CHAPTER 1

Orphans in the Omaticaya clan were given the exact same treatment as those kids with families. The same training that they requested for, same food, same love. The only difference between them was that the orphaned children did not have a family while others did.

That was the only thing that set Eríhe apart from Neteyam and Lo'ak Sully. And though she should be grateful for the treatment and opportunities she'd gotten, she envied them for it.

"Let's go, two minutes people - let's go."

Erìhe heard Jake over the comms as she flew above the scene on ikran. The teenager had been allowed on the mission as lookout, and even if it was only a small job - she was determined to do it well. After all, it could make all the difference.

The Omaticaya warriors were mid raid at that very moment. The sky people had returned to their planet years prior, and all that while the Na'vi had been taking on small missions to slow down their progress. So far all the raids had been quite successful with minimal casualties on their side.

Looking down, Erìhe could see the warriors handing out the weapons they had found on the train they had just blown to pieces.

"Bro! We have got to get down there!"

Eríhe looked over to her right to see Lo'ak talking to Neteyam. By some miracle, the young boy had been allowed to come with them, "Lo'ak. No," Erìhe told him sternly.

"Yeah - no way! Dad will skin us!" Neteyam yelled over the flapping of wings and cries from the people below. Typically, he would hate to agree with the girl, but in this situation it would just be foolish not to.

"Come on, don't be a wuss," Lo'ak taunted them before turning his ikran down toward the ground.

"Lo'ak!" Neteyam yelled, "Get back here you-" he groaned in frustration before following his brother.

Erìhe sighed and rolled her eyes before adjusting her windbreaker lower on her forehead and swooping low. It was guaranteed that Lo'ak would never be allowed on a mission again. Before her ikran had even landed properly, Erìhe had disconnected her queue and leapt down to reach the two boys. "You two will be in so much trouble," she cackled as she neared them. Now that she was down there, she might just as well help them out.

"You'll be in as big of trouble as us," Lo'ak said. He led the others toward the spot where the human weapons were being distributed. He was right - the chief would have her head for this.

"Lo'ak!" Neteyam called as he ran side by side with Erìhe. He cast her a look, "Why wouldn't you stop him?"

"Like there's any stopping him," Erìhe mumbled, weaving past the Na'vi to reach the distribution point.

"Here, boy! Go!" The warrior said as he handed Lo'ak a gun.

Lo'ak turned around and let out a war cry as Neteyam caught up with him. "Lo'ak!" He said, grabbing his brothers hand and pulling him to the ground, "You don't even know how to use it."

Lo'ak cocked the gun, "Dad taught me," he said proudly.

Erìhe walked past the two and accepted a weapon from the warrior. She smiled and pointed it toward the sky, looking through the aim. Jake had brought some of his human ways into the clan, and now learning to use a gun had become mandatory.

As she looked up at the sky, her eyes widened. A ship was headed toward them.

Immediately she lowered the gun and tapped both Lo'ak and Neteyam harshly, "Let's go!" She told them and turned around to run for the forest. There was no time to get the ikran.

"Gunship's in now! Fall back!" Jake spoke over the comms.

As soon as the ship was in range, it sent out explosives. One after the other.

Erìhe, Neteyam and Lo'ak ran over the rubble as fast as they could. "Come on, let's go!" Lo'ak yelled just before another explosive landed dangerously close to them. The blast sent all three of them flying in different directions.

Erìhe - who had been in the lead - flew high into the air before landing on top of metal. She coughed as she rolled over, her eyes watering from the smoke. "Lo'ak?" She called hoarsely, using her hands to push herself back on her feet.

The ship had been shot down, so they were in no immediate danger. When Erìhe stood up and looked around, her eyes fell on the Olo'eyktan headed towards her, "Are you alright?" He asked, placing his hands on her shoulders. When she nodded quickly, he let go, "Okay. Where are the boys?"

Erìhe turned her head to see Lo'ak standing up. Jake was kneeled by his side in a second, "Easy, easy," he said, "You okay? Where's your brother?"

"That way," Lo'ak pointed to his left. He sounded as though he still had not caught his breath.

"Get him out of here!" He called to Erìhe as he stood up and headed in the direction Lo'ak had pointed him to.

"Come," Erìhe said and held Lo'ak by his arm. She called her ikran as she led their way out of the rubble and destruction. She wondered what had happened to Neteyam - he had flown quite a distance away from them. But for now she could only hope he was okay.

If he had not been killed by the explosion, she felt sorry for him for what would take place when they arrived home. Disobeying the Olo'eyktan was not the smartest choice.

"I can walk on my own," Lo'ak pulled his arm out of her grip and walked over to his own ikran.

"Can you now?" Erìhe teased as she connected her queue with her ikran's, pulling herself onto her back.

"Ha ha," Lo'ak said sarcastically as he clambered on the back of his banshee. Erìhe laughed as she held onto the antennas, taking off from the ground. They were both off, leaving the scene behind before any more sky people could arrive.

₊˚.༄

       Their arrival was met by a horn and calls from the Omaticaya people. A few years back, the clan had been forced to relocate and live in the mountains - thanks to the sky people returning and driving them out of their home and the old RDA headquarters.

Erìhe landed beside Lo'ak and hopped off her ikran. The first thing she saw was little Tuk running straight for them with Kiri at her heels.

"Mom!" Tuk ran into her mothers arms.

"Tuk," Neytiri said and hugged her daughter. "Tuk, Tuk, Tuk."

Lo'ak stepped off his ikrans back and stood beside Erìhe. When she saw Jake approach, she took a step back, "Good luck, bro," she pretended to salut at Lo'ak while slowly walking backwards. Her eyes caught a beat up looking Neteyam following his father. Seeing as he was alive - she did not feel bad about smiling at his state.

If he'd caught her looking, he'd have cursed her for laughing.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jake asked as he saw her making her escape. Erìhe sighed and her shoulders slumped as she trudged back, pushing Lo'ak when he looked a little too happy about this.

She may not have been adopted by the Sullys, but they sure acted like her parents. Jake brought them all closer together for a scolding - or as he liked to call it, a meeting. "You're supposed to be spotters," Jake started, looking directly at Neteyam, "You spot bogeys and you call them in. From a distance!"

Erìhe looked down at her feet bashfully.

"Does any of this sound familiar? Get here!" Jake pointed at the ground by his feet, causing Lo'ak to walk closer. "Jesus - I let you three geniuses fly a mission and you disobey direct orders."

The scolding seemed like it was directed mainly at Neteyam - as many things usually were. He was Lo'ak's older brother so he was often held responsible for the stupid thing he did. Erìhe was Neteyam's age, but since she was not their blood, she did not have the same responsibility as him.

Kiri arrived and went straight to Neteyam to inspect his injuries.

"Kiri - can you go help your grandmother with the wounded?" Jake asked the young girl who stuck to Neteyam's side, "Please."

"My brother is wounded," Kiri said.

"He's gonna come," Jake told her, "Please - Tuk, go with her! Go!" He said, not wanting his daughters to hear him scolding the other three.

Kiri sighed and walked off, hand in hand with Tuk. Erìhe saw Kiri shoot her an apologetic look and she merely raised her brows to acknowledge it.

"Dad - sir I - I take full responsibility," Neteyam said once the two girls had left. He would not meet his fathers eyes.

"Yeah, you do!" Jake agreed, "That's right. Cause you're the older brother, you gotta act like it."

Erìhe was wondering why she needed to stay behind and listen to the boys get scolded - he hadn't really said a word to her.

"Ma Jake," Neytiri spoke, "Your son is actually bleeding."

Neteyam shook his head, "Mom it's - it's fine."

Jake remained quiet for a moment, looking back and forth between his son and wife, "Just go and get patched up. Go on - dismissed," He finally said, waving his hand in dismissal. Neteyam walked past his father and Neytiri followed behind after sparing one last look at Jake and Lo'ak. You could tell she felt slightly bad for her youngest son.

After they had gone, Jake turned back to Lo'ak, "You do understand that you almost got your brother killed?"

"Yes, sir," Lo'ak replied.

"You're grounded," Jake told him, "No flying for a month. You'll see to the ikran. All of them."

"Yes, sir," Lo'ak repeated.

"And get that crap off your face," Jake finished. Lo'ak nodded and walked off, leaving Erìhe alone with the Olo'eyktan. She cleared her throat after an awkward silence. Jake looked surprised to still see her there - he'd sort of expected her to run off no matter wether he told her to stay or not. She would often do so.

"So.." she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, her hands behind her back.

Jake sighed and held his head, "I thought you'd be more rational. I took you on this mission because I thought I could trust that you wouldn't allow Lo'ak to get himself into danger."

"If you were afraid of him disobeying orders, wasn't it kind of stupid to take him along at all?" Erìhe asked before she could stop herself.

"Watch how you speak," Jake said, pointing a finger at her face.

"Yes, sir," Erìhe replied, pressing her mouth into a thin line and looking anywhere but at the chief.

"If you were my kid, I'd have you grounded," Jake told her sternly. Erìhe ignored the urge to roll her eyes. Neteyam hadn't gotten grounded, so why should she be any different? "Just know that you disappointed me."

Erìhe hung her head at that, "Yes, sir," she said.

"Get out of here," Jake shook his head and stepped out of the way.

Erìhe did not have to be told twice. She quickly walked away from him, towards the Tsahik's tent. On her way there she caught up with Lo'ak and Spider - a human boy she liked to call her friend. They understood each other.

"What's up?" Spider asked and held his hand up for a fist bump.

Erìhe chuckled as she mimicked him, bumping their fists, "Nothing new. Getting scolded by the Olo'eyktan because of this idiot, just like always," she grinned and placed Lo'ak into a headlock.

Lo'ak complained and tried to push her off, "Dude!"

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A/n:
I promise I won't be doing authors notes every chapter-

Eríhe's story is kind of dark- but I need it for the ages to align lmaoo
Also- Neteyam and Eríhe are 16 in this fanfic because that's the age I initially thought he was and why not?

I hope you will like this story! <333