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

A/N: I just wanted to point out why Im starting this story from the beginning of the movie and not when the Sully's arrive at the Metkayina clan. I just wanted to give you all a glimpse of what their lives are like in a life scenario like this. Then, i'll have them adjust to not only a new clan but also a new person in their lives. I want to deepen more the perspective of what they feel, you know? And then move onto their development.

As always, don't forget to comment :,) Don't be ghost readers, I love reading your replies and they make me so happy. I see them all and they truly make my day 🤍 I hope you guys like this chapter!
-

After the mission was over, the Omaticaya Na'vi on their Ikrans were heading back to their base up in the large cavern in the Hallelujah Mountains. Jake was leading the group and was now flying closer to the aperture of their hideout, away from the Sky People. He was holding Neteyam close to him, trying his best not to worsen the minor yet noticeable injuries that he had. Upon reaching their destination, the Ikrans in flight screeched and roared, already feeling safer as they arrived at their home ground in the cave.

In her own world, Tuk was having fun running around the base as she held a Toruk Makto toy in her hands made out of wood, swaying it from side to side, up and down, pretending it was flying. "Attack! Attack! Got ya! Hyah!" She exclaimed, ducking below a group of scientists that were holding supplies in their arms, carrying them somewhere to the other side of the base. The girl payed no mind to them.

"Tuk! Come on!" The scientist, wearing an oxygen mask said with exasperation, but Tuk herself was completely unphased as she continue to run around the base with her toy. She used these types of activities to get her mind off of the fear of her dad not coming back from missions, feeling afraid he'll meet the same fate as her mom, but she believed in him.

Inside one of the huts, Kiri was still with Spider  as they were before the war party left. The girl continued to help him put on blue paint on his body. They were talking and laughing as the human boy continued to tell his best friend his theories after living on Pandora for so long. "I'm definitely faster when I'm blue," Spider said, making Kiri chuckle at his words.

"You skxawng," She laughed continuing to put on paint on him. "No, seriously. And the animals respect me more. They don't think of me as human," Spider said in all seriousness, and Kiri found this as the perfect opportunity to tease him. It was always amusing when he talked and spoke about things like this.

"Wait. You're human?" Kiri moved to be in front of Spider, placing a hand on his shoulder, asking the human boy with a feign of innocence. Spider deadpanned at his friend, attempting to sprinkle some of the paint in her face, making Kiri squeal a bit. "Ha ha. Very funny," Spider said, with a hint of a smile across his lips as Kiri laughed even more. Spider teasingly sprinkled some of the paint on her face, not very much, though. She squealed as she turned her head away and chuckled.

Soon, the group of Na'vi on their Ikrans made it back through the opening of their fortress and began to land on the edge of the cavern, preparing to dismount their banshees. The familiar sound of warriors yipping and hooting got the attention of Tuk, knowing her dad  and brothers were back. They had all made it back safely and that put a smile on her face.

"They're coming!" Tuk said excitedly with a smile on her face, seeing Ikrans fly above her. She didn't waste any time rushing to tell Kiri and Spider. Tuk rushed to her sister with excitement just radiating off of her. "They're coming! Kiri! Spider!" The youngest Sully exclaimed with joy, stopping at the entrance of their hut to see her sister and human friend.

She couldn't wait to see her dad again, and hopefully in one piece. Tuk missed her dad so much, even if they only left that morning. The fear that he might not come back like her mother ate away her even at such a young age. "The war party is coming back! Come on! Come on!" Tuk said, waving over with her arms for Spider and Kiri to follow her to the entrance.

Tuk was always excited for the warriors to come back. It was so thrilling to witness it. Seeing that her sister and the human boy were following behind her, Tuk quickly started to run back to where she came from with her sister and Spider close behind. She wanted to hug her dad, to make sure he was truly back.

As more and more Ikrans began to pour through the entrance of their fortress, eventually, Jake, Neteyam, and Lo'ak all landed back inside the safety of the cavern.

Once Jake had helped Neteyam off of the banshee and helped him stand, Lo'ak landed next to his father's Ikran and hopped off. The two brothers could tell his father was angry about the decisions they made in battle today.

The moment Jake got off his Ikran, Tuk came running towards her dad with gleaming eyes. "Dad! You're back!" She said, hugging Jake by his legs as he embraced the side of her head against him. "Tuk," Jake muttered with relief of having been able to make it back to her daughters. He was just happy to see his youngest daughter again. Jake missed her and Kiri dearly, and, he sighed internally, relieved that he had been able to come back in one piece to his children and everyone else.

Jake felt her daughter detach from his leg and he immediately turned to his sons who were standing side by side with guilt looming over them. "Fall in!" Jake said in an authoritative tone, turning his back on his sons as he walked forward, then turned back around to face them while exasperation coursed through him. Neteyam and Lo'ak sent each other nervous looks as they prepared themselves to be reprimanded. Tuk watched intently from afar, sensing that something must've happened out there in the mission for this to happen now.

"You're supposed to be spotters. You spot bogeys and you call them in. From a distance!" Jake said, emphasizing the fact that they did the complete opposite of staying away from danger, but rather straight towards it with recklessness. Neteyam and Lo'ak had promised that they would be responsible and follow orders. As always, the older brother was taking the heat for the problem that Lo'ak started, looking down at the floor. Neteyam blinked quickly, looking down, as he tried to get rid of tears brewing in his eyes. He was the older brother and had bigger expectations to follow, and since he was supposed to know better.

"Does any of that sound familiar? Get in here!" Jake said with pure frustration, seeing Lo'ak standing a bit far back, so he gestured with his hands to get closer. He knew he was being harsh, but it was only because he wanted to protect them and they were so close to being killed out there today. If Jake hadn't noticed their presence down at the battlefield instead of their Ikrans, they wouldn't be here right now. They got out of there from sheer luck. "Jesus, I let you two geniuses fly a mission and you disobey direct orders," Jake continued, but then noticed Kiri's presence behind Neteyam.

"Kiri, can you go help your grandmother with the wounded? Please?" Jake asked, with a bit of a softer tone, but the authority was still there. Kiri shook her head and gestured to Neteyam. She wouldn't leave him like this. "My brother is wounded," She said, wanting to help him first before anyone else. The cuts on his back made her heart churn with anxiety of what they went through out there.

"Just go, please? Tuk, go with her! Go!" Jake said, urging his two daughters to go help Mo'at. Tuk was checking if Lo'ak had any injuries, looking over his arms to see if he was okay. Kiri rolled her eyes and started walking back towards their hut, grabbing Tuk's hand gently and taking her back to help. Although, Kiri understood. It must be hard to take all of these burdens by himself, shouldering everything.

Once they were gone, Jake turned back to his sons some of the heat from his frustration was wearing off, but he was still angry. Before Jake could say anything else, Neteyam started to speak. "Sir, I take full responsibility," The older Sully brother started, and Jake nodded in agreement before continuing to speak.

"Yeah, you do. That's right. 'Cause you're the older brother. You gotta act like it," Jake said, and Neteyam lowered his head. Lo'ak looked at his brother as their father continued to reprimand him, feeling guilt starting to seep inside of him for getting Neteyam in trouble. He was the one who tried to talk Lo'ak out of doing something stupid but ended up taking the blame for the situation again. It was the same cycle over and over again.

Jake was harsh on the boys, but only because he cared for them too much to lose them. He felt more closed off, vulnerable, alone, and more than anything, he was scared. His heart pounded against his chest that same morning when looking at the streaks of blood that belonged to his son, and his luck as he raised the kids alone while fighting a war would eventually run out. He couldn't take chances.

With a sigh, Lo'ak walked up closer and stood behind Neteyam, looking at his father with an expression that conveyed how unsure he felt. Lo'ak knew he would be lectured later, but Neteyam's injuries came first. "Dad. Neteyam's bleeding. We need to take care of that" Lo'ak said, looking at Neteyam's back since he was standing behind him and had a clear view of his injuries. He had various cuts and bruises.

"Bro, It's fine, I-" Neteyam started, not wanting his brother to worsen the situation more than it already was. Neteyam couldn't even finish his sentence and cut himself off, and Jake looked at his oldest son, knowing deep inside that he had been a little harsh this time around. It was just his emotions and rogue thoughts talking for him, and his fear of losing them both. Jake wasn't thinking straight, and he was going about it the wrong way.

"Go and get it patched up. Go on, dismissed," Jake said, looking away from Neteyam. The older Sully began to make his own way toward the medical hut at the far ends of the cavern in the stronghold, looking back for a second, hoping his dad wasn't too hard on Lo'ak. As much as the reckless kid that he was, Lo'ak was just looking to prove himself, and show that he was capable too. He was a warrior after all.

Once Jake was left alone with Lo'ak, the ex-marine sighed deeply before speaking up. "You do understand that you almost got your brother killed," Jake said, seeing Lo'ak with a shameful expression written all over his face. "Yes, sir," Lo'ak said, looking away from his father. A few seconds passed before Jake spoke up again. Jake didn't like doing this any more than Lo'ak, but it needed to be done.

"You're grounded. No flying for a month," Jake said without hesitation, and Lo'ak was about to protest but stopped when he realized his attempts would just be futile and pointless. Spider, who was tending to the Ikrans nearby, heard this conversation and awkwardly looked away. He wouldn't want to be in Lo'ak's shoes right now. The human boy turned back to the banshee in front of him and pretended he wasn't just listening in. This wasn't nice at all to witness, and Spider knew that. You could feel the tension from a mile away.

"Now, see to the Ikrans," Jake said, and Lo'ak nodded begrudgingly. "All of 'em" Jake continued, gesturing with his head to the creatures. "Yes, sir" Lo'ak replied shamefully. "And get that crap off your face," Jake finished, walking away from his son, leaving Lo'ak by himself. Once he was alone, everything that just happened registered in his head, and he groaned softly as he rolled his eyes, heading towards the Ikrans behind him.

-

Later that night, the Sully siblings, Spider, and Mo'at were all inside the medical hut. Jake sat outside, fixing small tweaks in his gun looking inside from time to time to the hut where everyone was gathered currently.

Mo'at was sitting behind Neteyam, preparing a special concoction of a remedy that she knew worked wonders. Lo'ak stood beside Spider, standing over the oldest Sully sibling, while Tuk was helping Kiri across to make a special blend that will help the wounds heal faster.

"Aw, you want a kiss on the boo-boo?" Spider teased Neteyam, seeing how he was hissing as his grandmother applied the medicine to him.

"Give him this," Kiri said to Tuk, handing her some water to give to Neteyam, and the smallest of the Sully's quickly complied and made her way over to her brother, who accepted the water with a smile. Neteyam ruffled Tuk's hair afterward, making her giggle and laugh. Her being the youngest and him being the oldest created a special sibling bond between the two. Tuk loved her big brother.

"I would use yalna bark," Kiri suggested, walking over to her grandmother with the medicine made of the said bark.

"Oh, you would? And who is Tsahik?" Mo'at asked, seeing Kiri approach so that she could sit beside her. "You are, grandma. Move," Kiri said, momentarily turning to Lo'ak to get him to move back, to which he rolled his eyes as he moved away, and then continued to speak with her grandmother. "You are, grandma. But yalna bark is better" Kiri said, seeing how Neteyam was flinching and hissing at the remedy being put on his fresh wounds.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Neteyam hissed, closing his eyes tight, wanting the process to be over with already. "It stings less," Kiri pointed out, assisting her grandmother with the treatment. "Mighty warrior," Lo'ak teased his brother, while Kiri applied her own medicine made by her from yalna bark on him, and it seemed to work wonders because it didn't hurt as much as the first one that was used on him.

Mo'at continued to help her grandson with his injuries. The death of her daughter hurt the Tsahik to unimaginable lengths and to this day, Mo'at still prayed every night to Eywa in hopes that the Great Mother was taking care of Neytiri. It was never easy, but these kids were products of her daughter that she brought into this world and Mo'at cared for all of them deeply. She helped her grandchildren with anything that they needed. They all had a bit of their mother's spirit, and Kiri, who Mo'at could see that she has Grace's all of mannerisms and everything about the Avatar woman deep inside her genes. The girl's connection to Eywa was nothing like she'd ever seen before.

Jake was outside hut, working on the maintenance of his gun, sighing gently at the sight before him before turning back around. His eyes softened at the children helping out one another as they laughed and joked. Jake shifted his gaze to look at them again for a second before turning back to fix his rifle.

Jake wasn't dense, he knew that Lo'ak and Neteyam tried to live up to him and that's why they pull stunts like the ones they did today. As kids they heard their father's stories of being the mighty Toruk Makto, and it inspired them to be strong warriors too. As much as Jake wanted them to grow up and grow to be who they want to be, he just couldn't afford to lose anyone else. Not his sons, daughters, the Omaticaya, or anyone who he holds close to his heart. Jake is only hard on them to prevent them from making bad choices, but deep down, he knew that no matter what decisions they make, nobody knows what the outcome will be.

His mate left this world and he felt like his whole world had lost its meaning and purpose. He was about to give up, but then he realized that his kids were relying on him. The Omaticaya relied on him. He was the Olo'eyktan and he had duties to fulfill and made commitments to complete even before the tragedy. His children were still so young and he needed to be there for them and protect them, even if it was by using tough love to keep their recklessness in check. Today was more about their safety and their lives, rather than them trying to prove themselves.

Jake was trying his damn best to keep them out of danger and protect them, but today just showed how easy it was for him to lose his sons just like he lost Neytiri. Everytime he took his eyes off of someone he loves, something happened. He could never truly protect them from every danger of this world, and that terrified him. Jake feels like he has to be harder on them because he doesn't want them to get hurt, just like they did today. It could happen in the blink of an eye and there wouldn't be anything the two of you could do about it. Jake was silent for a moment, putting his gun down.

Mo'at had also tried to get him to find someone else, and attempted to set him up with honorable women of the clan. She saw how broken and sullen he had become after Neytiri, and Mo'at wanted him to have someone there to guide him when he felt alone like he is now. Someone to build a new connection with. Mo'at always believed that Jake was capable of great things, and he was a good man. He didn't deserve what happened to him. She believed that with the right help, he could get back up on his feet. Jake gave it a shot for the sake of trying to fulfill the words Neytiri said to him before she passed. Find someone She said, but how? How could he even fathom doing that?

His expression showed how truly vulnerable he feels. His eyes were teary, and his eyebrows furrowed together. His ears tipped back before his eyes become glossy, lips quivering slightly. Nothing could ever fill the void inside of him that kept screaming at him to do something, but he just couldn't. It was too damn hard.

In moments like these, the back of Jake's head always had the thought of wanting someone by his side again. His kids were growing up without a mother in their lives from such a young age, and he felt like a part of him was missing that could never be recovered. Maybe he hasn't given it a shot, or even given the chance of finding someone else.

Part of him argued that he should focus in the war ensuing, but the other half insisted that it wouldn't be so bad to try and branch out. Jake eventually ends up in the same place he always does; Closing himself off and ignoring what he felt. He will fight even harder to return to the peace he and his family had only a year before.

He wants someone to reignite the strength in him that has been gone for the last year or so, someone to comfort him and tell him what he needs to hear to bring him back to reality. Someone to tell him that he could do this, letting him know that everything would be okay. Why was that so hard? Why was he mingling so many inner thoughts and turmoil when it didn't need to be done? What could he do? He felt lost, afraid, and alone in depths of depair that he was already too far in to get out.

-

After finishing tending to Neteyam and letting him rest, Tuk stayed behind with his older brother while Lo'ak, Kiri, and Spider were walking around the cavern and through the huts the other Avatars were in. The trio was heading over to one of the capsules were the scientists were, just finding a place to hang out in before it was time to head to bed.

"Hi, there," Spider said, waving over to Norm, who was in his Avatar form brushing his teeth. "Hey, Spider" He replied, putting a towel around his neck, then swinging it to hit Spider's legs with it. "Your ass is mine," Spider laughed, jumping over the towel, and seeing Norm put it back around his neck. "I'm right here," Norm said playfully as he brushed his teeth, following along with his banter with Spider. It was always fun to mess around.

Once the other scientists saw him, Kiri, and Lo'ak walk through the tent, female scientists took notice of this and tried to get them to get through another way. "Avatars only. Go around!" The woman said, and Kiri mocked the scientist by mimicking her in a high-pitched tone, doing little hand gestures. The woman groaned, quickly getting back to work.

The trio eventually passed through the Avatar zone and reached one of the small base units. "The blue stripes don't make you any bigger, bro," Lo'ak said with a small laugh. They started climbing up the stairs opening the door and heading inside, making sure to seal the door so that oxygen can be preserved inside and the toxic Pandoran air could stay outside.

"Yeah, well I can still kick your ass," Spider replied to Lo'ak, following Lo'ak inside the base. Once they were inside, the human boy was able to take off his oxygen mask, given that there was no toxic air inside this base unit. When coming around the corner, the trio could see scientists overlooking the Avatar drivers coming out of their links as their pods opened. Most people were starting to close the lab for the night, so most Avatar drivers were coming out of their links and pods for the day.

"Yeah, ha ha. Real hysterical, guys. You know what really sucks, though? You can breathe Earth air for hours, and I can only breathe your air for like 10 seconds," Spider said, seeing Kiri and Lo'ak take masks that let them breathe Pandora air every now and then. Na'vi could breathe human air for a long time, but they still at some point need a mask to help them breathe regular human air. The components for both oxygen and Pandora air was very different in its composition, so that's why Na'vi could last longer breathing human air.

"Yes, monkey boy. That really sucks," Kiri started with a fake pout and teasing tone, but then she smiled saying; "For you," She laughed, reaching over to try and catch Spider, but then she turned around to check out something in a monitor behind her, and searching through the rack of oxygen masks on the wall.

As Kiri had her back turned her back to Spider, to keep their playful banter going, the human boy grinned as he looked at Kiri's tail. He pulled on it slightly, startling her as she turned around, but then saw it was Spider so she hissed at him playfully as he hissed back. The two then noticed Max was standing behind them, overseeing a few experiments.

"Hey, Max," Kiri greeted the scientist, waving over to him. "Hey, kids," He waved at the trio with a warm and welcoming smile. Spider walked over to Max and fist-bumped the boy, and Lo'ak walked over to do the same.

While the men talked, Kiri strayed off to another part of the lab, which was where Grace's Avatar body was. It was still in the giant tank chamber, keeping her comatose body stable. Kiri proceeded to jump on top of the tank, with one leg on either side, looking down at her mother. "Hi, Ma..." Kiri whispered with a soft smile, leaning down to press her cheek against the glass and hugging the tank. Kiri visited her biological mother almost every day, never missing a chance to try and connect with Grace in her Avatar comatose state.

After that, Kiri made her way down and headed over to the monitor in front of the tank chamber where Grace was in. This is something Kiri loved to do, so she played old video logs of her mother and she would watch them for hours on end. Kiri would never get tired of seeing them and hearing Grace's voice. It was so soothing and it gave her nostalgia of some sort even if she had never met her in person. Thanks to the Tree of Souls, Kiri had caught glimpses of her mother and Kiri truly would've given any to meet her.

Now, Kiri was doing just that and standing in front of the monitor with an unerasable smile while she watched an old log that her mother recorded. "Maybe I'm just losing it out here, but I see real evidence of a systemic response on a global level. I can't...I won't use the word 'intelligence', since it's, um...maybe 'awareness' is probably a better word" Grace said on the video, and Kiri watched on, absolutely mesmerized and entranced while she pressed her mask to her face every few seconds to breathe Pandoran air.

Unknowingly to her, Spider was standing behind her, watching the girl intently with wonder and admiration. He has always been entranced by Kiri, and the soft smile the girl had on her face as she watched her mother's video made his heart leap. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel something for her. He didn't know what it was, whether it was romantic and platonic, but there was something there he couldn't deny no matter what he did. Kiri was special, and he could never ignore that.

"It's as if the entire biosphere on Pandora is aware and capable of this cognitive response. Oh, crap. I can't say that. They'll crucify me" Grace laughed dryly on the video, trying to get back on track. Kiri eventually turned around and walked over to the tank again, leaning her arms on the railing to look at her mother.

Spider turned around as well, seeing Lo'ak come around the corner to stand next to the human boy. The young Sully brother looked at the monitor for a few seconds before turning to face Spider. "So, who do you think knocked her up? Pretty sure it was Norm," Lo'ak chuckled, making Spider laugh and agree. The boys were just messing around but Kiri took offense. "Totally," Spider said with a laugh, but as soon as Kiri heard those words, she turned away from her mother to face her brother and the human boy in front of her with disbelief that they would say such a thing, especially since she was right in front of them.

"You do not deserve to live," Kiri said, her attitude turning serious all of a sudden. "No, no. Think about it. He's the teacher's pet. He's out at the lab with her all the time," Lo'ak continued, joking around with the subject and Spider started to smirk at the conversation. Kiri watched the two boys with a baffled look.

" I would kill myself. I would drink acid," Kiri said, not amused by their behavior. Spider continued to look at the monitor and started laughing when he spotted something. "Bro, you're right! He's like in every shot," Spider pointed out, seeing how Norm was coming up to stand behind Grace and look over her shoulder. "Look, look! He's giving her looks!" Spider said as he started laughing hysterically but Kiri didn't find it funny at all, whatsoever.

"Hey!" Kiri spoke up, making Spider turn to her and see the hurt look on her face, and effectively, that made him stop laughing altogether and look down. Maybe they did take the conversation a bit too far. "See, I'm thinking their two Avatars together, out in the woods, all alone..." Lo'ak started to say teasingly, and Kiri laughed as she pushed her brother back, not too hard. "Gross!" She chuckled, beginning to play fight with Lo'ak.

Spider didn't know why, but the conversation had sparked something in his head that he blurted out before he had a chance to take it back. "Guys, I mean, sometimes it's not so great to know who your father was..." Spider started, and at his words, Kiri and Lo'ak stopped what they were doing to look at their human friend awkwardly. The mood changed drastically the moment he said that. Kiri and Lo'ak felt pity and sympathy for their friend, and couldn't imagine how hard it must be to know that your father was as horrible as his.

Spider awkwardly looked away and hopped off the railing of the tank, turning away from Kiri and Lo'ak. "Whatever. I don't even remember him," He muttered while sensing Lo'ak coming to stand behind him. "No, Spider..." Lo'ak started to say, trying to comfort his friend. He knew how hard this topic was for Spider.

"Spider..." Kiri started, coming up behind the boy to stand behind him and put her hands on his arms. "You are not him..." Kiri reassured him, trying to help him remember who he truly is, that who his father was did not define him, despite what Spider kept telling himself.

-

The next day, the Sully siblings and Spider were out exploring and running through the Hallelujah mountains. Lo'ak, Kiri, Tuk, and Spider all began to run through a big and sturdy vine that connected two mountains together. They were leaping, laughing, and smiling. They were having a nice time being in their element, and just being in the forest where they grew up their whole lives.

"Go, monkey boy!" Kiri said with a laugh, leaping and jumping from one vine to another as Spider ran ahead of her. Kiri also made sure to stay close enough to Tuk who was just behind her, so she could keep an eye on her little sister and make sure nothing happened. Even if Tuk had a handle of being in the forest, you could never be too careful. "Guys! Wait up!" She called, trying to catch up.

After making their way down the mountains, the kids reached the forest grounds and they were now running deeper into the forest, and then they came across this large log that they could run on. It was covered with moss, plants, grass, and other flora. The beauty of the Pandoran forest was truly a sight to behold.

While they made their way across it, Tuk stopped in her tracks with curiosity sparking inside of her and kneeled to put her hand on a plant that had tentacles with tendrils flowing outside of it, attaching gently to her hand like an octopus sucker. She giggled as she shook her hand up and down to shake the tentacles off of her hand. It gave a tickling sensation.

Noticing she had fallen behind to look at the plant, Lo'ak stopped running and looked back at his little sister. "Tuk! Keep up!" Lo'ak urged with annoyance, making Tuk stand up and run back to catch up with Kiri and her brother. "Okay! Okay!" She said, running to be by Kiri's side with Spider who was right behind Lo'ak.

"Bro, why'd you bring her anyway?" Spider asked, turning back to look at Tuk and then back at Lo'ak, who then turned around to face the group. The young Sully brother rolled his eyes at the memories and situations of being told on to Jake by Tuk. She didn't mean anything by it, but Tuk just loved adventure and didn't want to be left behind.

"She's such a crybaby. She's all, 'I'm telling. You're not supposed to go to the battlefield. I'll tell dad if you don't let me come'," He told in a childish voice, mocking Tuk with his best impression. Tuk was not impressed at all, so she stuck out her tongue at her older brother. Spider looked at Tuk, and chuckled slightly.

"Don't pick on her," Kiri said, not wanting Tuk to feel bad. Kiri is always by Tuk's side and protecting her whenever you're not around. They have a strong sisterly bond, even if they weren't siblings by blood. It was just a connection that was naturally strong. After being by each other's side for years, a bond that strong was bound to be created.

The group eventually made it further into the forest and the kids climbed up a series of interconnected roots of trees. At the very top, there was an old RDA aircraft tangled in the vines. It looked rusty and dirty after so many years of being there. Spider and Lo'ak were the first ones to make their way up while Tuk and Kiri were right behind them. "Oh, sick," Lo'ak muttered with amazement.

"Are there any dead bodies up there?" Tuk asked, earning a questionable look from Kiri. She had no idea where that question that her little sister quipped came from. She didn't question it but was still puzzled by it.

Tuk eventually caught up with Lo'ak and Spider while Kiri strayed off and started wandering around by herself. She came upon this section of the forest where the flora and the environment of the jungle really showed. Kiri walked through a path lined by big purple leaves that had the sun reflecting its light on it.

She walked a bit more, coming across a normal green leaf that arched over her like an umbrella. On top of it, there was a fan lizard that landed shortly before Kiri arrived. She was completely entranced by everything around her, paying attention to every detail, and seeing the sights around her with love and care.

Kiri smiled gently and raised her arms, running her hands through the leaf and making the lizards open their fanned wings and fly away. One of the lizards landed on a leaf next to her that was closer to the ground, so she smiled and leaned down to inspect it. The creature, out of instinct, opened its wings and flew away. Kiri smiled in wonder at it.

After that, she came across this clearing that had an open path of grass in the middle of it. She lay down on the ground and the soft grass facing up, looking at the treetops as Eywa seedling spirits started to arrive and float around Kiri. She sighed in contentment while she ran her arms around the grass, eyeing the Atokirina with curiosity.

Before she knew it, Kiri had spent a couple of minutes laying down on the grass and she already felt herself falling into a peaceful sleep. The grass moved gracefully with the wind beneath her, and the Atorikina still floated above her, some even landing on her skin gently. They were completely harmless, and if anything, they brought her even more peace to her slumber as she took in her surroundings.

Spider had started to worry about Kiri since he hadn't seen her with them for a while, so he took it upon himself to look for the girl and eventually found her in the small clearing she was laying on. "Kiri? Kiri," Spider said, coming through the branches, and kneeling next to her. She still seemed to be asleep, so he started to gently nudge her until her eyes opened sleepily.

The girl sat up, noticing Spider was now next to her. She looked around for a moment before turning her eyes to look at him again. "Are you okay?" He asked with concern, but she stayed quiet for a few seconds before sighing. "I was doing that thing again, wasn't I?" She asked, knowing that this has been a normal occurrence. But it's been happening a lot more than usual, and she didn't know why.

Spider smiled and chuckled, seeing an Atorikina float in front of him, so he used his hand to gently push it away. "Yeah, you were," He said bashfully, and for a few seconds, they looked at each other with smiles on their faces, that was until they heard the familiar voice of Tuk coming from around the corner.

"Kiri!" Tuk called out with her little voice, and from a distance, Kiri and Spider could see Lo'ak coming in behind her little sister. "Kiri, we have to go back," Tuk said worriedly. Spider and Kiri looked at each other before he started to help her up, and in no time, the group of kids was making their way out of the forest.

At least the plan was to go back, but as the group started making their way back to where they came from, they were walking through a large trunk connecting two trees and Lo'ak spotted something in the corner of his eye. He was ahead of the group, so he was the first to notice. He stopped in his tracks and made his way down the trunk, down to the ground, and kneeled to inspect what he had seen.

There were big footprints in the mud. Noticing Lo'ak had strayed off, Kiri raised an eyebrow and walked over to the two boys that were inspecting the mud. "What is it?" She asked, not knowing why they had stopped. After Lo'ak looked at the footprints, he concluded that it was obvious who these belonged to. "These are way too big for a human," He said, which could only mean one thing, if what he thought was correct. Which didn't mean anything good.

"Avatars?" Spider asked, voicing Lo'ak's thoughts and suspicions out loud. The Sully brother nodded with assurance, standing up again, and began to follow the trail of footprints on the mud. Tuk, Kiri, and Spider all followed behind him hesitantly. If Avatars were truly the ones who left those prints on the ground, there was trouble coming.

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Hi! As promised, I made this chapter a lot longer than I did for the last one. I hope you guys enjoy what Ive posted so far, and it may seem slow paced now, but I swear that it'll get more interesting once the family gets to the Metkayina lol

I have a lot of stuff prewritten already so chapters might be coming a lot faster now! I have a free week coming up so i'll make sure to get more chapters done.

Also, now that I have Avatar The Way of Water in HD and with subtitles, I can see more clearly those tiny details in the movie I never noticed before.

Also, because of the digital version being out, I can start revising both 'Barricades' books! I'll start on both of them when Im more ahead on this story but i'll let you guys know. Im debating if I should unpublish them both to edit them, or just keep them up and edit the chapters normally. What do you guys think?

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, Anyway, I'll see you all in the next one! 🤍 Have a good rest of your week everyone!

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