Bleeding, crying, terrified
Leskxir, tsngerawvìk, fe'perey
•—————•—————•—————•—————•

Two Omatikaya warriors were patrolling the borders when they heard something running, something frantic. A heartbeat pounding out of its chest. Gasps and wincing cries.

They readied their weapons and let it come. The small woman rushed forward, her clothes were soaked in blood. Her mask had a few scratches on it.

The first warrior went to strike her but the second one recognized her.

"Stop! It is Tsu'tey's demon." He put his arm out. It was Arvok who stopped Atan from striking Hia. Tsu'tey's brother.

"Thank you!" She panted.

"You are injured, here, I will carry you." Arvok knelt, picking her up like a baby.

"I can walk." She frowned

"Don't be stubborn. My brother would skin me if I did not carry you." Arvok rolled his eyes.

The trio came to Hometree. The first to greet them was Mo'at.

"My child, you are covered in blood!" Mo'at cried. She stripped Hia down, exposing her wounds and began dressing them.

That's when Tsu'tey was notified she was here. He went for her Avatar first. But then he noticed the alien smell. He rushed down to the healers hut.

He laid eyes on her small familiar form.

"Hia." His breath caught in his throat.

The nantangs got to her. She had wounds on her legs and back, her hands were scratched and her arms were wounded.

Hia looked away, she didn't want him to see her like this. Half naked and wounded.

He knelt, meeting her height.

"Hia, look at me, what happened?" He guided her face to look at him. Her eyes were full of fear and sorrow.

"What did they do?" He asked as Mo'at put a healing paste on her skin.

"They forced me out. They have the others imprisoned. Tsu'tey, I hurt my father. I think he hates me." Her voice cracked. Tsu'tey wanted to wipe away her tears, he held her masked face in his hands and tried to soothe her.

He didn't know what to say.

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

It was an hour before the others returned.

Jake and Neytiri ran down the spiral. Not far from where Tsu'tey, Hia, and Eytukan were talking strategy on how to strike the humans.

"Father! Mother!" Neytiri called.

Eytukan stood, prepared to listen to his daughter.

"Eytukan, I have something to say." Jake announced.

"Please listen." Grace asked.

"Speak, Jake sully." Eytukan commanded, Tsu'tey looked to Jake as did everyone.

"A great evil is upon us. The Skypeople are coming, to destroy Hometree. To destroy!" He repeated.

"Au." Tsu'tey acknowledged, the warriors followed suit.

"Tell them, they're gonna be here soon!" Jake said while panicking, Neytiri translated.

"You have to leave, or you're gonna die." He said, his eyes pleading.

"Are you certain of this?" Mo'at asked.

Hia tapped her mother's leg.

"I would not put it past Quaritch to attack soon. He is dangerous and must be stopped." She said, looking up at Mo'at.

Eytukan noticed her not calling Quaritch "father.". Eytukan had asked her to call him father when she felt comfortable. And now, she had abandoned her biological father for one who wanted her around. His composure almost melted. Almost. There is a crisis at hand.

Jake looked at the pair with agony in his eyes.

"Look, they sent me here to learn your ways, so one day I could bring this message and you would believe it." Jake said, earning even Neytiri's eyes.

Hia moved behind Eytukan and Mo'at. Her facade crumbled. She was horrified. Tears stung her eyes.

"What are you saying Jake? You knew this would happen?" Her voice cracked at the end. Jake could hardly look at her without hurting.

Hia clung to Mo'at. Struggling to stay upright with the medicine starting to numb her body. The medicine was for Na'vi. Not humans.

"Yes. Look, at first, it was just orders. And then everything changed. I fell in love with the forest, the Omatikaya people, the culture, with you. By then how could I tell you?" His voice carried some sort of agony. He was tearing himself apart, his lies were exposed.

Neytiri fought his grip.

"I trusted you." She cried, "I trusted you!"

Mo'at moved Hia away towards Tsu'tey.

He knelt down to her, his eyes met hers, anger and disbelief in his eyes.

"Did you know? Are you with him?" Tsu'tey asked her. She was struggling to stay standing.

"No, Tsu'tey." She said firmly, "I... I am just as angry as you are. I could never betray you or the people. You are my family." Her voice trailed off as she lost her footing. She pressed against Tsu'tey, who held her up.

Tsu'tey looked up at Mo'at.

Mo'at took Hia.

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

The clan gathered outside, weapons readied.

Tsu'tey was among them, Mo'at had Hia and her avatar on the lower floor.

"I have to help..." Hia rasped as she reached for her avatar's knife.

"Rest, daughter. You are weak." Mo'at grabbed her knife and put it back in it's sheath.

She was peeling away the medicine, trying a less potent concoction instead.

The sound of helos and cries of alarm, Tsu'tey's voice over it all. It was alarming. Hia's heart pounded quickly, pumping more blood and forcing blood out of her body.

"You need to calm down, your wounds have reopened." Mo'at hissed, quick to press her hand to the largest gash to stop the bleeding.

Quaritch sat in his cockpit and overlooked the tree and then down. He didn't see his daughter at first, and then he had the scanner zoom in. She was inside being treated for some wounds by a na'vi woman.

"Well, shit." He whispered to himself. Jake and Grace were tied up and the Omatikaya were ready to fiercely defend their home.

Direhorse bucked and reared back.

"Ikranti Makto! 'Eko ta'em!" Eytukan orders Tsu'tey, who went immediately, bringing his warriors with him. As he passed through he quickly knelt by Hia, he squeezed her hand and whispered to her.

"Oeru 'i'awn rusey. Rutxe." He pleaded.

Stay alive for me, please.

The warriors went and so did Tsu'tey.

Quaritch saw the interaction. He didn't like it.

"All right, people, let's get this done." He gained the attention of his crew, "I want every gas round you got right in the front door." He commanded.

The turrets adjusted and awaited his command.

"Fire."

The canisters landed in hometree. One right next to Mo'at and Hia. The gas choked her, she violently seized up, writhing from the way the gas affected her wounds. Screams echoed all around her. People panicked and began running.

Arvok ran inside, looking for his brother at first and then scooping up Hia's avatar as Mo'at got Hia.

"Go! Leave!" Mo'at commanded her clansmen. Arrows rained on the helos from below, the gunships were heavily armored from below.

"Switch incendiaries!" Quaritch commanded. He looked out into the gas cloud for his daughter. He saw a young na'vi male with her Avatar. Then the matriarch with his daughter. She was shaking and bleeding profusely.

He hesitated.

It was long enough for most to get out. Most.

"Fire."

The screaming missiles ignited the choking tear gas.

Screams emanated from within, any figure within who couldn't get out writhed within the fire before dying.

Tsu'tey looked down at the flames below him. Terror filled his whole body and agony followed.

His family, his loved ones were down there.

Eytukan commanded everyone to flee. He stayed behind to help anyone out. It was his duty as Olo'eyktan.

Mo'at carried an unconscious Hia with blood over her arms and a knife in hand. Tears poured from her eyes.

She put the knife to Jake's neck.

"Mo'at! No!" Grace cried.

"If you are one of us, help us!" She cried before cutting him free and then Grace.

"All call signs, switch missiles." Quaritch commanded. He eyed the fire, the monitor too, he saw his daughter bleeding out on a woman's arm. That woman looked so shaken and devastated.

Isn't that how he should feel? He was afraid. He was angry and afraid. He was angry that she abandoned him for this. He was angry that she let herself get hurt. He was afraid to loose her, all too late.

"Give me HE's at the base of the west columns." He said.

When they were ready, he gave the command.

Rows of missiles struck the tree, shaking the ground, knocking Hia from her mother's arms.

"No!" She leapt to cover her, to grab her.

Somewhere else, Eytukan was struggling to keep his footing as the shockwave shook the ground. He was doing all he could. He had to stay calm.

One large explosion in particular was too close. Shrapnel from the tree flung out in all directions, unfortunately, hitting him too.

The firing had stopped.

And then the worst happened.

Shaken leaves began to fall, the tree cracked under the weight. The roots splintered into millions of pieces as it toppled over noiselessly.

"Go go go!" Jake helped Mo'at up, she who was cradling Hia like a baby.

They began to run.

Tsu'tey and his warriors had just exited the tree at the branches and took their Ikrans and flew. He dodged branches, he looked around with fear in his heart. The branches began to stick into the ground, shattering into pieces. Crushing dozens of na'vi.

The tree finally collapsed, groaning with each ripple.

Neytiri looked at her home, horror in her face, uncertainty loomed.

Her first thoughts were of her family.

Mo'at shook violently as she held her daughter. Arvok wasn't far, he dropped her avatar and searched the skies for Tsu'tey. He landed at the base of hometree, finding Eytukan's body.

Mo'at spotted the pair. She already knew. She just started screaming.

Hia woke in the screaming and crying. She was cold, she was hot, she was terrified. She started to bawl like a child. The only home she had left was reduced to this ruin.

And for a moment, Quaritch felt regret. He looked down at his daughter. Bleeding, crying, terrified. He felt some remorse. But he shook it out. He was doing the right thing, he was doing it for humanity. Or so he told himself.

The gunships left, and the Omatikaya began their search for the living.

"Hia-" Tsu'tey approached Mo'at who looked devastated. Just exhausted and done with living.

"You are Olo'eyktan, Tsu'tey." She said shakily. Tsu'tey reached for Hia, but Mo'at drew back, protectively holding the sobbing, bleeding figure.

"There's only one place we can go. We need to get Hia to the tree of souls." Tsu'tey said, voice full of anger, sorrow, and determination.