Long enough that death's a gift (oh, girl)

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

𝕀ℕ the majestic Hallelujah Mountains, where The People dwelled in harmony with nature, the air thrummed with anticipation as the sound of a horn reverberated through the valley. Tuk, a spirited child with a toy ikran in hand, perked up at the familiar call, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "They're coming!" Tuk exclaimed joyfully, her voice carrying through the crowd as she dashed towards her sister and Spider. "They're coming! Kiri, Spider!" she called out, her delight infectious.

"The war party's coming back! Come on, come on," Tuk urged them eagerly, her small hand tugging at their sleeves in excitement.

Kiri, her expression a mixture of pride and anticipation, nodded in agreement. "Let's go, come on," she said, her voice tinged with excitement as she and Spider followed Tuk's lead, joining the throng of eagerly awaiting onlookers. Together, they made their way to the edge of the settlement, where the war party arrived, their faces alight with triumph and camaraderie. As the warriors returned from battle, victorious and resolute, the community welcomed them with open arms, their spirits lifted by the unity and strength of their people.

As Arya flew into the base alongside the rest of the party, she held Neteyam close to her on her ikran, her grip tight with the lingering fear of almost losing her children. As they landed, Arya carefully helped Neteyam off the ikran, her movements gentle and protective. Neytan dismounted from his own ikran, and Tuk's joyful call drew his attention. "Dad!" Tuk's voice rang out, filled with excitement and relief. Neytan's smile widened as he opened his arms, welcoming his daughter into a warm embrace. "Tuk..." he murmured, his voice tender as they hugged each other tightly.

As Lo'ak landed and dismounted from his ikran, Arya's voice cut through the moment, firm and commanding. "Fall in," she ordered sternly, her gaze sweeping over her family as they obediently gathered around her. Still trembling from the close call, Arya struggled to maintain her composure. "You're supposed to be spotters. You spot bogeys, and you call 'em in," Arya admonished her two sons, her voice tinged with frustration. "From a distance! Jesus. I let you two fly a mission... and you disobey direct orders."

Arya's gaze softened as she noticed Kiri looking worriedly at Neteyam's back. "Kiri, baby girl, can you please go help your grandmother with the wounded? Please?" Arya's tone softened, a plea for assistance in the midst of her mounting stress.

"My brother is wounded," Kiri protested, her concern evident in her voice.

"It's fine, Mother. I take full responsibility," Neteyam interjected, his voice calm despite the pain he must have been feeling. Neytan nodded in agreement with his son's statement. Arya's gaze shifted from Neteyam to Neytan, a mixture of gratitude and concern in her eyes. "Ma Arya," Neytan spoke calmly, his voice a comforting presence amidst the chaos.

Arya knelt down to Neteyam's level, her hand gentle as she cupped his cheek and kissed his forehead. "Go get patched up," she instructed him softly.

With Neytan guiding him, Neteyam walked off to receive medical attention, leaving Arya to deal with Lo'ak's consequences. She turned her attention to her younger son, her expression stern as she addressed him. "You do understand that you got yourself grounded for a month for what happened today," she stated firmly.

Lo'ak nodded solemnly, his eyes downcast. "Yes, mother," he replied.

Arya softened, her concern evident as she searched his face. "Are you sure you are okay?" she asked, her voice softer now.

Lo'ak nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. "Yes, I'm okay," he assured her.

Relief flooded Arya's features as she leaned in to kiss his head. "Go and see the ikrans, all of them. And take that paint off your face," she instructed him gently before leaving Lo'ak alone to contemplate his actions. With a sigh, Lo'ak complied, making his way to the ikrans alongside Spider.

As darkness settled over Pandora, Arya found herself seated by the weapons, meticulously cleaning each gun with practiced precision. Neytan's gaze lingered on their children in the nearby tent, a paternal warmth evident in his eyes. "Aww, want a kiss on the boo-boo?" Spider's playful remark drew Arya's attention to the scene unfolding inside the tent. Neteyam winced in pain, prompting Spider's teasing response. "I would use yalna bark," Kiri chimed in, offering her suggestion to Mo'at, who was attending to the injured Neteyam.

"Oh, you would? And who is Tsahisk?" Mo'at's gentle rebuke was met with Kiri's quick retort.

"You are, Grand... Move!" Kiri nudged Lo'ak out of the way to make room for Mo'at to pass. "You are, Grandmother. But yalna bark is better. It stings less," Kiri explained, her voice confident and assured as she shared her knowledge with her grandmother.

Neytan observed the scene unfolding with a mixture of pride and concern before turning his gaze to his mate. "Neteyam and Lo'ak try to live up to us. It is very hard on them," he remarked, his voice laced with empathy. Arya's response was quiet, almost resigned. "I know," she admitted softly, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her. Sensing her distress, Neytan moved closer, crouching down next to her. "You were hard on them," he observed gently, his voice a gentle reminder.

Again, Arya's response was a whispered acknowledgment. "I know," she repeated, her tone laden with regret as she avoided meeting his gaze.

"Ma Arya, this is not a squad. It is a family," Neytan reminded her, his voice filled with understanding and compassion.

Arya finally looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, her eyes betraying the fear and guilt she carried within her. "I thought we'd lost them," she admitted, her voice trembling with emotion as she struggled to contain her tears.

Without a word, Neytan pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly against him as if to mend the broken pieces and soothe her shaking. Arya buried her face in his chest, her sobs echoing through the night as Neytan held her close, offering her the comfort and solace she desperately needed in that moment of vulnerability.

༄༄

As Spider, Lo'ak, and Kiri strolled through the Avatar camp, Norm playfully swatted Spider's leg with a towel. "Your ass is mine," Spider retorted with a smirk. "I'm right here," Norm shot back, his tone teasing. A woman's voice interrupted their banter, reminding Kiri and Lo'ak, "Avatars only... go around!" Kiri couldn't resist mocking the woman as they passed, while Lo'ak offered a quick apology.

"Sorry," he muttered as they continued on their way.

Reaching a shack unit, Lo'ak couldn't resist taking a dig at Spider. "Yeah. Those blue stripes don't make you any bigger, bro," he teased. Spider shot back, his grin widening. "Yeah, I can still kick your ass," he quipped, the camaraderie evident in their laughter as they entered the shack. Inside, Spider removed his mask, his tone turning slightly more serious. "Real hysterical, guys," he remarked, though the playful mood persisted. Lo'ak and Kiri grabbed their own little masks, preparing to assist them with breathing when necessary. "You know what really sucks, though? Is you can breathe Earth air for hours... and I can only breathe your air for, like, ten seconds," Lo'ak lamented, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Yeah, Monkey Boy, that really sucks. For you," Kiri teased, laughing as she turned away. Spider couldn't resist a playful gesture, reaching out to pull her tail before they faced each other and exchanged playful hisses.

Turning her attention to Max, Kiri greeted him warmly. "Hi, Max," she said with a smile.

"Hey, kids," Max replied, returning the greeting.

Kiri then made her way to the pod where Grace's Avatar was housed. Hoisting herself up, she settled atop it, gazing down at the Avatar with a mixture of fondness and longing.

"Hi, Ma," she murmured, her voice soft with emotion as she reached out, as if trying to embrace her mother through the pod.

"Maybe I'm just losing it out here... but I'm seeing real evidence... of a systemic response on a global level. I can't... I won't use the term 'intelligence.' It's... maybe 'awareness' is a better word," Grace's voice echoed through the room as Kiri watched the login video, her brow furrowed in contemplation. Spider observed Kiri's reaction intently as she walked to the pod and scrutinized the Avatar. Meanwhile, Lo'ak approached, briefly glancing at the vlog before interjecting, "So who do you think knocked her up? Pretty sure it was Norm."

Spider burst into laughter, nodding in agreement. "Totally," he chimed in, sharing Lo'ak's amusement.

Kiri's expression hardened as she turned to them, her tone stern. "You do not deserve to live," she retorted sharply. Lo'ak defended his theory with a grin. "No, no, no. Think about it, right? I mean, he's the teacher's pet. He's out in the lab with her all the time."

"I would kill myself. I would drink acid," Kiri declared emphatically, her disgust evident.

Spider, still chuckling, pointed out evidence from the vlog. "Bro, you're right. He's, like, in every shot. Bro, look, look, he's giving her looks," he said with a laugh. Kiri's stern gaze silenced Spider, who quickly diverted the conversation. "Hey," he muttered, averting his eyes. Lo'ak continued his speculation, unperturbed by Kiri's reaction. "See, I'm thinkin'... their two Avatars were out in the woods all alone..." He was cut off by Kiri's playful shove, accompanied by laughter.

"Gross!" she exclaimed, though the humor softened her tone.

Spider interjected with a more somber observation. "Guys. I mean, sometimes it's not so great to know who your father is." He slid down the pod, averting his gaze. Lo'ak attempted to reassure him. "No, Spider."

"Dude," Spider replied, his tone resigned.

Moved by Spider's vulnerability, Kiri hugged him from behind, her voice soft and reassuring. "Spider... You are not him."

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

By: SilverMist707

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