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

A/N: I hope you guys are as excited over this new lore and arc Im introducing. I have a really good feeling about it and I hope you all like it as much as I do!

Don't forget to comment <3 I love reading and replying to all of your comments and they make my day 🤍 Without further ado, I hope you guys like this chapter!
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You and Kiri had eventually come down from the cliff and back to the village. The food had been exactly as you left it and Jake was immediately curious as to what you two did. He didn't know how you did it, but how you managed to have taken Kiri (who had a frown on her face) to having her return with a joyful expression on her face, he'll never know.

Either way, he was grateful that you immediately knew what to do after seeing Kiri like that and knew how to help her. It's one of those things that Neytiri was also better at, and he struggled to find the words sometimes. Still, Kiri understood that and knew that her dad always had good intentions and tried his best.

There were many things still up in the air. You and Jake hadn't seen Lo'ak since earlier at noon when he had promised to go apologize to Ao'nung. Neither Kiri, Neteyam, and Tuk knew where he was all this time. Right now, it was nighttime and everyone was dispersed trying to get things done before heading to bed for the night. The Metkayina villagers weren't as cheery or boisterous at this time of day because of how tired they were from all of their duties.

You and Kiri had gone back to cooking, Jake stepped in once in a while to interact with the two of you, and it stayed like that for the rest of the afternoon. Now that it was nighttime, everything was much more peaceful. There wasn't much going on right now, but for one person in specific, the world felt like it had stopped. Jake was sitting on the shores of the beach in the village, with his arms on his knees as he pondered and stayed silent while looking out into the distance in deep thought.

He's had this happen a few times for the last year, and he's made sure none of the kids saw him like that. It's usually when his mind liked to torture him the most and has him relive the death of the one he loved. It was painful, and much like the first night without Neytiri, Jake couldn't go a moment without closing his eyes and seeing such horror that he wanted to forget so badly. It usually only took him to simply take some time alone to remind him of his current reality to let him know that he was okay. His family wasn't in danger, and even if he knew he would never quite move on, he knew that he could go on with his life while also honoring the life of the woman he loved.

The breeze from the sea brushed against his face and his dark locks while he felt sand between his fingers and water washing up to the shoreline. The coldness of the sea water at this time of day kept him in check. Everytime he felt his mind stray off negatively, the chills of the water brought him back down to his feet.

In the back of his head, he thought about maybe calling you to accompany him. Talking to someone would help, and if he had a chance to pick, it'd be you. Talking would get his mind distracted for a bit, and even if he went down that dark hole again, you had a way with words that truly resonated with him. Even so, he couldn't call you. Jake doesn't have the guts for it, to willingly make himself vulnerable.

As much as he wanted you by his side, if he brought you down with him, he would never forgive himself. You didn't deserve that agony. Little did Jake know that you already jumped down that path a long time ago, and were suffering as well. Neither of you wanted to admit how much you needed the other.

You understood his pain more than anyone, but you didn't know it and he didn't know it. You had noticed how off he was the rest of the day and now you were standing outside your hut and on the woven paths of the village, watching Jake with concern, sitting alone at the beach. He looked so lost and your heart shattered for him. He was in so much pain that not many people knew of, and you wanted to go over there so badly to be the person he could share his troubles and burdens with.

You leaned against the nearest pole and watched as he let his fingers play with the soft sand, deep in thought. You watched as the bioluminescence of the water reached up to his toes and metaphorically, momentarily, brought light to his eyes again. You sighed with a frown on your face, debating whether or not you should approach. You were his friend, and despite your (possibly one-sided) feelings, friendship always came first and you'd put your complicated emotions aside so he can get back up to his feet and recover from his troubles.

You were too caught up in your own thoughts to hear someone coming behind you. Zara had just come back from a hanging out with some of the women in our village that are the same age as us. It's usually held to talk about how our lives are going, to do some crafts, or talk purely gossip going on in the village. You haven't gone to one of those meetings in a long time, but you've thought about going again at some point. Just not right now since its not a good time to feel bombarded with questions from those woman. It would be too much.

Zara had been approaching you and was about to greet you, but quickly stopped when realizing that you were completely distracted, so much that you didn't even notice your best friend's footsteps coming closer. Zara leaned forward curiously to see what you were looking at, and when following your eyeline, it clearly led to Jake across from you sitting by the beach. Your best friend could see your conflicted emotions, not knowing what to make of it. The girl sighed. You two were exhausting.

"What are you doing?" Zara suddenly piped up from behind you, startling you and scaring the living daylights out of you. You jumped in fear and then turn back to see who it was. When you realized it was Zara, you sighed in relief and turned back to look at Jake but now at least you were listening to her and weren't completely out of it. "He's been out there for a long time" You said with a tone full of concern and worry. Zara glanced at Jake and nodded, understanding your observation.

"Then go talk to him. He probably needs someone to talk to" Zara said in as-a-matter-of-fact tone. You turned to look at your best friend and sighed, debating in your head whether you would be the person he'd be okay with being right now. "He probably just needs to clear his head. I don't want to intrude" You said, half-lying. You did want to go over there and help him through the turmoil he seems to be going through, but at the same time, most people just need time alone with their thoughts to organize them and get back to reality.

"What he needs is you. You're his friend, y/n. This is what friends do. Go over there" Zara said as she crossed her arms over her chest and continued to observe your hesitancy. You were considering it, but you didn't want to be the one to make his mood worsen. "You really think that's what he'd want?" You asked, looking over to Jake and seeing him run his hand over his face with conflicting thoughts.

"I do. Men can be stubborn but if you show that you're willing to be there, they will appreciate it more than you will ever know" Zara said, and you turned back to look at her. All me are different because it was never like this with Hahona. You never had to ask because he was always right there to express what he felt on his own, but you still had yet to know what Jake's thought process is. Maybe Zara was right. This could be a way to get to know him in that aspect and also help him with what he's feeling at the same time. It's clear that he needs someone and is hurting, but you have to go about it gently and carefully.

"Maybe you're right. But what do I do? Do I just walk up to him? Do I do it now?" You asked Zara who sighed and smiled fondly at you as she shook her head. You were hopeless and it was so adorable. She didn't remember you being this lost when trying to get close to Hahona. This is obviously different. "Yes, now. Let him know you're there for him. I don't know, take him on a walk, sit with him, try to distract him. Your options are endless" Zara said, and you breathed out through your nose as you sighed and looked back to Jake.

"Okay, i'll do it. Just give me a second" You said, leaning away from the pole you were standing against. You breathed in and out, going over in your head what you'd say to him. As his friend, being supportive and just being there was your #1 job, and you'd fulfill it. As of now, this wasn't about your feelings anymore, but it was about getting him through what was giving him so much pain. He doesn't have many he can trust here, and you're part of that small percentage that he does trust, and you wouldn't take that for granted at all.

You turned back to look at Zara and she was was holding up both of her hands, giving you two thumbs up and an encouraging smile. "I'll get out of your hair. Good luck, and tell me how it goes" She whispered, so that Jake doesn't catch on to both of your presence there. You nodded and turn back to the said man, taking a deep breath and starting to make your way over to him. The sand drowned out sounds of your footsteps getting closer, because of that, Jake didn't hear you coming behind him.

When you were standing behind him, you hesitated on how to get his attention. To not scare him too much by your sudden presence, you inhaled softly and just spoke; "Hi" You said, and at the sound of your voice, Jake turned around. When his eyes landed on you, it was easy to tell how his face went from being conflicted to softening just by looking at you.

"Y/n. Hey," He said, turning to face you halfway, but still keeping his forearms on his knees. By the sound of his voice, you could tell that he was so drained that he was already making enough of an effort by simply speaking to you. You smiled and crossed your arms behind your back before speaking up again.

"Mind if I sit?" You asked, gesturing with your
hand over to the spot on the sand next to him. He looked briefly from you to the spot you pointed to and he didn't hesitate to nod. You smiled nervously and celebrated in your head, because this meant that if he was open to company, then he must be feeling better.

"Oh, yeah. Of course" He said, patting the spot next to him. That gesture alone was so endearing to you for some reason. He was sweet and you found him patting the sand so endearing it was almost too much. You ended up pushing those thoughts to the back of your head and hesitantly kneeled down, to then start to sit down and cross your legs. After settling in, you noticed how he positioned himself on his previous position, fidgeting with his fingers and seemingly getting lost in thought again.

It was silent for a few minutes, with only the sound of oceanic breeze and water crashing up to the shore gently. You didn't make eye contact with him, and he didn't make eye contact with you. You kept your gaze downwards as you drew circles in the sand trying to figure out what to say. You wished you knew what he was thinking so you knew what to say. You had to be careful about this.

What can you even say? You didn't know his situation very well. There could be a million different things he could be feeling right now. You needed to think about what you'd say so that you can start a conversation that can lead to him start to feel a lot better. He's already been through enough, his family has already been through enough, and you'd hate to be the cause of even more distress right now.

You breathed in softly through your nose, and finally settled in on what to say. "How was your day?" You said, deciding to ask that first since it could open up to many possibilities on where this conversation could go. It was as vague as it was simple and not too intrusive. In your head, It seemed like the perfect thing to ask, and from that, if he's not comfortable talking about it, you wouldn't dare to push it anymore.

Jake turned to look at you and smiled gently, showing the gentleness of his features softening at your question. He could tell what you were trying to do and that act was so noble and he appreciated it to no end. He wanted to share what he was feeling with you, and even if you were beating around the bush, he'd give you the chance to approach him how you were the most comfortable. He wanted to tell you what he was thinking, and he had no problem doing it. He wouldn't do it with anyone else.

"It was good. A bit hectic in the morning with what happened with Lo'ak, Ao'nung, and Neteyam, but other than that, it was okay" Jake answered truthfully, and you nodded at his response. It was good that he didn't have anything else that brought him unnecessary distress. That meant that it must have been something that has happened before that has him sitting here, pondering and thinking.

"I'm happy to hear that. But, why are you out here by yourself?" You asked, continuing to trace shapes in the sand. Jake looked over to you, and he felt a bit shocked. He thought you'd start with a bit more small talk but you were getting right to the point. It didn't bother him, but he was okay with taking this conversation in any pace you wanted.

"I don't know. I guess I needed to clear my head, is all. Like I said, it's been hectic" Jake said, and you nodded silently, beginning to fidget with your fingers. It has never been this awkward between the two of you, not even when you first met and you had started to show Jake's family around the village and getting them accustomed to everything. You had a few things to ask but you were scared it'd be too forward or make things uncomfortable.

"I see," You mused, and Jake turned to look at you for a few seconds before letting out a silent laugh and observing your behavior. It was obvious you had something to say. He had an idea of what it is that you wanted to talk about, and it was really amusing seeing you try to find the words. Though, It surprised him when you spoke up again. "So, Jake. What was it like before? Back in the forest" You asked, and Jake felt himself suddenly shudder at your words.

He knew the question would come but the sigh that came out of him told you everything you needed to know about what his thoughts were in that moment. Before he knew it, a nostalgic look came upon his face and he smiled. "It was amazing. Completely different from the ocean. I first got there 15 years ago with the Sky People, but when I was expected to go back to Earth, I fell in love with the forest. Pandora. and..." Jake said, and suddenly Neytiri came into his head. He sighed and shut his eyes closed and then continued his train of thought. "Point is, I stayed and now I'm here" Jake chuckled with bittersweet memories flooding his head. He gave you the shortened version of the story, but there was so much you should know about his stay in the forest.

"Did you meet your mate there?" You asked, and Jake's head snapped to look at you with surprise. He had tried to be vague, but it is possible you had figured it out. He had kids and the oldest was 15 years old, he said that he arrived and didn't want to leave because he fell in love with everything that Pandora is, and he had arrived to Awa'atlu without a mate. In reality, you only knew because Kiri had brought it up earlier that day.

"Yes, I did. Her name was Neytiri. I lost her about a year ago" Jake said with a gentle smile as he looked up at the starry sky. It snuck up on him. He didn't even realize how weird it felt to refer to her in the past tense, but even so, Jake noticed how you were listening intently. Each time he thought about his past mate, the feeling differed. It shocked you to know that Jake lost his mate around the same time you lost Hahona. Fate works in mysterious ways.

Sometimes it was happy, sometimes sad, and maybe there are times where its bittersweet altogether. "What was she like?" You asked, leaning forward and wanting to learn more about this woman. She already sounded amazing and Jake has only told you her name.

"When I first met her, she actually tried to kill me" He started, laughing slightly as he recalled the memory "But she saved me later on from creatures that were attacking me in the forest. She was my mentor on the ways of the Na'vi. Because of her, I learned to hunt, to speak the language, and basically trained me in the ways of her People. She was from the Omaticaya clan and was the daughter of the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan" Jake explained, and you nodded as a ghost of a smile came upon your lips.

"She sounds incredible, Jake" You said smiling fondly, and it looked like he was too. He didn't look or sound sad as he talked about it. He had not spoken about her to anyone since she passed, and now that he expressed it to you, he was beginning to feel like the memories of her weren't as painful, and instead, they felt nostalgic and happy. He knows he can never go back to those times, but maybe that's a good thing. Jake began to realize that his memories of Neytiri will live on through him and Eywa, that they're never truly gone and he can begin to make new memories. New ones, with you.

"She was" Jake said as his smile got a lot brighter and he began to feel more at ease. His thoughts were no longer trapped inside him, and he was grateful you had come up to him to talk. He wouldn't have had the guts to ask. "Her memories used to bring me pain because I wanted to go back to those times, but now I know that she's not gone. She never truly will be" Jake continued, remembering that he can actually visit her through the Spirit Tree and maybe rehash old stories that he has been holding onto deep down inside.

"She isn't, Jake. She's with you and your family all the time. Eywa keeps her safe and she may not be here right now, but she lives with us. Everyone we love does" You said, speaking from experience. You feel like Jake does a lot of the time, too. Especially when it comes to your parents and Hahona. It took you a while to accept, but those we love never truly leave us.

To make up for the nightmares that your mind has plagued you with, you visit the Spirit Tree and visit those you've lost. Its too painful most times so you don't do it often, which is honestly something that you should work on. Most Na'vi's use it as a chance to reconnect, and you're not taking advantageo of thay because you're scared that you'll only see what you've been seeing in your dreams all over again. It's something you're trying to get past, and maybe you'll finally find the strength again. "I like to think she is. She had an amazing connection with Eywa that I can't imagine her anywhere else" Jake explained, and you nodded.

This conversation has made you realize that you and Jake have much more in common that you might've thought. Your story sounded too much like his own and you began to realized that you were one of the only people who truly understood his pain, more than you two could have ever expected. You wanted to tell him about Hahona. In your head, you hoped that it helped him feel like he wasn't alone.

Especially with someone who he considers his friend, like you. You could tell that Jake talking about how he felt was enough to give him the relief he was looking for, which is enough to calm him down. That is exactly what you have been looking for, and if it helps Jake, you hoped talking about what plagued your thoughts would help ease your worries.

"She was actually the one that prepared me for the rite of passage that every Omaticaya goes through. Taming an Ikran. She trained me days on end until I was ready, and we didn't know this until after, but we actually fell in love with each other after flying together" Jake recalled, remembering how fun it was to fly by Neytiri's side, and even how it was part of their date nights to fly together in the Hallelujah mountains. It was the best part of his week.

"Wow, that sounds so...incredible" You smiled, and Jake reciprocated your expression. You were speechless at how magical and beautiful his description of how they fell in love sounded. It truly sounds like something you'd hear out of a fairytale that you tell as a bedtime story to kids. It almost didn't seem real, but from what you've heard, Jake deserves nothing less than a beautiful love story. It reminds you of how Ronal and Tonowari first fell in love, and it was nothing short of extraordinary.

"Thank you, Y/n. I really needed this" Jake admitted and you nodded once wordlessly, and there wasn't a single doubt in your head about doing this all over again if you had the chance. "You are my friend. Is that not what they do?" You said, and you didn't notice, but Jake flinched and tensed a bit at the word 'friend'. You two certainly are that, but that doesn't mean that it feels right, at least for Jake. He wished he knew how you felt, too.

"Yeah, that's right" Jake said bashfully, turning away from you. He was inching towards wanting to ask if there was something he could know about you instead. He's already shared so much about himself, he wanted you to share too, if you were comfortable. Maybe there was a lot more to unpack than he knew but that was for another time. In the end, he shared a big part of himself, which is also part of the reason that he was even in the village in the first place.

It seems like there was only silence between you two for most of your talk, but you eventually spoke up again. "Actually, since we're sharing, there is something I wanted to talk to you about" You said, and Jake turned his body to face you at your words. He was suddenly curious, and innerly happy that you wanted to tell you something about yourself.

"What is it?" Jake asked gently, not wanting to sound too eager if you were too feel difficulty talking about what you wanted to say. You turned your body around to face him too, so now you two had your knees touching. You let out a nervous smile before speaking up. "I know how you feel" You said, not knowing how to start out what you wanted to say, but that's the best that you could possibly come up with.

Jake tilted his head to the side, not knowing what you meant. In what way did you know how he felt? His curiosity spiked and now, he wanted to know what it is that you mean. What you said could mean so many different things.

"I..." You started but paused, releasing a shaky breath through your mouth. This was the first time you'd openly speak about Hahona to someone else, not even Tonowari and Ronal know the depth about what you're about to tell Jake. "I lost someone too. My mate" You said, looking down and not daring to look up at Jake. What you didn't know is that the said man's heart dropped at your words. Did you just say what he thinks you said? If it's true, then you understood him more than anyone.

He didn't know what to respond to what you said because of how stunned he was. What were the chances that you two had ended up with the exact same fate, and brought together to be friends? It truly baffled his mind. "I'm sorry. I really am" Jake said, and before he could regret it, he lifted his hand and placed it over yours. When you looked up at him upon contact, you smiled and you didn't hesitate to place your other hand over his gently.

"Thank you, Jake. And...his name was Hahona. I met him when were only young teens in Metkayina warrior training. We mated years after that, but I knew him for most of my life" You explained as Jake nodded along and rubbed his thumb against your knuckles soothingly. This simple action made continuing a lot easier. It put your mind at ease. "As I was saying, we were happy. And we were supposed to be the next Tsahik and Olo'eyktan. Which is why Tonowari wants me to find someone now" You continued to explain, recalling that one conversation you and Jake had not too long ago where you told him about this.

"I lost him a year ago, too" You suddenly said, and Jake perked up, coming to the realization of what you said. Much like you had realized earlier, you two lost those you loved at the same time. That can't be coincidence. "I was waiting for him to come home one day, and then Tonowari and Ronal told me he had died in battle. But nobody knew how. No one was with him when he died, or knew how he died" You said, and Jake noticed how your voice got smaller and weaker that more you spoke.

He had gotten a least lucky enough to spend Neytiri's last moments with her, and say goodbye. As much as it hurt, he had been there with his mate until the very end. That wasn't the case for you. You woke up one morning, said goodbye to your husband one last time as he went off into battle as usual, not knowing it'd be the last time, then recieved the worst possible news that anyone could ever be told.

"Like you said, the ones we love are with Eywa. They are within us, and everywhere around us. They are never truly gone" Jake said, and somehow him saying it, you truly started to come to terms with it in that same moment. Neytiri taught him that all energy is only borrowed, and that one day, you have to give it back. There was no way to know when, but it took him a while to understand it and to really accept that nothing lasts forever. The pain is never gone, but it's lessened.

"I know," You smiled, looking down at yours and Jake's conjoined hands. You both up looked up at the same time and locked eyes. His bright yellow ones gazed into your turquoise ones, and for a while nothing was said. With just your eyes looking into one another, an understanding was made. You two had more in common than you thought, and this conversation proved that your bond has grown to unimaginable levels, and no words were needed to express how you two cared for the other, as friends or something more.

Neytiri was in at peace with Eywa. Hahona was at peace with Eywa. Everyone you and Jake had ever known that was taken away from this world too soon was at peace with the Na'vi diety that cared for her children and holds them in their heart, whether theyre from the forest or the ocean, they're all the same.

What has taken so long for both you and Jake to accept, has now been wordlessly acknowledged and it was now easier to move on. What has held back both of you in reaching who you've wanted to become, is out of the way, and now you and Jake can work together, to grow. Like Neytiri said, those we love, live within Eywa and they were never lost.

"Recently, memories of me and Hahona have turned into nightmares and I relive them every night. I can't remember good times between me and him anymore" You suddenly whispered as you tore your eyes from Jake and started to recall your nightmare from a few days ago.

Jake tensed and he started to feel nothing but concern for you. He has had his share of nightmares about Neytiri's death, but he was grateful that his mind wasn't as cruel as to have him relive what he lost. He suddenly had a sense of protectiveness over you, to take care of you and make sure you're okay, and that is meant in more than a friend manner.

You looked back up at Jake, and you didn't even get a chance to look in his eyes before he embraced you suddenly. He had one arm wrapped around your back and another cradling your head. It took you a while to register what was happening and your heart continued to race. Your eyes went from widening with surprise, to softening with so much fondness that was taking over your heart.

"You don't have to suffer. Not anymore" Jake whispered, and his words threatened to bring tears to your eyes. You blinked a couple times to get rid of incoming tears, but you gave yourself a way when you started sniffling.

Jake could be hurting as much as you were but he was putting you first. That thought only added more to what you were feeling. You let a few rogue tears slip out, though they were silent, Jake could tell and he began to rub your head and run his fingers through your hair.

You two stayed like that for a while, with only the ripples of the water to serve as a lullaby. Eventually, you two split and started to head out of the beach. When deciding to leave, Jake stood up first and offered his hand to you. You smiled and took it, and he immediately helped you up. After that, you two walked back towards the paths of the village side by side, and hand in hand, not caring what it would look like to other people. It didn't matter.

After walking for a bit, you saw Jake stop in his tracks and you bumped slightly into him. When you followed his gaze to what he was seeing, your eyes softened. Kiri was sitting by one of the platforms at the edge of the path with her feet in the water. You looked up at Jake, and he looked down at you. You smiled and gestured with your head over to Kiri. "You're up" You whispered, and Jake nodded with a gentle smile coming upon his face.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Jake prompted, and you nodded silently, letting go of his hand and starting to go your separate way from him. As soon as your hand left his, he wished he hadn't said anything. The void and emptiness that left your hand leaving his was almost too much, but for now, he had other matters at hand. He looked over to his daughter and sighed softly, beginning to walk over to Kiri.

As for you, you were on your way back to your hut and somehow along the way, you spotted a figure coming closer. You slowed in your step and when the figure came closer, you saw it was Neteyam running over to you with distress written all over his face. His worry was contagious because soon your face reciprocated his. When he came closer and stopped in front of you, he took your wrist with not too much force but enough to sense his urgency.

"Y/n. Come with me. This is important" Neteyeam urged, and simply by looking at the boy's look of pure distress, you simply nodded without another word and he began to lead you over to another section of the village, on the other side of where your hut is. That's the least of your worries at the moment, but you wanted to know what it is that has Neteyam in such a hurry. Eventually, you two reached the area where Neteyam wanted to bring you and you were met with Ao'nung leaning against one of the mangrove roots with annoyance painted all over his facial expression and body language.

"It's Ao'nung. Neteyam, why did you bring me here?" You said as you turned to the boy and he let go of your wrist and guided you over to the Metkayina prince. "Let him tell you" He said, and you nodded with hesitance. What was this about? This is really suspicious and nobody was telling you anything yet. Neteyam was glaring daggers at Ao'nung, and you were looking at the two of them trying to figure out what got a reaction like that out of Neteyam.

"Tell her" Neteyam said lowly as he glared at Ao'nung. You watched as the Metkayina prince begrudgingly stepped away from the mangrove root, but as soon as he made eye contact with you, his nonchalant attitude was wiped off and it was replaced with fear. Knowing this boy, you knew he did something and he would be in big trouble the moment that you found out.

"Tell me what, Ao'nung?" You glowered as you stepped over to the boy with suspicion. The boy himself was at a loss for words, and he couldn't quite get what he wanted to say out in the open. When he started speaking, it was barely audible and it was clear that Ao'nung hoped you didn't hear it and that you'd drop it. "I can't hear you" You said, crossing over your arms and looked at him with sternness.

"I took Lo'ak outside the reef and left him there. That's why he's not back yet" He said a bit louder, and your entire face pales at the boy's words. You hoped you had heard incorrectly, but did this boy really take Lo'ak to uncharted and dangerous territory that was even risky for experienced Na'vi to go to? Alone? You hoped this was some cruel joke.

"You did what?" You said lowly, starting to feel nothing but anger and frustration coming on. If he left this afternoon and he's not back by now, could he be...? No. He can't. You won't allow yourself to believe that he was. "You willingly took Lo'ak outside the reef and, then thought it was a good idea to leave him out there?" You scolded Ao'nung, and the boy couldn't even face you. He did not make eye contact with you and refused to do so.

You looked back at Neteyam and suddenly it made sense why the boy was so angry. His brother was out there unprotected and could be dead because of Ao'nung's stupidity to pull a stunt like this. You had to tell Jake and you couldn't wait a second more for this.

You looked at Neteyam and nodded firmly, to which the boy understood immediately. You and Neteyam started to walk back together, but that was until you remembered to grab Ao'nung and by his wrist with the goal of taking him back to Jake and have the Metkayina boy explain the situation himself.

As you and Neteyam walked back, as you dragged Ao'nung behind you. You could feel simply by holding onto his hand that he was tense and scared, but that was nothing compared to what Lo'ak was going through. "Wait-" Ao'nung protested, trying to get out of your grip, but you didn't dare to let go. You didn't let go, but you did stop in your tracks and turned back to look at the boy.

"No. You don't get to talk. You'll tell Jake yourself. And I won't be sparing you this time. Tonowari and Ronal will know" You said, letting go of his wrist. Neteyam quickly took charge and grabbed onto Ao'nung's arm.

The boy groaned as Neteyam started tug the prince along, and you quickly started to follow behind them. You couldn't waste any time. Your heart raced and worried for Lo'ak to no end. You prayed to Eywa that he was okay. What was Ao'nung thinking? What got him to do that? What was going through his head?

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As you talked to Ao'nung and Neteyam, nighttime only continued to fall back on Awa'atlu and Kiri's mood seemed to continue to dampen. There was a much bigger issue at hand, and Jake thought that maybe it was time for him to step in and see if he could try and help differently, so that was what he was doing after your talk with him. He had noticed earlier that day when Kiri had that talk with you, which was when she began to feel a little more somber than she has ever since she arrived. Jake truly wanted to help his daughter.

As Jake had seen before, Kiri was sitting on the platform outside the hut with her feet submerged in the water, watching the bioluminescent fish and coral swim around peacefully through the night. She was moving her feet slowly back and forth, entranced. The glowing fish were gathering at her feet and circling them. She was completely unaware of her father's presence approaching behind her.

While you were with Ao'nung and Neteyam, back at the hut, Jake was making his way over to sit next to Kiri on the platform. The girl noticed his presence and saw him place his feet on the water, just like she was doing, He sighed deeply as he watched her turn her gaze away, refusing to look at him in the eye.

"So, what is it, baby girl?" He asked softly, watching Kiri place her head in her hands. He could see how conflicted she was, and he hoped that he could find out what it is that is clouding her thoughts so much. "You missing Spider?" Jake asked, and Kiri nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, I am. But that's not it," Kiri muttered, and Jake sighed, knowing that at least they were getting somewhere. He was aware of the close bond Kiri had with Spider and that his being taken by Quaritch must be keeping her up at night. He couldn't blame her, because he knows that pain and doesn't want her to go through the same agony that he has, even if the have already suffered enough as it is.

"Okay," Jake said, placing a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder. "So, what is it?" He continued, keeping a soft tone. The last thing Kiri needed at that moment was the fact that someone was digging for answers and reminded her of what she lost, and Jake wanted to get to the truth, but slowly and at a pace that she was comfortable with.

Kiri inhaled deeply, then exhaled and looked forward. "I feel her, Dad," Kiri said vaguely, making Jake start to wonder who she was referring to. "Feel who?" He asked, interested in what it is that she feels so connected to. This was not what he expected that Kiri would talk about, but then again, she was full of surprises.

"Eywa," Kiri said, and Jake's eyes widened and ears tipped back in surprise. Kiri laughed softly and proceeded. "I hear her breathing. I hear her heartbeat. She's so close. She's just...there. Like a word about to be spoken," Kiri said, turning to look at her father who was listening to her words intently with genuine interest.

"I know you think I'm crazy," She muttered with her ears tipping back with slight embarrassment. She knew that once the words came out of her mouth, she'd feel more shame She started to feel like maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Jake sighed, placing a comforting hand on her back. "You're not crazy baby girl," He said softly, not wanting her to feel ashamed about how she was feeling.

"So, what does Eywa's heartbeat sound like?" Jake asked, knowing that her daughter has a special connection to the deity. He doesn't think it's impossible that she might have a stronger connection than he originally thought. Kiri straightened up and looked in the distance, beginning to think for a few seconds, trying to find the best word to describe what she felt. Eventually, she found one.

"Mighty," She said, and Jake formed an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes softened at what she said, though. He believed her, he did. If that was how she described it, then there was no doubt in his mind.

Around the corner, you and Neteyam were walking towards Jake and Kiri, as Neteyam held Ao'nung by his arm angrily and dragging him over. The Metkayina prince had a defeated look ok his face, mingled with fear of what the consequences of his actions would be.

Jake turned around in his seat and then stood up at the appearance of you and his oldest son holding onto the prince by his braid. "Y/n?" Jake said, letting his eyes trail between you, his son, and the Metkayina prince. Neteyam glared at Ao'nung before letting go of his braid. "Tell him what you told us!" Neteyam demanded, knowing what Ao'nung had done to Lo'ak by leaving him out and stranded by himself.

By the way that your face expressed so much distress and pain, Jake began to panic. You were fine just a few minutes ago, what changed? The fact that it involved Ao'nung only made Jake worry even more. What was happening? Jake really wanted answers.

Ao'nung gulped in fear at both Neteyam and Jake glaring at him in anticipation. The prince slapped the oldest Sully's hand away, turned his head to look at you briefly with hesitation, but your glare made him continue to walk forward, and then stepped forward to reveal and explain what he had done to Lo'ak.

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It's finally done! It took me so long to finish this chapter, its insane. As I finished it, I rewatched the first Avatar so that was really fun. I have a lot planned for this upcoming lore that Im trying to build up. Im excited!

Also, I had my last day of school last week and the day that I finished this chapter, I had my last final exam; which means Im completely free! Im so happy that regular updates will come back and that i'll be dedicating more time to writing for these stories!

As usual, there's not much I have to say now, but 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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