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Italics: (Na'vi language, Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)
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After Spider was taken by Quaritch and loaded onto the ship, the human boy was knocked out once again after he was on board. Without his knowledge, he was taken back to the main base of operations of Ardmore's military HQ.

He was unconscious for a long time after that, and when he gained consciousness, Spider looked around with panic and saw that he was in a secured and locked room with cameras and a large mirror on the far side of it. He was also laying down on a metal table when we woke up. He knew that there was somebody on the other side of the two-way mirror.

Spider did not hesitate to rush at the mirror and start to bang his fists against it as he hissed and groaned from the force he was putting in. He rushed at it multiple times with his hands to try and get any sort of damage and escape. After that didn't work, Spider rushed to the sealed see-through door that kept him inside the room, pulling as hard as he could.

When he couldn't do that, he came back towards the mirror with a defensive stance, slamming his hands on the surface in front of him when he was close enough. He hissed again, trying to look as menacing and threatening as he possibly could to whoever was watching him on the other side of the wall.

"Let me out of here!" Spider yelled out as he stepped away from the mirror and looked directly at the cameras. After that, Spider began to yell and scream, most likely curses or threats in Na'vi at the cameras, knowing that somebody was seeing it.

Shortly after, Spider grabbed a chair from across the room and began banging and slamming it against the mirror with hopes of breaking it and escaping. With every attempt at banging at the mirror with the chair, he groaned with slight exhaustion. The scientist on the other side of the wall watching Spider, along with Quaritch, was completely baffled by the behavior of the human boy. He had never seen anything like it before in his life, or anyone so out of control like this.

"He's completely feral," The scientist pointed out as he looked over to Quaritch, who was leaning against a table with a coffee mug as he watched the whole ordeal. The scientist could not only see through the window but also on his monitor which showed him various angles of the cameras set up all over the room.

"He thinks he's one of them," The scientist continued, referring to the Na'vi. Spider grew up with natives, especially with Sully's family, so it makes sense that he would adopt some of the mannerisms and traits that his friends, whom he would consider practically family. Quaritch watched nonchalantly through the window as he took a sip of his coffee mug. His eyes narrowed and focused on Spider.

-

Later that night, after you and your family had gotten back from the forest, the happiness and relief that you and Jake felt for finally getting your family out of that situation in one piece were quickly replaced by frustration and misunderstandings by a simple suggestion.

You and Jake were arguing inside your family's hut while the kids were out and about in the cave. This was probably one of the worst fights you and Jake had ever had, and it's very rare, because the two of you rarely argue, especially since your children were always present and you would never want to subject them to that. Also, you and Jake weren't prone to fighting since you and him were almost always on the same page on everything. If there was a disagreement, you two would work it out normally, but this was a much bigger problem.

Thinking that they were alone and that they weren't being loud enough for their kids to hear, unbeknownst to you and Jake, Tuk and Kiri heard everything and were now peeking through the cracks of their hut, seeing their parents in a serious argument. You and Jake were at a crossroads, and it was getting so heated that it got the attention of your kids outside. Tuk's bright yellow eyes softened with concern as she continued to look through the slits of space she found, while Kiri stayed seated next to her sister listening.

Seeing their sisters leaning against the outside of their hut, Lo'ak and Neteyam approached quietly as Kiri took notice of her brothers and gestured for them to be quiet. The two boys quickly complied and approached their sisters, sitting beside them and listening intently.

"This thing, this Quaritch, whatever he is, he can walk right in here, right under Eywa's nose" Jake started, but you cut him off with frustration. "This is our family, Jake! This is our home! We cannot leave it behind like this," You said, and your face contorted into one of desperation and fear.

"Exactly, Y/n. This is our family. It's about our little ones we're talking about here. Their lives are in danger," Jake explained, not liking any bit of arguing with you. He never did. He never wanted to be the cause of your despair, stress, or distress. But this was a necessary discussion. If they didn't do something about this now, their children's lives would be exposed to the dangers of Quaritch like you and him were years ago when you first met.

"I cannot. You cannot ask this, Jake. It simply can't happen," You denied, raising your arms to tangle your fingers in your hair as you ran your hands through it frustratingly. Jake stood there watching you while you walked over to another side of the room. "I cannot leave my people. My sister. My mother. They're all here. I will not," You said, feeling sadness and pain at even the thought of leaving them, but part of you knew that they'd be safer if you fled, just like Jake is explaining.

"He's hunting us," Jake breathed out, seeing you grab something from the corner and start to gather up materials for dinner he supposed. You had your back turned to him as he spoke, knowing that you might say something you don't mean if you looked him straight in the eye. Your emotions were speaking for you because you knew he was right.

"He's targeting our family, Y/n," He said, and that's when you finally turned around to face him. "You cannot ask this! The children, everything they've ever known, the forest! This is our home! They grew up here!" You yelled, still standing by what you believed. If Quaritch was targeting your family, you would fight for them without thinking it twice. What Jake was saying had truth to it, but you refused to escape and leave the problem behind.

"Y/n. He had our children. He had them under his knife," Jake said, lifting his hand and putting it up to his neck, as his eyebrows furrowed at the memory of seeing his children like that. He never wanted them to go through that ever again. They were so young, all of them, and they didn't deserve to live the lives that you and Jake had. Full of fear and terror.

Your eyes widened at his words and gasped at the memories of earlier that day coming back to you. You felt your eyes start to brim with tears as your face began to warm up. You took a few steps back from your husband and turned your head downwards slightly. Your mind was riddled with a million thoughts that you had no idea how to process all at once. It was so overwhelming you could barely think straight.

You firmly believed that you would fight for your family, no matter if it was Quaritch or any other person that came your way. Escaping wasn't a solution for you, but deep down, you knew it made sense in a situation like this even if you didn't want to admit it. Turning away from Jake, you walked over to the bow that your father gave to you before his last moments alive. You held it tightly with you and walked back over to stand in front of Jake.

"My father. He gave me this bow as he lay dying," You started, feeling your voice start to strain. Jake sighed at your words, looking down for a moment before gazing at you with conflicting thoughts running through his mind. "and he said to protect the people" Your voice cracked as a shuddered breath left your lips. Seeing your eyes blurred with tears shattered Jake's heart, and he didn't like this any more than you do but it was the only way.

"You are Toruk Makto, Jake! We can protect them! I know we can!" You exclaimed, your lips forming into a frown, your eyes and eyebrows creased together, and your ears tipped back with anguish and ache. He was an inspiration to you, to your children, and all of the Omaticaya. A role model. You couldn't be more proud of him for that. You felt denial course through you, mostly because you couldn't believe this was really happening.

Tuk frowned as she saw this from outside while her siblings listened in, leaning their ears against the side of their hut.

"This will protect the people. Quaritch has Spider and that kid knows everything. He knows our whole operation. He can lead them right here," Jake explained, making the Sully siblings outside all glance at one another with worry. The reminder that Spider was with the man that terrorized them made them feel troubled about what might happen to their human friend.

"If the people harbor us, they will die. Do you understand? Please, I know we wanted a peaceful life, but with Quaritch back, our lives are more at risk than ever," Jake said, and you knew that he was right. But in the back of your head, it was clear that the more you escaped, the bigger actions that Quaritch would take to find you and Jake, as well as use your children as leverage against you.

You looked down and felt a few tears streaming down your cheeks as you let out a shuddered sigh and Jake breathed out with pain consuming him. He walked towards you and placed his hands on your waist, bringing you closer to him, and prompting you to instinctively put your hands on his shoulders, balancing yourself, but you still didn't look up.

Jake proceeded to lean his chin on your head as you placed your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The argument was starting to cool down now that both of you were starting to come to an agreement and realizing that there was just no escaping this problem, but it was possible to delay the inevitable.

"Look, I got nothing. I got no plan," Jake admitted, and you proceeded to wrap your arms around his shoulders comfortingly, knowing he must have been afraid to admit that. Jake had always been seen as a man who always knew what to do and had a plan for any situation, someone who's a brave and courageous figurehead for the Omaticaya, but he felt comfortable being vulnerable around you because he knew you would never look down upon him for that.

"But I can protect this family. That I can do,"
He said, sure of himself. You wrapped your arms tighter around him, tucking your head in his neck while his hands brushed against your hips and he buried his nose in his hair. Your ears tipped back while you let out a shuddered sigh and you tried to blink away your tears.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I can't imagine how hard this must be. I'm sorry that I have to be the one to even suggest that we do this. But, trust me, I do know one thing," He started, making you pull your head away from his neck to look at him. He gazed into those beautiful eyes that he fell in love with, and his eyes were filled with so much determination that they gave you hope instantly in just a few seconds.

"Wherever we go, this family is our fortress," He said, lifting one of his hands to cup your jaw and rub his thumb against your cheekbone. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on your cheek, and then turned to kiss your lips slowly and softly. You sighed against his lips, parting from him and leaning your head against his shoulder. You two wordlessly agreed, and stayed there for a long time in each other's embrace, not daring to let go.

-

Eventually, Spider was taken out of that small confined room in the military base and was now strapped onto some sort of device or machine that was putting him through extreme mental and physical agony.

There was some sort of plate spinning around him, creating harmful waves of energy that made his brain react negatively. He also had plating around his face to hold his face back. His pupils were spinning everywhere, trying not to get dizzy by the machine's mechanism.

"Where's Jake and Y/n Sully?" General Ardmore asked, her face completely stoic as she stood in front of Spider as she asked him various questions, trying to get any sort of answer out of him. She had a monitor in front of her that showed his brain activity.

"I don't know!" Spider yelled in agony and pain, trembling beneath his restraints. Ardmore narrowed her eyes at the boy. "We know, you know," She insisted, but it only made Spider deny everything he was being asked even more. "I don't know! I swear!" He screamed, hating every part of this.

Quaritch was watching from a window in a room across the machine Spider was in. The Colonel leaned his hand against the wall while observing the interrogation. It felt hard to watch for some reason, and he didn't know why just yet, but he kept quiet.

"Just form a picture in your mind. Is it one of the floating mountains?" Ardmore continued to drill questions onto the human boy. Behind the window, scientists were observing through a hologram the spikes of energy that were appearing from Spider's brain.

"Let me out of here!" He screamed, using every bit of strength he had to fight against the restraints and the mental agony he was being put through. The scientists observed the hologram with curiosity and caution. "He's fighting this. Give us a minute," One of them said, and Quaritch turned around to look at what exactly it was they were analyzing.

Spider continued to deny everything Ardmore asked him, but it only put him through more suffering. "Form a thought, and we will see it," She said with almost no emotion or remorse.

"I said I don't know!" Spider yelled, but it didn't phase Ardmore at the very least. Quaritch was observing the hologram as well, narrowing his eyes intently at every spark of neurons flashing. "I don't like this any more than you do, kid. Tell us, which clans would be harboring them?" The General asked again, but Spider was feeling too overwhelmed to even think of an answer to her questions.

"I don't know! You're gonna have to kill me!" Spider forced out, testing the patience of the General and the scientists overseeing this. The men looked at how Spider's brain was peaking all over, and his neurons went crazy.

"We're not going to stop until you give us something. Where is Jake Sully?" Ardmore asked emotionlessly, and seemingly, absolutely unbothered by what was happening. Spider continued to scream and squirm under the restraints he was in, refusing to answer.

"I don't know, you assholes! Let me go!" He screamed, feeling the machine being intensified. Before it went too far, Quaritch stepped out of the room he was in and walked over to the machine, pressing the red button to stop it from completing. When it did, Spider shuddered and panted as his eyes stayed half-lidded. His nose started to bleed out as well, but only from one nostril.

Quaritch walked up to Ardmore while
she looked at the Avatar Colonel with wide eyes at what he just did. "General, why don't you let me try more of a personal angle?" Quaritch whispered to the General, and she took a few seconds before looking at Spider and then back at the Colonel. "He's not your son," She said, stepping down from the machine and walking away, leaving Quaritch with Spider.

Soon after, Spider was taken back to that same room we woke up in earlier. He got under the table and tucked his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He rocked back and forth, still feeling affected and traumatized by what they had done to him. He was breathing heavily, trying to process thoughts in his mind correctly after being jumbled.

Spider suddenly heard the sound of the sliding door open, and Quaritch was there, about to step into the room. The Colonel had to duck a bit to step into the room. He took a whiff of air from his mask and then let it drop around his neck again. Seeing this, Spider saw an opportunity, and he looked at the still-opened sliding door.

As Quaritch leaned down to look at the boy under the table, Spider took a chance to run through the door but the Colonel grabbed ahold of him before he could run off. The sliding door also closed before he could escape. "Easy, there, Tiger. Easy" Quaritch said as he had Spider in his grasp, so he proceeded to sit him down on the table he was hiding under.

To keep him from running away again, Quaritc put a hand on Spider's chest and shoulder to push him back. The human boy tried his best to pry him off, but the Avatar Colonel had much more strength than him by far so he quickly gave up, but not before hissing at him.

Quaritch took his hands off the boy once he saw that he wasn't fighting his hold anymore, so he raised his hands in the air as a sign of a truce. Spider sat back upright. "We good?" The Colonel asked, seeing the human boy turn his eyes away from the Avatar and looked somewhere else with an angry expression.

The Colonel got on one knee to be at the same level of eye-sight as Spider. "Kid, you got heart. The science pukes leaned on you pretty hard, but you gave them nothing. I respect that. It takes courage and tenacity to do that," Quaritch said, trying to get the boy to crack one way or another. As Spider stayed silent, Quaritch pulled out from his pocket his old military necklace that his human form had.

"I thought you might want this," He started, and seeing that the boy wasn't responding, he grabbed Spider's hand and placed the necklace onto the boy's palm. "It's from Colonel Miles Quaritch. Deceased. Killed in action," The Avatar Colonel started, but with no hesitation, Spider threw the necklace across the room before looking away again.

Quaritch only smirked in amusement at the boy's behavior. "I'm not that man. But, I do have his memories. Enough to know that, uh...well he wasn't always the best father that he should've been," Quaritch started, standing up and walking over to pick up the necklace. After that, he made his way over to sit next to Spider. The boy had his arms crossed and refused to look the Colonel's way.

"But, that is not an apology. I'm not your father. Technically, you and I, we're nothing to each other. But, I can help you. I can get you out of here," Quaritch said, sparking some interest inside Spider, but he obviously wouldn't let that show. "I'm not gonna ask you to betray Jake Sully. I know you'd never do that. You're loyal. I admire loyalty," The Colonel continued.

"For now, just ride along. Otherwise, I gotta give you back to the lab coats," Quaritch said, giving Spider an ultimatum. It was a tempting offer. He wouldn't have to go through that agonizing pain again if he simply went along with Quaritch, not necessarily taking part in anything he does. Maybe he could find out some stuff that he could relay to Jake later if he was able to get out of there.

-

A few days later, a ceremony was being held at the base of the Tree of Souls. All of the Na'vi were gathered together as Jake was stepping down and a new Olo'eyktan was going to be named. Mo'at was removing Jake's clan leader accessories, and lifting them in the air, proceeding to put them on the man and warrior standing next to Jake that was set to be the next clan leader for the Omaticaya.

This is like stones in my heart. Tarsem is young and wise for his years. He will become a strong Olo'eyktan.

Jake kept a stoic face, no matter how much it hurt him to do this, as Mo'at placed the shoulder accessory that every clan leader wore onto Tarsem, who looked towards his people with determination and respect.

The leader must die, so the leader can be born.

Jake stood in front of Tarsem, as the warrior looked at him, raising his dagger up in the air and then yelling out a battle cry as he brought it down so that the handle hits Jake's chest. When the warrior lifted the knife, the tip drew blood from Jake, which meant that now he was no longer the leader of the Omaticaya. A pained face came across his features, realizing that he was truly letting go.

You looked over at your sister and your mother across from you. You had tears streaming down your face as your lips quivered, for many reasons. You had to leave your Neytiri and your mother behind, and you knew how much it saddened Jake to step down as clan leader of the tribe. None of this was fair.

Neytiri was staying back with Mo'at. Now that you were leaving, she was training and continuing to learn the ways of being Tsahik for her people. You couldn't put into words how much you'll miss them, but it's for the best. Neytiri, your mother, and the people will all be safer this way. Neytiri had also yet to find her mate, so she still had a lot to fulfill in the forest. You hoped you'd see them again, and you weren't going to lose hope that one day, things will eventually go back to how they used to be. It was going to take a lot of sacrifices, but you were more than willing to take that chance.

Toruk Makto will disappear. The people will be safer this way.

Jake stepped down from the base of the tree, and grabbed your hand, pulling you with him through the crowd. They all had sullen expressions on their faces seeing you and your family go. You held Tuk's hand while Kiri, Neteyam, and Lo'ak walked behind you. Walking amongst your people opened up a gate for the waterworks to open up. Tears streamed down your face as Jake tightened his hand around yours, giving you the most comfort he could at that moment.

After rounding up your Ikrans, including Aio, it was finally time to leave, and before you knew it, you and your family were flying away from the forest and towards the infinite depths of the ocean. Tuk was flying with you, sitting in front of you, while Jake, Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Kiri all flew with their banshees.

Everything they needed was packed up and ready to go, and stuffed into saddles on the sides of the Ikrans. You had stored your bow and arrow safely inside your bags, keeping it away from possibly flying off.

As the family flew away farther away from the forest and passed the cliffs, since Jake was at the front, he yipped while signaling where to go so that his family knew which direction to turn to. You yipped back, flying after Jake and holding Tuk close to you.

Knowing this would be the last time in a while you'd see the forest, you turned back and looked at your home. Tuk and Lo'ak turned around as well, knowing that they were leaving behind everything they'd ever known and going into uncharted territory. It was a scary change, but if they had each other, they could get through anything. As Jake always said, 'Sully's stick together'.

Jake turned to look at his children, seeing Neteyam and Kiri looking at their home with sullen eyes. Trying to remind himself that this was for the best, Jake looked forward again and repeated in his mind like a mantra that doing this is what kept his family safe.

A father protects. It's what gives him meaning. One life ends, another begins.

Y/n looked forward and Tuk did the same, only focusing on the journey ahead of them from now on. The through the oceans was treacherous, given that the family had to fly through storms and harsh weather conditions. The water was crashing against the rocks, creating massive waves, showing how unruly the ocean was. Even so, Jake was able to guide his family the way through it all.

"Oh, Tuk..." You whispered, feeling your youngest daughter tremble and shiver in your grasp from the cold water landing on you even while being up in the air. The waves crashing were just tuat big. You put a blanket over her to keep the water away and hopefully keep her warm during the rest of the trip, or at least until they passed through the storm.

Eventually, the family made it through the harsh storm and were now flying over crystal clear waters. The reefs were just below them and even from above, fascinating marine species could be seen. They were absolutely majestic and surreal to look at. The Ikrans screeched as they spotted civilization nearby, not the village they were heading to, but passing a few others on the way.

The sea clans were a world into themselves. As if they were a world of their own. Thousands of islands. An unknown territory where we can just vanish without a trace.

As sunset was beginning to show on the horizon, Tuk was starting to fall asleep on your shoulder, but quickly woke up again all of a sudden when she realized that she was dozing off. You giggled at your daughter's antics, adjusting the blanket over her.

"Are we there yet?" Tuk asked tiredly, and you nodded your head, assuring your daughter that you were very close to your destination. "We'll be there soon, Tuk," You said, and your daughter nodded, looking forward again.

At last, the Ikrans were flying over the reefs of Awa'atlu, a village of the Metkayina. Their prescence and the Ikrans flying overhead sparked the curiosity of many villagers who were hanging out in the water. They all yipped, hurrying over to the water to get to see the newcomers. Ikrans weren't native to this region, so they were quite intrigued.

You smiled at the beauty of this village. Behind the huts, there was this huge tree with various roots sprouting out of it, creating shelter for the Metkayina. As the Sully's got closer to the village, a horn was rung from a seashell, giving everyone a warning about their arrival.

People were rushing to their canoes, jumping into the water, and all so that they could get to see who these people were. After trying to get to closer ground by flying over the village, Jake lead his family to land their Ikrans on an area of sand that lead to the entrance. The water was crystal clear and the sand was soft, smooth, and pristinely white.

Aio, along with Jake's and your children's Ikrans landed safely, screeching and howling as they did. People were starting to crowd the area, feeling a bit startled by the banshees, but quickly realized they were no threat. As you got off Aio and helped Tuk down, Jake, Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Kiri all got down from theirs.

While Tuk immediately started walking forward toward the incoming villagers, Jake exhaled and patted his Ikran on the side as a message that transmits to it that it did a good job bringing them all the way here.

As you pulled out your bow from your saddle, Jake took notice of this. "Hey, leave it," He said softly, and you nodded, agreeing that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to carry a weapon with you when you're trying to make a good impression on a new village.

"Follow me," Jake said to you and his kids, adjusting his loincloth and holding his arms out, showing that he meant no harm or threat to the Metkayina. Neteyam copied his dad's actions, walking just behind him with his arms extended as well. The villagers approached the Sullys warily, being careful around them, inspecting their every move.

"Tuk," You called out to your daughter, seeing that she was straying off just a bit. She immediately complied and skipped over to you, taking your hand in hers and walking by your side. "Be nice," You said as you turned around to your older children, and they nodded, keeping to themselves.

Jake raised his hands higher in the air, seeing more and more villagers approach. "Hey," He said simply, hearing them all yip and hoot at the sight of the forest Na'vi. People were coming to surround them but giving them space as well. Feeling a bit awkward after so much staring, Kiri pulled her blanket around her shoulders more, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. She felt judged.

Through the crowd suddenly came two boys around the same age as Neteyam and Lo'ak. One had his hair into braids and pulled back into a bun, and the other one had curly hair that was let loose with no braids. The two Metkayina boys walked by Neteyam and Lo'ak, and the two Sully brothers did an 'I see you' gesture to both of them.

The Metyakina boys came behind Neteyam and Lo'ak, catching sight of their tails, which are very different compared to the ones of ocean Na'vi. They both started snickering. "Look, what is that? Is that supposed to be a tail?" One of the boys said, prompting the other ones to start laughing. Hearing this, you discreetly glared slightly at the boys ridiculing your sons, but quickly let it go, given that there were more important things at hand.

"Take it easy. Just be cool," Jake said, trying to keep a calm tone and demeanor toward everyone. Lo'ak and Neteyam tried their best to ignore the laughs at their tails and appearance, but it was a bit distracting.

All of a sudden, something, or rather someone, caught Lo'ak's attention. The youngest Sully brother turned his gaze to the side to see a Metkayina girl coming out of the water. She was very pretty.

She had braids up until the middle of her scalp, but the rest was let loose. As she came out of the water and tucked her hair out of her face, Lo'ak couldn't help but stare at her with wonder as he felt his heart race. When he realized he was staring too long, Lo'ak decided to look away, embarrassed.

Unbeknownst to him, Lo'ak had no idea that you and Neteyam had noticed him practically making heart eyes at the girl. You and your oldest son smirked at each other.

"It is too small! How are they supposed to swim?" One of the Metkayina boys continued to laugh, but the girl from before came up to them and slapped their hands from Neteyam and Lo'ak's tails. "Do not. Rotxo. Ao'nung," The girl warned, even with her soft and gentle voice, she wanted them to stop.

The two boys, who went by Ao'nung and Rotxo, effectively stopped laughing and the girl turned to make eye contact with Lo'ak. "Hey," The Sully brother said, and with this simple gesture, the girl looked down and giggled softly at Lo'ak's gesture. She could already feel butterflies bubbling up inside her.

All of a sudden, there were two giant winged fish that were being ridden right toward where the Sully family had arrived. As they flew over them, the family ducked out of instinct, seeing the winged fish land on the water across from them. It was safe to assume this was Tonowari, the Olo'eyktan.

The clan leader hopped off the winged fish, letting it swim away, as he started walking towards the shore, with a few others behind him. The clan leader started making his way toward Jake and his family, standing in front of him with his spear in hand.

Tonowari was the chief of the Metkayina. The reef people.

"I see you, Tonowari," Jake greeted as he gestured with his hand, earning one in return from the clan leader as well. "Jake Sully," Tonowari said, smiling at the family warmly. Lo'ak, Neteyam, Kiri, and you all gestured respectfully as well, greeting politely. "Olo'eyktan Tonowari," You said.

I knew him as a tough leader. But it wasn't Tonowari that worried me.

A woman suddenly came from behind Tonowari. It seemed that she was very far ahead in pregnancy, and she approached the Sullys with a wary and suspicious look on her face. Jake did not hesitate to greet her, knowing how tough this woman could be.

"I see you, Ronal. Tsahik of the Metkayina," Jake greeted, and you did the same, walking over to stand closer to your husband and gesturing to the Tsahik. "I see you, Ronal," You said, and the woman looked at you and Jake wordlessly, right as Tonowari began speaking.

"Why do you come to us, Jake Sully?" Tonowari asked, genuinely curious as to why he came all the way to the reef clans. Jake looked around nervously, choosing his next few words carefully. "We seek Uturu," He said, extending his arms out.

Ronal looked at Jake with disbelief, not believing what she was hearing. "Uturu?" She asked with incredulity. She looked at Tonowari, wanting to know what he thought.

"Yes, sanctuary for my family," Jake explained, looking back at his family, and then back at the clam leader and Tsahik, who was looking at the Sully's with pondering expressions.

"We are reef people, you are forest people. Your skills will mean nothing here," Tonowari said, all the while Ronal was starting to walk and circle around your children to inspect them. She was very skeptical.

"So, we will learn your ways, right?" Jake said, turning to you, and you immediately nodded. "Yes," You answered, suddenly feeling a hand on your tail, so you turned around to see that Ronal grabbed it. You grabbed it out of her hand as the Tsahik continued to walk.

You glared at Ronal when you saw her grab Tuk's arm. Out of fright, Tuk pulled her arm away and scurried over to you. "Mama..." She whimpered with fear, hiding behind your leg. You held your daughter close to you as the Tsahik started walking around your oldest kids. "Their arms are thin. Their tails are weak. You will be slow in the water" Ronal said, grabbing Kiri's tail. She suddenly took Kiri's hands in hers and raised them, showing that your daughter had five fingers, making all of the villagers gasp and chatter amongst each other.

Your gaze darkened as you continued to watch the woman disrespect your family like that. It wasn't necessary. What Ronal said next pushed you over the edge. "These children are not even true Na'vi!" The woman said, and with that, within a second, you handed Tuk to Jake and stood between Ronal and Kiri. "Yes, we are!" Kiri said, tugging her hands away from Ronal as you stood in front of the Tsahik.

"Say that to my children again. I dare you," You glowered, glaring at the Tsahik. Ronal reciprocated the expression, but quickly ignored you and started making her way toward Neteyam and Lo'ak. You turned and held Kiri close to you. The feeling of being alienated was something none of them deserved to go through.

Jake watched Ronal's every move with caution as she made her way over to Lo'ak, grabbing his hands too and lifting them as well. "They have demon blood!" Ronal said, and everyone continued to gasp and hiss in surprise. Lo'ak hung his head down in shame.

You walked back over to Jake, putting a hand on his arm, wordlessly telling him that he needed to say something. Jake turned to you and nodded, agreeing that this was taking a bad turn. "Look. Look! I was born of the Sky People and now I am Na'vi. Alright, you can adapt. We will adapt. Okay? " Jake said, waving his hand around that had 5 fingers as well, turning back to face Tonowari.

You moved from behind Jake and started walking forward to stand in front of Ronal. "My husband was Toruk Makto. He led the clans to victory, against the Sky People," You started saying with pride. You will always be proud of Jake for his feats. But Jake's face scrunched up a bit, looking away at your words.

He wanted to make a good impression and start anew somewhere else with you and his kids. You turned to Tonowari after you finished, and you could see in his face that he was assessing the situation carefully in his head before coming to a verdict.

Ronal wanted to scoff, and she looked at you and Jake in disbelief. "This you call victory? Hiding among strangers?" The Tsahik said, and you looked down slightly. Ronal stepped closer to you, preparing to speak.

"It seems Eywa has turned her back on you. Chosen one-" Ronal said to Jake, but before she could finish, you hissed at her. Your tail was swishing behind you. Ronal hissed back at you, and the two of you circled one another as Jake and Tonowari looked at each other awkwardly, as if telepathically asking which one of them should step in.

Jake decided to be the one to step in, so he came in between you and Ronal. "I apologize for my mate. She's flown a long way, and she's exhausted," Jake said, turning to look at you.

"Do not apologize for me. Jake..." You whispered to him, but he looked at you with an expression that told you to take it down a notch. You frowned and walked back to Kiri, not before discreetly slapping the back of his head without anyone noticing. He knew you were mad at him now.

Getting past the moment, Tonowari stepped up, raising his spear in the air. Toruk Makto is a great war leader. All Na'vi people know his story. But we Metkayina, are not at war. We cannot let you bring your war here," The clan leader started, but before any misunderstandings were lost in the air, Jake decided to clear some things up.

Jake picked up Tuk and set her on his hip. The girl tucked her head in his neck. "Dad," Tuk whispered, feeling scared that they'll have to leave again. "Look, I'm done with war. Okay? I just want to keep my family safe," Jake explained, holding Tuk close to him.

Tonowari and Ronal looked at each other, trying to decide what to do. "Uturu has been asked," You said, holding Kiri by your side as she leaned into you too.

Tonowari turned around and looked at Ronal. They seemed to be having a whole conversation with just their eyes. Tonowari was starting to feel more open about sheltering them, but Ronal was a bit more hesitant. Eventually, the Tsahik nodded and she gave in.

"Do we have to go?" Tuk asked sadly, and Jake put his hand on her head. "Shh..it'll be okay," He reassured her, not knowing what the outcome of this situation will be. They could be told that they have to go, which means they have to look for somewhere else to live.

"Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us. Treat them as our brothers and sisters," Tonowari said to the Metkayina villagers. You let out a breath of relief you didn't know you were holding when he said those words.

Jake gently let Tuk down onto the ground, but still held onto her hand. "But they do not know the sea. So they will be like babies taking their first breath," Tonowari said, making your ears tip back as you remembered what you said to Jake when you first found him in the forest.

"Teach them our ways, so they do not suffer the shame of being useless," Tonowari said, turning to look at Jake and his family. Jake exhaled with relief and turned to his kids.

"What do we say?" He asked, prompting his kids to thank Tonowari for letting them stay. "Thank you," Tuk smiled. Neteyam and Lo'ak thanked the chief as well, but Kiri rolled her eyes and did the same. "Thank you," The girl murmured, gazing downwards, kicking some sand and pebbles with her feet.

Tonowari turned to Ao'nung and the girl from before and introduced them. "My son Ao'nung and my daughter Tsireya will show your children what to do," He said, and the Metkayina boy immediately began to protest.

"Father, why?" Ao'nung said, moving over to stand in front of his father. "It is decided," Tonowari said, his tone stern and strict, making Ao'nung eventually stop trying to fight his father about his decision.

The girl, which you now know is Tsireya, stepped in from behind his brother with a warm smile and sweet eyes. "Come. I will show you our village," She said, beginning to guide the family to where they'd be staying.

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I cannot believe Ive made such long chapters two days in a row- I hope you guys are liking the fast updates tho shsj

Last one was 8k and this one is 7k words ahsj I finished it in just a few hours. Ive been feeling super excited about this story and I have so much I want to write already! I watch modern family while I write too lmao

anyway, Ill try to update either Wednesday or Thursday, but it'll depend on how much homework I have. Ill try my best to get it done tho! Also, I wrote this at 2 AM, and even though I ran it through grammarly, i'll double check it later on to make sure.

I honestly don't have much to say for this a/n but if there is anything else, as always, i'll add it onto the next chapter's author's note!

See you guys in the next one! Don't forget to vote and comment! 🤍

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