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Italics: (Na'vi language, or Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)

This chapter is really special because I took on new things Ive never written about so I hope I did them justice :,) I tried to increase the angst shsh I was pretty new to it so I hope you guys like it! Also, TW; for a bit of anxiety and panic attacks.

Also, I wanted to ask you guys to comment as much as you can, it gets me through the day seeing your guys' replies as you read along <3 I love reading them, they make me so happy and replying to all of your comments and they truly make my day 🤍 I always laugh so much. Without further ado, I hope you guys like it! I love every single one of you so much :,)
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Everybody was going their separate ways in this point of battle. Whether it was trying to save Spider like you, Neteyam and Lo'ak or trying to get back to safety like Tuk, Tsireya and Zara, there were others who had no idea what was going on at the surface and were just now seeing the chaos that had ensued. This was the case for Ao'nung, Kiri, and Rotxo. These three had been taking care of the remaining submarines that were still roaming around below the surface, and when they had finally made it back up to the surface, the destruction that they witnessed shocked them.

How much had they missed? They knew something must have been happening because of how many reinforcements were sent to check if there were any of the kids left to capture, but they were truly speechless to see so much fire, explosions, remains of boats, and the Sea Dragon that appeared to be sinking. And while adding to that, since the three kids had not been able to come up to the surface since the chase in the kelp forest, neither of them have had a chance to take a breath. So when they reached the surface with deep gasps and breaths, neither of the kids were able to register the imminent danger that was approaching.

Right as they thought that they were out of sight from the enemy, a deafening screech from what Kiri recognized as an Ikran, made all three kids come to their senses and look up to see where the sound was coming from. Before they had even a moment to do anything about it, Kiri, Ao'nung and Rotxo all witnessed who was on the banshee. It was Lyle, rapidly descending onto the water towards them.

With no time to escape or react, in the blink of an eye, Lyle had his Ikran descend onto the water, use its talons to latch onto Kiri's arms, and swiftly lift her up out of the water as Lyle began to carry her away to the ship as she immidiately began to protest and fight back against the Ikran's hold with all she had. "Let me go!" Kiri protested, trying her best to wiggle her way of the Ikran's grip, but it was just too strong. Besides, part of her didn't want to fall from the height the Ikran had brought her to. Ao'nung and Rotxo couldn't help but simply look up in shock as they took her away, not having enough time to help her at all

As Kiri was being taken away to the ship by Lyle, it was at the same time that Zara, Tsireya, and Tuk had swum far away enough from the ship. but, when all three of them came up for air, Tsireya and Tuk's eyes widened as they heard Kiri yelling and screaming. So, both girls looked up and saw that Kiri was being held by her arms by an Ikran being flown by Lyle, a familiar face they've already seen before.

Both girls gasped with worry seeing their sister and friend being taken to the direct site of danger, and while Zara witnessed this, she felt her heart plummet. She knew Kiri was one of your daughters, and they had only talked a handful of times, but the sight of one of your children being in clear danger as she had promised to take them to safety made her fill with concern. All three girls could hear Kiri's protests to be released, at least up until the moment that Lyle flew over the main deck and dropped Kiri on it. "Look!" Tuk pointed out with her hand with worry, and then turning back to look at Tsireya and Zara who had those same expressions of horror and worry etched on their faces.

As for Kiri, the moment that Lyle dropped her onto the ship, she landed face down with a grunt but quickly composed herself and attempted to stand up and run away as far as she could. But, when she even dared to do so, she was suddenly forced back down by Ikran claws on her shoulders. She tried her best to fight against them but, she began to panic when she saw Lyle climb down from his Ikran and and start to walk towards her.

With a harsh grip, Lyle forcefully grabbed onto Kiri's arms and lifted her onto her feet, even as she continued to fight back against his hold and squirmed to try and get free. "Let's go buttercup, get up," Lyle said, not even budging against her resistance and began leading her over to the railing of moon pool on the inside of the ship. Kiri rolled her eyes at his comment and answered back. "I'm not your buttercup, you perv!" Kiri said with disgust and annoyance, still continuing fight and resist with everything she had inside her against the tight hold and grip that Lyle had on her.

Watching this happen for the water, Tuk, Tsireya, and Zara all watched with horror as Kiri was being taken away to who knows where. The first one to speak up was Tuk as the young one's eyebrows furrowed with determination to get her sister back. The moment that the youngest Sully began to swim back towards the ship, Zara and Tsireya's eyes widened as they looked briefly at each other in shock and then back at Tuk who just seemed to be radiating with purpose. But, Zara's mind was at a loss, and even more so when she heard Tuk's words.  "We've got to go back for her," Tuk said, very sure of herself and full of confidence, resolve and strength as she continued to swim forward on her own.

"Tuk, wait!" Tsireya said, not wanting the little girl to get into more danger. Getting out of the ship was already a miracle as a it is, but what if they went back and didn't get out this time? Zara wanted Tuk to turn back around and have all three of them continue their journey back, but a part of her argued that she promised to you that she would get your daughters and Tsireya to safety. And that is what Kiri was. She couldn't turn her back on someone who clearly got roped back into battle unfairly by the looks of it, but it was also clear that going back into the ship would leave their outcome and odds of escaping again much more slim.

What would you think if she didn't go back for Kiri? What would you think if she did? What would you think if you knew you'd brought Tsireya and Tuk right into danger? Zara couldn't help but have these thoughts and possibilities drown her head in anxiety as her head spun. Time was ticking and Zara was supposed to be the adult amongst these two girls. Upon hearing Tsireya's pleas, Tuk turned her head back to look at her and Zara with pleading eyes and Zara's heart sank. All Tuk wanted was to save her sister, to save her role model, her family.

"Please! We can't just leave her! She's my sister!" Tuk said, not giving any signs in her voice that she was changing her mind as she turned back around and continued to swim towards the ship. Zara was about to call to the young Sully girl again until she spoke up again. "Sully's stick together," Tuk quipped before taking a big breath and then submerging herself into the water, leaving Tsireya and Zara speechless up in the surface. It was in that moment that Zara and Tsireya had the realization that Tuk was not about to leave her sister alone in there, and even if she was a small 8-year-old now, Tuk knew that she at least wanted to be there for Kiri just as she had always been there for her.

When Tsireya sighed with defeat and submerged herself to swim after Tuk, Zara was left up at the surface for a few seconds before she finally cursed under her breath and went back underwater to go after the two girls and go back to the ship to save Kiri. 'Y/n please forgive me for this'  Zara thought to herself as she prayed to Eywa to let them get out of this alive. They barely made it out before, and that had been because of the commotion and distractions, but now with the only people left being the most dangerous up in that boat, she hoped you could understand that that is the very reason as to why they had to go back for Kiri. She would fulfill her promise to you no matter what and she wouldn't rest until she had both of your daughters with her, safe and sound. Even if it meant going back.

While Zara, Tuk, and Tsireya were all headed back to the ship to get Kiri, the said girl was already being cuffed to the railing of the moon pool inside the ship. Without a word, once Kiri was securely cuffed to the railing much like her siblings were before, Lyle walked away to find and regroup with Quaritch or any remaining of the other Avatar recoms. Kiri was finally left by herself as she sucked in a shaky breath of utter fear, not knowing what to do now.

She breathed heavily as she felt her hair stick to her forehead uncomfortably because of the water and it was entirely drenched. She had no other choice but to wait until someone finds her, but she was helpless as of now. She even attempted to try and tug on the cuffs a couple of times but sighed when she realized they were too hard and stubborn. But deep in her heart, she just hoped the rest of her family was alright. She hadn't seen you or her siblings since you got separated or her dad since they left the village. Everything was a mess but she just wanted to be safe again.

Meanwhile, due to the imminent danger of the current sinking ship the remaining crew of the of the SeaDragon were now boarding the emergency inflatable boats that were going down onto the water through ramps in the back of the ship. The people there are now that are boarding the ship is significantly smaller than what they originally had, but all of those who were left scurried to leave the ship as soon as they get the chance. "All right! We're a go for drop. Let's go!" The woman overseeing the process as she yells out to the rest of the crew members when to drop the boats and when it was safe to finally start boarding.

As people in that part of the ship prepared the evacuation, the crew of the cabin that was in the main room of operations and that was escorting Spider out were all heading down the stairs of the ship with the boy. As they all made their way down the stairs, the man that was beside Spider put his hand on the human boy's mask for a few second tightening it a bit too much for Spider's liking, so the boy rolled his eyes knowing they didn't really care and he could take care of it himself.  "Check your mask! Make sure it's tight!" The man said in an overwhelmingly loud voice as he put a hand on Spider, irritating the boy even further. Spider scoffed and slapped the man's hand away with annoyance as he walked past. "I'm good, dumbass" He said, but the man didn't  seem to be phased at all by his words, just as the Spider thought.

While everyone evacuated and were making their way out, including Spider, you, Lo'ak and Neteyam were latched on and climbing upside down on one of the pillar structures of the roof to make sure nobody saw you. All three of you tried to be as stealthy as you possibly could and made sure not to make any noise. You were simply following your sons' lead because they seemed to know what they were doing and where Spider might be, way more than you so you trusted their instincts. As much as you were all for helping their friend, Spider, there were moments like this one in which suppressing your fear just simply wasn't possible and you couldn't hide it.

But you had to, for Neteyam and Lo'ak, who were so brave for venturing into enemy territory purely for the sake of their friend and their loyalty to him. If they could be brave, so could you. As you and your sons continued to climb on the roof, below you three, there were Sky People running all over the place to get to the exits. "Move, move! Evacuating, people! Come on, let's go!" One of the superiors who was in an Amp Suit urged the ones who were falling behind to pick up the pace and evacuate. The place seemed to be emptying but that one superior officer was still patrolling the deck to make sure there was no one left.

In the meantime, Tuk, Tsireya, and Zara had made their way to the ship to an area that seemed to be pretty deserted already. Zara was the first one to poke her head out of the water and look around the deck, and she realized it was an opening that led directly to the railing where Kiri was being held. Tsireya followed shortly after and bring her head out of the water to peek around the deck and check the area with Zara next to her. As both of them were Metkayina, the water on their faces was out of their eyes because of their double eyelids that closed and opened.

They both then turned their heads to see Tuk already climbing on the platform without any precaution at her surroundings. "Tuk, wait for us!" Zara whispered yelled as she got onto the deck and began following Tuk to wherever she was going. She was not letting the girl out of her sight for a moment. Tsireya watched the two of them go and sighed; "Guys, this is not a good idea. Tuk! Zara!" Tsireya whispered, being quick to getting on the deck as well and following after the two girls, with one who looked confident and was walking around the ship as if it was second nature and the other who was racked with concern and worry for the other. +

There was someone who just now was finding his way back to battle. Quaritch's Ikran had flown away a long time ago, leaving the Colonel with no way to get out of the water and stranded in the ocean. But, somehow, Quaritch had finally found something to hold onto. He came up for air with a big gasp and held onto a fragment of destroyed boat parts that were floating around and came apart during explosions in battle. He held onto anything he could to get his bearings and pull himself up. The man panted heavily, as he had been swimming for a while and needed some sort of anchor to get him close to the board the boat once more.

And that plan seemed like it worked for the Colonel because it wasn't long that he was able to get enough strength to get off the fragment of boat, go back into the water, and swim close enough to get to the closest platform on the ship. When he got on, he stood on the deck with a bloody nose and other limbs. He looked up and and saw that the sun was tucking and moving itself behind the planet that Pandora orbits which means that soon enough, there would be an eclipse that would change the environment completely. He had to do something before that moment came.

Tuk, Tsireya and Zara all continued to move across every nook and cranny on the ship that they could find that would lead them to Kiri. All three of them moved in a crouched position as they used their hands and bent knees to help them move more swiftly and stealthily. Being the adult there, Zara was surprised to see Tuk take the lead as she lead her and Tsireya, leaving them as simple bystanders to whatever Tuk was planning. But the more they went into this ordeal knowing how bad of an idea it is to go into enemy territory without back up or a plan, the more they realized that they couldn't give up now and leave Kiri behind. They had to find her now more than ever and get her to safety. And after following Tuk, as expected, the three girls soon found their way to where they were hoping to end up and saw Kiri cuffed to the railing.

As Tuk spotted her sister, she didn't hesitate to head over to her, while still remaining as quiet as possible. "Kiri!" Tuk whisper-shouted, getting the attention of the said girl, who beamed with happiness at the sight of her sister coming to help. Zara and Tsireya's eyes widened when they saw the girl they were hoping to find and quickly made their way over to her, much like Tuk did. Zara could see the look of relief of Kiri's face as she saw many familiar faces coming to her aid. "Tuk!" Kiri exclaimed, watching her little sister come around her side to try and free her while Tsireya and Zara leaped over the yellow railing to get closer to them on the other side.

"Hurry. Cut here," Kiri whispered, guiding Tuk, Tsireya and Zara to where they were supposed to get it off, with whatever they had on their hands. The two young girls didn't have their weapons with them since they lost them when they were captured, but luckily, Zara still had one of her blades with her. She reached into her side holster began to lean over the railing to get a better look at the cuff. As Zara began to move the blade back and forth on the cuff, and it was apparent that this one was a tougher cuff because was taking more time to cut through.

As Tsireya and Tuk stayed alert and looked at Zara as she tried to continue cutting through the cuffs, Kiri was looking at the woman trying to remember where she's seen her before because she seemed incredibly familiar. Zara, feeling eyes on her, looked up and saw Kiri looking at her curiously between her and the cuffs she was cutting. "I don't know if you remember me but I'm a friend of your mom's. Don't worry, we'll get you out of here and i'll take you to her" Zara smiled as she continued to cut through the cuffs and Kiri heard her words, which left her to smile and nod in understanding. She remembered this woman vaguely and if you trusted her, then Kiri did too. Tsireya, Tuk, and her made it all this way back for her and it already meant so much to her.

Unbeknownst to the four girls, there was a certain someone who had spotted them and was sneaking up behind them. Quaritch surprised them all when he grabbed Tuk and held her high up in the air with one arm. "Tuk! No!" Zara and Tsireya exclaimed together with horror as their eyes widened and immediately tried to reach for the young girl while Kiri fought against her restraints, but the Colonel proceeded to push both Zara and Tsireya into the moon pool and back into the reef as they both let out terrified screams as they fell.

Tuk continue to scream and protest against the Colonel's hold while Kiri yelled at the man to let go of her little sister. When Tsireya and Zara both fell into the water and the bubbles from their fall finally cleared up, they opened their eyes and looked at each other with expressions of concern for Kiri and Tuk. Both of them heard voices so they looked up and saw through the clear water that another Avatar recom came onto the scene, which was Z-Dog, and began talking to Quaritch.

"I got her," She heard the female Avatar recom say, taking Tuk from the Colonel and forcing her down on the railing next to Kiri. While Tsireya ripped her eyes away from the scene and began to look around for what to do next, Zara's eyes were trained up at the surface where your two daughters were. She hadn't failed, right? She can still fulfill her promise to you to get your daughters safely. She knew from the start how this could end and now your daughters were back in the direct line of danger. But no, she couldn't give up now. She would have to go back up there if she had to but she couldn't let you down. Zara took her eyes away from the sight and turned to Tsireya who was calling for her ilu, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth so Zara decided to do the same and call for her Skimwing.

After a few seconds of calling, both her and Tsireya heard the familiar sounds of your respective creatures approaching. With relief, when the ilu and Skimwing both came closer, Zara and Tsireya grabbed their own braids and connected their queues to their creatures, grabbed onto the saddle holders and began swimming away from the scene as fast as they possibly could. They needed to find a way to get back to regroup with you and the boys and think of a new strategy simply because it would be too reckless to go back in without a plan like you, Tsireya and Kiri did just now.

The moment that Quaritch handed Tuk off to Z-Dog and was having her cuffed to the railing next to her sister, he turned to the female Avatar recom that just finished restraining Tuk and another recom who had been on standby. "We can still get this done," He said menacingly, which earned a 'hell yeah' from Z-Dog as the other remaining Avatar soldiers started to walk away afterwards. Tuk and Kiri were left alone and the young girl began whine in defeat as she started to fight against her restraints, moving them against the railing with disappointment. "I can't believe I'm tied up again!" Tuk cried out, which earned a sympathetic look from Kiri. She was happy that at least they tried and knew her little sister was only trying to help before she got stuck like she was before. The silver lining for Kiri is that at least she wasn't alone anymore, and now they had each other now through this.

For you, Neteyam, and Lo'ak, the search for Spider was over because you had been able to locate him being escorted through the ship, surrounded by RDA crewmen. As you and your sons were walking along the top beams of the ship, high up on the ceiling, you were able to get a look at this human boy that your sons cared about so much. He had blue stripes painted on him, he had a lighter tone of hair styled in dreads with familiar Na'vi accessories embedded into his locks and he had traditional Na'vi clothing as well. It started to make sense now, how he actually seemed to have adopted many of these physical traits just by growing up amongst your children and your husband. As you walked behind your sons, on the beam, you noticed that Neteyam was holding his dagger tightly in his left hand while Lo'ak and you were following right behind him.

You were trying to keep the same pace as the humans down below and then stopped at the edge of the beam to wait for the men to pass by with Spider in order to ambush. These didn't seem like rugged soldiers like you had seen before but rather regular employees with the task of escorting Spider out so your abilities you've learned as a warrior over the years might come in handy now that you've gotten your strength back. When you and your sons reached the end of the beam, crouching side by side, you then waited a couple seconds to jump down. As the crewmen and Spider approached, you and your sons looked at each other briefly and gave each other a single assertive nod, signaling that it was time to jump down at any moment now.

And just as expected, not even a second later, you three saw the opportunity arise when the men with Spider finally walk past below so you and your sons immediately jumped down at the same time and ambushed them unexpectedly. You had a great advantage over them, which was how much taller Na'vi were and the strength that came with it. While Neteyam and Lo'ak used their knives and the butt of his rifle to knock the men unconscious or to plunge the blades into the enemy and cut wherever they could, whether it was to knock them unconscious or simply to leave a wound that will distract them enough so the two can leave with Spider, you used your own strength as an advantage. You punched, kicked, shove and threw any Sky Person that came your way.

You also grabbed your small blade from your own that you remembered you have and decided to strike by stabbing a couple men through their necks and their stomachs, leaving them lifeless as they slump on the ground. You smile to yourself as you stood up and pulled your blade out of one of the men's bodies.

You watched as the men who got their consciousness back from the blows that Neteyam and Lo'ak gave them were standing up again and stalking over to your boys. You watched as they were preoccupied with throwing the men they were fighting over the yellow railing that connected to the ocean below. So, you looked at your knife and back up at the man headed towards your sons, so you immediately throw your knife with all of your strength and you watched it spin and cartwheel through the air until it lands and sinks into his head, making the man drop dead in an instant. When your boys were done with the men they were taking care of, they turned around and saw that Spider was also helping, in any way that his human strength allowed him to, so to the man that had suddenly gotten a hold of him, you, Neteyam and Lo'ak all watched as the human boy removed the employee's mask, leaving him to suffocate to the toxic Pandora air.

It seemed like they were out of the woods but, when you and the three boys were distracted, a man who was gaining consciousness suddenly began to reach over for his own rifle and a was about to aim it at you, but before you knew it, Lo'ak slung the rifle he had on his back back around to his front and quickly retaliated. You couldn't help but flinch in surprise when your son sloppily fired a barrage of bullets at once at the man, but it got the job done at least. The man slumped in the ground, lifeless, but you and Neteyam looked at the boy in shock as bullets clinked as they landed on the ground. While you were trying to rack your brain in comprehending what you just witnessed, Neteyam simply deadpanned at his brother.

"Dad didn't really teach you how to use a gun, did he?" He said, assuming that Lo'ak simply saw his dad use it once and that was what he tried to do just now. At his brother's words, Lo'ak simply looked away sheepishly, but still looking a bit shaken up himself about what he just did. He did seem to get back to his senses quickly, though. You still weren't very comfortable with him using a machine like that, but at least the worst part was over and now you could focus on getting the boys out of there once and for all. You didn't want to stay here a single moment longer than you had to and the quicker you could get out of there with the boys, the better.

You quickly put a hand on Lo'ak and Neteyam's backs and began to guide them out to the nearest exit out of the boat. "Come on" Neteyam urged his brother as you and your sons caught up with Spider who was already a few steps ahead. "Guys, we gotta go!" Spider said as he called for all three of you, so you turned to look at the boy and then at your sons, quickly nodding in agreement. "Let's go," You said, quickly nudging your sons to be ahead of you as the four of you began to run through all decks of the ship.

After running and sneaking through every space possible, the 4 of you found a staircase that most likely lead to the outside. At the same time, all of you leaped from the top to all the way down to the bottom level that seemed to be closest to the edge of the water. You were getting closer. Taking a second to look around for the next route to use, you stayed on the lookout with Neteyam while Spider stood with Lo'ak for a moment. "Thanks, guys," Spider said, grateful that his friends had come back for him. Lo'ak smiled gently at his friend and laughed as he nudged the boy's shoulder as a silent response that communicated that it was no problem and would do it again any time. They would never leave him behind knowing he was still being held with no way out.

Spider turned to look back for a moment and noticed you next to Neteyam talking about different routes to take, and then the human boy turned back to Lo'ak with a curious look. "I saw her before from the ship when Quaritch saw you and the others help that Tulkun. Who is she? I haven't seen her before" Spider asked curiously, and Lo'ak looked at you briefly and realized his friend never truly met you. You were a new addition to their lives, but right now wasn't really the best time for introductions, but he would keep it short.

"I'll explain later, but you'll really like her when you meet her. Once we make it out of here-" Lo'ak started explaining but when he stopped he saw someone sneaking up behind you, Neteyam and Spider since you all had your backs to that person except Lo'ak. It also happened to be Lyle, and he saw all 4 of you together. Lo'ak's eyes widened and he was quick to make Spider turn around too. When the boy saw Lyle, his blood went cold when he realized that they had been found once again.

You and Neteyam were quick to notice Lyle's presence as well and quickly began to run over to regroup with Spider and Lo'ak to start running on the other direction. You saw, out of instinct to being aimed at, Lo'ak raising his own rifle again but was cut off mid-action by Spider. "Go!" The human boy said with urgency as Lo'ak was about to start shooting, but you and Neteyam lowered his gun. "No! We have to go!" You yelled as you and Neteyam began to pull him along to catch up with Spider who seemed to know another route, at a more covered up and concealed area.

"Go! Go! Go!" Spider yelled out as he looked back to see if you and his friends were still with him and not falling behind as you all ran and avoided the gunfire as best as you could. "Keep going! Don't look back!" You exclaimed as well, up until you and the boys reached a dead end and were now leaning back against a wall while receiving more and more gunfire. Thankfully, there was a railing with a small pool that connected right back into the ocean like you four had been hoping, but you just needed to find a way for you and the boys to jump over it without being hit because it seems that the gunfire would not be stopping any time soon.

You were all standing right next to each other against the wall, with Neteyam being the one closest to the corner so he could have a direct sight of Lyle and the other Avatar recoms who continued to shoot. You were next to your eldest son while Lo'ak and Spider were on your other side farthest away from the gunfire. Realizing that they had to stall the group of Avatar recoms somehow, Neteyam looked back at his brother and took the rifle from his little brother's hands. "Give me that," He said, grabbing the gun and beginning to shoot, way better and a lot more precisely and accurately than Lo'ak for that matter. But nobody had the mind to comment on that. Upon being on the receiving end of Neteyam's bullets, the soldiers on the other side ducked and stopped shooting for even a small second. This would give you, Lo'ak and Spider the chance to escape while Neteyam held them back.

Neteyam turned to you and the two boys sternly as he held the gun close to him. "Go! Now! Mom, stay with them!" The oldest Sully said with urgency, as he darted his head between them and the Avatar recoms and continued to shoot in second intervals to keep them from shooting back and it bought them more time. It seems that Spider and Lo'ak were okay with that plan because the two boys looked at each other and nodded while you stayed frozen and still next to your son, appalled that he was asking you to leave him there by himself. "Let's go! This way!" The human boy said to his friend, leading Lo'ak over to the railing of the moon pool in front of them connected to the ocean. Without a second thought, they both leaped over the railing and landed in the water effectively escaping unscathed while you stayed with Neteyam.

The two boys were now swimming away as they waited for you and Neteyam to come down too. Your eldest son turned back to look at you with wide eyes as he saw that you were still there and didn't jump when you had the chance. He would run out of bullets to fend off the recoms soon and you needed to get out of there. "Mom! What are you still doing here? Go! Now!" Neteyam yelled as he continued to shoot constant gunfire. You shook your head and leaned back further against the wall as he continued to shoot. "I can't leave you here! Let's jump together!" You said refusing to have this be a repeat of how you left him alone with the tracker and worried about him the entire time until he came back by some miracle. This was different entirely. These soldiers were armed and he would run out of ammunition eventually and if that happened, you wanted to make sure you could protect him. The enemy was at a such close proximity and any of these bullets could get either of you before you even realized it. You made up your mind. You wouldn't jump and escape without him.

He looked at you for a couple of seconds and you gave him a look that told him that you were sure that you wanted to stay to make sure he made it out of this. After a few seconds, he gave you a look of acceptance and turned back to continue shooting while you stayed against the wall and he gave you the go-ahead to jump together. But, as expected, Neteyam continued to shoot until the moment he ran out of bullets and decided to drop his gun to the ground and turned to look at you. You gave him a firm nod and he reciprocated it. "Ready?" You asked and he nodded, so without another word, both of you took a shot in the dark and began running as fast as you could towards the railing and hoped not to get shot in the process. There was some gunfire shot your way but both of you were able to leap over the railing and into the water as Lyle came closer around the corner to try and get one last shot at either of you. But just as you thought you and your son were out of the woods and had finally escaped that situation, you failed to notice the state Neteyam was currently in.

Just before he landed in the water, Neteyam felt a piercing and stinging sensation somewhere in his body and he winced. When he landed in the water, he enclosed his body and held himself because of the pain he was feeling that he couldn't tell where it was coming from. You, Lo'ak, and Spider were still completely unaware and your worst fear had come to pass and you were not able to prevent exactly what you had been fearing. While you and the boys were underwater trying to get to the surface, Lyle had lost sight of them and stood over the bridge over the deck of the moon pool. "You see 'em?" The second in command recom asked the other remaining Avatar soldiers but they all shook their heads in complete denial. Nobody was able to see where you and the boys fled to, but they would keep a lookout for any sign of them.

While you and Neteyam had just jumped into the water, Spider and Lo'ak were already heading up to the surface while Neteyam was still struggling to come up to the surface. After the two boys came up for air, they looked at their surroundings and realized they had finally escaped from the ship. The pure rush of thrill and adrenaline prompted them to give each other one look and start laughing triumphantly. "Bro, that was insane, cuz'! Can you believe we just did that?" Lo'ak laughed, raising his hand to high-five Spider.

"Yeah!" The human boy said as he laughed along. Shortly after that, you interrupted their celebration by coming up to the surface at last with a gasp. Spider and Lo'ak turned to look at you and their smiles never left their faces. You couldn't help but smile gently at how happy they were to have found their way back to one another after months of being separated. You sighed and began to have your eyes dart everywhere around the area and you felt your face pale and body freeze at the realization you just had.

"Lo'ak. Spider. Where's Neteyam?" You asked, and now it was their turn to freeze and for their faces to drop as they looked around. You were about to go back down into the water to search since he hadn't come back up to the surface, but then the boy himself came up to the surface. His face came out of the water and the pained expression on his face made your heart sink. He had found the place that was causing him so much agony, so now that he was up at the surface, he was holding his stomach and his face was barely afloat above the water.

He used his free arm to keep himself afloat as he gasped and was having shortened and choked breaths. Spider and Lo'ak were quick to notice his body language as well and how he was trying to make it seem like he was okay, and as if it was a minor injury, and it wasn't. Or at least that's what it felt like. You didn't hesitate to start swimming over to your son and grabbed the arm that was holding him afloat and put it around your shoulder to keep him afloat as you felt your whole body start to tremble, and you got an idea of what happened.

"Neteyam, what's wrong? Tell me" You spoke with urgency as you felt tears piercing your eyes as your throat began to feel tight. He didn't even get to answer at all because Tsireya arrived on her ilu and Zara on her Skimwing to pick everyone up. They had yet to realize the gravity of the situation. "Get on!" Tsireya said, but Spider and Lo'ak were still focused on the scene before them as they watched with horrified eyes. None of them knew what had happened to Neteyam because he had yet to vocalize it. Tsireya and Zara both turned their attention to you holding onto Neteyam as he looked to be worse by the second.

You looked up and locked eyes with Zara as tears brimmed your eyes even further and you felt like you could barely breath as you tried to decipher what was happening to your son. Zara's eyes darted from you to Neteyam as she realized the pain expression in your son's face and how horrified you looked. "Bro, what's wrong?" Lo'ak asked and this time, while barely managing to keep his head above water, he was finally able to answer back and tell everyone what was wrong.

"You skxawng! I'm shot," Neteyam groaned, and a choked sob left your lips as you looked at your son with dread. Even if you were the one keeping him afloat, you still in place and you felt your breathing get heavier and more shallow as panic started to settle in every part of your body. Your mind began to race. After your son revealed what was wrong with him, it was just now that you noticed how blood was seeping out of him and out of control for that matter. Time would tell how long he would hold on. Lo'ak had a similar reaction to you upon hearing what had happened to his brother and his face paled. "Shit!" The boy yelled, not hesitating to rush to his brother's other side so Neteyam had you on one side and Lo'ak in another trying to keep him afloat.

Zara and Tsireya both stayed on their respective creatures because they knew they'd have to stay there to immediately transport Neteyam. Spider rushed to his friend's aid as well while your eldest son continued to struggle to breathe, worsening with every passing moment. It was only more concerning that he was losing so much blood already, and that fact alone wasn't helping matter at all. "Give me a hand!" Lo'ak urged Spider, as well as Tsireya who had left her ilu and was now swimming over to offer help.

Everyone around Neteyam, including you and Lo'ak who were the ones holding onto the boy, all started to notice how weaker he was becoming, how he was barely even able to keep holding onto to you or Lo'ak, and how he was losing his coherency and inhibitions. You began to choke on your own breaths as you felt your breathing start to get obstructed and you felt as the world was closing in on you the moment that Spider moved his arm from around your shoulder while Lo'ak did the same with his other side. The fact that they had to keep him above the surface was already a bad sign. And you were completely still in the water as you watched Tsireya, Lo'ak, and Spider take care of Neteyam.

"Keep him up!" Lo'ak said with urgency to Spider as the two boys started to bring Neteyam over to Tsireya's ilu, with each of the boy's arms around Lo'ak and Spider's shoulders, as the girl herself started to mount it to take Neteyam to safety. "I got him! Come on!" Spider replied back. You watched aimlessly as you felt like you couldn't move a single muscle. Why can't you move? Why weren't you responding? Your son needs you, so move! These are just some of the many thoughts swirling through your head.

You couldn't hear anything but your own thoughts, and every voice around you sounded muffled as if you were below the surface. The pressure, the fear, and the agony was all consuming. You knew that the best thing to do was to get Neteyam out of there to make sure he can be treated. Because, he had to live. He had to. Your heartbeat intensified and you could feel it beating in your ears, drowning out everything else even when you desperately wanted to be present in this moment and help like you should.

You were so focused on Lo'ak, Spider and Tsireya all assisting Neteyam on getting on the ilu while boy himself was using all his remaining strength to get on while he was being assisted by others to get on securely, that you didn't even notice that Zara had gotten off of her Skimwing and swam her way over to you as fast as she possibly could to come to your aid after noticing your state. She put her hands on both of your cheeks and tried to get you to snap out of it because there was just no time to waste. Every sound was drowned out, but that was until you heard her desperate calls to finally ring in through your ears.

You blinked a couple times and your pupils darted frantically across your best friend's face and she sighed in relief when she realized she had gotten through to you. The sound of your own heartbeat died down in your ears, but you could still feel it in your chest as if it'll beat out of it. "Y/n, come on. We need to get Neteyam to safety. The kids already already have him, we need to go" She explained desperately as she saw you trying to form words but they kept getting cut off by your shortness of breath. It pained Zara to see you so destroyed and lost, but there was a chance that Neteyam would live through this and they had to go towards those odds and not waste any more time here.

"Will he- Will he live Zara? Please... that's my son. What will I do? I-I cannot lose my son. I cannot lose anyone else. P-please tell me he" You whispered with soft sobs leaving your lips and your voice sounded so defeated, broken and weak that Zara could swear she heard something inside her break. But she had to get you to come to your senses and tell you what she genuinely believed to get you to move forward as the kids got Neteyam ready to leave.

"He will. He'll live through this. I promise that he will be just fine. I've met that kid. He's the strongest boy I've ever met, and he'll get through this. Let's get him to safety, alright? Besides, you can see Jake again. Jake is waiting for you and the kids, Y/n" Zara said with the utmost sincerity. Jake was the one person who could hold you together at a time like that, and after being separated, Zara knew that all you and Jake was to have all your children together. You just can't think straight right now.

Hearing Jake's name suddenly brought you back down to your senses. Jake...Right. He'll know what to do. You briefly thought to yourself as you realized that you needed your family together now more than ever. You needed to see him again. You needed to know if he was okay. You replayed all of Zara's words in your head and your own as well, mustering up to take a few deep breaths before you gulped and nodded at Zara silently. Your best friend knew what that meant. She smiled with relief and took one of your hands in hers as she began to lead you both to her Skimwing.

As Zara brought you over to her Skimwing and mounted it first, you mustered up what was left in your own strength to pull yourself up to sit behind her. You looked to the side to see how the kids were doing and couldn't help but feel tears brim in your eyes again. Zara connected her queue to the Tsurak and she began guiding it closer to the others, and then all of you can leave at the same time. You and Zara watched as Tsireya had finished helping Lo'ak and Spider get settled onto the ilu with Neteyam.

Your eyes never left your son. "Grab him," Lo'ak said to Spider, who then got onto the creature and climbed onto the back of the ilu to help Neteyam sit up as Lo'ak helped adjust his brother. What pained you the most is how he still tried to lessen the work for the others by trying to get on by himself, but it hurt to see how he gasped and wheezed as his eyes closed shut, trying to lessen the pain.

Spider was at a complete loss as he saw the full extent of the injury and how much blood Neteyam was losing when Lo'ak and Tsireya were helping Neteyam get comfortable on the ilu. it struck him how one of his best friends was quite literally in a life or death situation. "Holy shit..." The human boy muttered, distracted for a few seconds as he got lost in his own thoughts, that was until Lo'ak's voice brought him back to reality to get him to continue to help. "Spider! Hold him up," The young Sully brother said, and the human boy quickly did as told, not waiting another moment grabbing onto Neteyam's shoulders from behind and pulling him back so that he sat up and wasn't slouching forward.

You felt your breath hitch and felt the urge to reach out to him as he grunted in pain when he was forced to sit up. It made your heart plummet how the wound was now in full display. Just as you thought, a bullet wound on his stomach. You felt your breathing get a little agitated again, but as if she could sense your discomfort, you felt a hand lace onto yours wordlessly and you realized it was Zara's.

You didn't say anything in response, but simply tightened your grip around her hand, and when she did the same, she knew that was your way of reciprocating. Just like you, Tsireya's face was etched with anguish and tears that were on their way to fall, as well as her ears tipping back with fear while breathing heavily just like you were. Her friend was in agony and she wished she could do so much more. Neteyam was barely conscious now, but Lo'ak was now moving to sit in front of his brother, slinging his arm over his shoulder to keep him up right. Spider stayed seated in the back and Tsireya stayed in the water to keep reassuring Neteyam as best as she could, for her friend.

When you and Zara realized that they were all secure on the ilu, you finally gathered up your voice to speak up. "Is everyone ready? We have to go now! We don't have much time," You said earning confirmation from all 4 of the kids, with small 'yeah's'. You nodded and looked at Zara who was able to hear what they said. "Okay, let's go," You said, and your best friend immediately began commanding her Skimwing to move forward, with you holding onto her. As for the kids, they left just about a second later. "It's okay, bro. I got you," Lo'ak reassured his brother behind him, quickly beginning to command the ilu to ride forward to catch up with you and Zara.

Holding Neteyam's arm over his shoulder securely, Lo'ak quickly did a once over everyone seeing as Tsireya was in the water but hanging onto the side of the creature, mostly because there wasn't enough space for all 4 of them at the same time, but she continued to hang on nonetheless. "Hurry! Go, go, go!" Spider said, and Lo'ak complied by making the ilu go as quickly and fast as it could, farther and farther away from the ship.

The farther away they got from the ship, suddenly a thought ocurred to Tsireya and she gasped. After all of this chaos, thery had forgotten about something very important. Neither Lo'ak, Spider, or you knew about it, Thankfully, you were farther ahead and wouldn't hear what Tsireya had to say. You were already on edge and this would not help. "On the ship! They have Kiri and Tuk!" Tsireya pointed out to the boys, making Lo'ak's eyes widen as he looked back at Tsireya and then back at the ship while they continued to ride across the water to hopefully meet up with their dad. But it was clear what they needed to focus on now. They would go back for Kiri and Tuk sisters later, but Neteyam could not afford to put aside right now and wait to be tended to.

They needed to make sure he's stable first before they even dared to go back into that ship again. "I can't go back," Lo'ak admitted, as much as it pained him at his sisters were still in the ship with Quaritch and his Avatar soldiers. It only supported Lo'ak's point even more when they continued to ride through the currents of the water and he could tell that Neteyam was losing strength when he kept blinking in and out of consciousness. Blood continued to seep out of the wound in his stomach and he hadn't had time to check whether the bullet went all the way through or not. But he prayed to Eywa that his brother would be saved.

The sun was slowly beginning to set behind the plant that Pandora orbits, which means that the ecplise would happen soon, which meant that the time for ending this whole thing would become scarce and the environment would change. Since you and Zara left the ship ahead of the kids, you were now able to get far enough to finally be able to see the one person that you had been wanting to get back to this entire battle. Jake was riding on his Skimwing next to a rock formation, and when he got close enough to it, he jumped off his creature and ran across the rocks only to finally lock eyes with you in the distance as he stood there waiting for you to get to him.

Your eyes widened when you were finally able to see him and he was getting closer as Zara brought her Tsurak over to the rocks. Every second that it took to get closer felt like agony in your entire body, and little did you know that it was the same for him. The need to know that you were there in his arms, safe, and out of harms way was the only thing he needed. When you were up there in the boat, he didn't know if his efforts in battle would pay off, but seeing you get closer made him feel like he was one step closer to bringing peace to his family.

As for you, you felt your heart start to hammer against your chest when you were finally in proximity, you didn't even wait for Zara to get at a better proximity because you leapt out of the Skimwing, into the water and started to swim as quickly as you could up until you reached the rocks. You immediately clambered onto the rock formations, got on your feet and began making your way to him. The moment Jake saw you running towards him, he was stuck in place and wasn't sure if you were real, if you were right in front of him. but, regardless, he didn't hesitate to open his arms to you before he knew it, you threw your arms around him and pulled him into you, making him stumble back a couple steps. You choked back a sob as tears pierced your eyes and you began to tremble the moment you finally registered that he was finally here, in your arms, and you were holding him against you.

After everything that's happened, this is everything you needed to feel like you weren't going to lose your mind. A few seconds into the hug, you felt one of his arms go around your waist and another in the back of your head, into your hair all the while he pulled you into him just as tightly as you were clinging to him. You were crushing each other, but with so much longing, which is exactly how you both wanted it. You felt Jake bury his face into your neck and exhale shakily as he wrapped his arm around waist even tighter. You were okay. You came back to him. You needed him just as much as he needed you to make it out of this.

As much as you didn't want to pull away and wanted to stay here for as long as you could, he needed to know what was coming and what happened. You hesitantly pull away from him and his hands go from your waist and the back of your head, to now putting his hands on your cheeks and holding your face in his hands. You looked up at him as the mere thought of expressing what you wanted to say already brought tears into your eyes. He noticed this and wiped a rogue tear that left your eyes with this thumb. His relief to see you again was now being replaced with the terror he had in anticipation for the news you were about to give him.

But he gave you a look that had his eyes holding so much emotion and pleading for you to continue. "Ma Jake..." You whispered as you breathed in shakily to say the next few words. He nodded as a silent 'go-ahead' for you, hating to see you so defeated and drained of life that you used to radiate everywhere you went. "I-It's our son..." You whimpered, feeling your heart burn painfully the moment you said it. But Jake...he stilled and his eyes went wide. What did you mean by that? Was it Lo'ak? Neteyam? But his question was soon answered when he heard his youngest son's voice beam from behind you. He looked up and he could finally understand what you meant. And his heart sank to his stomach.

He looked behind you and you could visibly see your husband's pupils constrict and one of his hands dropped from your cheeks. You looked behind you at the same time that you heard Lo'ak's voice reach yours and Jake's ears. You could hear the same desperation in his voice that wasn't all that different from what you heard from him back at the ship, only this time, the situation had become much more dire than how you left it. Jake dropped his hands from your cheeks and instead grabbed one of your hands instead, as both of you began to run across the rocks together to where your children were approaching. You both stopped by the shores and edge of the rocks, and even if you had seen Neteyam's condition just minutes before, the comparison of then and now was alarming. Your expression of horror in your features now mirrored the one on Jake's face.

The kids only just now noticed yours and Jake's presence on the rocks as Zara stood behind the both of you on standby to help once they got Neteyam to the rocks. Lo'ak's face immediately showed alarm and distress on his features as he finally saw you and his dad on the edge waiting for them to get closer, seeing more clearly what was happening and the state Neteyam was in. "Mom! Dad! Help! It's Neteyam! He's getting worse!" Lo'ak called out to you and Jake as he led the ilu closer to the rock that his parents were waiting on. Every time Neteyam let out a choked or laborious gasp, it felt like he was being stabbed over and over from hearing his brother struggle like that.

He was breathing erratically as he let out shallow exhales and inhales in attempts to keep breathing. Both you and Jake could hear your son's heavy breathing and it made your minds and hearts race. "Hurry!" Tsireya urged with distress as she moved closer to Spider and Lo'ak, to help Neteyam get off the ilu safely. The rough and choppy waters were not making this any easier and the tension continued to grow with every passing second, feeling like hope was dwindling more and more as Neteyam struggled to hold on. When the they got closer to the rocks, Lo'ak, Tsireya, and Spider all got off the ilu and began to dismount Neteyam off of it, gently, from the saddle and then began to bring his body closer to the shore of the rocky surface as you and Jake stood on the edge to receive your son. "Here, take him" Spider said, helping bring him down from the creature. The moment the kids were close enough, you and Jake immediately knelt down in front of them to help bring Neteyam closer and safely onto the surface of the rock.

"Oh no," Jake muttered to himself as he finally saw the severity of the situation and got to have a close look at his son, while you began to feel a lump begin to form in your throat at seeing him up close in this state again. You tried to shake it away and hold it together, because that's what he needed. But it was becoming increasingly difficult. You've been through this far too many times before, but now, you were witnessing how it happened for the first time.

But you wouldn't let this go down the same path. This wouldn't be a repeat of yet another time where life has decided to take and rip away someone you cared about. "It's Neteyam, dad! He's hurt!" Lo'ak said, making Jake's eyes widen with shock and sudden pain for what his oldest son was enduring. Your mate already knew what this might be about, considering the people they were facing and where his kids were just before this. You and Jake reached and helped Spider get onto the rock, pulling him onto it, as  Tsireya and Lo'ak brought the bleeding boy closer to his parents, who reached for them next. "Hurry! Please!" Lo'ak urged as his voice cracked slightly, crying out for help. 

You and Jake heard the desperation in your sons voice, with a tone that begged that his brother could be saved and as much as you tried to hide it, It absolutely shattered both of your hearts heart to see your son like this. Part of Lo'ak knew he wouldn't make it through, but there was still time to treat it. Time was crucial now.

To get Neteyam up faster, Lo'ak moved to kneel next to you while Spider was on Jake's other side and all 4 of you began to hold onto Neteyam's shoulders and pulling him into the rock surface and away from the choppy waters that were making it impossible to lift Neteyam onto the surface. Your breath hitched with fear as you watched as Neteyam's eyes were fluttering close, meaning that he was closer and closer to losing consciousness and letting his body finally give in to the pain and the exhaustion. You didn't have much time, and you all needed to hurry if you wanted to make sure Neteyam lived. He began to cough in an even harsher manner and clearly losing his ability to breath properly with every second that passed that they didn't get him on the rocks. "Watch his head! Watch his head!" Lo'ak exclaimed with worry as all of them helped lift Neteyam up, as carefully as they could. You and Lo'ak were holding one of his arms while Jake and Spider held the other and supported his head and his back at the same time.

Tsireya was the only one holding his legs, clearly struggling, so Zara ran over and helped her carry them so that Neteyam could be set down properly and examined. They needed to be quick."Come on!" Lo'ak continued, resisting the urge not to let all of his fears and emotions spill out in that very moment. You heard his clear  desperation and turned your head to face him briefly before using one of your hands to place it on the side of his face for comfort. At your gesture, he breathed in harshly but quickly pulled himself together. He felt like he was the one who caused this to happen in the first place and for that, for this family, had to be strong and not buckle under fear. His brother had to make it through. He had to.

Eventually, you, Jake, Tsireya, Lo'ak, Spider, and Zara all collectively found a good spot on the ground to set Neteyam down in, so he could also rest his head comfortably. The more his wound got left untreated, Neteyam's breathing only got more erratic and could only wheeze when he even attempted to breathe or even speak. None of what he tried to help himself was working. He felt like he was going to die, and knew he needed to accept his fate, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to die.

He was scared out of his mind, but he felt like his last moments were imminent and he didn't want the last thing he felt to be fear. He wanted to be strong. "Just watch his head," Jake instructed to the kids and his wife as they lay down his son. When he was finally down, you immediately stood up, went around and sat back down to be next to Jake so that you could both be there in Neteyam's eye line during this whole thing. He needed to know they were all there.

As Neteyam began to breath out even shallower breaths that were becoming quicker, you reached a hand over and began to soothe your son by running your hand through his hair to comfort him. You didn't want him to be scared, and now that they could look at him better, they could save him. The atmosphere was frantic as the tension continued to rise, but you breathed heavily as you watched as Spider grabbed a small flashlight from his vest pockets and held it up while Jake flipped Neteyam onto his side to see if the bullet went all the way through, only causing Neteyam to have a fit loud and shallow coughs and wheezes.

Neteyam turned his head to look at his dad, gasping more frequently with groans as he felt himself start to shut down. In his own mind, acceptance and reality were starting to settle in, so Neteyam started to frantically look around and drag his gaze with wide eyes to everyone who was around him with fear and despair. "It's okay, it's okay," Jake whispered, cupping his sons face, reassuring him.

"I want to go home," He managed to say even through his erratic breathing and shallow voice. Jake nodded, "I know, I know. We're going home. We will, I promise" Jake whispered as he cupped his sons face and cheek with his free hand. He needed to comfort his son and let him know he will live. How could he let him to lose hope in a moment like this? How could he allow himself to make the same mistake twice of letting someone he loved when he wasn't looking and there to protect them? He wouldn't let it happen again. Never again. He wouldn't ever fail his family again.

Lo'ak said as he continued to comfort his older brother, who now seemed to be barely hanging on "It's okay, bro. We got you," Lo'ak said, but the only response he got was Neteyam's shallow breaths mingled with harsh coughs. Jake wanted to check just how severe this wound was, because if there was an exit wound, it would be more lethal. But thankfully, there wasn't one, which meant that the bullet was still inside. Still, Neteyam lost a lot of blood and the gunshot itself was already dangerous enough at that.

You saw Jake look somewhat relieved but then seemed to remember another detail as he flipped his son back onto his back and leaned over to check his abdomen and see how far the bullet had gone, because that was another factor. When he did, Jake couldn't help but exhale in relief when he realized that the bullet was still visible, which means it probably hadn't hit any vital organs.

"The bullet didn't go through, it's still inside. We have to put pressure on it and cover it up until we can get him to a healer at the village," Jake said as he couldn't help but let a teary smile come upon his face. At his revelation, you gasped and your hand came up to your mouth and you covered it in shock, soon letting out short and breathy laughs against your hand. But it wasn't over yet. They had to make sure Neteyam was stable first before anybody could feel at ease. You leaned over Neteyam and placed a hand against his cheek, and upon contact from who he knew was his mother, he smiled even through the shallow breaths.

"Did you hear that? Don't worry. You'll be okay, my love. Just hold on, okay?" You cooed softly and he smiled gently while you stroked his cheek. As they thought of a solution on how to keep the wound sealed for now, Jake was quick to tell the others what to do next to stall for a bit and to keep him alive for as long as possible."Pressure. Get pressure on it," Jake said, and Lo'ak immediately complied, quickly putting his hands on his brother's stomach to keep the blood from continuing to run out like it was. While Jake put his hands over Lo'ak's, securely and tightly. Still, the mere sensation of the pressure being put on him only made Neteyam groan and hiss, gritting his teeth in agony. You quickly  swallowed back the pain in your voice as you heard how much of his pain he was vocalizing, but he just needed to hold on a little bit more and all this would be over. Why won't this be over already?

As all of you either put pressure on his wound or comforted Neteyam, you quickly heard Zara speak up behind you. "I have an idea. It can cover up his wound. I learned this from a healer in the village" Zara said as she stood up and your eyes were wide as you looked at her, watching her walk around you. "Tsireya come help me" Your best friend said, and the Metkayina princess quickly complied and stood up to follow her over to the edge of the rocky shores. You watched them from afar for a couple seconds up until the moment they came back, and they had seaweed in their hands. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in your head.

Of course! You heard about this before too! Seaweed was used on injured warriors all the time. Though, it was a little haphazard right now, it would certainly do the trick until Neteyam could be taken to the village. Zara walked over and sat next to you, holding out the seaweed to Jake, who turned to look at her with confusion until he understood what she meant. "Put this on him. It will hold the wound for a while" Zara advised and Jake didn't waste a single moment to grab a handful from her hands. Lo'ak saw this as well and saw that Tsireya was offering him the seaweed she had gathered as well. He lifted his hands from Neteyam's wound for a second and grabbed a handful of it from Tsireya's hands, then turning to see Jake putting some of the seaweed he had onto his son, being careful not to hurt him. When he was done, Lo'ak proceeded to do the same and secure it onto the wound.

Everyone watched to see if Neteyam's body language to see if it changed. The bleeding had indeed stopped, and you all noticed how his breathing was slowly but surely going back to a better rhythm. Seeing this, you couldn't help but chuckle as tears brimmed your eyes and you turned your head to look at Jake who was already looking at you. You didn't wait for another second to throw your arms around his neck and hug him tightly, almost squeezing him. He didn't wait a second to reciprocate, because he wrapped his arms around your waist as he tucked his head in your neck, feeling his breath tickle your skin as you felt him exhale with relief as he laughed lightly.

From that you both knew you were both thinking the same thing. Your family was intact. You wouldn't lose anybody. Your son was going to live. That thought alone brought you to tears as you slowly separated and both of you turned to look at your son who was starting to look more and more content and at ease. Jake kept a single arm wrapped around your waist and you leaned your head against his shoulder.

You knew Neteyam was starting to accept his fate, but you and everyone saved him right on the nick of time. Your heart broke at the mere thought that he had to accept that he was going to die and leave everyone he loved behind. You can't bear to think what was running through his mind. The more you looked at him the more you began to realize how brave he truly was. He was a good kid, an amazing brother and an even better son. He deserved to live a long and full life, and now that he'll live, you'll make sure he does. But, what you didn't expect, was Neteyam's next words.

"Mom...Dad," He whispered and both you and Jake were quick to lean over further to be in his eye line and let him know you were both there. You reached a hand over to put cup his cheek, and you quickly noticed something in his eyes that you didn't recognize. You looked at Jake and saw that he was looking at his son with concern, just like you were. He must've noticed that look on his face as well. "Am I....going to die?" He asked and everyone who heard that stilled. Zara, Tsireya, Lo'ak, Spider, you, and Jake all kept quiet as your heart began to race again waiting for him to elaborate, but he never did. You saw his eyes fluttering and opening as he kept a gentle smile on his face, almost as if he was there but not really there at the same.

Then it hit you, he was delirious. At this realization you were quick to speak up again and reassure him. "No, you're not going to die. You're right here with us and you're not going anywhere, okay?" You said gently, continuing to stroke his cheek. Neteyam looked up at you in a way that made your lips quiver and eyes pierce with tears because of the pain building up yet again. You saw him nod and you were able to catch his next words. "Dad..." Neteyam said as he moved his gaze to look up to his eyes and Jake nodded, letting him know he was listening. Then Neteyam turned to look at you again, and then darted his eyes between you and Jake, before he smiled with half lidded eyes. "I love y-you..." He muttered before his eyes fluttered closed. You and Jake froze, and so did everyone else.

Out of instinct, not knowing if his words were out of goodbye or simply because he was delirious but this made your heart sink. What just happened? Was your mind playing tricks on you? Were you imagining this? You had bated breath as you stilled and your entire body froze in place. Your eyes were trained on the ground, your ears tipped back and your mouth suddenly went agape as you felt a switch flip in your brain. Something in your mind snapped. Nobody noticed the way your breath slowly but surely was starting to pick up.

Jake acted quicker than you and moved himself to put his ear against his son's chest and waited for a couple seconds. You looked at everyone else around who seemed to be just as on edge as you, waiting to see if everything you just did actually had an effect, or if it was in vain. When Jake exhaled and lifted his head he had his eyes closed shut as he nodded for a couple times, and then laughed breathily in relief. "He's alive. The pain he was in, the exhaustion and the stress on his body must've taken a toll on him. He's just unconscious" He said as he moved his fingers to his pulse on his neck to double check and ran a hand down his face when he realized his son was alive. They just needed to make sure he was stable enough to make it back to the village. While you stayed in place, not knowing how to react, it seemed that everyone was having an aftershock from this experience now that it had passed.

Everyone began to have the same realization. Neteyam almost died, he got hurt, and was put in the worst imaginable situation. Everyone was having a different reaction. The emotions they were holding for his sake in hopes of his survival crashed down on everyone at the same time. Lo'ak was looking down at his hands, full of his brother's blood, the blood that he was convinced was shed because of him. If he had never taken such a risk, things could've been different, but he caused his brother the most unimaginable pain and agony because his decisions put him there.

Even on the ship, Neteyam put himself first and let Lo'ak and Spider jump before he made sure they were safe and he could do it as well, but it almost cost him his life. He would've never gotten out of there unscathed with Spider if it wasn't for Neteyam holding off the soldiers. Silent tears began to leave Lo'ak's eyes as choked sobs that he tried to suppress began to be heard, and he gritted his teeth in anger at himself for letting this happen. 

He quite literally had his brother's blood on his hands. The rest were letting their emotions out as well, finally feeling as if they had been holding onto them for far too long. Spider was tearing up as well, feeling the close call of losing one of his closest friend was taking a bigger toll on him than he thought. he was breathing heavily and he gaped as tears fell down his cheeks with pain. He had known Neteyam since they were kids, and considers him and Lo'ak the brothers he never had, and if he had lost either of them, he didn't know how he could continue his life without someone like him so willing to be there for others and those he loves so dearly. Tsireya has tears streaming down her eyes, closing them shut tightly and was crying softly, keeping her eyed locked on Neteyam's unconscious body as Zara was holding and comforting her as best as she could. She enjoyed teaching him and Lo'ak about breathing techniques, the ways of the Metkayina and her people, and growing a bond with the eldest Sully brother.

While Jake stayed close to Neteyam, you were stuck in your own head as your head began to swim in denial and the reality that was refusing to kick in. The moment that the switch went off in your head, everything around you began to feel muffled and you couldn't register anything. Every thought, every whisper in your head, and painful memory was drowning out everything and its as if you were being brought back to every loss you've had up until now, feeling as if even if Neteyam was alright, it was just a repeat of the suffering of losing your parents, Hahona, Eylti, and now you almost lost your son.

You remembered the times that you spent with this boy. When you took him out hunting, when he came to you for advice to be a better warrior, when him and Lo'ak fell asleep next to you at night back at the village, or when Kiri was unconscious and the boy latched onto you with grief until he knew his sister would be okay. Even if for a moment those memories would be ripped away, the mere thought of this having gone another way was destroying you on the inside.

You didn't know what came over you, but you suddenly stood on your feet, catching Jake's attention. His blood ran cold when he saw the look on your face. By just taking a couple steps back, you suddenly fell back on the ground with your hands to hold you up as you looked at the ground as a choke sob left your lips. Your mind felt like it was being tortured over and over again, putting you through such torment that you thought you could handle but you can't. You were outside but you felt like you could hardly breathe. What was happening to you. Your chest hurt and you put a hand over your heart and you felt your throat start to close up and your breathing became labored and unbearable to take in air. Zara noticed this and her face twisted into one of concern. "...Y/N?" She whispered as she watched you from afar.

The more you breathed, the more it felt like it would help to calm down, but it was making it worse. Jake noticed this and crawled over to you as he kneeled in front of you, placing his hands on your cheeks as he examined your expressions and your body language with panic. He tried to move your head to get you to look at him, but even when he angle your head to him, its like you were looking at him but you weren't seeing him at all. Your vision was fuzzy and you couldn't concentrate at all. "Y/n...baby, look at me. Please..." Jake whispered as your breathing started to feel more shallow and soft cries started to mix with it. You could barely function. Everything hurts so much and you didn't know how to make it stop.

In your mind, you could hear some sort of muffled voice calling out to you, and you were trying to desperately trying to hear them and decipher what they were saying, but your head hurts, your chest hurts, your entire body hurts and you couldn't do anything to stop it. You were overstimulated with emotions all at once and your cries and sobs were becoming more intense and more tears were rolling down your cheeks as you shook your head trying to drown out whatever was being said to you. You were tired of trying to comprehend it. Somehow across the own voice inside your head, you could finally decipher whose voice it was that was trying to get you to calm down. "Y/n, please! Goddammit...look at me, please!" Jake said desperately, but you physically can't.

It's too much and your head is in a place whether you can't even hear yourself think. But then, what gets you to finally look at him and stop the chaos in your mind for a second is when you suddenly feel his lips hit the side of your head a couple times before he turned to look at you again expectantly. He breathed heavily as he realized you finally made eye contact with him and this time, he knew you were with him. You were silent as you had your eyes locked with him. It broke his heart to see you like this. Bloodshot eyes, tearstained cheeks, heaving chest as you were struggling to breathe, and the inability to speak because you were so consumed with your emotions. He knew something cracked inside of you the moment things died down. He should've known.

"That's it. Don't look away. Keep your eyes on me..." Jake continued to whisper as his voice was becoming more and more apparent through the muffled sounds in your head. Without another word, he began to breathe in and out and hoped you began to follow his lead. And he thanked God that you were conscious enough to finally listen and began to mirror him. He smiled gently at you as he moved his head to be near your ear and cooed in your ear as he continued to help you breathe. "That's it. You're doing great" He said as he moved his head back and looked at you directly into your beautiful, big, doe eyes that even when they were tear-ridden, you were still the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.

Once your breathing was back to normal, he moved onto the next step. "Okay I need you to tell me five things you can see. Anything" He said, and for a second you tilted your head to the side as you tried to run his request through your head but you nodded as you began to look all around you. You had no idea how this would help, but just looking at him was bringing you back down to your senses. Your irregular breathing patterns and tightness in your chest area was slowly subsiding thanks to him.

"Um...I see you" You started and Jake hummed as he raised a hand to softly comb a piece of your hair behind your ear, not letting himself smile too much as you inadvertently said those 3 words he loved hearing from you. He wanted you to continue. "The rocks..." You said as you moved your fingers to run the tips across the rocky surface. You looked around and your eyes landed on your children. "The kids" You continued and looked behind you as you panted softly to see the vast sea. "I see the ocean...and um- the ship over there" You pointed out softly and Jake hummed again, already noticing how your body language changed, and you were beginning to come back to him. You inhaled softly and Jake realize you still needed a bit of a push until you were back to normal. "If you're up for it, can you tell me two things you can hear," He encouraged softly, and at this point, the ringing in your ears was almost fully gone. You nodded shakily and silently.

"I can hear the waves...and your voice" You said, and Jake nodded as he locked eyes with you getting lost in the ocean blue color of them, not being able to look away. Before he knew it, you wrapped your arms around his midsection and tucked your head in his neck as a silent thank you. He is exactly what you needed and he never failed to fulfill his promises to you. Never letting you feel alone or in despair, being able to bring you back to the present in a way you will never comprehend. He quickly hugged you back and kissed the top of your head as he slowly started to pull away after a few seconds, but not fully, so that you could stay in his arms and he could bring you back to the kids.

Being separated is the last thing anyone needed right now. "I love you..." You muttered against his skin and he tightened his grip around your waist before he replied. "I love you more," He muttered, realizing that he would do this a million times over for you and his children if it meant he got to keep you and the kids in his life.

He couldn't lie and say he wasn't suffering, but he was trying to be strong for the both of you and the rest of the family. This was a close call he would go to hell and back to prevent anyone harming you and the kids. He couldn't afford to let his emotions reveal themselves now with Quaritch still out there, just imminently waiting for Jake to turn himself in. could wait, but putting an end to this could not. He had a job to do. He had to kill him. He will make Quaritch regret putting his family through the same agony they went through when they lost Neytiri, or when he lost Grace. For a moment, it did feel like all of moments combined and he felt like if they couldn't have saved Neteyam, he could have never recovered and he'd lose another part of himself forever. If he wanted to keep the rest of his children and wife safe, he needed to deal with Quaritch and it had to be now or this would never end.

And as if on cue, the voice of the man he hated the most started ringing through his ears and his comms. That dreaded voice that made his blood boil. He remembered he was talking through the comms he took from Lo'ak. "Can you hear me, Corporal? I know you can" Quaritch started in a taunting voice, and Jake tensed by just hearing his voice. "Yeah, yeah, I think you can" Quaritch said and  continued to incentivize a reaction from Jake. Knowing his entire family was safe, your husband felt like he can finally go through with what he wanted to do to Quaritch in revenge for even laying a finger on his family. His face contorted into one of fear, hatred, and silent rage, trying to stay composed for his wife in his arms and his kids right in front of him. But what the Colonel said next made Jake's heart drop.

"I got your daughters," Quaritch said, prompting Jake to snap his head back to look at the sinking ship that Kiri and Tuk were apparently still being held hostage in. How did he not notice? His daughters, with that monster. How did he let himself get so caught up in emotion and the situation? Jake looked around and his thoughts were running wild. "Same deal as before. You, for them," Quaritch threatened. Not wanting to alarm you as he finally got you to calm down, though he knew you'd panic once you'd hear his words, but Jake let out a shaky exhale and shuddering breath as he turned to look at Lo'ak.

"Where are your sisters?" Jake asked with his eyes lidded and as he tried to stay as composed as he possibly could. Zara was the first to freeze at your husband's words, feeling guilt take over her. Lo'ak looked up at his dad and gulped nervously at what was being asked of him. You slowly lifted your head after hearing your mate's words. He was right. Where were they? You looked up at him with wide eyes and then followed his gaze to see that Jake was looking at Lo'ak. "What?" Lo'ak muttered, still a bit out of it giving Jake all the confirmation he needed. The boy had told himself he'd go back for them because of the urgency with Neteyam's situation, but now the gravity of leaving them there was starting to settle in. "Your sisters! Where are they?!" Jake asked with more urgency and distress. You looked between Lo'ak and Jake, trying to put together what you were hearing.

Just as you were of sound mind again, this bomb was dropped on you and your family. You only continued to sob and wail, all as Tsireya stayed closed to you for comfort. Lo'ak stuttered when trying to answer, and his mind was clouded. This situation was putting everyone in the worst position and it was nobody's fault, but the truth is that you couldn't even think properly anymore. Your mind was clouded as your eyes darted everywhere, trying to calm yourself down by yourself like Jake did with you before. You couldn't possibly let yourself break again in this moment. "I don't know," Lo'ak said, even if he did know deep down but couldn't bring himself to remember even if he tried.

Though, his response only brought more fear onto his dad. Lo'ak, and everyone around was trying to get their bearings back "Where are they?" He yelled, with a few of his words getting caught up in his throat. But the one person who felt like she should take responsibility for this spoke up. Zara knew Lo'ak would have a hard time answering, and Kiri and Tuk were her duty to protect so she took it upon herself to tell Jake where they were. "They're on the ship. They're tied up on the ship" Zara said as her voice shook, trying to keep up a front as  more guilty tears streaming down her cheeks and face.

Feeling like he should chime in, as he knew of this as well, Spider turned to Jake, remembering exactly where it was that he saw Kiri and Tuk last. You turned to look at Spider as well, trying to gain enough courage and strength to go after the man who has put you and your family through hell. You breathed heavily as you realized that you were able to let everything out but now, it was time to make them pay. "They're at the moon pool. O-On the well deck. Midships," The boy continued, but Jake shook his head slightly and closed his eyes, having a hard time processing information right now.

He was trying his best to comprehend but even he had his limits of how much he could take. "What?" Jake asked, trying to put all of his focus on getting his daughters back and deciding to focus on healing with his family later. He was a soldier, just like you were a warrior, and he had a duty to protect his family, now more than ever. He needed to focus on this, and only this. But he couldn't possibly do it alone. He needed you.

"Just- Come on, I'll show you," Spider said, standing up, grabbing Jake's forearm, and bringing him to stand up forcing him to pull away from his hold on you. You stood up as well, as shaky as your legs were. You breathed in and out and once again, a switch in your mind flip. But now, it was one for revenge. As Spider began to drag him over to the shore so he could show him the way back to the ship, Jake stopped in his tracks entirely when he started to  hear the Colonel's voice through the comms again. "Talk to me, Corporal. I need somethin' Jake, or you know there's gonna be consequences," Quaritch said, walking through the deck with his comrades in tow as he gave out orders to them simultaneously.

This time, Jake didn't hesitate to answer back, but more with more resolve this time. "Yeah, I hear you" Jake breathed out, pressing down on the buttons of his comms, but then releasing them and proceeding to walk over to you. He needed you by his side through this. There's nobody else he would want with him when he is fighting against Quaritch. He needed you there. You looked like you were focused on something else from afar, but this time around the look in your face was entirely different and you seemed to obviously be completely in control.

As Jake moved to stand beside you, Spider looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was hiding more and more behind the planet that Pandora orbits, and this just meant that the ecplise would happen soon, which meant that it would soon turn to complete darkness. The entire battlefield would change and they could use that to their advantage. When you felt your husband's presence, turned your head to look at him. Your eyes were still bloodshot, but he knew your gaze was different. To get your attention, Jake placed his hands just under your jaw, on your neck, to make you look up at him. He needed you to listen to what he had to say. "Listen to me...we have to go. We have to fight," Jake whispered but you could hear him loud and clear. You were breathing softly, but he had your full attention.

He knew that your jobs were not over until Quaritch and the people in that ship were dead. He knew you weren't just doing this for Neteyam and how they hurt him the way they did, but he knew your anger and rage for the Sky People killing mercilessly those you loved was a big factor in your will to fight. You were doing this for everyone you have ever loved that tried to fight but didn't have the means for it and was ripped away from you. That was more than enough to make you fight until the end, until there was no longer a repeat of this to anyone else. Like Tonowari said, they must die here, today.

"Y/n, my love, you have to listen to me. They have our daughters, okay? They have our daughters," Jake said as he looked at you straight in the eye and his words made you look at him with what looked like nothing but emptiness, but that wasn't the case. You understood the situation. You knew exactly what had to be done. He then moved his other hand to cup your cheek a little bit higher, rubbing away your stray tears that you didn't even notice had fallen with his thumb. You were looking up at Jake with dark, half lidded eyes that were once so full of light before today, but now, he looked into those beautiful eyes that he fell in love with and all he could see was sorrow and desolation. You have come to the realization that you couldn't hold back anymore, and those demons would have to pay for what they have done.

They killed your mate, your spirit sister, and nearly your son. Their faces all flashed in your mind and it only made you angrier. Jake would always take it upon himself to take your pain and endure all of that pain and burden on his shoulders when it came to you. He made that promise to you from the start, and he sure as hell would not break it now. He wouldn't ever hesitate to help you get back on your feet when all hope seemed to diminish, and now, this was obviously one of those times that he would he willing to shoulder your suffering to help you keep moving forward. The reason you were so willing to fight so readily wasn't just because of those who have suffered due to the Sky People, but also because you didn't want to know what its like to be a single day without Jake. He knew you'd fight to get back to him, and you knew he would fight to do the same without hesitation.

"I need you with me, Y/n," Jake whispered, seeing your eyes dart all over his face. No matter how much he was hurting inside himself, how much he was suffering himself or how it broke him to see you so lost, he looked at you with a look on his face that entirely masked how he was feeling, so he could get you back on your feet to get through this together, as a family. He was sure you could see through that, but if you did, he was glad you were letting him take on your burdens with you. And now, he was about to say the words he never thought he would say to anyone else, but he couldn't imagine anyone more fitting to share it with, knowing you'll take it with a grain of salt. "And I need you to be strong. Right now. You're so strong, you can do anything. Strong heart..." Jake said, placing his hand over your heart, redirecting the words to you that he holds so dear to his heart, that he would regret if he never said them to you. He was glad he did, because your eyes widened a fraction, feeling even more confident knowing he believed in you, more than you'll ever.

It's exactly what you needed. You didn't hesitate to place your hand over his as you looked up at him. "Strong heart..." Jake uttered so tenderly and softly that you never wanted to forget how he says it. After that, it only took a few more seconds for you to respond and you exhaled deeply as your eyes drooped into a venomous glare. Your resolve started to bubble up inside you even more with the words of your mate,  so you breathed in through your nose as Jake rubbed his thumb against your cheekbone, feeling more ready to fight than ever.

At last, you gave him one last look and turned your head around, and just as you were about to head off to call Pua, your eyes darted to the ground and you saw something that caught your eye. A bow and arrow. Your eyes turned to the side and you realized that you knew who it belonged to. Your eyes darted to Zara and realized that she had brought it along with her and hid it in battle in case you needed it. When she smiled at you, that was all the confirmation you needed. She always told you that you were good with your bow and arrow, like scary good, but never knew why you never pursued it more. You argued that it wasn't as common for the Metkayina to use it, but she knew it must have been because of some other reason.

She knew plenty of warriors who used bow and arrow. Now you know, that this was the time. You knelt down slowly, lifted it off the ground, stood up, and looking back at Jake to give him one last glance. The look on his face as he saw you with a bow and arrow left him completely awestruck, but when you sent him a gentle smile and turned back around to walk to the shores, Jake put a hand over his heart as he realized how hard it was pounding. He quickly got his bearings and walked closer to you near the edge of the water.

As you held your bow and arrow by your side, you looked up at Jake as you both stand side by side, Jake raised a hand to place it against your jaw and spoke up. "Let's go get our daughters," Jake whispered, and without another word, you nodded and turned to look at the water to call for Pua. After you yipped and called for your Skimwing, a few seconds later the creature appeared beneath the surface. You quickly stepped into the water as your face contorted into one of pure rage and anger bubbling inside every fiber of your being.

You were ready for anything. You were breathing heavily, but this time it wasn't because of crying; it was more for revenge and how much you wanted those demons to perish. Jake watched as you mounted your Skimwing, and pulled your braid around and connected your queue. The moment the tendrils connected, your Tsurak screeched violently as your feelings and need for revenge brewing inside you travelled through the bond. Within second, holding your bow and arrow close, you disappeared beneath the surface of the ocean

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College and life in general have been so hard recently :,( I realized writing is one of the only things keeping me sane right now lmao shsj I just hope you guys have enjoyed this story as much Ive enjoyed writing it :,) I cannot believe its coming to an end in only a couple chapters. College has been draining and I cannot wait for summer to start because I desperately need a break sshsj

Also I decided to keep Neteyam alive in this story because I wanted to do something different from my other books. There's also more angst coming shsj Ive been planning the finale for months so I hope it pays off! Did you guys enjoy the scenes I added? :,) I was trying something new and added some ideas Ive had for a while!

I think I mentioned this before but, there's only a couple chapters left in this story so Im planning to hopefully finish it by the time summer officially starts and then Ill have the entire summer to get started on 'Call of Silence' and dedicate my time to that one after this book! Im so excited! 🤍

Anyway, did you guys like this chapter? I really hope you guys enjoy it as much as ive been looking forward to you guys reading it! :,) Im trying to stay as consistent as I can, but I really am trying to find a balance between everything going on in my life.

As usual, I put these at the end of every chapter I write, but there's not much else that I have to say now. As always, I'll add other news in future chapters if there are any at all or if anything changes. Anyway, I'll see you all in the next one! 🤍 Have a good rest of your week everyone! :,)
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