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

A/N: This chapter you guys will see a bit more of Y/n's relationship with Tonowari and Ronal, so I hope you guys enjoy the parental role that they have over her and her life.

Before we move onto the chapter, I know Ive been saying this a lot recently but just a small reminder; don't forget to comment <3 I love reading and replying to all of your comments and they make my day. 🤍 I hope you guys like this chapter!
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About a week passed and things could not have been better. You and Jake spent almost every waking moment together, and it has given you time to get to know one another on a personal level. Not quite to those things about each other that have deep emotional wounds, but more the things that make each other who you are. Out of everyone in the village Jake felt like he could confide in you the most, which is what he needed. He hasn't felt like he could tell anyone what he was feeling in a long time, so he's glad you've been there every step of the way since him and his family have arrived.

The more the lessons continued, the closer you two got, and whenever that he forgot that he was supposed to keep boundaries with you, he remembered, not only that he was still not emotionally ready yet, but that you were set to be mated with someone else. Neither of you addressed it, and neither of you would act on it either. Being friends is what worked. Jake's resolve was slowly starting to fade and you were making it hard for him to stay away. Whenever you two spent time together, he forgot about his problems and it seems like his world had none in those moments with you.

You knew that things were moving a bit fast. You have never taken a liking for someone you've met only two weeks ago, especially when you knew that this is the first time you've had this type feeling for anyone in a long time. Even when you first met Hahona, it was only when you were young teens and you only started feeling things for him well into adulthood and then mated years later. Given that, you've never started feeling such strong feelings for someone this fast before.

There was something brewing inside of you, and you couldn't quite place what it was, but you were certain that Jake wasn't available emotionally right now and you would respect that. You didn't even know when you started wondering if he was available or even if he felt something for you too, anything at all. Even the most miniscule of feelings. As planned, you'd have to try and accept Vokan as your future mate like you had stated to Jake previously, despite the conflicting emotions, (that you still hadn't deciphered), that you held for him.

Aside from that, There's not only those moments, but you've gotten closer to the kids as well. You've helped Neteyam train with the traditional Metkayina style of hunting, seeing how eager he was to become a warrior. It was an honorable dream so you wouldn't dare deny him the chance to learn, especially if his family would be staying here for the long run.

Kiri and you have talked endlessly; swapping stories, learning about one another (and finding that you two had much more in common than you thought). She was a gentle and calm girl. Given that you saw her controlling the fish the other day, she explained to you how strange of a discovery it was for her too. It was truly a gift and it seems fitting for a girl as sweet and kind like Kiri.

As for Lo'ak, he hasn't quite opened up to you yet like his siblings have. He hasn't been rude or anything of the sort, in fact, he was polite and never regarded you in a negative manner. You've seen how Jake has struggled to keep in line because of his seemingly adventurous spirit and behavior. Even if its only been a couple weeks, there are so many things you've seen in Lo'ak that he must've gotten from Jake.

As for Tuk, she was a sweetheart. She's been joined at the hip with you since they arrived and has stuck to you like glue. Every interesting thing the young Sully found, she didn't hesitate to rush and tell you. You've taken her on ilu rides (as per her request, and even it being your own idea at times), swims through the reef, and teaching her about the sea clans. She was so young and with so much to learn. Tuk would grow up to be exceptional.

She loved being around you so much, that even whenever you were with Jake, she would come in and drag you over excitedly to what she wanted to show you. As much as you wanted to stay with Jake at times, you couldn't deny Tuk when times like that came to be. She was so excitable, yet she was still young and naive, but she was smart. She was a strong little girl and has a strong spirit, so you were sure she got that from Jake as well, no doubt in your mind.

Tuk also loved to be around Tsireya. To the Metkayina princess, the young Sully has become the younger sister she never had. You've always played a big sister role in Tsireya's life, and you were even there when she was born (as well as Ao'nung) but the girl finally felt she could pass on her wisdom to Tuk, including everything you've taught her and what she's learned since she was young.

Right now, it was early in the morning and the skies were blue, there was sunlight beaming down onto the village, and since it was a new day, you had scheduled Na'vi sign language lessons with Jake today as well as teaching him breathing exercises. You had left your hut a while ago and were heading to the Sully's hut, walking along the weaved paths of the village.

You had prepared a few things that covered basics of both breathing techniques and Na'vi sign language that Jake would need the most in his time here. He has yet to learn the hunting and fighting styles of the Metkayina but he told you that he already had plenty of experience with the military back on Earth as well as what they taught him back in the forest. His skills as Toruk Makto were also very commendable so you decided against teaching him fighting and rathee focusing on other skills he needed.

As you walked over through the crowd of villagers, you failed to noticed someone behind you trying to catch up with you, but that was until you heard their voice. "Y/n!" The voice called out, prompting you to turn around and see that it was Tonowari jogging up to you until he was right next to you. "Hi, Tonowari" You said, letting your eyes briefly land on Jake's hut in the distance and then back to the Olo'eyktan standing before you expectantly.

"Do you have a moment? I'd like to discuss a few things with you" Tonowari said, and with worry, your ears tipped back instinctively. You nodded hesitantly as he revealed a soft smile to you. You didn't want to be late for Jake since you agreed to meet up right about now, but you couldn't deny Tonowari's wishes. Soon, he had led you back to his hut all the way at the other end of the village. You sighed, knowing it would take you longer to get to Jake now.

When you two entered his hut, you saw that Ronal was just about to head out. When the Tsahik noticed your presence, she beamed (which isn't very common for her, so she only reserved it for a couple of people in her life, including you) and embraced you in a hug. "How are you, my daughter?" Ronal said against your hair as she pressed a hand against your head. Your heary melted at her words. It wasn't a surprise to you that Ronal regarded you like that since they have been parental figures to you since you were very young. You considered them your parents too at this point. There's nothing that they haven't done for you.

"I'm good. Are you heading out?" You asked as you pulled away from the hug and she looked at you fondly. "I am. Today is Tsahik training with Tsireya. She will follow after you and she has been working very hard" Ronal explained, and you nodded. Knowing that Ronal had trained you up to the moment that she had nothing left to teach you, that now Ronal was passing on her wisdom to Tsireya to follow after you as Tsahik when the time comes.

"Give my regards to her. If she's anything like her mother, she'll be a great Tsahik one day" You said with a smile, making Ronal look at you with nothing but love and affection. "Just like you will be" Ronal said, looking at you and then back at Tonowari who nodded. He believed nothing less and trusted that you would lead the people well some day.

"Thank you, I won't let you down" You said, and Ronal nodded softly, and silently stepping out of the hut, leaving you and Tonowari alone to talk. The last time that he had called you to talk with such a somber tone, it was when you received the worst news you had ever gotten so you were trying to stay prepared for anything.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" You said, intertwining your fingers together in front of you, playing with them nervously. Tonowari had turned from somber to a more normal tone and less intense way of regarding you. "Sit down for a moment" Tonowari said, and his words made you realize that this might take a lot longer than you originally thought it would.

As you two sat down, Tonowari looked at you and moved to sit closer. "Do you have somewhere to be? Am I keeping you from something?" Tonowari asked, and you tensed. Was this question part of what he wanted to talk to you about? He knew you were supposed to be training Jake until he was accustomed completely to the village, but had he noticed how much times you've spent with Jake outside of that? He was Olo'eyktan so he had to know. He knew everything that was going on.

It didn't hurt to be honest and he probably already knew. "Yes, I have training with Jake today. There are still a few things I have to teach him" You said, trying to not give away your hesitance when speaking to Tonowari. He was scarily perceptive and was intimidating when he wanted to be. "Alright, then I won't keep you for long" Tonowari said,. You released a breath you didn't know you were holding.

"I wanted to speak to you about your search for a mate. Have you spoken to Vokan recently? He seems to show a lot of promise" Tonowari said, and you nodded. You had spent small moments with the warrior, but you still weren't that happy about mating with him. You barely knew him and his attempts to get closer to you seemed too forward for your liking. You knew that if you told Tonowari that you didn't like him, he'd find someone for you since you've taken too long and you didn't want to leave it up to fate or up to him who you ended up with.

"I have, but I just need more time. This is a big decision and I want to talk to him more before I make a decision" You said, half-lying as you spoke. In your mind, there was already someone that you had in mind, but like you said, it was too soon. Friends is what worked. "I understand, but you realize that I have to pick someone for you if you take too long" Tonowari said, and you nodded, refusing to make eye contact with him. Your biggest life decision is something you wanted to do by your own volition, and you couldn't pass up on that.

Tonowari noticed your silence as you continued to look down and fiddled with your fingers. "You are a grown woman, Y/n. I trust your judgement, but if you want to find someone on your own, because I know you're not fond of Vokan, make sure that it is a someone honorable. An honest man, that treats you the way you deserve and that doesn't have second intentions by being with you" Tonowari said, and your head snapped up to look at him.

Tonowari chuckled at your reaction and he moved to lean his forearm on his knee. "Don't think that I don't know what Vokan truly wants. I've spoken to his father, and what he wants is for his son to be Olo'eyktan, which is something that Vokan wants too. Now, he may have interest in you, but you should be your mate's top priority, not a position of high power. If you find a man on your own, don't worry about my approval, but only about how he makes you feel and if he truly cares about you. Don't let him make you feel like you come second. I always liked that about Hahona, and its a shame he passed, but I admired him for always putting you first and not disregarding you for his work as a warrior" He explained, and you nodded. You liked that about Hahona too. He never made you feel like less or as if you were in the way. You miss that.

"Listen, y/n. Your parents left me in your care and I promised them that I would take care of you, so I am not letting you go into the arms of a man who doesn't appreciate you. I've seen you grow up since you were just a little girl, watched you become a great woman and I only want the best for you. I would die happy knowing you, Tsireya, and Ao'nung were happy and lived without regrets. Go do that, Y/n. Don't worry about disappointing me and live for yourself" Tonowari explained, and you nodded. It seems like you were finally seeing eye-to-eye with Tonowari and he understood you and what you were thinking.

Tears welled in your eyes before you knew it and you began to sniffle a bit. You smiled weakly and threw your arms around him, pressing your cheek against his shoulder. Tonowari laughed as he wrapped his arms around you too. "Thank you" You whispered, grateful that he had said all those things. You were always so worried about disappointing him since he's done so much for you. But he's giving you the option to choose, to be happy, and to have free will. He always had but your thoughts about retribution and redeeming yourself were always in the way.

You pulled away from the hug a few seconds later and sat back down, wiping away your tears. Happy tears, though. You settled in your spot again, and realized that he wasn't done speaking by the look on his face. "One more thing, have you decided what tent you'd be moving into? I am sure it hasn't been easy to go back into yours for some time now" Tonowari asked, changing the subject. This was something you had forgotten to mention to him but it was probably a good time to tell him what you were thinking about the subject and what you had decided to do after weeks of pondering over what to do, that was until the arrival of the Sully family, that is.

As you were about to answer, neither you or Tonowari noticed how Jake had arrived outside the hut as the Olo'eyktan asked you about switching tents. Jake had been starting to wonder what was taking so long so he had set out to find you. The kids were all scattered around the village today so he was looking forward to his lessons with you today. As he continued to look for you, he heard your voice coming from afar and he followed it, until
he was standing outside of Tonowari's hut up until the moment the Olo'eykyan asked you about switching homes. Away from his.

He didn't want to pry but Jake couldn't help but stand outside discreetly, watching as people passed him by but also heard your voice and Tonowari resonate again from the inside.

"I have decided not to change tents. I should have told you but it slipped my mind" You admitted, and relief sparked within Jake, but it was soon replaced with curiosity. Why didn't you want to change tents? Why didn't you want to stay in your own tent in the first place? He asked himself all of these questions and more.

"Oh. Is there a reason for that?" Tonowari asked as he leaned forward with intrigue. He knew that staying in that tent has been emotionally draining for you, knowing that you spent years sharing it with Hahona, so what made you want to withstand that any longer? "The Sully's" You answered simply, and Jake perked up outside. You refused to move out because of him and his family? Why, though?

"The newcomers?" Tonowari inquired and you simply nodded, leaving the Olo'eyktan to want to know morr. Sensing his confusion, you sighed and began to speak. "I want to stay nearby. That family is special, Tonowari. I figured that I could stay and be there for them if they needed anything. They already feel alienated enough by other people in the village, so having a familiar face nearby would ease their arrival. I might change homes in the future, but not now. I can't leave" You admitted wholeheartedly. Your words left Tonowari stunned, but the man who stood outside was at a loss for words. You stayed in your home, for him? and the kids? He was speechless.

"You are still as kind and loving as you have always been, Y/n. I shouldn't be surprised" Tonowari admitted with a chuckle, but you only smiled in return. Even with all the memories that were left in that place, you still wanted to stay there so that Toruk Makto's family wouldn't be alone. It was commendable. Jake stayed outside, not listening as much to the conversation anymore but rather keeping to himself and thinking. His heart swelled. The fact that you are able to withstand whatever it is that made you want to move out in the first place just so you could be there for his family left him with nothing to say. He didn't admit it out loud, but you were incredible. Much more amazing than he ever gave you credit for.

"Okay, you can stay in your hut. If you change your mind at any moment, let me know" Tonowari said, and you nodded. You were grateful that he was giving you a chance to change your circumstances if you wished for it. After talking a bit more with Tonowari, you realized that there was nothing more he needed to say so you began to stand up, and he did too. Before you could step out, he called to you. You turned around to face him and waited for what he wanted to say. His expression was almost unreadable but it was fond and soft at once.

"Your parents would have been proud. Hahona would have been, too. You're a good person, and you make me proud" He said, and you smiled, blinking away the sudden wave of tears that was coming in. You nodded and smiled weakly at him. Tonowari felt like he should have told you all of this before. You've been trying to make up for a lot of things, but you didn't know that you didn't need to. He is proud of you every day and he can't think of anyone else to take the reigns after him and Ronal to protect and lead the Metkayina.

Tonowari knew that there was nothing else to be said between the two of you, so when you smiled at him and began to head out, he reciprocated and began to focus on other things that he had to worry about for the rest of the day. Everything had gotten out in the open and both of you knew that there was nothing hidden anymore, at least for the most part. You had yet to tell him about your nightmares but that was a story for another time, not now.

As you walked out, Jake noticed that the footsteps were getting closer so we walked away, making it seem like he was just coming from around the corner just as you left the tent.  You were completely oblivious and fell for it. When you looked up as you stepped out of Tonowari's tent, you saw Jake and you instinctively beamed at him. He must've been wondering where you were, which wasn't a lie.

"Jake! Hi," You greeted him as you stepped closer to him and he turned around at the sound of your voice, trying to sound as nonchalant as he possibly could, as if he wasn't just listening in the conversation. "Hey, y/n" He said as he approached you and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He hoped you hadn't quite caught on yet, but by the look on your face, you didn't seem to know.

"Are you ready? I have a lot of stuff prepared, let's go" You smiled, unexpectedly grabbing onto his hand and pulled him along. His eyes had widened momentarily in surprise but he quickly decided to let it happen and laughed along with you as you two walked across the village together. Unbeknownst to the two of you, since you had your backs to him, Tonowari was standing outside of his hut, leaning against the wall with a fond smile as he watched you and Jake disappear into the distance together. His heart warmed at how happy you looked, and with Jake, he could tell all of your problems melted away even if it was just temporary or simply for one afternoon.

-

Soon enough, you and Jake were sitting on the rocky shores of a reef fragment that protruded out of the water and served as a flat surface for you two to sit on right in front of one another as the lessons began. As promised, you'd begin with the breathing lessons. Not only would it get him more at ease when learning sign language if he got too frustrated, but it would help him in the long run which was the main purpose of these lessons in the first place.

"Okay, let's start with something simple. Taking breaths in and out" You said, and Jake nodded, straightening up his posture and adjusted his sitting position to have his legs crossed, much like how you were. Right as you were about to begin, you smiled inwardly at how focused Jake looked. So determined.

"Okay. Ready?" You asked Jake as you straightened up too and moved closer so your knees were touching his. He nodded and you closed your eyes briefly at his confirmation before opening them up again. "Let's start by breathing in. Opening your airways" You said, and Jake muttered a small 'okay' before you started guiding him through the process.

"Breathe in..." You said as you started inhaling, not raising your shoulders but by letting your stomach go along with your breathing and pressing your hands against it, monitoring the feeling of your lungs take in as much as as possible. As you breathed in, you used your hands to mimic the way that air was going in how it went out. You watched as Jake did the same, but as instinct for anyone who did this for the first time, he had his shoulders raised.

"And breath out..." You started, moving your hands from your stomach over to be on top of his shoulders. "Lower your shoulders, relax" You whispered calmly, pressing them down as he breathed out and he let out the air from his body. "Keep them down, and breathe from down here" You said, moving your hands from his shoulders and placed one of your hands on his chest and another on his stomach. You felt him visibly tense at the sudden contact of your skin on his but he didn't say a word about it.

You had one of your hands on his chest where his lungs and heart are and your other hand was placed on his stomach to monitor how much air he was taking in and how fast. With one of your hands placed against his chest, you could feel is heart beating rapidly. You had no idea why, and to you it was just that he was having trouble with this and got nervous, but Jake knew why. He just hoped that you didn't.

You've never been this close to him before, with your hands on him making him nervous. You were naive to the effect you were having on him, but the minute your skin touched his, that warmth and comforting fire came back. "Slow down your heartbeat, Jake. It's very fast" You said to him, noticing how fast the beats of his heart felt against the palms of your hands. You were still oblivious but your words knocked Jake back into reality and he nodded shakily. "Okay," He said, and you smiled softly, not removing your hands from him just yet. Jake feared that if you kept your hands there too long, you'd catch on to what he was feeling inside, but he still tried to follow what you said.

"Try again. Breathe in," You started as you inhaled gently while monitoring Jake at the same time. As he took in air, you could practically feel his airways opening as he inahled and his heartbeat was starting to return to normal. He must've been feeling more comfortable and confident now. "Now, breathe out" You said, still with your hands on his skin, and felt as his body deflated and he released air from in between his lips.

"That's good, Jake. Breathe from down here, this is important. Focus" You said, instructing him once again to breathe in, hold it for a couple seconds, and then breathe out. The hand that was still on his stomach felt the way his body regained its form as he released air. He was improving his lung capacity with every second that he did this and he had no idea. These exercises would help him infinitely.

You still hadn't noticed what was happening outside of the lesson but the moment you moved closer to Jake, moved your hands to put them on chest, and had your face inches away from his, Jake felt like a silly teenager all over again. As he breathed out and you looked up at him with your big doe eyes with a look of approval and joy that he was getting the hang of it, Jake's eyes shakily trailed to yours and they gazed at your face as if in a trance. He breathed out again as instructed by you, and once he let out one last breath, he watched you closely and intently with you still obliviously watching and monitoring his breathing.

With your hands still on him and you sitting so close to him, you raised your head to look up at him, prompting for your faces to be even closer now. Jake locked eyes with you and watched as yours softened with concern. "Your heartbeat is fast, Jake. You're tense. Are you okay?" You said as you continued to give him instructions to breathe in and then out once again. He was slowly letting go, but he still felt a bit stiff for the goal you were trying to reach.

"Are you uncomfortable?" You asked, preparing to remove your hands from him if that's what had him on edge, but it was just the opposite. Your hands againsg him is what made him feel at ease and comfortable. It was just his thoughts racing and the worst case scenario replaying in his head that made him start to panic inside, and obviously on the outside. He didn't realize this before, but he did now, he liked being this close to you.

"No, I'm okay" Jake answered sheepishly, and it seemed like you bought it because you nodded and turned your head back down to see if his nerves had settled and his heart had gotten back to normal. When you removed your hands from his body and moved to your former position, sitting cross-legged in front of him. Jake felt that comforting warmth slip away and he felt himself slump. It was gone too soon for his liking if he was being honest.

"You did good for your first try. You still need to learn to breathe slowly. Stay still and relax because if you let your nerves take over, your lungs and body will respond by quickly running out of air to store in your body" You explained, and Jake nodded. It made sense. If he gets stressed, it will force his lungs and heart to work even harder underwater, causing a panic response and nobody wanted that.

"Okay, got it" Jake said as he nodded a couple times and tried to get back his bearings. He hoped you at least wanted to move onto something else, and somehow his prayers were answered and you said exactly what he had been hoping for. "Why don't we focus on how holding your breath for intervals at a time?" You suggested, and Jake sighed in relief. That would be good. He could start to move past the moment and just focus on the rest of the lesson. None of it was your fault, it was just the part of his brain that made him refuse all of it.

That's exactly what you two did. You had Jake breathe in, hold his breath for 15 seconds and then start to increment it each time he tried and breathe out. You told him to stay still and keep himself relaxed, and that was the key to all of it. It seems to work because you got up to 45 seconds without struggling, almost to a minute. If he kept this up, he would be able to stay long amounts of time underwater effortlessly and with no problem at all.

Eventually, it rolled close into noon and it was time for Na'vi sign language. You would only teach him the basics for today and then show him over usefuk phrases that he shoud know at least until he learns the rest over time.

This was honestly the part of the lessons you were most excited for. It's fun to learn sign language aside from the 'I see you' sign, and it is a good way to communicate with othee beings around you that are not Na'vi, yet, they coexist with them. You were only teaching Jake the basics but also hoped he'd learn more.

"Okay, first off is, 'Thank you'. What you do is form a fist, hold it like this," You started, holding out your fist and watching as Jake copied and followed all of your movements. "Next, you press it against your chest" You said, putting the side of your fist on your chest. You watched as Jake did the same, and you knew it was time to move on to the next step.

"After that, you move your fist forward and let your fingers flutter at the same time" You said, repeating the same motion over and over. Jake repeated it a couple times before he did the complete move from the beginning. You smiled at him as he repeated the motion repeatedly, getting the hang of it so well already.

"Good, Jake! " You praised, clapping your hands a couple times and then keeping them clasped together with a smile. "Are you ready to move on to the next one?" You asked, and Jake was so eager from his accomplishment, so he nodded and scooted closer to you with a smile. "This is fun" He admitted happily.

You smiled and laughed at his eagerness and at how much was enjoying this. "This one is 'I am happy'" You said, getting into a better posture and start to guide Jake through the motions. "First, drag your hand down your chest," You started, and watched as Jake followed your motions. This part was easy but the next one was a bit tricky because of the hand form. "Good. Now take your right hand, tuck your pinky and pinch together your thumb with your pointer finger" You said, watching as Jake looked at your hand and how you were positioning them but he was struggling a bit.

"Okay I take back what I said.." He said as he tried to not make his hand position look messy, but you chuckled nonetheless and scooted closer to him again, moving your own hands to place them over his. As you positioned his fingers accordingly, he was once again in contact with you and he was at a loss. What was happening to him? You were just trying to help him and he couldn't take a simple gesture? Get it together Jake said to himself.

After you positioned his hand the right way, you let go of his hands and scooted back to your place. "Now is the easy part. Just motion your hand in circles" You instructed, doing the said motion and watched as Jake followed. He didn't move his fingers from the position you had adjusted them, and watched intently to how you were doing it. He was finally getting the hang it after doing the complete move a couple times. He let a ghost of a smile come upon his lips when he realized he was doing it.

"You're doing well. Do you want to try another one?" You asked, positioning your criss-cross posture of your legs a little better. You wanted to teach him signs like 'Hello', or the sign asking someone to be your friend, or maybe even how to apologize. It was truly a fascinating experience and you couldn't wait to show Jake all of them. The fact that he was already so excited was already so great.

"Yeah, sure-" Jake started but he was caught off by the sudden sound of splashing of water, grunts and yelling coming from afar. You heard it too and turned your head to where Jake was looking at and where the sound could possibly be coming from. It was coming from the beach a little ways next to the coral fragments that you and Jake were sitting by. A few seconds later, familiar voices could be heard in the mix and after recognizing them, Jake groaned and sighed inwardly as he realized who it was. Lo'ak and Neteyam. It sounded like a fight.

You turned to look at Jake at the same as he looked at you and without saying anything else, he offered his hand to you, you took it, and when you both stood up, you two began running over to where the yelling was coming from. If it was as intense as it sounded, then Jake would likely be left to deal with it.

Jake wouldn't be expecting a surprise because if yelling could be heard and Lo'ak and Neteyam's voices were in the mix, then nothing good was coming out of the situation they were about to see. He wasn't expecting anything less than what he's seen his boys' entire lives.

-

- A few minutes before -

While the kids were all off doing their own activities, Kiri had taken a walk along the beach around noon  and somehow had made it to the point where she was laying face-down on her stomach on the shore with her face submerged in the water and her legs bent so that she could move her legs slowly back and forth. She was so immersed in her own world.

Since she was so close to the beach's shore, she kept her gaze fixated on the soft sand that she was closely laying on. A smile grazed her lips while she continued to look at the small holes that tiny sea creatures were making on the sand, looking for shelter. Her view was even more ethereal and mesmerizing because the clear water from above was reflected by the sun, and because of that, it made ripple patterns that were moving constantly and could be seen in the sand.

Kiri's eyes gazed at every detail that changed about the water's movements, the animals in the sand, the shift of the small pebbles engraved on the surface, and everything that her eyes could see. Her tail swayed with the water as tranquil as can be, her black hair and braids moved with the currents and didn't let that gentle smile leave her face.

Unknown to Kiri, Ao'nung and a couple of his friends were approaching her as she lay on her stomach below the water. She still hadn't noticed their presence, but the boys were all snickering at her. Because of their shadows that loomed over the water and their muffled voices, Kiri could hear below the surface, she was now aware that there were others there.

"What is she doing?" One of Ao'nung's friends laughed, pointing at Kiri as the Metkayina prince crossed his arms with an amused smile. "She's just looking at the sand," Ao'nung laughed, gesturing at Kiri, who finally decided to stand upright, hearing all of their voices and laughter combined. As she stood up, Kiri blinked a few times, pushing her hair out of her face as she looked at them with confusion.

"Huh? What did you say?" She asked, with genuine confusion laced in her voice. Kiri didn't know what they were laughing about, but she had a feeling it was about her. When she was underwater, all she could understand was distorted speech and not many words.

"Are you some kind of...freak?" Ao'nung asked rhetorically, making his friends chuckle, purposefully trying to humiliate her. "He asked if you are a freak," One of his friends piped in. Finally, Kiri understood what was happening so with a sigh, the girl stood up completely and refused to make eye contact, not giving them the satisfaction that they were accomplishing what they wanted by saying those things.

"No," She answered simply as her ears tipped back, beginning to walk away and not wanting to deal with him or any of those boys. She didn't have the energy or time for that.

As she started to walk off, the group of boys continued to follow behind her, not giving up. Especially Ao'nung. "Are you sure? I mean, you are not even real Na'vi," The Metkayina prince said, and Kiri did her best to pretend like that didn't hurt. She continued to walk and ignored them all, but they continued to taunt her. Ao'nung reached to grab one of her hands, but Kiri pulled it away, stepping away from him.

"Look at these hands. I mean, look at them," He continued, trying to make her feel bad. Kiri had an annoyed look on her face, she was not happy with the way they continued to talk to her even when she minded her own business. Ao'nung eventually grabbed ahold of her entire arm this time, making his friends comment as well, following along with his game.

All of a sudden, a familiar voice came from behind Ao'nung. The entire group turned around to see Lo'ak approaching with a displeased expression, and Kiri sighed internally with gratefulness that her brother was there. She could have defended herself just fine, but doing that would just give them what they were looking for, and she would never give them the satisfaction. She was better than that.

"Hey! Back off, Fish Lips" Lo'ak said as he approached Ao'nung, but the Sully brothers' arrival only made the Metkayina prince all the more amused. "Oh, another four-fingered freak," Ao'nung continued to ridicule, only receiving more help from his friends.

One of Ao'nung's friends came up behind Lo'ak and grabbed his tail. "Look at his baby tail!" The boy laughed, prompting the others to do so too. "Don't touch me!" Lo'ak said, turning around and pushing back the boy that was holding his tail. The taunting was relentless, and now instead of Kiri, the Metkayina boys focused on Lo'ak and continued to call him 'baby tail', but Kiri wouldn't have that. Her brother came to her rescue and she wouldn't let him take the fall. Not on her watch.

"Leave us alone!" Kiri yelled, but her words fell on deaf ears, seeing that the boys continued to pick on her little brother. "He's not normal," One of them laughed, followed by the jabs that the boys continued to throw at Lo'ak.

Before any of them could notice, Neteyam came from around the corner. He had seen everything happen and he would not stand by to let his siblings be treated like that. Upon reaching Ao'nung, Neteyam grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Lo'ak with a small push that sent the Metkayina boy backward a little bit. Ao'nung's friends suddenly went quiet at the oldest Sully brother's appearance.

"You heard what she said. Leave them alone" Neteyam whispered lowly saying more with his threatening eyes than he ever could with words

Not getting the message, one of Ao'nung's friends came from behind and continued. "Oh, big brother coming to-" The Metkayina boy started, but didn't get to finish because he was cut off by Ao'nung putting a hand in front of him, not letting the boy continue. Ao'nung and Neteyam looked at each other as if having a wordless conversation.

"Back off. Now," Neteyam said, word for word, pushing Ao'nung slightly backward with his finger. After a few seconds, with a cocky smirk, Ao'nung raised his hands in surrender and took a few steps back from the Sullys.

"Smart choice. And from now on, I need you to respect my sister," Neteyam continued with a stern tone, showing that he was not kidding, especially when it came to his siblings. At what Neteyam said, the boy behind Ao'nung hissed, but even so, he still didn't come closer.

At the hiss that Ao'nung's friend made, Kiri deadpanned at him and stuck out her tongue. "Let's go," Neteyam said, gesturing for Lo'ak and Kiri to come along with him. As they walked and the Sullys had their backs turned to the Metkayina boys, they continued to hear their insults and teasing, and Lo'ak stopped walking altogether at what he heard.

"Bye-bye!" One of them said, dragging out their words teasingly, once again, making the others laugh along. "Look at them. They're all freaks. The whole family," Ao'nung muttered to his friends, just loud enough for Lo'ak to hear and decided that he has had enough. He couldn't let them get away with treating his family like this because they had human genes. It wasn't fair to Kiri, his dad, or Neteyam.

Lo'ak turned around again to face Ao'nung and his friends, which Neteyam noticed. "Lo'ak," Neteyam warned, stopping in his tracks to prevent Lo'ak from doing something stupid. Lo'ak turned back to his brother, holding up a hand to tell him it was okay. "I got this, bro," The younger Sully brother assured, but Neteyam was not convinced at all.

Lo'ak walked back to Ao'nung, who still had his friends behind him. Upon approaching the Metkayina prince, Lo'ak and he stood face-to-face with one another. "I know this hand is funny. Look, I'm a freak. Alien." Lo'ak started, holding up his five-fingered hand and wiggling his pinkie finger at Ao'nung and his friends, which made the prince stifle a laugh. He did not know where Lo'ak was going with this but was amused and interested either way.

"But it can do something really cool. Watch," Lo'ak started, suddenly balling up his hand into a fist, suddenly having Ao'nung invested as the prince had his eyes trained on Lo'ak's fist, unknowing of what was about to happen. "First, I ball it up really tight like this. Okay? And then..." Lo'ak trailed off, taking advantage of Ao'nung's face that had gotten closer to his fist to be able to get a closer look.

Lo'ak suddenly punched Ao'nung straight in the face, leaving the boy stunned for a moment until Lo'ak went in again and punched the prince in the jaw twice. Ao'nung was sent directly to the ground because of this. "It's called a punch, bitch. Don't ever touch my sister again," Lo'ak warned, starting to walk backward and to his siblings.

As soon as Ao'nung was back on his feet, he didn't waste any time in charging at Lo'ak and tackling him to the ground. Luckily, Lo'ak was able to react quickly and push Ao'nung off of him, then standing on top of him and sending yet another punch to the prince's face. It turned into mayhem and chaos in no time.

Ao'nung's friends came from behind Lo'ak and began to tug him back by his tail, dragging him through the sand and water of the shore. Lo'ak let out screams of protest at this, feeling uncomfortable and in pain at the pull they had on him. Lo'ak was about to stand up again, but that was until one of the Metkayina boys slapped him with his fin-like tail. Lo'ak fell back onto the water because of that.

Watching this, Neteyam rubbed the top of his head with annoyance, knowing he had to step in again to save Lo'ak. Kiri just watched with wide eyes. How did things escalate so quickly? She thought to herself. Knowing he had no other choice Neteyam groaned and went over to help. As he was close, he sent a punch to the first one of Ao'nung's friends that approached him first and then proceeded to kneel another one in the stomach. Before Neteyam could move on to the next, he was tackled simultaneously by two of Ao'nung's friends, sending him to the ground.

"Stop it!" Kiri yelled through the chaos, knowing that none of them were listening, but she had to try something. "This is so stupid!" She said, watching the group of boys in front of her pummel each other into the ground. Neteyam was on top of one of the other boys, sending punch after punch.

Soon, the fight evolved into pulling each other's tails, hair, and ears. It was so childish, that Kiri could barely believe what she was seeing. "Ow! My tail!" Lo'ak yelled out, feeling one boy pull on his tail and another on his leg. Even while having his tail pulled, Lo'ak started to pull on Ao'nung's ear. Like an endless chain. "Ow! My ear! Let it go!" The prince yelled out.

Eventually, it got to the point where the fight wasn't concerning, but rather funny and amusing. At least to Kiri that is. The girl started giggling and laughing to herself, smiling at the situation happening in front of her. Part of her was laughing because she couldn't believe a few teasing words led to ear and tail pulling.

Without any of the kids noticing, you and Jake arrived at the scene and watched as the boys practically pummeled each other into the sand. Ao'nung was fighting Lo'ak and Neteyam along with the help of his friends, and you sighed with disappointment. You were certain that he started this. Kiri stood in the background just giggling to herself, but she was the first one to notice you and Jake. Her face paled and she stopped laughing, realizing that the boys were too immersed to even realize yours and her dad's presence. They were in so much trouble.

Eventually, Jake spoke up. "Hey! Enough!" Jake yelled out with a booming voice. The sound of their father's voice, Neteyam and Lo'ak's eyes widened as they stopped fighting; "Oh, shit" The young Sully brother muttered. Shortly after, the Metkayina boys stopped brawling paled not only at the sight of Jake, who they know as Toruk Makto, and you. The Metakyina boys paled at the sight of you with an angry and disappointed look on your face.

"Somebody better tell me what the hell is going on here" Jake said lowly as he took a few steps forward, approaching his two sons and gestured for them to step behind him. On the other hand, you walked over to Ao'nung and his friends. You've known this boy since he was born and you had no idea what made him initiate or even be part of something like this.

Before you could scold Ao'nung, you turned to his friends as they all rushed backwards. "Ongu, Nash'vi, Koro, unless you want me to tell your parents, go on. Get out of here" You said lowly and in a scarily calm tone. The boy's immediately obeyed your orders and scattered out the beach, leaving you and Ao'nung, along with Jake and his kids behind you.

"You and I are going to talk, understood?" You whispered to him, and Ao'nung nodded as he looked at you wordlessly with nothing to say to explain himself. He really didn't want you to tell his dad, but he had a feeling there was no changing the fact that you were going to.

"Please don't tell my dad" Ao'nung said to you, in a tone that he made sure that Neteyam and Lo'ak didn't hear. You looked at him with conflict. "We'll see" You said, turning around and gesturing Ao'nung to follow behind you.

On the way out of the beach, you were able to make brief eye contact with Jake and you nodded at him as a brief goodbye. He sent you the same gesture back and watched as you sent small smiles to Neteyam and Lo'ak, and then to Kiri who had moved to stand beside her dad.

You knew that Jake would spend some time talking to his sons, and as an older role model and figure for Ao'nung, you had to do the same. If he had to admit, he would much rather get a scolding by you than by Tonowari. He would accept whatever you had to say as long as you didn't rat him out. The situation got out of his hand and he shouldn't have done what he did.

When you and Ao'nung were far away enough, you turned to look at him. He was still avoiding eye contact with you at all costs, refusing to look at you. "Ao'nung, look at me" You said sternly, and then watched as he begrudgingly turned his head to look at you at last.

You crossed your arms over your chest and waited expectantly. He knew exactly what it is that you wanted to hear. "So, explain. Now" You said sternly, so he laughed bitterly, not believing that he was being coerced to speak. But, he knew better than to deny or defy you.

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Hi! I finished this at 2 AM and I'm so tired lmao but I finally got this done! As of now, I have 5 days left of school which means that regular updates are coming back! I am so excited! I don't know if you  have noticed but Im not taking as long to post chapters anymore!

I am trying to figure out an updating schedule btw! I have much more free time now so things are opening up! I don't know if you've all noticed but updates are coming a lot faster and Im super excited about it!

As usual, 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 or if anything changes. Anyway, I'll see you all in the next one! 🤍 Have a good rest of your weekend everyone!

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