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Italics: (Na'vi language, Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)
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After that, Lo'ak and Payakan's friendship only strengthened. The boy wanted the Tulkun to know that he could take his time to tell him what happened and he could trust him with it. Payakan assured Lo'ak that the right time will come, but in the meantime, they spent the rest of that morning swimming and cruising through the waters of Three Brothers Rocks, leaving their troubles behind.

Payakan was taking Lo'ak around every corner of the reed that he knew. As the Tulkun swam, Lo'ak hooked his legs onto the front of his fins as he stretched his arms out to the side. The feeling of it was nothing he had ever experienced in his life before. He felt so free, and he loved it. When turning a corner, Lo'ak moved from his position to laying down on Payakan's fin and holding onto the front as they cruised through the lively reefs.

After getting to an area where the ocean floor was a bit deeper, Payakan stayed close to the surface. Upon encountering a school of fish, the Tulkun opened its three-part jaw and took a big group of them inside his mouth. The fish that steered to the side and weren't caught inside Payakan passed right by Lo'ak's face, and the sensation of it made him smile. It was a magical and wonderful experience that he never wanted to forget. He'd seen the reefs back at the village, but the open sea was a whole different story to Lo'ak.

Payakan was feeling relaxed and calm as well, so the Tulkun turned upside down in the water, prompting Lo'ak to turn around too, so now, the boy could raise his hand to where the outside meets the sea and run his hand through gentle ripples of water. Turning back around, Lo'ak hung onto Payakan's fin again, continuing their trek through the water.

Later that morning, Payakan came up to the surface to breathe some air, and Lo'ak took this opportunity to hop onto the Tulkun's back and run back and forth while Payakan swam peacefully and with complete calmness. Lo'ak laughed gleefully as he ran to the back of Tulkun's tail that was paddling back and forth to keep a rhythm and steady pace going.

Lo'ak looked up to the sky, yipping and hooting while hitting his chest with his fists. He had never felt this free before in his life, and there was nothing like it. There were absolutely no responsibilities, expectations, demands, rules, or anything of the sort. It was just him, the ocean, and his new friend, Payakan.

Lo'ak ran back towards the front of Payakan's back, leaping over his blowholes right at the same time as Payakan projected air and water from them. Lo'ak laughed at what his friend did and moved to stand close to the Tulkun's head. "Bro, that's disgusting," Lo'ak chuckled with a smile, making Payakan himself emit a high-pitched sound that the boy perceived as if the Tulkun was laughing along with him.

Getting back into the water and grabbing onto Payakan's fin again, the two began to swim together again with the depths of the ocean just below them. Lo'ak was liking the steady peace they were keeping, but he turned to look Payakan in the eye with a smile. "Faster!" Lo'ak signed underwater, and the Tulkun immediately understood. After that, Payakan did as requested and speeded up by moving its frontal and back fins a lot quicker.

No matter how much fun Lo'ak was having, he was completely unaware of how the speed was making his face look weird because of the acceleration, like his eyes squinting and his lips and cheeks moving every which way. Even so, he continued to have fun and hold on to Payakan as he moved through the currents.

After stopping their journey through the reef, Lo'ak moved to be on Payakan's tail, and just as he had asked the Tulkun, the creature lifted its tail above the water. Lo'ak catapulted onto the water in a cannonball, laughing with adrenaline coursing through him. Payakan was feeling a little more playful now and decided to leap out of the water on his back.

He did this by diving to a sufficient depth and then using his tail to gather speed and propel himself toward the surface with Lo'ak, who also was launched out of the water and then landed back in a torpedo posture. They were spending the entire morning and early noon doing stunt's like that, and Lo'ak didn't know this, but the boy was slowly healing that breach in Payakan's heart that had been broken.

-

During that afternoon, Tsireya and Rotxo were leading Neteyam, Kiri, and Tuk to a very special place for the Metkayina. It was close to the village but they still had to get on their ilu's to get there. Tuk was riding with Kiri, and Neteyam was riding alone, just like Tsireya and Rotxo. They were now making their way across these floating coral islands below water, and Tsireya had mentioned to the Sullys that if they spotted these, it meant that they were close.

Eventually, it was time to come up to the surface so the ilu's were instructed to swim up until they lifted their heads above water, prompting the kids to do the same. The ilu's chirped at and flapped their fins on the water contently because of where they were. Not only was it a special place for the sea Na'vi, but for the creatures around it too. When the Sullys took in where they were, their mouths gaped open in awe. It already looked so majestic and beautiful, and they hadn't even seen the entire place yet. It was just astounding.

"We are here," Tsireya said with a smile, turning back to look at Neteyam, Tuk, and Kiri, who were all utterly speechless. "This is the Cove of the Ancestors. Our most sacred place," Tsireya explained while the Sullys let their eyes fall onto the beauty in front of them. It was very much like the Tree of Souls back in the forest, mostly because of the arches that loomed over the horizon of the landscape. There were also floating boulders in the distance, that differed a lot from the Hallelujah Floating Mountains.

As they got closer and one of their three suns was beginning to set, marking the start of the end of the day. It was around mid-day and that's when an eclipse usually occurs. The glare of the rays made Kiri put a hand over her face so that she could see better and so she didn't have to squint. "Eclipse is the best time of day to be here," Tsireya explained while they all watched how the sun began to set and create an eclipse behind a neighboring planet nearby.

The group soon spent so much time at the Cove of the Ancestors that it reminded Tsireya of one last place that she wanted the Sullys to see. It was the Spirit Tree of the Metkayina. They call it, Ranteng Utralti. Unlike in the forest, their tree was underwater and the coral extensions glowed at night, giving it an ethereal appearance even from afar.

The group was all riding their ilu's above water towards the sight. Tuk was standing behind Kiri, who was sitting on the creature. Neteyam stayed close to Tsireya and Rotxo. Soon enough, they had swam close enough to the point that the Spirit Tree was just below them, glowing in all its glory. "This is it. This is the Spirit Tree," Tsireya said, and Kiri and Tuk smiled as they let their curiosity take over while peeking down the water to see the tree through the soft ripples and currents of water.

Tsireya explained, that just like the Cove of the Ancestors, The Spirit Tree was a very sacred site for the Reef People of the Metkayina clan, deep under the waters of the Cove of the Ancestors. Similar to the Tree of Voices back in the forest or the Tree of Souls for the Omatikaya, the Spirit Tree is the Metkayina's main access point to Ewya's neural network providing memories, stored spirits of their ancestors and even oxygen allowing for prolonged sessions underwater.

After getting off of their ilu's, Tsireya and Rotxo were swimming ahead from the Sullys to lead them towards the base of the tree where the main branches were at. Arriving at a group of neurological roots connected to Eywa, everyone was off to do their own thing and explore but still being close enough so that nobody got lost or left behind.

Tsireya showed Kiri a branch that was closest to her, and the oldest Sully daughter nodded with a smile, swimming closer to connect her queue to the roots, just like Tsireya had demonstrated a few seconds before. Rotxo was showing Tuk and Neteyam the ropes as well, leading them toward a close root nearby. Tsireya took her braid and got the tendrils of it closer to the tree, just like Kiri was doing.

With a tranquil look on her face, Kiri got her tendrils to attach to the roots and neurological connections the tree had. Her queue instantly attached, the roots and veins of the tree glowed at the contact and Kiri could already feel herself drifting away. The girl closed her eyes and let her mind be in the hands of the Spirit Tree. It felt strange but Kiri felt like she was being transported somewhere, even if her physical self wasn't going anywhere.

After a few seconds of feeling her mind go through a wave of different stages, Kiri opened her eyes again, but this time she was already standing up and was in a place very familiar to her. It was lab back at the Omaticaya camp. It was too uncanny for her not to recognize. The girl looked around quizzically before letting her feet start to move. She was barefoot, and the cold floor kept her alert and ready as to what she might find in this memory or hallucination of some kind. She had no idea.

After walking a bit more through the lab, Kiri turned a corner and let out an inaudible gasp at what she saw. If the woman who was sitting at that desk in front of a monitor was truly who she thought she was, then Kiri had no idea how to go about this. Her mom, Grace, was there. And as a human to top it off. She wasn't behind a screen like she has seen her all this time.

As if noticing a presence behind her, Grace's eyes widened a fraction and she turned around in her chair, looking up at her daughter. Grace's mouth was agape, and she let out a shaky breath, not truly believing that Kiri was standing right there even if it was just a figment of her imagination. "My beautiful daughter," Grace sighed with a motherly smile.

Grace stood up and was now at eye level with Kiri. The girl's eyes began to water and she was able to muster half a smile. "Hi, Ma..." Kiri said quietly, much like she had said to her mother's Avatar form in the tank back at the base weeks before. Grace exhaled as her eyes began to brim with happy tears. "I'm so happy to see you, But you looked troubled," Grace said, opening her arms as an invitation for Kiri to a hug.

The girl did not hesitate and went straight into her mother's arms, putting her head on her shoulder as she closed her eyes tight and took in every single part of this moment. Grace lay her head against her daughter's, cooing sweet things to her precious daughter. "Shhh, my sweet girl," Grace said, wrapping her arm around Kiri's back with affection.

Kiri didn't even notice that she was crying and had tears running down her face, not daring to let go of her mother. What she also didn't realize is that her mother wasn't in her human form anymore, so when Kiri pulled away from the hug and saw her mother's Avatar form, it brought even more tears to Kiri's eyes.

She also noticed how the setting around them was the main room of Hometree in the forest, which no longer existed. "What is it, baby?" Grace asked gently, running a hand through her daughter's hair gingerly.

Teary-eyed, Kiri looked up at her mom and sighed shakily before speaking. "Why am I different, Mom? What does the Great Mother want from me?" Kiri asked, feeling her voice breaking with pain. She couldn't bring herself to ask the next question, it was excruciating, but she had to or she would never be able to live with herself. "Who was my father?" Kiri asked, and Grace's eyes softened.

Even if Grace wanted to answer, this was a hallucination or a dream of some kind, so it wasn't up to her to decide. Grace tried to speak, but her words only came out as choked attempts to answer what her daughter wanted to know so badly. "Oh, my God..." Grace choked out, feeling less and less capable of speaking with every moment that passed.

With every try that Grace tried to make, it came to a point where Kiri's mind decided now was the time to cruelly separate her and her mother away. While being ripped apart, Kiri and Grace reached out for one another, but the efforts were meaningless because their screams were muffled and the dream came to an end. Unfortunately, Kiri's real body connected to the tree responded badly to this and she began to seize right on the spot.

Kiri had lost consciousness, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her body was stiffened and jerking out of control along with her arms and legs. Even if she had lost most consciousness, her mouth opened out of instinct and she felt like she was drowning.

Not only that but because she was still connected to the Spirit Tree, the entire lights of the tree began to frantically dim on and off. Everyone began to gather around Kiri in panic, immediately disconnecting her braid from the root it was attached to previously.

As Tsireya and Neteyam began to bring Kiri up to the surface, they noticed that the white dots that all Na'vi had on their body were dimming in a frenzied manner. Even after she was detached from the tree altogether, Kiri was still seizing uncontrollably and it worried everyone deeply. Especially her siblings.

Just before coming up to the surface, Kiri eventually stopped seizing and was now limp in Neteyam's arms as he brought her over to his ilu. "Come on!" Neteyam urged everyone to help, and Tuk was trying her best to swim over and get to her sister. Tsireya's eyes were filled with worry and Rotxo was helping Neteyam on getting Kiri onto the ilu to get her back home.

"Kiri! Kiri! What is wrong? What is it?" Tuk exclaimed tiredly as she started to get closer to the group. Everything happened so fast that the youngest Sully had no idea what happened and why her sister was unresponsive. Neteyam lifted Kiri on her back onto the ilu as he sat beside her, checking her over.

"It was a seizure," Neteyam responded to Tuk and then he proceeded to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Kiri. Rotxo swam up to Neteyam's side and looked over at Kiri with concern. "Is she breathing?" Rotxo asked, but received no response from Neteyam who was still doing mouth-to-mouth. He had to do it a few more times before Kiri gasped for air, but her eyes were still closed shut.

"Get her to the village!" Tsireya advised with urgency, helping Tuk onto her same ilu. Neteyam nodded and positioned Kiri better on the creature before quickly taking off. There was no time to waste. "Let's go!" He urged the others, who were quick to follow his lead.

Kiri continued to be unresponsive the entire way back to the village, and that worried Neteyam. Rotxo, Tsireya, and Tuk tried their best to ride side by side to Neteyam to keep an eye on Kiri, making sure she was okay until they arrived. It didn't help, that the situation was becoming direr and direr with each passing second. It was gut-wrenching.

Upon getting to the village, Neteyam called out to his parents and Tsireya called for hers. Not too long after hearing the desperate cries of Neteyam for you and Jake, the two of you rushed out with wide eyes to see Kiri unconscious in Neteyam's arms. Your heart dropped at the sight of your daughter like that, not beginning to imagine how it happened.

"Kiri! What happened to her?" You said, walking alongside Neteyam who was walking back to the huts to bring Kiri back to the home your family resided in. Jake was walking on the other side of his son, moving to press a hand against Kiri's cheek with anguish. "We were at the Metkayina Spirit Tree and she had a seizure. We don't know how it happened, but we brought her as soon as we could" Neteyam explained, and you nodded almost numbly, not registering anything that was happening.

When bringing her into the hut and laying Kiri down on her sleeping mat, you and Jake quickly took over, and the others like Rotxo, Tsireya, Tuk, Lo'ak, and Neteyam stayed close by so that they could be there for Kiri. Tonowari and Ronal also came into the scene, advising the family on what the best course of action would be now. Ronal offered her help, so she called Tsireya to help her gather the necessary materials a Tsahik needed for this.

While you stayed by Kiri's side, you put your hand on her forehead, brushing away her stray hairs away with a saddened expression. She had to be okay. There was no 'if' she woke up because she had to. You refused to live a life where all of your children weren't complete. As everyone waited for any news, Jake took this time to make a long-distance call, if you will.

Jake came back and let you know that he called the lab guys back in the forest. He also let Ronal and Tonowari know so that there weren't any unwanted surprises. So that meant Max and Norm were coming to check. You nodded sullenly, turning your attention back to your daughter. Jake sat down beside her as well, not daring to leave Kiri's side. He wouldn't want her to feel alone or without support when she woke up from this.

A few hours passed, and the familiar sound of a helicopter arriving could be heard from outside. You and Jake looked at each other knowingly. Your husband took your hand and helped you step outside to see a helicopter landing on the beach. It had turquoise and dark blue stripes, so you knew it was from your guys back in the forest. Jake let go of your hand and moved to stand in front of the helicopter, signaling with his arms where to land.

When it finally landed, a figure you never thought you'd see again stepped away from the helicopter and onto the sand. It was Neytiri. Your eyes were wide, and she quickly met your gaze before mirroring your expression. You didn't hesitate in running into your sister's arms, feeling the waterworks finally start flowing. You thought you'd never see her ever again, or at least for a long time. You two continued to hug each other tightly, missing each other's presence in one another's lives.

The helicopter powered off and Norm stepped off the aircraft in his Avatar form, walking over to Jake and greeting him. "Good to see you," Norm said, and Jake nodded, knowing that there was still a lot of noise because of the turbines powering down. Jake turned to his oldest son, who was there to help. "Neteyam, keep them back," Jake instructed, helping Norm unload the equipment as his son helped the Metkayina understand that these people were not a threat to them at all.

"How is she?" Norm yelled through the controls as he powered them off. "Still unconscious," Jake replied, no matter how much it pained him deep down. Soon, everything was ready, so Jake, Norm, Max, and other scientists got to work while you took some time to quickly reminisce with your sister before getting back to your daughter.

"I see you, sister. I missed you, Neytiri. How are you here? How's home?" You asked, separating from your hug with your sister and taking her hands in yours. Neytiri sighed and recalled everything that has happened. "When Norm said he'd been called by Jake to come, I couldn't miss this chance to see my sister. I was also worried about my niece. The forest hasn't changed a lot since you left, but we're still in hiding from the Sky People" Neytiri said, and you nodded, but you still wanted to know a lot more about what you've missed. You're dreading the moment she has to leave again, and you just wanted her to stay.

You held your sister's hand tighter and assured her you could talk about this later. You dragged her over to your family's hut and walked in on Norm examining Kiri. She had all of these different devices on her face to detect brain and mind activity. You and Neytiri sat side by side, and your sister put a hand on top of her niece's head gently.

At the notice of your presence and her aunt's, Tuk came rushing in and hugged you and Neytiri from behind, tucking her head in your neck as she tried not to cry for her sister. It broke your heart to see Tuk like this and seeing her sister like this should be affecting her deeply.

Norm had a tablet in his hands, watching Kiri's brain activity, but from what he saw, there was nothing out of the ordinary. "There's no bleed, no fracture. No signs of Hypoxia. Brain looks good," Norm concluded, turning to Jake who was right beside him and looking over his daughter. Max was assisting Norm as well, checking over other important vitals. "But there is an interictal activity in the frontal lobe," Norm continued, and Jake nodded as Max pointed out that she definitely had a seizure and they could rule out toxins.

Outside the hut, Ronal was heading towards the Mauri of the Sullys with Tsireya close behind, holding a basket of materials that the Tsahik needed. Upon reaching the entrance, from your spot, you saw Ronal having her daughter handed her the basket and head inside. You quickly took your sister's hand and whispered to Neytiri that Ronal was the Tsahik. After you left your spot, Tuk was quick to take your place and kneeled in front of her sister. You and Neytiri walked over to the Ronal as the woman inspected the scene in front of her, full of scientists crowding Kiri.

"Ronal. You're here," You said, watching as the Tsahik continued to hear the beeping from the machines, realizing that there was no place for her here. "I see that I'm not needed here," Ronal concluded as she started to leave, but you grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"You are Tsahik. Their machines can't detect what is wrong, but I am sure you can," You said, and Ronal turned to look at you and your sister, who has yet to be introduced. "Remove these things," Ronal ordered sternly, deciding to help and you nodded. Before you could say anything, Neytiri turned to the scientists.

"Out! You have done nothing!" Neytiri yelled with authority, and Norm and Max flinched in their place. They have known your sister for a long time, and they still weren't used to her temperament. Neytiri was very worried about Kiri, and if she was here, she wanted to do everything she could to be of help. She also couldn't imagine the pain and anxiety you were going through by seeing your daughter in this state. Kiri was her family too.

Knowing not to mess with your sister, Jake quickly turned to Max and Norm, urging them to pack up and leave the hut for now. If they weren't getting answers, then the Tsahik probably could, especially if it was a seizure caused by the Spirit Tree. "Come on, let's just take a break," Jake said hurriedly, helping Norm and Max to disconnect Kiri from the machines and devices she was attached to. "Okay, hold on. I gotta take her IV out," Norm said quickly, working quickly to leave the hut.

Soon after, Ronal began her ritual, she kneeled in front of Kiri and asked the youngest Sully for help. "Tuktirey," Ronal said, handing over to Tuk a small cup while the Tsahik proceeded. Ronal used the pin that was in the cup and started chanting, lightly pressing the pin onto Kiri's body and vital spots in her abdomen.

Meanwhile, as you, Neytiri, Tuk, Tsireya, and Ronal all stayed inside the hut, Norm was outside talking to Jake about what his thoughts are after the examination. Max was staying close to the entrance, taking reports about any changes he saw from Ronal's ritual. Neteyam and Lo'ak were sitting together right outside silently with sullen eyes, waiting for good news.

"She said she could feel Eywa, she could hear her heartbeat," Jake explained as he recalled his conversation with Kiri a few nights ago. Norm sighed as he heard the symptoms that Jake was describing. "That is classic frontal lobe epilepsy," Norm said, and Jake's eyes widened as he felt his heart drop. "Epilepsy?" He asked, not sure if he heard right. He sighed as he closed his eyes and his ears tipped back.

"Yeah, you see visions and you get states of religious ecstasy like the one she described," Norm explained, and Jake felt like his world was crashing down. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His precious daughter suffering through something like that was just disheartening, and he wished that it was all just a hypothesis and speculation from Norm.

"Plugging into the Spirit Tree is some sort of a trigger. Y-You definitely can't let her do that anymore," Norm said, and Jake's eyebrows furrowed at his friends' words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? Ever?" Jake breathed out with disbelief. How could he deprive any of his children of the opportunity to bond and connect with Eywa? What kind of father would he be if he didn't let them create a lifelong bond with the deity that they were born to look up to or to even connect with their ancestors' voices and their memories?

Max, who had moved to sit in front of Norm and Jake, began to speak and give his opinion. "Jake, if she seizes underwater again, it could kill her," Max said with caution, and a chill ran down Jake's spine at even the thought of that happening. He was conflicted between saving the connection Kiri has with Eywa, and her life being on the line by simply attempting to connect to the Spirit Tree. How was this fair?

Inside the hut, Ronal continued the ritual. The woman turned Kiri on her side and crossed her hands on top of one another as she began to blow short breaths onto Kiri's back and then eject a long breath into the air. She repeated this same process a few more times, and the waiting did not make it any easier.

You were sitting next to your sister, with your legs tucked up to your chest and your chin propped up on your forearms as you leaned against Neytiri's side. Your sister rubbed your arms comfortingly, while also placing her other hand on Tuk's shoulders to soothe her pain.

Ronal put Kiri back on her back again and blew various breaths in different places, but in the same spots, she marked with the pin before. Tuk was running her fingers through her sister's hair and leaving her small hand to lay on Kiri's forehead. Ronal repeated this same pattern over and over, running the ritual so long that the sun was beginning to set. It had gotten a bit dark so a candle had to be lit.

While Ronal continued, either the ritual worked or Kiri was coming back to her own consciousness by herself, but the girl's eyes slowly fluttered open. Her nose and nostrils flared slightly at the fact that breathed in its air as she awoke. Noticing this, Tuk gasped and happy tears brimmed the little girl's eyes.

"Kiri! You're awake" Tuk said softly, leaning over her sister with relief flooding her mind. Her big sister would be okay after all. Jake rushed into the hut to see her daughter was awake and beamed with relief, while you sat up straight and took Kiri's hand, pressing it against your cheek. You began to sob softly with happiness and exhaled a shaky breath. "Oh, Kiri," You muttered through your soft cries, grateful that Kiri was alright. You didn't know how you would react if the situation had gone any differently than it had.

It wasn't long before Kiri started to cry and say you leaned over cradling her head against yours. Neytiri had a soft smile on her face, watching the exchange, thanking Eywa for bringing her niece back. Lo'ak and Neteyam came into the hut as well, but giving Kiri her space, and staying close enough so she knew that her brothers were there. The entire family was there, and people who were watching gave the Sullys more privacy to be together and bask that Kiri was awake. It was a scary few hours, but she pulled through and she was okay.

As Ronal walked out with Tsireya, you didn't fail to grabbing the Tsahik's hand. The woman turned to you and you sent her a wordless and grateful smile, which was more than enough for Ronal to interpret as a million thank you's. The woman nodded with softened eyes and walked out with her daughter. They couldn't have done without her immense help.

You turned back to Kiri and embraced her against you once more, and your daughter leaned against you as she cried. "Kiri, my sweet child. My sweet little girl. Don't worry, we're here. You're okay," You cooed, letting Kiri cry as much as she needed to. After an experience like that, you couldn't possibly deny her of it.

The next day, things went back to how they used to. The science guys like Norm and Max went back to the base in the forest, and Neytiri with them. They stayed the night because it wasn't safe to travel during the night, so they left first thing in the morning. But, not without you giving her another heartfelt goodbye with the promise from your sister that she would find a way to visit again. You reminisced and talked for a bit before it absolutely became time for all of them to go.

You were dreading it a lot, but you knew that this wouldn't be a definite goodbye. You watched as the helicopter took off, with Jake having his arm wrapped around you, knowing this was probably just as hard on you as the first time around, or maybe even harder. After that, Jake really tried his best to distract you all morning, by taking you on long walks on the beach, riding on your ilu and him on his Skimwing, or even just talking in the hut. Those small things that he did really eased the sadness of seeing your sister go so soon. You appreciated Jake for that, more than he knew.

-

Quaritch and his group of soldiers were flying above the mountains and forests, heading over to a marine RDA base nearby. Each of them was on separate Ikrans, but Spider was sitting in front of Quaritch, giving him some pointers on how to speak Na'vi with simple gestures that would help him blend in with the others.

"Okay, this one. 'I see you'" Spider said, doing the designated gesture for those words. Quaritch attempted to do the same, and tried to say 'Oel ngati kameie', but it still came out as a bit broken and mispronounced. Spider side and turned his head around to face the Avatar Colonel. "It's 'ngati'. 'ngati'" Spider repeated, watching Quaritch get confused.

"That's what I just said, isn't it? Oel ngati kameie" Quaritch asked, repeating the words but it still wasn't coming off right. "It's not Naati. It's Ngati," Spider corrected, starting to laugh in amusement at how much trouble the Colonel was having pronouncing it. Quaritch tried to say it again a few more times but quickly gave up. "Okay, it's like coming out your nose or something," Quaritch said, making Spider chuckle and turn back around.

"Boss, one of the patrols picked up a radar hit. A rogue gunship," Lyle suddenly said, interrupting Spider and Quaritch's lesson. But the Colonel's attention was quickly brought to what his second in command said. That rogue ship is exactly what they're looking for. "Where?" Quaritch asked, pressing on his coms to communicate with Lyle. "Eastern seaboard, 2 clicks north," Lyle responded while Spider listened to the entire conversation.

Quaritch nodded with a sudden smug look on his face. "Uh-huh. Hang on," Quaritch said to Spider, maneuvering his Ikran to a new direction as the other soldiers turned and followed the Colonel. When Kiri had her seizure and Jake called Norm and Max to come to the village for help, the helicopter that they got to the village on unintentionally revealed the location that the Sully family was in.

That was what Lyle was told when it was revealed to him that a 'rogue gunship' was spotted on the Eastern seaboard. Now, Quaritch knew that Jake was somewhere in the Pandoran Archipelago. He had narrowed down a location, and that was a big step toward getting to you and Jake.

Quaritch wasted no time in heading back to Bridgehead City and to the RDA's base there. When meeting up again with General Ardmore, the Colonel explained what he had discovered and was now showing through a hologram their next possible course of action. Quaritch proceeded to show the direction in which Norm's helicopter had passed.

"The signal was intermittent and they lost it over open water. But, if you project the track, it hits this island group," Quaritch gestured, showing a clump of islands that were close together, but there was no way to know in which one Jake was in with his family.

"That's hundreds of islands. That's a big search box. Lots of villages," Ardmore countered, wanting to make Quaritch realize that this search was going to take a lot more than he expected. "This is our guy. You give me ships and aircraft, I'll bring you back his scalp" Quaricth menaced, determined to find Jake.

After that, Quaritch was given to go-ahead to intercept the next ship that would leave open waters and coincidentally, close enough to the islands. This one in particular was the SeaDragon. It is designed for hunting Tulkun and other Pandoran sea creatures. It can operate as a surface ship at low speeds, but when it raises up on its hydrofoils the ship can fully lift out of the water and soar over the waves. the SeaDragon can navigate even the roughest of seas and keep up with helicopter escorts, which was perfect for Quritch and his comrades for this mission.

The moment that the SeaDragon was beginning to leave the dock and head for open waters, some helicopters were flying above it for the mission the crew inside were prepared to head out for. Inside the main cockpit, one of the pilots noticed that there was some sort of bogeys or figures incoming. "Skipper," The woman said, making Captain Mick Scoresby come around the corner to look out the window and see that figures were flying on Ikrans, directly at the ship.

As soon as Quaritch and his group began to circle the ship on their screeching ikrans to land on one of the platforms on top of it, Captain Scoresby ordered the ship to stop. Doing as told, one of the men commanding the controls lowered down the levers in front, making the giant ship lower itself onto the water as the engines stopped. The water crashed harshly against the impact of the ship landing on the surface, but it got the job done nonetheless.

Quaritch landed his Ikran, followed by his comrades doing the same, and proceeded to hop off. Spider dismounted the banshee as well, watching as Captain Scoresby and another unfamiliar man come out the door to the platform to see who these Avatars were.

Lyle and Quaritch moved to stand right in front of the two human men, towering over them, all the while Spider moved to stand on the railing. "Hey," Spider greeted nonchalantly, but Quaritch wasted no time and got right to the point. "Are you Scoresby?" The Colonel asked.

"Uh-huh. Are you the asshole who's commandeering my ship?" Scoresby asked but Quaritch was unphased by the insult. "That would be me," The man answered simply while his Ikran screeched in the background.

Eventually, they were all taken inside and into the main cockpit of the ship. Quaritch was looking over this table that had a hologram projected on it. Spider was gazing at it with curiosity as well. The Colonel was explaining the entire situation as he knew it to the rest of the crew, including Scoresby and the man who was with him, known as Ian Garvin.

"The target is pretty much this whole island group," Quaritch pointed out, but Scoresby only looked at him skeptically. "I've never been up there. You know those waters, Doc. What kind of indigenous we got?" Scoresby asked Ian across the table since he was a marine biologist, and Scoresby was just a hunter.

"Metkayina mostly. Some Ta'unui, maybe 50 villages or so," Ian explained, but Quaritch still didn't know who he was. "And you are? Who?" The Colonel asked the biologist, making Ian feel a bit uncomfortable. "Uh, Ian Garvin. Marine Biologist," He said, holding out his hand for Quaritch to shake, but the Colonel left the man hanging as he continued to talk.

"50 villages, 100 villages, I don't care. We'll search em' all," Quaritch said, making Scoresby look at the Colonel with a baffled expression. That wasn't what this ship was for. "I hunt Tulkuns. That's what I'm rigged for. That's all my guys do. I have quotas to meet," Scoresby said, basically, in other words, he refused to let his crew be a part of Quaritch's plan.

"I'll be nice once, then I won't," Quaritch said with a smile that faked friendliness. Apparently, that was more than enough for Scoresby to agree. "Well, If you can't get out of it, get into it," He said, agreeing mostly because of Quaritch's intimidation techniques.

The Captain soon walked away and ordered all of his crew to get to their stations, which eventually made a man kick Spider out of the section he was supposed to be in because the boy was in the way. Spider eventually moved and turned to look back at the hologram.

"Now bring her up, flight speed," One of the pilots relayed to the man on the controls. "Flight speed," The man copied as he began to bring the levers for the ship, and consequently, began to make it soar into the air and away from the surface of the water. Soon enough, they were flying and on their way to search all of the Metkayina villages they could in that area, and Quaritch would go to any lengths necessary to get what he wants. No matter who or what he has to step on to do it.

-

Back in Awa'atlu, the Sullys were all folding and rolling up their rugs and basically tidying up their home. Kiri was in the corner doing her own thing and has been unusually quiet since she woke up. Neteyam was with her, trying to get her to feel more accustomed to her surroundings again. She shouldn't feel estranged from her own home, so as her big brother, he was there for her the entire time.

Jake was rolling up his own sheet, and as you rolled up the rug in your grasp, Tuk was adorably trying to help you. Lo'ak had his back turned to his family as he faced the wall and rolled up the mat he had on his hands, letting his mind stray off, but his thoughts were sook cut off by the sound of a horn being blown from outside. The entire family's attention was taken from what they were doing and headed outside their hut to see what was happening.

As Jake stepped out with Tuk close behind her dad, she looked up and spoke up. "What was that?" She asked, afraid it was an attack, but in reality, it was the complete opposite. All of the Awa'atlu Metkayina were jumping into the water and heading toward the reef. You came to stand next to Jake and you looked at each other quizzically. He had no idea what was happening either, and he was just as confused.

"What's going on?" Lo'ak asked, coming closer to the edge of the hut's path to see if he could peek at what he could spot in the distance. It seems that everyone looked pretty excited so it can't be any sort of attack or anything like that.

As if on cue, Tsireya came around the rows of huts while on her ilu and waved her hands in the air while giving an announcement. "The Tulkuns have returned! Everybody, our brothers and sisters have returned!" Tsireya announced gleefully, and those who didn't know the news before jumped into the water with excitement and happiness.

After hearing this, all of your kids, except Kiri, didn't hesitate to jump in the water and call their ilu's so they could catch up and see the arrival of the majestic creatures. You beamed at Jake, and then a playful smirk came up his lips as he grabbed onto your waist, held you close to him, and then leaped into the water with you in your grasp. As you both came up for air, you laughed and held onto Jake's broad shoulders while he called his Skimwing.

Mounting it, Jake was in front of you and you moved to sit behind him, wrapping your arms around his abdomen. Jake didn't hesitate to start leading his Skimwing over to the others just in time for a big herd of Tulkuns to enter the entrance of the Awa'atlu reefs. In the excitement to see their spirit brothers and sisters, the Tulkuns splashed their fins onto the water by swimming sideways, and it worked as a greeting to all of the Metkayina.

As the Tulkuns swarmed the reefs in search of their spirit sisters or brothers, Tonowari flew closer to the water on his Skimwing and soon enough, the chief found his spirit brother. The Skimwing rode on a slightly tilted angle as Tonowari raised his spear in the air, yipping and communicating with his Tulkun on a spiritual and emotional level.

In their endless cycle of migration, the Tulkun had come home.

Tonowari and his Tulkun communicated to express their happiness to see each other. Tonowari flew higher on his Skimwing; and watched from above as his spirit brother leaped from the water and landed on its back with a big splash. The clan leader cheered for his Tulkun's feat, making the sentient creature reply with a long roar until it landed back on the water. Tonowari smiled gleefully as he rode high up in the air, seeing all of his people spending time with their Tulkuns.

Tuk rushed excitedly back to their hut, knowing that Kiri was still there. When entering the Mauri and seeing Kiri sitting down, Tuk rushed in and grabbed her sister's hand. "Kiri! Kiri, come on! Come on!" Tuk urged, pulling her sister up to her feet.

Kiri groaned, not in the mood for games, but the girl really had no idea what was happening outside. "Tuk, leave me alone," Kiri said gently, but the youngest Sully did not give up and continued to bring her over. "Come on!" Tuk insisted happily as she lead her older sister over outside. "What do you want?" Kiri asked, but as Tuk brought her outside, the little one pointed at the scene in front of them.

"Look!" Tuk said, bouncing excitedly in place while watching as Kiri watched the view in front of her with wide eyes, not believing what she was seeing. A soft smile came upon Kiri's face, not helping but letting her mood rise. Her ears went from being tipped back to go upwards and matching the smile on her face.

"Come on. Let's go meet them," Tuk smiled, pulling Kiri along the path of the huts and closer to the water, and this time, Kiri didn't stop her younger sister from doing so.

There were Metkayina everywhere swimming with the Tulkuns and leaping over the water with such merriment that it was hard to believe this was the same place they arrived in. Villagers were all yipping and hooting as a way to communicate above water with their respective spirit brothers or sisters, and it was a celebration and a reunion altogether.

Meanwhile, Tsireya was riding an Ilu with Lo'ak sitting right behind her on the same one. A bright smile came upon her face as a gasp escaped her, she pointed into the distance and Lo'ak immediately tried to see where she was gesturing to. "Look! It's my spirit sister!" Tsireya exclaimed, watching as a Tulkun lifted its head out of the water and howled as it splashed its fins happily onto the water when it spotted Tsireya. The female Tulkun was really excited to see the Metkayina princess again.

Nearby, Neteyam was on an Ilu as well, cruising through the water, smiling from ear to ear as he laughed with glee. Everything around him was pure happiness in one place, and he loved seeing the Tulkuns leap out of the water when they saw their spirit siblings. The Metkayina clan sees the Tulkun as siblings. Each Metkayina member engages in a lifelong bond with a Tulkun early in their life, whom they call their spirit brother or sister. The whistles, howls, and clicks reached his ear, immediately indicating to him that these creatures are the happiest they'd ever been the moment they arrived in the village.

As Tsireya and Lo'ak rode together on the same ilu, the princess maneuvered the ilu so it submerged underneath. Tsireya was really excited to guide Lo'ak through the entire thing, and most importantly, introduce him to her spirit sister as well. When they dove and began to swim below the water, it felt like an entirely different world. Tulkuns and Metkayina were swimming amongst each other, talking and communicating, telling stories, enjoying their time together, and most importantly, enjoying the fact that they were back where they belong.

The depths of the ocean were filled with Tulkuns swimming upside down, swimming in circles around one another, and the Na'vi accompanied them in doing so. Clicks, whistles, and calls were resonating throughout the water, and it was beautiful. The new Tulkun calfs were also swimming in this newfound space, and hopefully, soon enough, they'll find a Na'vi to bond with. Not only were the Metkayina and the Tulkuns swimming here, but also all types of creatures that reside within the reef and want to be part of such a special, magical, and unique reunion.

Neteyam submerged in his ilu as well, swerving through the water to eventually find himself swimming just below one of the Tulkuns, and looking up to see the intricate tattoos that adorned its belly. The ilu squeaked in the water, feeling Neteyam's joy through the bond.

You and Jake cruised through the water on his Skimwing, and you were right behind him as he steered the creature. Jake loved seeing the smile on your face while your eyes lit up at everything that was happening underwater. When your husband noticed something all of a sudden, he tapped your thigh slightly and brought you closer to him in the process.

Jake then pointed at something in the distance, and what he wanted you to see was a Tulkun calf swimming with its mother. Your heart swelled and couldn't help but beam at what you saw, pressing your cheek against Jake's back while admiring the newly found Tulkun family.

Rotxo had introduced Kiri and Tuk to his own spirit brother, and now, the two sisters were grabbing onto the top of the creature's fins while it swam through the blue and clear waters. Rotxo was there too, but hanging onto that same time, but on the bottom. Rotxo's spirit brother turned his eye to look at Kiri and Tuk, smiling with its eyes and letting out a loud and vocal sound, expressing how happy he is to meet new friends of Rotxo's.

Not only was this a time for older Metkayina to connect with their bonded Tulkuns, but it was also time for newborns of the village to interact as well, and to learn how to swim both by themselves and on ilu's. Maybe even possibly find their spirit siblings this early on in their lives. As this group of Metkayina babies swam together, there was infant that was riding a baby ilu expertly even if it was just a newborn.

Knowing that there was a group of babies above it, to play with them, the Tulkun that was beneath them, sent a soft push of bubbles up its blowhole, making the babies laugh and smile underwater and swim through the bubbles happily. The Tulkuns loved interacting with the newborns, and giving them a warm welcome into the world they were born into.

For Ronal, she had been waiting for this day for a long time. As of now, the pregnant woman was swimming up to her spirit sister, who regarded the Tsahik with a high-pitched and vocal call, indicating how happy she was to see the woman. When Ronal reached the female Tulkun, she immediately swam up to meet the eyes of the creature and sign. "I see you, sister," Ronal signed with a smile.

The Tulkun let out a low rumble mingled with a few clicks, blinking slowly. "I see you, sister. I am happy," The Tulkun replied. Ronal swam closer to rest the palms of her hands on the fins of the great creature. The Tsahik looked over and saw a small calf come from under one of her spirit sister's back fins, and the baby Tulkun let out a happy and joyous sound, content to meet Ronal.

Ronal turned back to look her spirit sister in the eye and continued their conversation. "Your son is so beautiful and precious," Ronal signed, smiling the entire time as the Tulkun replied with whistles and clicks. "Thank you. How is your baby?" The female Tulkun asked, letting her eyes drift down to the woman's belly, and then back up. "My baby is strong," Ronal signed, continuing to smile as she did so.

Tsireya had spent her time reminiscing with her spirit sister. The princess was so happy to reconnect with the Tulkun she had made such a lifelong bond with. She updated the Tulkun about everything new going on in her life, especially one person in particular. "I met a boy," Tsireya said, signing to her spirit sister, who whistled happily at Tsireya's news.

It was a time for stories of their season apart. Of deaths and births. Of old friends and new loves.

One of the Metkayina mothers who just had her newborn was teaching its baby to swim, right in the presence of her spirit sibling. The eyes of the Tulkun followed the baby until it reached the surface, using its finned tail to do it, and took a small gasp for air, trying to stay afloat. The baby and the Tulkun made eye contact, and the creature looked at the infant with softened eyes. These were big and important achievements and moments that were supposed to be shared in times like these.

After Tsireya finished updating her spirit sister on everything that has been happening in her life, as well as the Tulkun itself reciprocating its own stories, Tsireya began to use her arms to flip herself backward and do an entire turn in the water. The Tulkun wanted to try as well, so as Tsireya did that, The female Tulkun flipped onto her back and began to mimic a turn just like Tsireya was doing, letting out content howls of excitement with whistles.

From above, Lo'ak had his head ducked into the water, and was watching all of this happen as a gentle smile graced his lips. He had two things on his mind as he gazed at Tsireya with her spirit sister. The first was the indiscreet way he was watching Tsireya and admiring her from afar. He had become so close to her these last few days, and he considers her someone very special to him. She's one of the only few people in his life he feels that he can trust.

The other thing he was thinking about was the fact that he knew Payakan was an outcast, but after today, he wishes his Tulkun brother to be here as well and spend this celebration with him. He wished that maybe in the next migration cycle, it was a possibility that Payakan could be here in the future.

-

This might just be the longest chapter i've ever written so far. It's come at 9k words and I can't believe I wrote this in just one day- grammarly was being annoying while I edited this too so I got frustrated lol

anyway, hope it was worth it and that you guys liked it as much as I did! The scene with the Tulkuns was my favorite in the entire movie :,) Its so wholesome and beautiful I could cry-

I will try to update almosy every day during this long weekend, which ends on tuesday for me, so stay tuned <3 There's about 1h and 20 min left in the movie so I think we're moving well in terms of pacing so yay!

There's not much I have to say now, but as always, I'll add other news in future chapters if there are any! My life has been pretty uneventful lmao

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

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