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

A/N: I'm sorry but this is where things start to go downhill :,( I wrote this chapter and some parts were so heartbreaking for me to write.

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Long after they departed from Bridgehead City on the SeaDragon, Quaritch and his group of comrades, and Spider spotted a village in the distance. This was one of the first stops for the search of you and Jake, and this village would be the first of many if he wasn't here.

The weather seemed a bit foggy so it was hard to navigate, but eventually, the giant ship turned a corner around some palm trees and began to descend from the air while powering off the turbines, and landing on the water. There were multiple helicopters accompanying the crew by air, decelerating now that the SeaDragon was coming to a stop.

The village they had arrived to was part of the Ta'unui clan, similar to the Metkayina, given that they also live in Mauri's, have tattoos to represent their lives as reef people, and have deep connections with their pod of Tulkuns. Even so, they were an independent clan. With these similarities, they were a clan separate from the Metkayina, but still had a very close relationship with them and other ones as well.

When many villagers started to notice the big ship approaching, horns started blaring and the Ta'unui people began to leave their homes and come to the shores of their village to see what was happening. They all gathered with worry and fear, seeing that the ship was clearly from the Sky People. The Olo'eyktan and Tsahik came running out to stand before their people, keeping their children back from the incoming threat that was approaching.

"Be calm, my people" The Olo'eyktan said as he turned to look back at the villagers. The last thing that should happen was to make the situation worse by allowing themselves to give in fear. He was the clan leader, and it was his duty to protect his people. Sky People rarely attacked the sea clans, but they knew how ruthless humans could be when they are led by greed, power, and selfishness.

The Ta'unui knew why the Sky People were there because Tonowari had warned them of the fact that they were looking for Jake Sully and his wife and that it could come to a point where humans would come and question every village if it was necessary. Under the orders of Tonowari, other villages were instructed not to say anything about Jake's whereabouts.

Soon, it became mayhem in the village when Quaritch and his team disembarked the ship and began searching through the homes of the Ta'unui. Villagers were being held at gunpoint and threatened to be killed if they made any sudden movements. Not only were the Avatar soldiers there, but also humans who had air masks on and robotic suits as they raided the village entirely, leaving it disastrous.

"We are looking for weapons, radios, or technological equipment!" One of the men yelled out, having one of the villagers under his grasp, keeping them down. Quaritch's comrades kept kicking down the backs of the people, forcing them to stay on their knees while their village was ransacked. When they didn't, the Avatars threatened the villagers with electrical tasers, powering them briefly to show the people the pain they would suffer if they didn't cooperate.

"Get down! You too! You see this?" One of the female Avatars seethed, putting the taser dangerously close to one of the women of the village who was forced to kneel. One of the men that were using a robotic suit noticed the woman he was holding down was resisting, so he didn't hesitate to tase her, and she screamed in pure agony at the sensation. "Shut up!" He said as the woman fell on the floor, in pain.

As the villagers were being held down, Quaritch, Lyle, and one other Avatar soldier were interrogating the Tsahik and the Olo'eyktan. Lyle had them both on their knees with a rifle pointed at the backs of their heads as Quaritch held up an image of Jake, asking them if they'd seen him. Spider was there as well, but only to serve as a translator.

Quaritch spoke in Na'vi to the clan leader and his wife, but they still looked at him with confusion. They knew the man that Avatar Colonel was showing was the one that Tonowari told them to protect and not divulge his location under any circumstance. "We know this man resides somewhere here on the islands. Is he here? In this village?" Quaritch sneered, and Spider gulped anxiously knowing that if the Colonel didn't get what he want, things would start to get violent quickly.

"We are a different clan. The man in the picture is from the forest," The Olo'eyktan spoke, not daring to show an ounce of fear. Quaritch wasn't understanding what the clan leader was saying, so he turned to Spider to translate. "What- What's he saying?" Quaritch asked, trying to speed this along quicker.

"They never saw him. These are sea people, and forest people don't come here," Spider clarified, but Quaritch looked at the human boy skeptically, not knowing if that was the truth or if the boy was lying to protect the village. Either way, he'd continue to press on questions until he got what he wanted. "I ain't buying that," Quaritch said with a raised eyebrow, turning back around to look at the chief and his wife, who was trembling in fear.

Quaritch turned from looking at the Olo'eyktan to looking at the Tsahik, who put on her brave face when the Colonel began speaking to her in Na'vi, asking again where Jake was. The woman did not hesitate to reply and denied any knowledge of the man in the picture, angering and frustrating Quaritch further.

"He must search in the forest if he wants to
find that man," The Olo'eyktan said to Spider, realizing that the human boy was the translator for this group of Avatars. The boy nodded, wincing slightly at the sigh of Lyle grabbing the Tsahik's hair and pulling her back. Spider thanked the chief and turned back to Quaritch and relayed the message. "They don't know anything," Spider said, making Quaritch go silent but then, noticed something in the water that caught his attention, figuring out another way to get answers rather than just questions.

There was an ilu swimming peacefully through the waters in front of the village, and Quaritch immediately barked out orders to get the villagers to start giving him answers. "Shoot that animal," The Colonel ordered, and Lyle did not hesitate in raising his gun and sending three consecutive bullets to the ilu. The creature cried out in pain as it squirmed and writhed, spilling out blood onto the crystal clear water. The villagers, including the Olo'eyktan and the Tsahik, cried out at the sight of the vicious and unnecessary murder caused by this Sky Person disguised as Na'vi.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Spider yelled to Quaritch, not understanding why they had to bring death into the problem, especially with animals so sacred to the sea clans. The Ta'unui yelled and screamed out in agony and pain at the ilu floating lifelessly in the water as its blood stained the surface around it. The death of it felt like a million bullets pierced through them as well. The connection that they had with the ilu's and other sea creatures was beyond anything that the Sky People would ever even begin to understand.

Deciding to stand up for her people, the Tsahik turned to Lyle with pleading eyes, begging for the merciless death and killing to stop. The second in command didn't care at all, and even through her pleas, Lyle forced his rifle on her back, pushing her downwards as she cried.

"Stay calm! Stay calm!" Spider tried to reassure them all in Na'vi, but the Ta'unui were too blinded by pain and distress to even begin to try and reason with Quaritch and do as he says. They continued to cry for the loss of the creature, feeling as if they had lost a part of themselves. The bond these villagers made with the ilu, Tulkun, Skimwings, or anything of the sort, was special and sacred.

Quaritch grabbed the Olo'eyktan's head and harshly turned it so that the chief was looking at him directly. "Hey, are your ears working now?" Quaritch seethed as the clan leader groaned in pain under his hold. Even when feeling such strong torture, he continued to tell his people to stay calm, not wanting them to buckle under fear, torment, and affliction.

"Now you see what these can do, huh?" Quaritch warned, holding up his rifle close to the chief's face so he got the message. Spider couldn't help but start breathing heavily, and his face contorted into one of deep anguish he felt for all of them. This was taking it too far, and these people did not deserve to have their lives interrupted like this for something they never did and wasn't their fault.

The Tsahik feared and begged for her mate's life, pleading to the Avatar group to stop. Quaritch held up the same picture of Jake again, holding it up closer to the chief, and then toward the other villagers. "Jake Sully. Toruk Makto!" The Colonel yelled, showing the picture around to everyone else as well.

"He already told you he doesn't know!" The Tsahik pleaded with tears brimming in her eyes, wanting Quaritch to let her husband go. The Avatar Colonel rolled his eyes at the woman, feeling fed up with her yelling. "Put her down!" Quaritch demanded, and Lyle did as told, forcing the woman to fall on the sand. The Olo'eyktan's eyes widened and he resisted the grip that the soldier behind him had on his arms, fighting to have his wife released.

The villagers cried out at their Tsahik being mistreated like that, fearing for her life. Those who moved around too much ended up being tased painfully. Quaritch and his group continued to harshly attack the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan, but Spider couldn't let it happen. This was overkill. "Stop! Stop!" Spider yelled, begging Quaritch to halt his actions. The soldier holding the clan leader held the barrel of his gun pressed against his body.

"You make it real clear to him, that if he doesn't give up Sully, we'll kill the Tsahik," Quaritch threatened, making Spider's eyes widen. It was clear that Jake wasn't in this village and that these people didn't know where he was, so why was he taking it so far?

As the Tsahik was laying down with her head pressed up against the sand, Lyle pressed his rifle right against her head, causing her husband to plead for her life to be spared as tears pooled from her eyes and on her cheeks. Spider shook his head in denial, he didn't want to be a part of this anymore. "No, I'm not doing that," Spide refused, taking a few steps back.

"That right?" Quaritch mused, looking at Spider with narrowed eyes. Spider denied wanting to help in any of this for much longer, this was assault, murder, and meaningless torture for no reason. "I don't want to be a part of this!" Spider yelled, seeing in the corner of his eye more villagers being tased for trying to stand up and protect their Tsahik.

"These people don't know anything! They don't know anything!" Spider yelled, seeing people being forced down even further with tasers by the human and Avatar soldiers alike, and practically having the devices pressed against their necks, which can cause possible death. The electricity could kill them. There was also this one Avatar female soldier just calmly and nonchalantly chewing gum and blowing bubbles while pressing a gun directly at one of the Ta'unui villagers. It was sick.

Just as Lyle was about to shoot the Tsahik in the head, he looked up at Quaritch with an unsure expression. If these people really didn't know anything, would they really go as far as killing someone without reason? "Are we really gonna waste her?" Lyle asked, seeing Quaritch suddenly start to think things through in his head. Was it really worth it?

"Please! Please, don't do this! This is wrong! What you're doing here, is wrong!" Spider pleaded, and Quaritch turned to look at the boy, seeing how much this brutality was paining him. "Please..." Spider continued, and somewhere along his words, it was able to get through to the Colonel so he opted for another idea instead. The man was silent for a few seconds before turning to his subordinates.

"Burn the hooches," Quaritch said, referring to the huts of the village. Lyle removed the gun from the Tsahik's head and turned to the other soldiers. "Hey, light 'em up," Lyle said, and the soldiers relayed the orders to one another before they finally started to set fire to the homes of the Ta'unui clan. Spider sighed in relief, knowing that at least nobody was killed.

Even so, as their homes were burned down to the ground completely and to a crisp, the people began to scream at their village being destroyed like this. The Olo'eyktan and Tsahik screamed out to Quaritch asking a single question. 'Why are you doing this?' The clan had no idea why this was happening, or what they did to have their home reduced to absolutely nothing but ashes and ruins.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Spider apologized deeply to the woman and the man in front of him, who cried endlessly. "Stop this madness!" The Tsahik cried, suddenly feeling ashes and sparks of the fire come closer. Their homes were gone, and Spider could do nothing but apologize profusely. "I'm sorry," He said profusely, but then continued to reassure them in Na'vi, trying to help them see that they won't be in danger anymore now that Quaritch was rounding up his soldiers and everyone else.

"We're out of here," Quaritch said, watching the huts burn behind the villagers, and putting a hand on Spider's shoulder to start bringing him back to the ship. Upon contact, Spider slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!" He yelled and then turned around to the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan again to continue to apologize over and over. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. He didn't know Quaritch would go this far to get answers.

"I'm so sorry!" He apologized again, but this time he couldn't get rid of Quaritch's hold on him while he dragged the boy away. The Colonel lead back his group to the Ikrans who were stationed nearby, leaving the huts to crumble as the villagers cried. Forgotten and left behind as if it never existed, the murdered ilu was still floating in the water with its blood spreading around it. The fact that it was only used as a pawn for Quaritch's warnings, didn't work, it made Spider sick to his stomach.

-

In Awa'atlu, after such an eventful day with the Tulkuns, it began to drizzle a bit in the village and the reef. You and Jake were sitting side by side, preparing dinner for your kids. You were giggling softly at something he said, and he smiled in return at the simple sight of seeing your beaming smile. He leaned in and pressed a loving kiss against your temple, then continued to help you chop some ingredients to add to the cauldron set above the fire.

What you didn't notice is that Tonowari was making his way up to your family's Mauri and when you noticed his presence at the entrance and stopped laughing, Jake noticed and turned to look back as well to see the Metkayina Olo'eyktan standing there with a sullen and sad expression. Both of your smiles dropped at the feeling that something was wrong, and you could immediately tell simply by the aura that Tonowari brought in. Something must've happened for him to look so distraught.

As Tonowari stayed outside, waiting for you and Jake to come out, you looked at your husband worriedly. Jake took your hand and led you outside in the rain where the chief was waiting. When you two reached Tonowari, he refused to make eye contact, and the man continued to look forward into the distance.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as you moved to stand beside him. It took a few seconds for Tonowari to reply, but eventually, they got their answer, but you didn't like what you heard. "Sky People," Tonowari said, and his words made your ears tip back in worry, and Jake inhaled sharply and sighed shakily.

"They're looking for you Jake Sully, to the South. They have a human boy who speaks Na'vi," Tonowari said, and Jake turned back to lock eyes with you, both of you knowing exactly who that boy was. Spider was taken by Quaritch, so it only made sense. Jake's eyes tipped back as his eyes softened with concern overtaking him. Out of habit, you walked closer and locked arms with Jake, holding your arm close to you. Tonowari took a couple of steps forward, leaving Jake to only ask one question.

"Did they kill anybody?" Jake whispered almost inaudibly, but Tonowari heard. The ex-marine only hoped that those attacks didn't go as far as to leave any deaths behind. "Not yet," Tonowari said, pausing for a moment and then turning back to look at Jake. "They threaten, but the villagers will not tell them where you are under my order," Tonowari said, and Jake nodded hesitantly, knowing at least the attacks have not resulted in someone killed.

After Tonowari left, you and Jake paused on dinner for a moment. You didn't have the mindset to focus on something so simple when something so dire was getting closer. You and Jake were laying down on your woven mat with your back pressed against his chest, and his arms over your waist. You held his hands close to your heart, intertwined together tightly. There was only silence between you except the drizzle of waves and crashes of waves against the base of the Mauri. It was not awkward or comfortable silence, much less anything in between. But rather tense silence.

Anger and frustration soon took over your mind, replaying the conversation you had with Tonowari a few minutes ago. The Sky People will not give up, would they? Wasn't it enough that they took Grace away, your father, Hometree, Your Ikran; Nana, Sylwanin, and now he was after your husband and your family? You hated Quaritch with every fiber of your being and wanted him dead. You killed him once, you could do it again and again, no matter how many lives he comes back from.

Your grip tightened slightly on Jake's hands, and he immediately noticed your inner turmoil. He adjusted himself so he could bury his nose in your hair, breathing you in, and closing his eyes shut, so that he could wish and hope desperately that this was just a cruel dream. He just wanted to live in peace with his family, and they'd only gotten a few weeks of tranquility before that was taken away again.

"Why..." You seethed quietly, closing your eyes and curling your legs up to your chest, prompting Jake to embrace you tighter and press a kiss against the crown of your head. "How much can that demon take away from us? We must hunt him down, trap him, kill him," Your voice wavered as you spoke, but exhaled, trying to rid yourself of the brimming tears in your eyes that threatened to escape.

"We've gotta be smart. If we hit Quaritch, they're gonna know where we are, and they're gonna come here with everything they've got. Our location is still unknown, so we can still make a plan," Jake said as his free hand ran up and down your arm. You were visibly becoming less tense, but he knew that the only way to put you at ease is having something go off of. "Then, what is our plan?" You asked, with a voice barely above a whisper.

"We'll think of something, I promise. We always do," He whispered, and you nodded, trusting your mate with everything in you that everything would be okay. That by the end of this, your lives would go back to how they were, your children would be there all in one piece, watch them grow up without war, and spend the rest of your life with Jake.

You turned around in your spot to face Jake directly and he was right in front of you, rather than behind you. The moment Jake saw your glassy eyes, he couldn't help but move his hand to cup your cheek and jaw, then move his thumb on your cheekbone to ease your fears.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead just as a tear slipped from your eye and trailed down your cheek. He didn't hesitate to kiss the tear away, then rub it away. You two stayed there together, with Jake's arms wrapped tightly around your frame as your head lay on his chest and you listened to his heartbeat.

While minutes continued to pass and the rain didn't stop outside, Jake thought to himself; Just how more could they take away from him? From you? Your children? Eventually, Jake concluded his head, and for the sake of his family, he would be willing to give it all. He realized that to surpass monsters, you must be willing to abandon your humanity. People who can't throw something important away can never hope to change anything.

-

Quaritch was now terrorizing yet another innocent village, and these were Metkayina and not Ta'unui. Same as before, he interrogated the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan, and detained the rest of the villagers, while tasing them if they didn't comply. As usual, because of Tonowari's orders, they set fire to this village as well. As expected, people screamed and pleaded for the pain that was being inflicted on them to stop.

"It's Toruk Makto! Has he been here?" Quaritch yelled at the Olo'eytkan of the village, holding him tightly by his braid and pulling on it. The clan leader and his wife were both put to on their knees and their wrists were bound, not giving them a chance to even fight back. Villagers in the background continue to be agonizingly tased by Quaritch's comrades, screaming and falling to the ground in pain.

Spider's eyebrows furrowed as he continued to watch everything happen right before his eyes. He already tried to go against Quaritch and get him to stop doing this. They've already been through countless villages and none of them have seen Jake before in their lives. Quaritch sighed and shoved the Olo'eyktan to the ground before turning to Lyle beside him.

"This shit ain't working," Quaritch said, turning his back to the chaos he created. "Nah, they're stonewalling us," Lyle said, who was still holding his rifle in hand. The Colonel realized a few things after they got to the first few villages and that maybe it was time to do things a different way. "If we turn up the heat, he's just gonna keep running. We gotta draw him out," Quaritch said, turning to give Lyle a knowing look, and the man reciprocated it. They were both thinking the same thing.

Getting back on their Ikrans, Quaritch and his group flew back to the SeaDragon, which was docked just outside the cove where the village they had just attacked was located. Upon landing on the top platform on the ship, the Ikrans screeched and Quaritch saw Scoresby and Garvin standing there expectantly. In the distance, it was clear that there was nothing left to do or take in this place as they watched burns overtake the home of this clan.

Spider dismounted the Ikran, and with Quaritch shortly getting off afterward, the two along with Lyle walked to stand on the platform where the hunter and biologist were at. The two men didn't want to be a part of this, but mostly because they have other and bigger responsibilities to fulfill that aren't from going village by village terrorizing innocent Na'vi.

"I'm over it," Scoresby started, walking close to Quaritch with his arms crossed. "I've got quotas to meet," He said, all the while the biologist stood gazing at the meaningless destruction with sullen eyes. He has been studying this planet for years, and he never thought that he would take part in this.

Quaritch figured that if Scoresby needed to do his job, then so be it. "You want to hunt? Let's hunt?" Quaritch said, making the hunter's eyes, as well as the biologists', widen in surprise. Spider, who was looking at the burnt-down village through the railing, turned back to look at the Colonel with pure and utter disbelief.

"What? Here? Not here. There's too many villages," Scoresbg said, eventually getting the attention of Garvin who decided that this is where he drew the line on this. "No. No, no, no," Ian said, and Quaritch narrowed his eyes at the marine biologist. "Respectfully, sir. You do not understand the kindred bonds between the Tulkun and the ocean Na'vi. It would be like murdering a member of their family," Garvin pointed out, to which Scoresby decided to intervene shortly after Ian.

"If we start hunting here, the hostiles will come after us," Scoresby said, and his words made the Colonel smirk slyly. "Exactly. One hostile in particular," Quaritch said, and Spider turned around to face him. If this was the plan to draw Jake out, then why do the Tulkun have to be involved? They were already being hunted enough as it is, but to simply draw them out to find the Sully family? It wasn't okay and Spider would never, ever, be on board with that.

-

It was around midday by now, and Lo'ak had met again with Payakan, but this time with Neteyam, Tsireya, Rotxo, and Ao'nung to be present for this moment. He wanted to so desperately prove the fact that Payakan was not the killer everyone thought he was. Tsireya explained that making a bond with the Tulkun might let him look into his memories, and that is exactly what Lo'ak planned to do.

They were now near a place around Three Brothers Rocks that was filled with algae, like some sort of underwater forest. While the others waited nearby on their ilu's for Lo'ak to get Payakan's approval, the boy himself was up on the surface waiting for the Tulkun to arrive. He swam for a bit, looking at the empty waters around him, but that changed soon enough. Eventually, the sentient creature appeared from the algae and swam up the surface, letting Lo'ak sit and lean on his fin like always.

After greeting his Tulkun friend, Lo'ak told Payakan that he wanted him to put his trust in him because he knows what he was going through. "I know how you feel. I feel all alone too. Tell me, why are you outcast?" Lo'ak asked while signing every word. Payakan looked at the boy and blinked slowly, not wanting to remember his story again, but if it was for Lo'ak, he'd let the boy know about his past and why he was exiled from his herd.

After Payakan agreed, Lo'ak gave the others the go-ahead to hide behind some algae so that they could see what happens. Neteyam, Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo, all got off their ilu's and got to a nearby distance so they could help Lo'ak if something were to happen, but just far away enough so that they weren't seen.

Lo'ak and Payakan eventually submerged themselves into the water again, positioning themselves in a spot free of algae, so that the boy was in front of the Tulkun. Lo'ak waited for a few more seconds, seeing as Payakan was not moving. He raised his hands up in a small questioning gesture, but soon enough, the Tulkun opened its mouth open and Lo'ak immediately realized that he was supposed to swim inside. He didn't know how he was supposed to bond with Payakan, and maybe this was how, but he would trust his friend.

Lo'ak was a bit hesitant at first, but eventually summoned up the courage to start swimming inside Payakan's mouth. Neteyam looked at Tsireya quizzically as he watched this happen, skeptical about letting his little brother do this. The princess gave him a look that assured him that it was okay and that this was supposed to happen this way. She understood why he was worried, I mean, he just saw his little brother willingly swim into the mouth of Tulkun.

As Lo'ak swam further inside, the darker it became. He had no idea where was supposed to go or what to do, but he assumed that Payakan would guide him through it. All of a sudden, the Tulkun's mouth began to close shut, startling Lo'ak and making Neteyam's eyebrows furrow. The oldest Sully did not hesitate in starting to swim over to the Tulkun, but he was stopped by Tsireya. She grabbed his arm and motioned with her hand as if saying 'Hold on'. She wanted Neteyam to know there was nothing to worry about, although it may seem alarming and worrisome.

Neteyam looked back at Ao'nung and Rotxo who gave the Sully the same look that Tsireya did. Although, even if the princess knew that this was what was supposed to happen, she couldn't help but look at Payakan with worry. If he really is as noble as Lo'ak says, then she should have nothing to be concerned about.

Once Lo'ak was inside Payakan's mouth, he noticed that all of the dots on his body were lit up and that the Tulkun's entire mouth was littered with those same dots, like a sky full of constellations. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. As he followed the trail of glowing dots on the roof of Payakan's mouth, Lo'ak noticed that they led up to some sort of purple and glowing body part, which he assumed was the brain, at the roof of the Tulkun's mouth.

With curiosity, Lo'ak started to swim closer to it but got startled when a tentacle-like protrusion from his brain, unraveled in front of the boy. When it stretched out completely, Lo'ak looked at how many tentacles it had, and the fact that it glowed yellow and orange. He looked at it with interest and then realized this was probably where the bond was supposed to be made. Lo'ak brought his braid forward and made the Tsahaylu bond as the tendrils of the tentacle immediately attached to his braid.

The moment that the bond was made, Lo'aks eyes widened and his pupils dilated. His head was brought back a bit as he closed his eyes and began to see what he realized wasn't a memory of his, but Payakan's. This must be what happened that made the Tulkun be exiled. It was from Payakan's vision so the memory was blurry and in yellow tones mostly. Lo'ak could tell that the Tulkun was just a young calf here, judging by what was happening.

In the memory, Payakan continued to swim and briefly lifted his head from the water to see whaling hunting ships chasing after him and other Tulkuns as well. He ducked his head underwater and looked to his side to see his mother being shot with an anchor on her stomach making the female Tulkun wail in agony, and already having harpoons with floating devices attached to her fins. Payakan then looked down to see submarines below her mother, monitoring that she is killed.

Watching this memory, Lo'ak eyebrows furrowed and he groaned lightly in place, feeling Payakan's pain through the vision. Lo'ak watched the younger Tulkun's memories of seeing his mother die at the hands of the Sky People. The next sequence he saw was Payakan swimming with a herd of other Tulkun, but also Na'vi warriors on their ilu's.

Bombs were landing everywhere below the water, effectively killing the Tulkuns around Payakan and the Na'vi warriors too, who were the spirit brothers and sisters of the Tulkun. It was gruesome and cruel. All he could hear were the pain and agony that these creatures were suffering from, and hearing their cries and calls for each other through echolocating.

What Lo'ak saw next was Payakan lifting his head out of the water, along with another Tulkun, and both of them had missiles launched at them. The only difference between them is that the missile launched at the other Tulkun killed him instantly, but for Payakan, it made him lose his fin. As Payakan tried to escape with a bloody fin and the remaining Tulkun and Na'vi, the RDA continued to make relentless attacks in hopes of at least making some sort of catch on any Tulkun present.

Lo'ak could feel his heart dropping at the next sight of the memory. It was the aftermath of the battle. Na'vi warriors were dead, and slowly sinking lifelessly to the bottom of the ocean. The ilu's caught in the fight were no longer alive either, with blood from other dead Tulkuns and Na'vi who were in the vicinity. It was a massacre, and now, Lo'ak at last finally understood the life of guilt and shame that Payakan had to live with for the rest of his life.

After the memory ended, Lo'ak disconnected his queue from Payakan and the Tulkun opened its mouth to let him out. Neteyam, Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo were all relieved to see him come out unscathed. They knew Lo'ak probably wanted to talk to Payakan, so they returned to their own ilu's and waited for the Sully brother to come back to them.

Lo'ak swam back up to the surface, and as soon as he was above water, he took a big gasp. He had been underwater for too long, even if he had gotten better at controlling it. He brushed those thoughts and immediately started to swim closer and sit on Payakan's fins. Breathing heavily, Lo'ak lifted his hand and placed it just above the Tulkun's eye as he made direct eye contact with the creature.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Lo'ak said and leaned in to hug Payakan, pressing his cheek on the place right above the creature's eye and stretching his arms out to embrace the Tulkun as much as he could. Upon contact, Payakan closed his eyes and relished in the sweet action from Lo'ak. He loved him like his own brother and was glad he saved him all those weeks ago, or he wouldn't have met him otherwise. "It's okay. It's okay," Lo'ak whispered, reassuring his Tulkun friend that it wasn't his fault.

He couldn't imagine how much guilt he has carried with him all these years, especially since that happened when he was only a calf. The Tulkun has had to fend and survive for himself all this time, without his herd. Lo'ak couldn't help but feel empathy and pity for Payakan, but also feels closer to him.

Lo'ak always feels like the outcast in his family, and he lives in Neteyam's shadow as the older brother that can do no wrong and him as the reckless and rebellious one. He wants to feel like an equal to those around him, like his family, just like Payakan wants to hopefully go back to his pod and be forgiven for what he did.

-

Somehow along the way coming back home, Ronal and Tonowari found out about the situation with Payakan, and how his own children allowed Lo'ak to bond with the exiled Tulkun. As of now, the kids were all being led to the hut of Ronal, Tonowari, and his kids, who were walking in front of Neteyam and Lo'ak, except Rotxo. There was complete silence on the way there, and once the kids were all inside, Ronal didn't hesitate to start speaking to scold and reprimand them all.

Tsireya, Lo'ak, Neteyam, and Ao'nung all stood side by side with their heads hung low. "You allowed this. You allowed him to bond with the outcast!" Ronal exclaimed, not even believing those words were coming out of her mouth. Never in her life did she think that her children would be responsible for something like that. Ronal stepped away, but Tonowari silently stepped into the conversation and looked directly at Tsireya with disappointment.

"Tsireya," Tonowari started, making the girl inhale sharply as her small ears tipped back. She looked up at her father with her eyes full of sorrow and shame. "You disappoint me, daughter," Tonowari said, making her daughter feel tears start to brim in her eyes at her father's words. She exhaled shakily before she noticed that her father's gaze was on Lo'ak.

As if on cue, you and Jake walked up the mesh and woven path up to the hut they were all in, having sensed the commotion from afar. From their body language, it was clear that something happened and the kids were all being reprimanded for it. You and Jake looked at each other before noticing how Tonowari was looking at Lo'ak with clear discontent.

"And you, son of a great warrior, who has been taught better," Tonowari scolded, but Lo'ak did not hesitate to defend himself. The whole story about what happened to Payakan wasn't there. Jake tried to step for Lo'ak, but stopped himself, trying to piece together the situation.

"Payakan saved my life, sir. You don't know him," Lo'ak said, and you sighed, closing your eyes. So much for trying to keep him out of trouble and build a better relationship for him and Jake. This would push that small window of hope over the edge. You could easily tell Jake was already anxious and exasperated. But as you continued to listen to Lo'ak's story, you believed him but knew the others wouldn't.

Tonowari looked at Lo'ak for a few more seconds before speaking up. "Sit," The chief said, but Lo'ak was too stunned by his calmness to obey. "Sit," Tonowari said again, gesturing to the ground with his finger, and this time, Lo'ak obliged and crouched down.

After he and Lo'ak were seated, he noticed Neteyam, Ao'nung, and Tsireya were still standing. "Sit down!" Tonowari yelled angrily, immediately making them sit, and it made you flinch as well, involuntarily that is.

Jake noticed your wince and he moved his hand to rub your arm as this happened. When everyone was seated, you and Jake also crouched on the ground, and when you kneeled, Jake moved to put his arm around your waist to keep you close to him. In a way, it helped you ease your nerves, but it was also a way for him to stay calm and collected.

Tonowari exhaled deeply, as Ronal stood behind her husband. "Hear my words, boy," Tonowari started, keeping direct eye contact with Lo'ak. "In the days of the First Songs, the Tulkuns fought amongst themselves for territory and for revenge. But they came to believe that killing, no matter how justified, only brings more killing. So, killing was forbidden. This is the Tulkun way. Payakan is a killer. So, he is outcast," Tonowari concluded, but that still didn't change Lo'ak's views.

"I'm sorry, sir. But you're wrong," Lo'ak said, and Jake hung his head down at his son's words. You reached a hand to put on his arm so that he turned to you. "Lo'ak! You speak to Olo'eyktan!" You whispered, warning him to choose his words more carefully. If he wanted to give his point of view, he could do so, but denying the words of Tonowari was not the way to go. "I know, I-" Lo'ak said, but couldn't finish because Jake decided to intervene.

"That's enough!" Jake said, making Lo'ak turn to look at Tsireya who was shaking her head at him. It was a message from her, telling him to stop fighting this topic because it wasn't worth it. "I know what I know," Lo'ak said, staying true to what he believed in. Ronal hissed slightly at the boy's words.

Jake didn't hesitate in coming from his spot next to you, and over to be next to Lo'ak. "That's enough," Jake whispered sternly to his son, who continued to look down. Tsireya looked at this exchange between father and son with disbelief, with tears pooling in her eyes.

Jake turned to look at Tonowari, as a promise that he would straighten out his son. "I'll deal with this one," Jake assured, grabbing Lo'ak's arm and pulling him away. The boy had his eyes locked on Tsireya the entire time until she was out of sight, and she did the same.

Tonowari watched as Jake took his son away, and you stayed behind, to apologize for everything that happened. You thought that progress was beginning to be made, but it's just one problem after another. First, it was the Ao'nung problem, and now the ordeal with the Tulkun and Lo'ak bonding with the creature. Before leaving, you tapped Neteyam's shoulder and when he looked up at you, you gestured with your head for him to follow you back to the hut with the rest of the family.

It was a tense walk back, but you could see Jake was fuming and you hoped that he wasn't too hard on Lo'ak. As his mother, you could understand why Lo'ak did what he did, not necessarily justifying it, but he was trying to comfort a friend who had been suffering and if anything, those are the values you had strived for him to have, and you were proud of him.

On the walk back, you wrapped your arm around Neteyam's shoulders and then cradled his head to be close to your shoulder. He was startled, for sure, but he stopped walking and laughed slightly at you placing a kiss on his head. You were glad Neteyam was there with Lo'ak this afternoon, and your sons being there for each other was exactly the type of relationship you hoped that they had.

Even as Lo'ak and Jake had already made their way inside and you assumed were already talking, you stayed outside with your oldest son, and even despite the overkill affection you gave him, your son eventually wrapped his arms around you too. You sighed and pressed your cheek against his head, feeling his braids against your face. It was a while before you two separated, and you were surprised to hear no yelling coming from the hut, so maybe it was going better than you thought it would.

Neteyam strayed off to find Kiri and Tuk, who most likely were with Rotxo too. Taking this chance, you started walking back to your family's hut and saw Lo'ak walking out with a defeated expression. Before he could go too far, you took his hand and wrapped your arms around him, just like you did with Neteyam. You always made sure to give them equal treatment, and especially after a scolding of Jake's, your son probably needed it a lot.

"I love you, okay? Never forget that" You whispered into his hair, and after your words, you heard sniffling and your heart shattered. You felt him hugging you tighter as he tucked his head in your neck. You couldn't imagine how much his boy had been through today, and he had been so strong. You wished so badly that he could be understood, but his actions had bad timing and he couldn't control that. He had good intentions. Your sweet Lo'ak deserved to be recognized.

Your son eventually pulled away from the hug and wiped away his tears. You reached a hand out to him cupped his jaw, and then pressed a loving, motherly kiss on his opposite cheek. He whined and tried to pull away, making you laugh. "Momm! Stop it!" He said, and you let go, but when you looked at him he looked a lot happier now than when he left the hut. He looked to your side and noticed Ao'nung was walking closer, so he quickly bid you goodbye and walked over to his friend. You were at least glad that Lo'ak and Ao'nung had worked out their differences. It was nice to see.

You made your way back to the hut, and when coming inside, the sight of Jake starting to prepare dinner all by himself made you sigh. He was probably trying to get his mind off of what happened with Lo'ak. Those two took one step forward and then three steps backward. You walked over to your husband and kneeled by his side, placing your hand on his shoulder.

"How did it go?" You asked, wanting to know how the conversation between him and his son went. Jake exhaled through his nose and threw more wood into the fire. "I did what you said. I told him that I trusted his judgment about the situation with the Tulkun, but that he should've gone about it another way," He said, and you involuntarily widened your eyes, making Jake laugh softly.

"You don't have to act so surprised, you know? He told me his side of what happened, and it makes sense. I just didn't want him to go against Tonowari," Jake said, and you nodded. But you recalled how sad Lo'ak looked when he walked out of the hut, so if they had the conversation, then you would have expected a different kind of reaction from your son.

"But if you told him that, then why did he walk out of here looking so upset?" You asked, and Jake shook his head with a shrug. He's truly trying to be more understanding, and that was big enough of an accomplishment as it is, but it's a matter of how he handled it.

"I've always told him that even in the deepest moments of despair, we can still find hope. I want him to do that. To find a way to take this situation and make the best of it, and I wanted him to choose for himself the decision he'll regret the least," Jake said, and you took every single one of his words carefully.

Those words probably made Lo'ak think back a bit, and it hit him hard, so maybe that's why he walked out like that. Lo'ak is barely a teen, and he's still learning, but he holds his father's words close to his heart, and that sometimes could be more hurtful when things turn south.

"You're doing great, Jake," You reassured him, pressing a kiss onto his shoulder, making him smile as he prepared more wood and ingredients. He wasn't experienced when it came to dealing with this, and although his relationship with Lo'ak wasn't the best, he was trying his best to be the best father he could be.

Living in a world like this felt like a miracle, and he was working hard to keep us alive and together on it, no matter how cruel it could be. He wished he could work up the to tell his son that, but the last thing he wanted was to implant worry in any of his children.

Jake just figured that if he was stern, Lo'ak would realize on his own that it was important to think things through first before throwing himself into dangerous and reckless situations. It reminded Jake a little bit too much of himself, and that scared him to no end. He was a scared father, and he didn't know what to do.

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Hi! I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter! As I said, things are starting to go a little downhill since im halfway through the movie. Also, for those who watch AOT too, I hope you caught those tiny references I made here and there :,)

The scene with Payakan's memories, I tried to match the emotions from the movie onto the scene here as best as I could and it was a bit tough but I hope you guys liked it either way <3 (Im working on writing sad and angst scenes shsj) also, ill check this chapter again for any errors tomorrow because I can barely keep my eyes open lol

Im also working on creating a build up to the moment where Lo'ak and Jake start to understand each other at the end of the movie, so that's why Im adding a lot of those little scenes of my own into the story of Jake trying to see Lo'ak's perspective :,) Let me know your feedback so far!

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, and besides, my life has been pretty uneventful recently lmao

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