaritch and Spider, who, by the way, we are forbidden to come three feet from the kid, or we'll see our still-beating hearts in her hand!" Jake nodded, trying to piece together the situation. Okay, so Quaritch's mate's name is Kayri; that's one less thing to look into worry about.

"Wait, walking next to Spider? I didn't see Spider." Jake furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember if he had missed Spider somewhere in the group. But that can't be right. Spider wouldn't even think about being with Quairtch and his team after all they did. Tuk even said Spider was with Norm, so why isn't he here with Norm and Max?

Norm's eyes widened in panic, looking like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Jake watched Norm and Max turn to each other, having a wordless conversation. Looking around, ensuring they were the only ones left on the beach, they hesitantly turned back to Jake.

"Well- You see. The thing is-" Norm's words died on his tongue as he tried to talk, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Seeing Norm was going nowhere, Max decided to rip the bandage himself.

"Spider is the toddler in Quaritch's arms!" he blurted out. Jake's brain suddenly came to a screeching stop. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Really, Max?" Norm gave Max an exasperated look. Max just shrugged as Norm turned back to Sully, "We don't know how it happened, but we were told that when Quartich first took Spider and was placed in holding, he somehow became a Na'vi infant. However, he shows human characteristics, like Lo'ak and Kiri, with his five fingers and eyebrows. He seems healthy for the most part, but Max and I want to examine him so we can be certain. However, Kayri and her family are making it very difficult to do that since they don't like us all that much."

Norm and Max cringed, looking at Jake's stunned expression, knowing that this was a lot to take in all at once. Norm waited for Jake to say anything, watching as the figurative gears in his head spun. 

"No..." Jake was the only thing he could muster, staring at Norm like he had grown another head. Norm gave them a sympathetic look, reaching out to place his hand on Jake's shoulder in a comforting way when Jake took a step back.

"No, no, no," Jake muttered, squeezing his eyes to soothe the incoming headache before he buried his face in his hands. He was way out of his depth right now.

Dealing with other neighboring Clan? No problem. 

Dealing with the RDA? He can handle that.

Fight Quaritch again? He didn't mind another shot at that bastard.

But Spider, the boy he watched play and grow with his kids, becoming a Na'vi baby? That's where he had to draw the line.

Norm and Max exchanged worried glances at each other. Norm reached out to grab him again but jumped back in surprise when Jake suddenly turned around and began to march toward the village. 

"Jake, where are you going?!" Norm called out, chasing after him, with Max running to keep up. Jake's eyes were trained on the village, "I'm going to see if the kid is Spider or if this is some kind of twisted lie by Quaritch."

"But we already told you that he is Spider!" Norm cried out, hoping Jake would listen. Jake's pace didn't falter, and he didn't spare a glance at Norm as he growled, "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Jake, wait!" Norm yelled, jumping in front of him and stopping Jake at the village entrance. Jake tried to move past Norm but moved to block him again. "Norm, get out of the way."

"I can't let you do this." Norm was panicking now, desperate to stop him. Jake's ears were pinned down in annoyance as he tried to push past him. "I'm serious, Norm. Get out of the way."

Norm suddenly shoved Jake back hard, making Jake stumble and shocking him and Max with his actions. Norm's ears dropped, and his nose flared as he growled, "Didn't you hear what I just said?! The Kekunan clan has forbidden us to talk to Spider, and we've been trying to convince them otherwise. And I'm not about to let you charge in there and risk everything so you settle some stupid score with Quaritch!"

"Woah, Norm..." Jake raised his hands to calm Norm down. He'd never seen Norm like this, "I'm sorry, alright. Are you okay?"

"No I am not okay Jake." Norm sighed, taking a moment to compose himself, "I don't know what to do. So much is happening, and I'm just trying not to lose what little control I have. I know you want answers, and I will tell you everything I know, but right now, I need you to do this for me as a friend. Don't do this."

"Okay, I won't," Jake reassured Norm, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, let's head back home; you can take a break from your avatar body, and we'll talk about it in the morning when everything has calmed down."

"Thank you." Norm smiled appreciatively as Jake guided him to his family's Mauri Pod while Max stayed with the pilots to set up a temporary campsite. Jake looked back to the large open pod where the trial was held one last time; he saw the Tonowari talking to his people. Jake felt the urge to turn around and go there, but he forced himself to look forward, remembering Norm's pleas.

Neytiri waited anxiously for them outside after she ensured their children were asleep. Seeing Jake and Norm approach, Neytiri wanted to know what had happened to the demon and his men.

"Ma Jake-" She stopped seeing Jake. He had the same troubled look as when he told her they had to leave High Ground to protect their troubled. She reached out and grabbed his hand, "Is everything alright, ma Jake?"

"Just tired, baby." Jake sighed as they went inside, anxious and unprepared for tomorrow.

Norm was wrong about him going to chase after Quaritch to fight. No, Quaritch was the last thing on his mind right now. He wanted-

No, he NEEDED to see the child in Quaritch's arms.

He had to look into his eyes and be relieved in some twisted way to see it wasn't Spider. But he couldn't deny the pull in his heart just by seeing the back of the kid's head. He felt the same way when he had to hand over baby Spider to Norm, the protective bond between a Na'vi and their child. He didn't realize it because he always kept Spider at arm's length to please Neytiri, but the feeling had never died. It just laid dormant until now.

If the kid were Spider, then Jake wouldn't leave him behind again; he wasn't going to let Quaritch steal him away, not this time.

Whatever it takes.

Miles slightly bounced with every step on the Mauri pathway. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that families were gathering at the entrances of their homes, watching as they walked by. Anxious mothers ushered their curious children inside as they walked by with their mates staring them down, standing up straight for intimidation.

Ignoring the many eyes, they reached the main square; Miles saw the Tsahiks waiting for them. Ronal's eyes widened in surprise, seeing the new additional forest Na'vi arriving with the demons. Tonowari approached her with two forest Na'vi following behind them.

The man first greeted her and the other Tsahiks, "I See you, Tsahiks of the Metakyina Clans. I am Olo'eyktan Ayvawkx, and my mate Tsahik Peitey of the Kekunan. We are here to speak for our clan members."

Ronal and the other Tsahiks immediately returned the greeting before looking to her mate for answers. Tonowari gave her a reassuring smile before addressing the crowd that had followed them here.

"My people, return to your homes. We'll offer you answers tomorrow morning." Tonowari's booming voice rang out in the quiet night. The warriors were dismayed by Tonowari's words, and some grumbled under their breaths. But with a stern look from their own Olo'eyktan, they relented and dispersed back to their homes or temporary lodging.

Once the last Metakyina left, they all filed into the large Mauri pod, where they decided the demons' fate. As Ronal settled in, she watched the demons enter and saw their leader carrying a child in his arms. Ronal had doubts that the child was real initially and that the Demon was lying to save him and his warriors from execution. Now, seeing the demon after his attempted escape, returning with a child tucked in his arms and the Kekunan clan erased her doubts, but the anger for her people and the Tulkun did not falter. 

The Sea and Land Na'vi clans now sat on opposing sides; tension was becoming thick as they sat silently. Garvin stood anxiously in the back, using Recoms' bodies to hide from view. Spider fidgeted in his father's lap, leaning against his chest, listening to his heartbeat to soothe his nervousness.

"I would like to be the first to express the Kekunan clan's gratitude for your mercy upon our clan members." Ayvawkx begins bowing his head in gratitude, with everyone following his lead. Ronal and the others are taken aback by their actions, as Tonowari urged them to raise their heads, "Please, there is no need for such actions, Olo'eyktan Ayvawkx."

"No, my family and I have seen the destruction of your villages as we flew. You and your people are entitled to retribution from our Clan." Ayvawkx countered, removing his totem necklace with the Kekunan's symbol and holding it out for Tonowari to take. "Know if Metkayina clans are ever in need, the Kekunan Clan will readily come to your aid."

"I humbly accept your tribute, Olo'eyktan Ayvawkx." Tonowari bowed to the older Olo'eyktan before taking the necklace with both hands. Then Peitey spoke up, "I have heard that your Tulkun have been harmed. I would like to offer aid in their recovery while our clan members restore your homes."

Ronal's knee-jerk reaction was to reject the Peitey's offer. Her emotions were still raw from the discovery of her Spirit sister's and her calf's condition. Tonowari subtly nudged her, giving her a pleading look to accept the olive branch Peitey was offering for unity between the clans. Ronal sighed before nodding, not trusting her words, which she knew would be full of contempt.

As they continued to speak, they began to talk about their battles with the Sky people and the damage they've caused. Ronal listened to Ayvawkx's tale; her eyes drifted back to the child in the demon's arms. Her eyes softened as she watched the child play with the demon's clothing while holding onto one of the demon's hands. He must have felt her intense stare because he froze before hesitantly turning his head and locking eyes with her. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Miles whispered, feeling Spider tensing up and tightening his grip on his hand. Kayri heard Miles and turned to see Spider, his ears drooping and tail cowling around his leg. Kayri caressed his cheek, comforting him, "Ma Spider, are you alright?"

"She's looking at me," Spider mumbled before burying his face in his dad's chest, thinking it would make him invisible to the growing eyes. Miles raised a brow before noticing Ronal, still looking over at Spider. He chuckled and gently nudged Spider, "Don't be scared. She is Tsahik, like grandma. Come on, say hi."

Miles gave another encouraging nudge before Spider slowly turned around to face Ronal. Too nervous to speak, he raised his hand to his forehead, silently greeting her before burying his face into his father's chest. Miles chortled at his son's shy greeting to the Tsahik as he rubbed his back to comfort him; the scene made Ronal's eyes soften.

"We were never told your child's name? Tell me, what is he called?" Tonowari asked, amused with the little one's actions. Miles grinned at Tonoawari, "His name is Spider."

Tonowari froze. That name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember from where. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Ronal spoke, "That is a lovely name. I am happy that you and your family are reunited once again."

Kayri and Miles smiled at her compliment, with Spider peaking back at her with a small smile, which she returned with her very own. Miles was relieved that there was no tension but a semi-pleasant atmosphere. With plans and oaths made, Tonowari and Ayvawkx ended the meeting. They clasped each other's forearms in a handshake to display the understanding and unity now forged between the Metkayina and Kekunan clans. 

"Come, we will take you to where you will stay as your clan members repay their debts to our clans," Tonowari said, with Ronal by his side. He gestured for the group to follow them as they left the large mauri pod. The other Olo'eyktan and Tsahiks had bid farewells and left to return to their lodgings. Tonowari and Ronal then led them back to the Mauri Pod, where Lyle and Zdinarsik were kept, "I believe this would be large enough for all of you."

"This is more than enough. Thank you, Olo'eyktan Tonowari." Ayvawkx thanked Tonowari while Ronal brought Peitey to a small group of baskets at the end of the pod, "These baskets have medicine to help with your clan members' injuries."

Peitey nodded before Ronal returned beside Tonowari, saying, "I will come for your least injured members tomorrow afternoon to start their time. Rest well."

"And to you as well," Ayvawkx replied. Everyone remained silent as they watched Tonowari and Ronal leave before finally relaxing. Seytawni sighed as she fell on one of the beds, "I was so nervous during that meeting. I'm glad that was finally over."

"We are not done yet. We must still unpack our things." Waeyo giggled, grabbing Seytwani's hand to pull her up. She whined in protest, making Kayri laugh at her sister's antics, "The Ikrans are close by. We'll unload everything and unpack what we need for tonight."

"We'll help you," Miles said, putting Spider on one of the cots while Lopez and Fike laid Lyle on another before going to help the others grab their things. Lyle was about to protest, but Peitey shushed him and began to check his wound. Kayri followed Miles, wanting him to rest his injured arm, but he declined. "I'll just carry something light."

It was the same with Mansk and Zdinarsik. He asked her to rest, but she'd done nothing but lie down, and carrying a bag or two wouldn't help. It only took one trip to bring all their things to the pod, and they began unpacking for the night. The Recoms were happy to find Kayri and the others had packed their belongings, which they had removed when the RDA took them.

While everyone unpacked, Spider hopped down from the cot and began to explore every inch of the Mauri pod, giggling as he bounced with every step.

"Daddy, Mommy, look! The floor is soft!" Spider exclaimed excitedly, hopping past them. Kayri smiled, and Miles chuckled as he finally began changing out of the clothes the RDA had him wear. He remembered something Spider would like to have back, "Hey, Spider, look what I got here."

Spider turned to see his dad crouched down to his level, holding his Songcord. Spider gasped, squealing with delight, "My songcord!"

Spider snatched the Songcord from Miles in a flash, hugging it close to his chest before running to Kayri, "Mama, my big one, please."

"Big one?" Miles raised an eyebrow, standing up as Kayri untied a much longer song cord from her belt. Miles noticed the song cord had a different style from the one Miles made for Spider. Kayri then helped Spider tie them together as one. Spider's eyes shined as he ran his fingers along the songcord before proudly showing his father, "It's longer than my arm!"

"I can see that. Why don't you go show everyone?" Miles suggested. Spider nodded so fast that Miles thought he would get whiplash before he left. Miles looked at Kayri curiously, subtly pointing in Spider's direction, "When did that happen?"

"The Tsahik of the Omatikaya clan gave me his Songcord she made for him when he was Sky person. She gave it to me before we left." Miles hummed, watching Kayri continue to unpack. He thought it was weird that her answer was short, as if she didn't seem to talk about it.

In fact, she and others have been acting weird since they arrived, and he knows the team sees it, too. He would like to think they were still anxious, but that didn't add up. Although a part of him wanted to pry and get answers, he decided to give her time and be happy he had his family back. Finishing changing, he stood beside her and kissed her shoulder before helping her as she smiled at his silent gesture.

"I have a bigger songcord! I have a bigger songcord!" Spider sang, prancing around the pod and showing everyone much to others' chagrin.

"Oh, that's just not fair." Prager groaned, flopping down on his bed as Spider skipped away after showing him his Songcord. Fike glared at the songcord in Spider's hands, "Is it wrong that I want to chuck that in the ocean?" 

Wayeo smacked her mate's arm before giggling at his childish behavior as they settled on their bed. As Spider continued his one-man parade, he noticed Garvin alone, sitting on one of the farthest beds. Spider suddenly made a beeline towards him, excited to finally talk to a sky person.

Garvin fiddled with his exo-mask, unaware, until he felt a presence beside him. He jumped, seeing Spider staring at him with curious eyes. Unsure what to do, Garvin smiled nervously, "Um...Hi."

"Hello, I'm Spider. What's yours?" Spider smiled brightly, happy to know this Sky person could speak the words of the people. Garvin looked around for help but saw everyone still unpacking or going to sleep before turning back to Spider, who was waiting for his response. "Uh... Garvin."

"Hi, Garvin!" Spider chirped as he poked and probed at Garvin's clothes and weird ears. He then inspected Garvin's lack of a tail and queue. But Spider was the most interested in his facial hair; he had never seen any Na'vi with hair on their faces. Garvin was confused as Spider asked him questions in Na'vi faster than his brain could translate, but he let Spider indulge in his curiosity. He understood the feeling of his intense curiosity, but when Spider squished his face against his mask to get a better look at his bread, Garvin had to stop him. "Hey, woah, easy this there!"

Miles stopped setting his bedding, hearing Garvin, and saw Spider all over the poor guy. Miles smiled, deciding to help; Spider gasped in surprise when Miles picked him up from under his armpits. "Alright, that's enough, little man. Let's get you to bed."

"But he didn't tell me anything I asked!" Spider whined, kicking his little legs while Garvin gave Miles a grateful look. Miles chuckled, "You can ask him as many questions as you want tomorrow, champ. But right now, it's time to sleep."

"Okay," sighed Spider in defeat as Miles walked over to their bed, where Kayri was already lying down. Spider giggled when his dad half-haphazardly plopped him on the bed before his mom pulled him close to her, kissing his head. Spider nuzzled against her when Miles laid down, sighing blissfully as he pulled them close.

The Mauri pod's fire was put out, enveloping them in the inviting darkness of the night. Sleep came swiftly to all but one. Miles lay there wide awake, firmly gripping Kayri and Spider, staring as they slept peacefully. His ears twitched at the sounds of the distant waves and the crackle of the torches outside, but his eyes stayed on his world in his arms.

He'd missed this, holding them, feeling their warmth, hearing their soft snores as they slept. Many nights, he'd instinctively reached out to grab them as he slept, only to wake up alone on the RDA's cold, metal bed. He tightened his possessive hold, and his blood boiled, remembering. He will never return to that loneliness, and his family will never be separated again.

Whatever it takes.

Chapter Text

Miles didn't know when he fell asleep, but he suddenly found himself being suffocated when he woke up. Only to realize it was just Spider lying asleep on his face, like he did when he was barely rolling over.

"Guess some things never change." Miles chuckled softly, hearing his son snoring right into his ear. Spider whined pitifully as Miles moved him from his face onto his chest.

Spider frowned in his sleep, adjusting to his new sleep position before he relaxed. Miles smiled down at him before looking over to Kayri, who snuggled beside him with one arm drooping over his waist. Miles gazed at her peaceful sleeping face, counting the illuminating frickles sprinkled over her face and body like stars. He gently kissed her head and slowly sat up with Spider clinging to him.

"Ma Miles," Kayri mumbled lazily, opening one of her eyes and feeling the warmth of her mate leave her side. Miles smiled, moving a stray hair from her face and whispering, "Go back to sleep. I'm just going to sit outside for a while."

She hummed, giving Miles a small smile before returning to sleep. Miles stood up from their bed; Spider still asleep in his arms. Noticing that everyone else was still asleep, he quietly carried Spider to the entrance of the Mauri Pod. The starry night sky began to fade, making way for the sunrise's vibrant hues of pink, orange, and yellow. Spider shifted as Miles sat down, resting his head on Miles's shoulder and snuggling into the crook of his neck. He lazily wrapped his little arms around Miles's neck with one hand, gently gripping his father's queue as if it prevented his father from disappearing.

Miles smiled, feeling the small tugs on his queue as he gently rubbed circles on Spider's back. He watched the night sky give way to dawn, and a few Metakyina began to leave their homes to fish or watch the sunrise. Some were surprised and tense when they first saw Miles sitting there, but relaxed slightly when they saw Spider in his arms. Although a few fishermen gave him wary looks, others were curious as they headed out to the ocean to fish.

Miles ignored their stares and continued to watch the sunrise, enjoying the tender moment alone with his son. It was rare for Miles to have one-on-one time with his son with a family like theirs, so he cherished the times when it was just him and Spider. Miles then began to hum the melody to Spider's Songcord until he was singing it softly. After his son had been through, he needed to hear it to know that his father was here. Spider hummed in delight, hearing the familiar, deep, rumbling tune. He nuzzled deeper into his father's neck, softly humming along with him from time to time.

Miles finished singing the last words as dawn broke over the island's mountains, enveloping father and son in a soft glow. Miles closed his eyes, feeling the sun's warmth wash over him, ridding his mind of all tension and stress. He opened his eyes when he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Kayri.

Miles smiled as Kayri sat down and laid her head on his shoulder beside Spider's head. The pair continued to watch the sunrise until they saw Tonowari approaching, with Metkayina following him. They both stood up, waking up Spider, and gave their greeting as the group approached. Spider looked down shyly, not daring to look at the imposing Olo'yektan as Tonowari returned their greetings.

"We have brought your meals and will discuss your duties today." Tonowari gestured to the Metkayina behind him, carrying plates of fish, fruits, and water gourds. Spider's stomach growled, smelling the aroma of spices from the meal, making him blush. Miles grinned at Spider's embarrassed face before he and Kayri led the group in. As they stepped inside, the others were awake and leaving their beds, seeing them enter.

"Good morning Olo'yektan Tonowari. I hope you rested well."  Ayvawkx greeted them. Tonawari returned the gesture, "Yes, and I you. Now that many things have been resolved, our people can come together to repair broken bonds."

Ayvawkx nodded, agreeing with Tonowari's sentiment. They all began gathering around as the Metkayina handed out their meals. Garvin was pleasantly surprised that the Metkayina handed him edible food, too. He would have thought that Na'vi would have a much bigger grudge against him, being a human and all. However, Jake Sully's team arrived yesterday, and they were mainly humans, and the Metkayina didn't seem hostile towards them. Spider sat in his father's lap, where he was given a bowl of porridge while his parents received plates of fish and fruit. Spider devoured his porridge while occasionally sneaking different fruits from each of his parents' plates. Kayri and Miles smiled at their son's not-so-subtle attempt to steal their breakfast.

"After your meals, two of your clanmates will be sent to each neighboring clan to restore their villages. Whether they'll have you hunt for food, scavenge materials for their homes, or help with the rebuild shall be their choice. You shall be given meals, returned before the sunsets, and will start again the next day." Tonowari explained. The Recoms silently nodded as they ate their meals and began to clean up. Spider stuck close to Miles as he handed the empty bowls to the Metkayina. Before Miles could step away, Tonowari stopped him, "There is one last issue that needs to be addressed, Milus Quarich?" 

Miles raised an eyebrow at Tonowari, confused. Tonowari pulled out Miles's tracker chip, showing him before looking pointedly at the Recoms. Miles perked up, realizing what he meant, and nodded, "Oh, that. I understand. Do what you gotta do."  

Tonowari nodded, signaling to his attendants as they moved simultaneously to each Recom, pulling the hunting knives from their holders and raising them to the Recoms' necks. Immediately, the others were on guard at Metkayina's actions and went on the defensive.

Spider gasped, frightened, hiding behind his father's leg while Kayri jumped to her son's and mate's side, her hunter knife already unsheathed as she stood in a protective stance. Mansk was the same as Kayri, pushing Zdinarsik behind him, glaring down at the Metkayina before him. Peitey shoved one of them away from Lyle, putting almost her entire body protectively over him as she hissed at the cowering Metkayina. Garvin froze like a deer in headlights, not knowing whether to run or hide.

"Olo'yektan Tonowari, what is the meaning of this!?" Ayvawkx hissed; his tail whipped behind him in a show of anger. He had pushed Setywani behind him while Wayeo hissed at any Metkayina close to Fike, making them retreat behind Tonowari. The Metkayina warriors tensed, looking towards Tonowari for orders, when Miles quickly stood between them, "Calm, Ayvawkx. There's been a misunderstanding."

"Raising a blade towards the necks of our clan members is not a misunderstanding, Milus," Ayvawkx growled, his posture still on the defensive. Seytawni tried to glare at Tonowari, but it was challenging for the young teen to be intimidating when her father kept blocking her from view.

"It's fine,   Ayvawkx. They were going to remove the chips the RDA implanted in us before we left to look for Sully." Miles pointed to his bandaged neck, "I had them cut out mine last night to prove to them we were forced to attack the Metkayina villages."

They all relaxed, hearing Miles explain that removing the chips was for the best before RDA got the chance to activate them again. Seeing their cooperation, Tonowari beckoned his attendees forward again. They carefully approached the Recoms, their tails swishing nervously behind them as they began to feel for the tracking device on the sides of their necks.

"I will do it." Peitey stopped an attendant approaching Lyle before pulling her dagger from her holder. Feeling the small lump in Lyle's neck, she expertly made a small incision before squeezing the chip. She silently inspected the small piece of metal in her hand before glaring at it in disgust and handing it to the Metakyina.

"It's best to destroy them before the sky people use them again," Miles warned. Tonawari held all the tracker chips in his hand, nodding, "I'll see to it that they are. Ready yourselves, you'll be taken to the shores soon."

Miles didn't try to argue as Tonowari left, with a few Metkayina staying behind to take them to a secluded area where they could bathe and dispose of their demon clothing. That was the best thing the Recoms had heard since they got here, and they quickly followed them, leaving Lyle behind, who was still on strict bed rest. They soon returned in their old loinclothes, feeling refreshed from washing the sweat and grime off their bodies.

Garvin had also gone with them, not missing the opportunity to clean the only clothes he had. Spider was happy to play in the water with his Dad and Uncles. Even more so now that his dad wasn't going to wear the sky people's clothes anymore, he felt itchy every time he hugged him.

Returning to the Mauri pod, they saw the rest of their things laid out for them. Miles smiled down at his warrior belt; his fingers grazed along the bright threads and beads that Kayri helped sew on. Seeing it now, after Ardmore had him leave it behind, felt almost liberating.

Lopez felt the same as Miles as he put on his Zeykoyus's necklace, touching the intricate designs before strapping on his dagger and herb pouch. Mansk was overjoyed to find Zdinarsik's Lily necklace and tied it around her neck.

Now finished, besides Peity, Garvin, and Lyle, they all made their way to the beach where Tonowari and the other clans were waiting for them. Spider held his dad's hands as they walked through the village, giggling at each bouncy step he took on the ground. His eyes constantly drifted to anything unique that caught his attention. He never fully saw the village last night, and the other villages his family passed by were destroyed.

Suddenly, he was startled by a splash and high-pitched squeaking as an Illu emerged from the water with its rider. Spider didn't notice that he'd let go of his dad's hand to stop and stare at the aquatic creature squeaking at him. He smiled at the rider as he reached out to pet the Illu, but his father lifted him into his arms and continued walking. Spider let out a disappointed huff at his father before settling into his arms.

"Do you not think it is too soon for you to leave, ma Miles? Our family has just reunited." Kayri frowned as they reached the shoreline, seeing the groups of the Metakyina loading supplies on their boats and preparing to set sail. Miles sighed, understanding Kayri's hesitation after everything, "The sooner we finish paying off our debt to the Metkayina, the sooner we can leave. I don't want to cause these people more trouble if the RDA decides to come back for us."

Kayri huffed but agreed with her mate that if they were to fight against the sky demons again, they would be at a disadvantage since they were unfamiliar with the area. It would be best for them to return to their clan, where they have better numbers and knowledge of their surrounding.

They reached Tonowari, who was speaking with the clans Olo'keytans and Tsahiks. They quietly raised their hands to their heads in greeting, and they returned the gesture.

"It has been decided. Two of your men shall each go with the different clans' islands, where they will be tasked. Once the sun begins to touch the water, you and your men shall be brought back."   Tonowari gestured to the boats, each detailed with its clan's symbol.

The Recoms wasted no time, quickly pairing up and following the Olo'keytans and Tsahiks, who took them to their ships. Miles and Mansk were the last pair to leave, with Mansk making sure Zdinarsik would be alright while he was gone, and Spider still clinging onto Miles.

"Are you sure we are unable to go with you? Our clan is equally to blame for the chaos, not just you and the others." Kayri looked hopeful at Miles, hoping he'd agreed, "It wasn't the Kekunan clan the Metakyina saw destroying their homes but 'us' demons."

Kayri flinched as if Miles's words physically struck her because he was anything but a demon. He was her mate, a warrior, future Olo'keytan, and loving father. Miles noticed her discomfort and gently pressed his head against hers. She closed her eyes, savoring his touch before pulling away.

"Come, Spider." Kayri reached out to Spider, taking his attention away from the shells he counted in the sand. He looked back and forth between his mom's face and her arms, which were stretched out to him in confusion. Kayri gave him an encouraging smile as she moved closer to grab him, and Spider realized what his mother was trying to do.

"No!" Spider yelled, turning away from his mother and wrapping his tiny arm around Mile's neck. Kayri sighed, understanding his refusal to let go, but his father had a debt to pay. "Spider, your father must leave. He'll be back soon, do not worry."

Spider stubbornly shook his head as he began to cry; the fear of losing his father again was too much for him to bear. Miles rubbed his hand up and down Spider's back. "Come on, bud. I'll be back before you know it."

Spider just shook his head and clung tighter to Miles. Kayri tried to pry Spider's arms off Miles gently, but that only made her baby cry loudly. When Miles came up with an idea, "Well, I guess you have to come with me. It's a shame, though. I needed you to do a mission for me while I was gone."

Spider's ears perked up, and he stopped crying, "Mission?"

"Oh yeah, but not just a mission. It's a secret mission. " Miles whispered that last part into Spider's ear, making him giggle. Spider's tail now wagged in excitement, practically bouncing in Miles' arms, "What is it?! What is it?!"

"You sure can handle it. It's going to be real tough." Miles raised an eyebrow, and the clear doubt in his voice lit a fire in Spider. He crossed his arms and looked defiantly at his father, "I can do it, Daddy. I'm strong."

Miles smiled, seeing Spider fall for his little trick, looking back at Kayri, who had the same look on her face.

"Alright. Now what I need you to do is..." Miles whispered the mission into Spider's ears. He had a concentrated look on his face as he nodded at Miles' words. Then Miles finally pulled away, "You got all that, Spider?"

Spider nodded, looking determined, before giving his dad one last hug and reaching for his mom to hold him. Kayri smiled, grabbing Spider and kissing Miles, "Be careful and come back to us."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be alright," Miles smirked as he and Mansk left for the boats. Kayri's, Weayo's, and Z's hearts ached as the ships began to launch, watching as their loves sail further away. Kayri felt Wayeo grab her arm as she silently wept while Zdinarsik stood tall beside her, refusing to cry.

"All will be well, my daughter." Ayvawkx smiled, standing beside Seytawni, who was wiping away tears.

"Come on, Mom! I have to start the mission!" Spider yelled, wiggling from Kayri's hold. He then ran over to Seytawni and grabbed her arm before pulling her along back to their Muari pod. Karyi made a move to follow after them, "You don't need to drag Seytwani. I'll go with you."

"No! Dad said I have to do it without you, so I'm taking Aunty Sey." Spider smiled as he continued to pull Seytawni. Kayri smiled, shaking her head, wondering what "mission" her mate had given their child.

Kiri's eyes slowly opened as the sun shone through the Mauri pod, hitting her face. She yawned, sleep still clinging to her, noticing she was the first one awake among her siblings. She was reluctant to get out of bed and face her parents alone. She then heard a grunt and turned to see Neteyam sitting up and stretching.

After they received a tongue-lashing from their mother about leaving Tuk alone to sneak out, she sent them straight to bed. Tuk quickly fell asleep, mumbling about how much fun she was going to have with Spider tomorrow. However, it was difficult for the rest of them with the commotion going on outside. Lo'ak's ears twitched as he heard the distant cries of unfamiliar Ikrans. Kiri was catching bits of hushed conversations from Metkayina as they walked by their pod. Neteyam was the last to fall asleep, and he heard the rushed and tense whispers between his father and Uncle Norm.

Neteyam must have sensed her eyes on him and turned to look at her. Kiri gave him a lazy greeting as Neteyam gave her a weak smile, "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long, I wanted to wait for you guys. I don't want to face Mom and Dad without my shield." Kiri quietly joked, not wanting to let their parents know she was awake. Neteyam huffed out a laugh, rolling his eyes before getting out of bed to Lo'ak's cot.

"C'mon, Lo'ak, I tell you when you're pretending to sleep." Neteyam teased, shaking Lo'ak. His little brother groaned, annoyed, "Knock it off, bro. I had trouble sleeping last night."

Neteyam chuckled as Tuk draped her tired body onto his back, still half asleep, mumbling incoherently. When they walked into the open area of their pod, they felt the tension in the air. Seeing all the adults pretending to act normal did not help calm them. It made them think their parents discovered they were listening in on Quartich's trial.

Norm was picking at his plate as he, Max, Jake, and Neytiri waited for the kids to enter. He was against telling them anything regarding Spider's current situation. However, the kids already knew about the Kayri and Keukuna Clan before Jake. He was surprised at first when Tuk told him, but then she explained that they had spoken to Wainfleet, Miles's second-in-command.

It was obvious that Jake didn't know when Norm told him about it last night, cause he looked just as surprised. Norm honestly thought he was going to wake the kids up and demand answers, but he just let out a tired sigh and rubbed his face. He told Norm it was late and they would talk to the kids in the morning.

Norm gave the kids a weak smile before nervously looking at Jake. He wasn't sure if Jake would tell the kids about Spider's situation. I mean, how can you explain that your childhood friend is now a toddler and is being raised by the same man who's been hunting you?

Yeah, now that Norms thought it aloud, this is going to be a difficult conversation for all of them, especially Jake, who Norm is pretty sure is still hell-bent on seeing the kid. He sometimes hates it when Jake makes up his mind about something, because it's almost impossible to stop him.

"Good morning, how'd you all sleep?" Jake gave a small smile to his children as they took their seats. His three oldest children gave weak answers, while Tuk yawned as Neytiri served them their breakfast. "Good, sir." "Okay." "Alright."

Jake nodded as they began quietly eating their meals, but there was still an underlying tension in the air. Norm's tail flicked nervously behind him as he picked at his food. When they were done eating, Jake decided to stop them before they had a chance to run off.

"Before you all leave, there's something I want to talk to you about." All the kids froze, and the food in their stomachs felt heavy.

"Last night, when Norm was trying to contact me and got Tuk." The youngest Sully flinched at her name and visibly shrank under the looks of her siblings and mother. Jake was quick to calm her, "You're not in trouble, sweetie. I can't say the same for your brothers and sister, though."

It was now the older Sully siblings' turn to squirm under their parents' and Norm's gazes. Neteyam was looking anywhere but their eyes while Lo'ak's tail twisted behind him, and Kiri nervously rubbed her arms.

"Now I'm only going to ask this once. Did you go talk to Quaritch's men?" Jake's authoritative voice left no room for excuses or lies.

Neyetri's eyes widened as she looked at her children in shock. Surely they wouldn't go anywhere near the demons after all the harm they caused their family. But Neyteri saw the way her children hesitated to answer, looking at each other for an answer.

"Tell me it's not true," Neyteri asked softly, "Tell me you did not go looking for those demons?"

"We just wanted to know if Spider was okay," Lo'ak muttered softly. Neyetri gasped, standing up and began pacing the room. Jake sighed in disappointment and frustration, "What were you three thinking?! You could've been hurt!"

"We were fine, Dad. Wainfleet wasn't even able to move when we saw him." Kiri huffed, annoyed, but Jake wasn't backing down, "It doesn't matter. Nothing is worth putting yourselves in danger."

"Spider is worth it. Wainfleet told us more about what happened to him than any of you." Kiri muttered, doing little to hide her disdain as she crossed her arms.

"How much do you know?" Norm asked cautiously, trying to gauge whether they were aware of Spider's transformation.

"Wainfleet told us that Kayri had adopted Spider when she and Quaritch mated after they ran from the RDA. And in the RDA Spider was...was..." Kiri hesitated to say the torture Spider endured. Neteyam placed a hand on her shoulder for support before turning to Norm. "Is it true that Spider is staying with Quairtch willingly?"

"Yeah, right now Spider is under the care of the Kekunan Clan." Norm nodded, realizing they still believed Spider was still human. Neytri, being new to all this information, stopped her pacing at just, "What?"

"Yeah, it's a lot to process, baby." Jake sighed, relieved to know his kids were still in the dark about Spider. He knew his kids would hate him if he didn't tell them the truth. He just needed a little more time to see who the child was in Quaritch's arms.  

"But we can still see him, right?" Tuk asked with hopeful eyes staring at Norm. Norm hated to be the one to disappoint her, "No. I'm sorry, Tuk, but we can't. Not right now."

"What? Why not?" Neteyam asked as Tuk let out a pitiful cry and ran into his arms. Norm rubbed his hands nervously, unsure of what to say. "It's complicated."

"That's not fair, we haven't seen Spider in forever, and he's here now!" Lo'ak complained his tail whished behind him, showing his annoyance. Norm could only give him a sympathetic smile, "Yeah, it's not fair, but it's a delicate situation right now, and Kayri has essentially forbidden any Omatikaya members, aka us, from approaching Spider."

"Wait. What do you mean by delicate situation?" Kiri raised an eyebrow, looking suspiciously at Norm and her dad. Norm shot a glance for help to Sully before answering Kiri, "Again, it's complicated, and it's a problem I have to talk to your dad about."

"But she can't do that! Spider's our friend and I know he wants to see us too!" Lo'ak hissed his fangs now slightly bared. Norm winced and tried to break the news as gently as he could, " Spider doesn't really have a choice in the matter."

You're making it sound like he's a prisoner." Worry was now evident in Neteyam's voice. Tuk looked at Norm with teary eyes, "Doesn't he want to see us?"

"He does! I think. It's just complicated-" Kiri cut Norm off as she shot up to her feet, angry that he wouldn't give them a straight answer, Stop saying that it's complicated, Norm! Either Spider doesn't want to see us, or he can't! Which one is it!?"

"Well... I-it's... you see-ARGH!" Norm buried his face in his hands, frustrated. This would have been so much easier if Jake had let him tell them, no matter their reaction. Jake quickly jumped in to save Norm, "I know you all are frustrated-"

"Yes, we're frustrated, Dad! Spider is here, but instead of being here with us, he's with the man who let the RDA tear at his mind!" Kiri panted, her clenched fist shaking in anger.

"What?" Norm managed to croak out. Neteyam reached out his hand to comfort her, "Kiri..."

Kiri pushed Neteyam's hand away and took a shaky breath. " Wainfleet said before they left the Bridgehead with Spider, they had forced a tsaheylu onto him to find High camp."

Neytiri gasped, horrified, while Jake looked at Norm and Max, wondering if they knew about this. But he saw Max's pale face, and Norm looked like he was going to throw up his breakfast.

"No... no, that can't be right. The RDA shouldn't have the means to... Oh my god." Norm whispered as he realized the RDA did have a way to create a connection. They had numerous old records of their data, notes, and blueprints for the link units. Jake waited for Norm to finish, but he didn't. "How bad is that, Norm?"

"It's bad, Jake. Like really bad. The RDA found a way to basically stick wires into a queue and force them up to the base before jolting volts of electrical impulses to extract thoughts and memories." Norm looked as though he was on the verge of hyperventilating when he finished. He didn't know Spider went through that. Kayri never told him. Did Quaritch never tell her, or had she known all along?

Jake and his family weren't doing any better.

Tuk ran out of Neteyam's arms into her mother's, frightened and now softly in her chest. Neytiri looked dazed yet still comforted Tuk even though her hands were trembling. Neteyam was staring down with a vacant look, but his hands were clenched tightly by his sides. Lo'ak seemed to shrink into himself with a look of horror settling on his face. Kiri was the only one who showed her anger; her ears were pinned to her skull, and her tail whipped behind her.

They were suddenly caught by surprise when they heard someone clear their throat. Everyone turned to see Tonowari standing at the entrance to their Mauri pod. Jake stood up and went to greet him, "Tonowari, what are you doing here?"

"I did not mean to intrude, but..." Tonowari spoke softly as he entered. His eyes swept across, subtly studying each of their faces before he extended his hand to Jake, showing the tiny implants. "These are the Sky people's contraptions that Quarich spoke of last night. I would like you to dispose of them."

Tonowari placed them in Jake's hand, knowing Jake's allies would know how to destroy them better than he could. Seeing his work done, he was about to leave when he looked back at Kiri, silently seething. He pressed his lips together, hesitated to speak, "I am uncertain if this will give your family any peace, but know the boy did not suffer long, child."

Everyone snapped to stare at Tonowari, their expressions a mix of shock and surprise. They remained silent, as if they were waiting for him to continue. But Tonowari just nodded his head farewell and turned to leave when Jake stopped him. "Do you know something, Tonowari?"

Tonowari sighed, rubbing his chin, already regretting opening his mouth. He weighed the consequences of revealing what he had seen during the tsaheylu. Tonowari had done his duty as Olo'keytan and brought justice to his people. He refuses to be involved in another potential conflict between two Clans. However, it would be best for him to explain this matter now rather than to leave it to fester, "When I connected to Quarich during their trial, he could not control his memories, and I saw everything from when he first opened his eyes."

"In the tsaheylu, I had seen the child strapped down and forced the connection of the tsaheylu onto him." Tonowari hissed, recalling his disgust at the memory that the Skypeople could do such a heinous act on their own young, "I heard his screams as he fought against the forced bond. Cursing at the Sky people, he would rather die than reveal your camp's location. He was weak, and his father had-"

"Quaritch is not his father!" Kiri shouted, her ears pinned down to her skull. Tonowari ignored her outburst and continued, " Saved him, escaped with his men, and sought refuge with the Kekunan Clan until the sky people came back and stole the boy."

The Sullys sat quietly, taking in Tonowari's words when he spoke up again, "I know little of the hatred you hold for this Milus Quarich, but from what I've seen, he and his mate care deeply for the boy. So I strongly advise you all not to disturb their peace."

Tonowari's voice was calm, but his words were sharp with a clear message: 'Do not create trouble between my people and the Kekunan Clan.' Kiri clenched her fist, resisting the urge to scream, and ran out of their Mauri pod.

"Kiri!" Neytiri went to go after her, but Jake stopped her, "Let her go, Neytiri. She just needs some time, we all do."

Kiri continued to run, not knowing where she was going; she ran and ran until her legs burned. She panted, looking at her surroundings, and saw she was in a small, unfamiliar cove.

Kiri screamed and angrily kicked the sand before collapsing to sit on it. She stared out at the ocean; the waves barely wet her feet before being pulled back into the sea. The repetition had soothed Kiri's burning rage over this mess, but now only misery remained.

Kiri pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her face in her knees and began to cry.

It wasn't fair. Kiri just wanted to make sure Spider was okay, that he was safe, and...to apologize.

What for? Well, for a lot of things, really.

For not trying hard enough to get her dad to rescue Spider. For leaving Spider in the hands of the RDA while she ran away to safety. She was swimming, laughing, and riding Illus while Spider was screaming in pain.

Oh Eywa, of course, the RDA would hurt Spider. Why did she let her dad think he was going to be okay? Spider was probably waiting for them to rescue him, but they never did. No, it was Quaritch who rescued him, who fought for him.

It still left a bitter taste in her mouth that Tonowari called Quaritch Spider's dad. But Quaitch did what their dad would've done if it were them—one of his kids. Kiri winced at the thought.

That's right.

Her dad came with the Metkeyina when Tuk and Lo'ak were taken. He was willing to give himself up to RDA for their safety, but he didn't do that for Spider. Never Spider.

"Because Spider was never his child or your brother," a voice cruelly whispered in Kiri's head. That broke something inside Kiri, and she began to cry harder because it was right. Cause it hurt so much to watch Spider's hope of becoming part of their family die over the years. And it didn't matter what she and her siblings did, their parents would always see Spider as less than.

"Hello?" Kiri flinched at the young voice calling to her.

Kiri must have been too deep in her sorrows that she didn't notice the newcomer approaching. They sounded young, maybe younger than Tuk; perhaps it was one of the Metkayina children.

She remained silent, hoping that if she didn't respond, they'd take the hint that she wanted to be left alone. But they didn't, and Kiri heard them come closer, their voice pitching with worry, "Umm...Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Kiri croaked out, turning her head away from them, wiping away fresh tears. She heard them hum, clearly not believing her, "Are you sure?"

Kiri was now annoyed. Why can't this kid just leave her alone? She whipped around her head to snap at him. But her sharp words died in her throat when she saw his eyes. Instead of green or blue eyes, she was met with familiar golden eyes.

The kid jumped back, surprised by her sudden action, giving Kiri a wider view of him. His skin was a dark blue, like hers, and he wore a necklace and a leather armband. She then noticed a songcord that was way too long for a little kid like him to have tied to his loincloth. He had a small satchel hanging across his chest with his little hands clutching onto the satchel's strap.

His five-fingered hands.

Kiri looked down at his feet and saw FIVE toes just like his hands. She slowly blinked as if they would turn back to four, but they didn't. Slowly, she raised her head to look at the kid's face again, and above his worried eyes, she saw eyebrows. Her eyes widen as she takes in the little boy's face, a face she had known since she was little.

"Spider!"