●"Bro, we have to get down there." Lo'ak and Neteyam were currently hovering over a chaotic battle scene. Their father was leading a raid against the sky people.

"No way! Dad will skin us." They had strict orders to stay in their positions and keep an eye out on anything in the sky.

Lo'ak scoffed and went to reply when an arrow with red and yellow feathers flew over his head. He watched, curiously, the way it broke through the air until it landed into a demon ship.

He looked around wildly for the girl he knew was close by. And there she was.

An older Nîryni flew gracefully up and down the warzone with her bow in hand. Her face was painted similar to that of the boy himself. A yellow line went across her nose. Lo'ak had made it a habit to paint it as a silent claim that she was his.

Around her neck was a necklace consisting of those same feathers attached to her arrows. It connected to her top that covered just what was necessary.

He watched the way her face scrunched up in annoyance of not hitting her target. Her muscles flexed as she pulled back another poison laced arrow and aimed again.

The teen boy silently rooted for her and when he saw the arrow go straight through the pilot's chest he beamed with pride.

"Atta girl!"

It felt like time slowed down when she looked back at him over her shoulder with a grin. They locked eyes for no more than a second and Lo'ak couldn't believe how beautiful she looked in her element. This was his first time seeing her in action and he knew the moment would be on replay in his head for a while.

She then went back to her position, following after Neytiri who had yelped for her to stay close.

Lo'ak look over at his brother, "See even Nîryni gets to have some action."

"Sorry to break it to you bro but she's been vouched for even by mom." It was true. Neytiri had recognized the girl's skill and accuracy using a bow and offered to train her. Now she was brimming with talent and able to showcase it at a moment's notice. Her dad also welcomed the idea of having her working closely with him. He knew her talent shouldn't be left to waste.

Lo'ak was a little bit annoyed by the fact his bEsT fRiEnD was able to actively engage with the enemy but he was made to be a spotter.

That's why he decided to prove his own skills.

"Come on, don't be a wuss." He taunted his brother then dived down into the action.

And as always Neteyam followed after him.

♡

Nîryni had a bad feeling about today. This wasn't her first raid but something in the air made her nauseous.

She looked around to spot her dad who was on the ground. They weren't working together today so she probably wouldn't see him until after they returned home later on.

Her keen eyes eventually landed on the two brothers and she rolled her eyes. They literally had just one job and couldn't do it.

Against her better judgment she dove down and landed close by to them.

"What the hell are you two doing down here?" Her eyes narrowed on the gun being held in Lo'ak's hands. It made her nervous to see him wield such a weapon he most likely had never used.

"Your boyfriend here is trying to get himself killed." Neteyam sounded more irritated than anything.

Nîryni glared at Lo'ak and he sheepishly smiled at her in return. Neither denied the title Neteyam had used.

"We must leave quickly. Reinforcements always come soon."

She didn't leave room for any objections and grabbed Lo'ak's hand to lead them back to their Ikrans. Neteyam followed behind closely.

A loud shout caught their attention and it was followed by a mixture of fire and unnatural movement of the ground.

No words needed to be shared as they instantly knew they needed to run to shelter.

The trio ran in sync with Neteyam taking the lead but they weren't fast enough.

Lo'ak looked back only to see a giant object flying through the air and aiming straight for them. His body moved without thinking and he pulled Nîryni close, hoping to take the brunt of the attack.

Nothing could prepare them for when the blast hit and their bodies were forcibly separated.

♡

"Lo? Teyam?" Nîryni was lying on her side and struggled to sit up. Her body ached in multiple areas.

She rested her weight on her elbow and looked around at her surroundings.

There was a ton of debris and smoke began to cloud the area slightly.

Her bow laid next to her and she was thankful that it didn't break.

With a groan, she slowly stood up and picked up her prize possession.

She kept quiet and moved low to the ground.

The ground was littered with bodies and her heart sank at the fact so many had died.

One of them stood out to her and she gasped before crawling over.

"Neteyam?" She was scared to flip him over, afraid of what she may find.

He was laying face down and completely limp.

A quick prayer passed through her mind and she turned the boy over.

She shook him carefully and felt her body sag in relief when he coughed and opened his eyes.

"Thank Eywa you're okay. Is anything broken?" She brushed a stray braid away from his eyes with worry written all over her face.

He shook his head no but she could tell he was dazed.

"We gotta go, can you walk?" One of her hands reached out behind his back to help him sit up.

"I think so."

He gripped her other hand and she helped pull him up. Together they were able to get him to his feet. Nîryni helped support his weight by putting his arm over her shoulder.

"Where's Lo'ak?" Even though he was hurt, he needed to make sure his little brother was safe.

Nîryni frowned, "I'm not sure. We'll look for him as soon as you're in the clear." She knew he was okay, she could feel it.

Neteyam felt his knees buckle and he stumbled, "I need to sit down. for a second."

"Okay, take your time. I'll help you." Steady hands helped guide him to the ground. On the outside she was calm but on the inside her mind raced as she looked around for any danger. It wasn't safe to stay here but she wasn't sure how she'd be able to get Neteyam back home while also looking for Lo'ak.

A series of fast paced footsteps made her draw her knife that was strapped to her thigh while crouching protectively over Neteyam, all in one fluid motion.

A distraught Jake rushed over to them.

"Neteyam, Nîryni! What are you doing here?" He kneeled next to them and put a hand on Nîryni's shoulder.

She gestured to the boy who was groaning in pain. "He needs help walking. Have you seen Lo'ak?"

Jake nodded, "He's already heading home. I'll take Neteyam. Stay close."

He reached down to pick his son up and jogged towards his ikran. Nîryni was hot on his heels.

♡

Almost as soon as she touched the ground a body wrapped around her. She didn't have to look to know that it was Lo'ak. Her arms wrapped his neck while his arms hugged her waist.

He pulled away and grabbed her face softly with both his hands.

"You're okay?" His gaze flickered between both of her eyes.

She exhaled sharply but nodded her head and he brought her back into his arms.

"Ryn!" A blur of blue attached itself to the teen girl.

Nîryni pulled away from her boy to look down at the little girl smiling up at her.

"Hi Tuk Tuk." Being close to Lo'ak she naturally became close to his family. His siblings loved her like a sister and she loved them just as much. Being an only child helped her fit right in.

"Fall in." Jake approached them with sunken eyes and a strict gaze while Neytiri stood idly behind the teens.

Nîryni wasn't sure if that applied to her and glanced at Lo'ak who was too busy avoiding his father's eyes.

A piece of her heart broke at the sight and she stepped in next to him with her head held high while gripping onto his pinky finger. The action made the boy relax and let his tail brush against her thigh.

"You're supposed to be spotters. You spot bogeys and you call 'em in. From a distance! Does any of this sound familiar? " He noticed Lo'ak and Nîryni standing far off, "Get here!"

Unlike Lo'ak she stood proudly and looked the upset man dead in the eye. She knew she wasn't supposed to touch the ground but she did and she was ready to face the consequences. Right now, Jake was focused on his sons and she knew her turn would be next.

While he was speaking, both Kiri and Tuk curiously circled the three teens to see where they may have been injured.

"Jesus I let you two fly a mission and you disobey direct orders." He turned his heated gaze to Nîryni and she stiffened.

"Nîryni, what were you thinking? Your job is to stay in the air and provide support. I can't allow you to be on the squad if you're only going to be distracted."

The teen still did not falter but her grip on Lo'ak got stronger and in turn, he allowed his tail to wrap around her own.

She looked up to Jake a lot and was beyond honored when he allowed her to join them. It hurt her deeply for him to be disappointed in her.

"I was trying to look out for them." The way he sighed and pinched his nose made her wish she didn't speak at all.

"Kiri, can you go help your grandmother with the wounded? Please?"

The teen in question scoffed and motioned to Neteyam who was standing next to her with a blank expression.

"My brother is wounded."

Neteyam tried to brush her off, "It's fine." The last thing he wanted was to look weak in front of his father.

Jake only sighed again, "Baby girl please. Take Tuk and Nîryni with you."

Nîryni frowned at the request yet didn't voice any complaints. Kiri walked over to her and grabbed her free hand with a smile. The younger girl allowed herself to be pulled away and her tail brushed against Lo'ak's chest as she walked away.

♡

"It seems you and Lo'ak are getting closer these days."

Neteyam was waiting to be treated by his grandmother while Nîryni held his hand.

She didn't like seeing him in pain but all she could do now was try to distract him.

"Yeah we are." A soft smile made its way on her face, one that only appeared when she thought of her counterpart.

He winced from a sudden headache but nodded in approval. He was glad his brother had her. She balanced him out yet sometimes it felt like they needed someone in the middle to be the mediator between them.

Tuk was mindlessly humming while playing with Nîryni's hair while listening in on their conversation. Kiri and Spider were off in their own world as usual.

A few minutes later, Lo'ak walked in looking upset. It only got worse when he saw his Ryn holding Neteyam's hand. A rush of jealousy went straight to his heart.

Nîryni got up to greet him and he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist. In response she placed a hand on his chest.

"How'd it go?"

He shrugged, not wanting to talk about it now.

Nîryni looked at him worriedly yet she refrained from pushing. When he was ready to talk then he would open up to her.

The two remained quiet while Spider and Kiri talked with Tuk and Neteyam.

The conversation died down a bit when Mo'at finally walked in.

♡

There was a slight breeze in the air while Nîryni was walking home when a hand interlocked with her own. Of course it was Lo'ak.

"I'm sorry for getting you in trouble." He looked at her from the corner of his eye with an remorseful expression.

She laughed sarcastically, "You always are sorry yet you still go out of your way to do exactly what you're told not to do. "

He tugged her hand to make her stop walking and face him. "Then let me make it up to you. We're going to the lab tomorrow, come with us. I know how much you enjoy it."

Nîryni loved to learn new things and the lab was the perfect place to do so. Unfortunately she rarely had time to go these days but since the raid was mostly successful then she was free tomorrow.

"Fine but no trouble tomorrow. Just a small visit and then we come back."

She watched him light up and giggled at his enthusiasm. His smile was contagious and she returned it gleefully.

"I need to get back but I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" He grabbed both of her hands tenderly as he spoke.

"Mhm." The girl then removed one of her hands from his grasp and placed it on the back of his neck. She pulled him down to her level and he swore his heart stopped beating. Her lips grazed the corner of his lips and she pulled away with a grin.

"Goodnight Lo'ak."

He was stunned in place with a rapid heartbeat and stared after her.

"Goodnight Ryn."

♡

"Jake told me about what happened today." Sìkve watched his daughter with careful eyes. His long braids fell over the right of the side of his face. The other side was shaved down and he wore a beautifully made feather earring to compliment it.

She rushed to explain herself, "Before you get upset, I know it was a mistake but I-"

"I'm not upset. You made the call to do what you thought was best."

Nîryni looked at him in shock and he chuckled at her expression and waved her over. She sat down closely next to his large frame.

"I only want you to be more careful. You've been a great help to the people and I'm proud of you." His daughter was growing into a fine young woman and was over the moon for her progress as a person and a warrior.

She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thanks dad."●