The forests of Pandora hold many dangers.

But the most dangerous thing about Pandora...
is that you may grow to love her too much.

The Great Mother holds all her children in her heart.

"Ahh! It's a thantor!" I screamed as Neteyam and I ran around the room of our hut. Only being 4 at the time. Mom had a small bump growing. I was always curious about it.

Dad chased us. Making noises trying to catch us. We were squealing.

Happiness is simple.

Then there was Lo'ak. Neteyam and I were curious, we held him in dad's arms, as mother was singing her songcord.

Then we had a baby sister. Kiri. "She's so tiny!" Neteyam said looking at Kiri

"I finally have a sister!"

Before I knew it, I had another siblings. Tuk.

Dad told us stories about how they sent the sky people back to earth. Told us about a human kid who was introduced to us and became our friend.

He was just stuck here.He  was Orphaned by the war, he was raised by the lab guys.

I was with Dad as Lo'ak and Kiri were playing. They were always playing togther. Until they fought over a toy. "I hate you!" Lo'ak screamed

"Well, I hate you times infinity, Lo'ak!" Kiri screamed back. "Penis face!" Lo'ak screams.

Dad looked over and yelled at them. "Hey! Hey! That's enough. Don't make me come over there."

Dad looked down at me as I tried not to laugh. Then when we got older, Dad took Neteyam and I on a fishing trip.

"He's gonna come out." Dad said whispering to me as we watched a fish come out from behind some big rocks. "There he is."

I realsed the arrow as it hit the fish. "There you go. Go get it! Yeah!"

I grabbed the arrow and brought the squirming fish up to Dad as he pulled it from the arrow and it stopped moving. "Hey, Tsa'lu, the mighty fisherman."

I giggled "Wow. Wow, that's a big one." Dad said.

"Right where you said." I said pointing to where the fish got hit.

"How tall is he?" I asked as Dad measured Neteyam's height and made a line.

"He's... that tall." Dad said

"He's tall!" Lo'ak said excitedly

It Goes by too fast. Like a dream.

"Family picture!" Dad says as he quickly gets down on a knee as we gather around. I was between Neteyam and Lo'ak

"Smile, skxawng." Neteyam said to me as we smiled. The camera clicked. Dad got up to get the picture as we waved it in the air before showing it to us. Pointing out who is who to each kid, so they could see what they looked like.

Happiness is simple. But the thing
about happiness...it can vanish in a heartbeat.

"Grandmother! What is that!" I point to the sky as I could see a flashing star.

A new star in the night. It could only mean one thing.

"Get back children. Back to the village!" Grandma says as we turn and hurry back.

The sky people have returned.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 years later...

I walked out of the science lab after visiting Norm. Today was the day that Neteyam and Lo'ak would being joining a mission. I was nervous, as much as I love Lo'ak, he disobeys orders, Neteyam usually listens.

I went to the family tent where my mom was sitting around bowls of paint with Lo'ak sitting in front of her. She was painting his forehead.

"Tsa'lu there you are." Mother said as she spotted me. "It's your turn to be painted. Go get changed." I nodded at her before going to get changed into better battle clothes. A light blue feathered too and bottom with leggings for riding Ikran.

I came out of my room that Kiri shared with me. i went and sat down in front of Mom. "What paints would you like painted?"

I thought for a moment thinking. "Purple and blue." I decided. Mom got up and got the paint I wanted, she sat back down. She dipped her fingers into the paint and started painting.

Then Mom told me to stand up as she painted my body, blue and purple. After she was done I went and grabbed my bow and riders mask and headed out to be briefed in the war tent.

"Neteyam and Lo'ak will be scouting from above." Dad was saying as I walked in. Lo'ak was grinning as he was talking to Neteyam not listening.

Dad explained more about what we were doing pointing on a map where we would blow up a rail a then raid it.

Then he ended the briefing and we made our way to a cliff. I called out my Ikran, Kiri, Tuk, and Spider came up to talk with us before we headed off.

"Goodluck." Kiri said to me "May Ewya be will you."

I nodded "See you hopefully in an hour." I turned around and went to check on my Ikran before we flew off.

After I checked on my Ikran I got on and made Tsaheylu and waited for dad's command for us to fly off. "Ground team start making your way out!"

I watched as they took off on the forest floor. "Sky team go!"

"Dive!" I thought through the bond and my Ikran dove down before I told her to fly straight as we started to make our way to the battlefield.

I gave out a war cry as we attacked the sky people train. My Ikran, Amay gave out a roar. He was a dark blue with white dots. My hair was flowing in the wind. Neteyam and Lo'ak were hooting.

"Ground team, go!" My father shouts.

I shot an arrow at the helicopter, it falls and explodes  "Bro, we have got to get down there." Lo'ak tells us

"No way! Dad will skin us!" Neteyam says

"Come on. Don't be a wuss." He says and dives down.

"Lo'ak!" Neteyam yells "Get back here, you... Argh!" He looks at me. "I'll go after him."

I nod as he heads down. I shoot a few more helicopters. Suddenly I see more helicopters coming in. "Devil dog come in!"

"I read you speedbird." Dad replies back

"Gun ships inbound!" I go and start attacking them. Soon I see the warriors leaving "Speedbird, Speedbird come in!"

"This is Speedbird"

"This is devildog get out of there!" Dad yells

"Copy."

I fought sky people trying to get away. My Ikran soared through the skies, my bow and arrows were at the ready. I had been practicing for sometime now making sure to get good to be better then I was.

Amay maneuvered through the chaos. I fired at some of the sky peoples machines. One particular helicopter I kept missing at and was trying to hit before they fired. But it was too late. They shot at Amay and we started falling towards the ground.

I looked around for something to get onto but couldnt, we were going down too fast. Amay gave out a screech. I desperately clung to Amay, trying to regain control, but the damage was too severe. As I plummeted towards the ground, I held onto Amay  and braces for impact.

The impact of the fall was jarring. I could see the ground coming in fast and before I knew it, I fell on top of my Ikran and was unconscious. Night slowly fell on the area.

I coughed and looked around. There was some fire from helicopters, I rolled onto my back and whimpered in pain. I felt around me I could feel the skin on my Ikran that was crying out in pain. I tried to call through my comm but it was broken. It must have broke on impact.

I slowly got up. Looking at Amay who couldnt get up. "I promise Ill be back to get you."  I said to him. I started my way back to the caves to see my family they must be so worried. I started to walk slowly and steadily. I could hear the sounds of viperwolfs laughing. In the far distance I could see camp. I also knew I would be in trouble.

I picked up my pace I could hear animals coming up behide me, I didnt have my bow and arrows. Only my knife. When I reached the base of the mountains I started climbing up.

I catched my breath as I climbed all the way up to camp. I slowly made my way back to my home. I stood in the door way. My mother was fastly chopping up food. Tuk and Kiri were playing with toys. Dad, was sharpening tools. Neteyam, and Lo'ak were talking. It was like they didnt go out to search for me.

"Home." I breathed out.

My mom looks up to me and runs over and starts checking me over. "I pray to Ewya that I will not pluck the eyes out of my Daughter."

"I'm fine mom." I say I told her my Ikran needed help and where he was at. Then I was taken to my father and had a long talk with him. Of course, getting a scolding.

When I was done talking to my father I started to walk to where my siblings were at. Tuk sees me and gasps "Tsa'lu!" She runs over.

"Hi Tuk." I say and smile. She drags me over to where Neteyam, Lo'ak and Kiri were.

"Bro where were you?" Lo'ak asks. I roll my eyes.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe trying to get out of the mess you created!" I hissed "My ikran got shot down I had to get back home on foot! Just because you wanted to get down to the battlefield!"

"Sorry." Lo'ak says

"Not sorry! You got to think before you act!" I say. I point to my head. "You know? Use your brain? The thing 3 feet above your ass!"

Neteyam grabs my shoulder. "Relax Tsa'lu. You're safe that what matters." I hiss at him.

"You're supposed to be spotters. You spot bogeys,
and you call 'em in." I say. Being the Oldest out of all of us and being Neteyam's twin I had to scold them.
"From a distance!"

"Dad let you two geniuses fly a mission, and you disobey direct orders." I stood up and walked away.

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