And their armies from above

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

Kiri lay in the shallow water, her gaze fixated on the shifting patterns of light and shadow dancing across the sandy ocean floor. Lost in her own thoughts, she paid little heed to the approaching footsteps until Aonung and his friends came into view, their voices breaking the tranquil silence.

"What is she doing?" Aonung's curiosity echoed as they observed Kiri's seemingly contemplative state. Rotxo chuckled dismissively, shrugging in response. "I don't know," he admitted with a smirk. "She's just looking at the sand," Aonung observed, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

Sensing their presence, Kiri lifted her head from the water, blinking in confusion. "Huh? What'd you say?" she asked, her brow furrowing in mild annoyance.

Aonung's question hung in the air, laden with thinly veiled disdain. "Are you some kind of... freak?" he dared to ask, a smirk playing on his lips.

Rotxo echoed his friend's sentiment, translating his words with a mocking laugh. "He asked if you're a freak," he clarified, amusement dancing in his eyes. Shaking her head, Kiri rose from the water, her frustration evident. "No," she asserted firmly, her voice tinged with defiance. As she began to walk away, Aonung pursued her, his taunting tone persisting. "Are you sure? I mean, you're not even real Na'vi. Look at these hands," he jeered, reaching out to grab her hands.

Reacting instinctively, Kiri recoiled, pulling her hands away from his grasp. But Aonung persisted, seizing her hands in his grip as he continued to mock her appearance.

"Look at them..." Aonung's words were punctuated by the laughter of his companions, a cruel chorus of ridicule. However, their laughter was abruptly cut short by a stern voice that rang out across the beach. "Hey! Back off, fishlips," Lo'ak interjected, his tone laced with authority.

Aonung's expression shifted to one of defiance as he turned to face Lo'ak, his mocking tone unwavering. "Oh, another four-fingered freak," he retorted, his disdain evident.

Meanwhile, Rotxo seized the opportunity to antagonize Lo'ak, sneaking up behind him and grabbing his tail. "Look at his little baby tail!" he taunted, his laughter echoing across the shoreline. Infuriated by their mockery, Lo'ak whirled around to confront Rotxo, shoving him away with a forceful gesture. "Don't touch me!" he snapped, his eyes blazing with anger and defiance.

The group's laughter echoed mockingly as they continued to tease Lo'ak, reveling in their cruel mockery. Sensing the tension escalating, Kiri's voice cut through the air with a fiery declaration. "Leave us alone!" she demanded, her tone laced with defiance and frustration. Before the situation could escalate further, the sound of approaching footsteps drew everyone's attention. Neteyam emerged from the shadows, his imposing figure casting a stern aura over the scene. With determined steps, he pushed through the group until he stood beside his brother, Lo'ak.

"You heard what she said. Leave them alone," Neteyam commanded, his voice brooking no argument as he addressed Aonung and his cohorts. Aonung's friend attempted to interject, his words dripping with sarcasm. "Ah, big brother come..."

But before he could finish, Aonung silenced him with a sharp gesture, recognizing the seriousness of Neteyam's warning. Sensing the shift in dynamics, Neteyam spoke again, his tone unwavering. "Back off. Now." Aonung hesitated for a moment, weighing his options before finally relenting. With a disarming smile, he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Smart choice. And from now on... I need you to respect my sister," Neteyam asserted firmly, his words carrying the weight of authority.

As Aonung's friend hissed in frustration, Kiri responded with a defiant gesture, sticking her tongue out at them. With the confrontation diffused, Neteyam turned to his siblings, his expression softening. "Let's go," he said, leading them away from the tense encounter and back towards the safety of their surroundings.

As the siblings walked away, Aonung's friend couldn't resist one final taunt. "Buh-bye!" he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. Aonung, however, couldn't let it go. With bitterness in his tone, he muttered, "Look at them. They're all freaks. The whole family." The words hung heavy in the air, but they didn't go unnoticed. Lo'ak halted his steps, his expression hardening as he turned to face Aonung. Neteyam called out to him, but Lo'ak waved him off with a determined nod. "I got this, bro," he assured his brother as he marched back towards Aonung and his friends.

Approaching the group, Lo'ak didn't hesitate to confront Aonung directly. "I know this hand is funny. Look, I'm a freak. An alien. But it can do something really cool," he declared, balling his hand into a tight fist for emphasis.

With swift and decisive action, Lo'ak unleashed a powerful punch, catching Aonung off guard and sending him staggering backward. Before Aonung could recover, Lo'ak struck again, his blows landing with precision and force. "It's called a punch, bitch! Don't ever touch my sister again," Lo'ak warned, his voice ringing with authority and righteous anger.

The group and Aonung hissed in shock and indignation, but before they could retaliate, Aonung lunged at Lo'ak, tackling him to the ground. His friends erupted into cheers, egging him on to continue the fight.

As the group ganged up on Lo'ak, Neteyam smiled and sighed before he went in and punched one of the friends hard before he kneed Rotxo in the stomach before Neteyam got tackled and Kiri watched the whole scene and called out, "Stop it. So stupid!" Before Lo'ak got dragged by the tail, "Ow, my tail!" Before Lo'ak pulled on one of the friends ear making him exclaim, "My ear! Let go! He's got my ear!" This made Kiri laugh before she heard approaching steps stomping to them, as she turned around she saw her mother, Arya, with a scowl on her face before she approached the boys and yanked them apart from each other, "Enough!" Her voice stopped the boys as she grabbed her sons and seeing them bleeding, she looked at the group, as Aonung dropped on his knee to her, to show he respected Toruk Makto before she faces Kiri, "Kiri, go to Tuk." She nodded and left, leaving Arya and her sons, "You two. Come with me." She said as she walked with her sons to their hut.

As they stepped inside the hut, Arya's voice rang out sternly, cutting through the tension. "What was the one thing I asked? The one thing!" she admonished, her gaze fixed firmly on her sons. Lo'ak spoke up first, his voice sheepish. "Stay out of trouble," he admitted, knowing he had fallen short of his mother's expectations.

"Stay out of trouble. Right," Arya reiterated, her tone unwavering. Before Neteyam could interject, "It was my fault...", Arya interrupted him firmly. "I don't think so. What happened?" she demanded, her eyes probing for answers. Lo'ak stepped forward to explain, his frustration evident. "Look, Mom. Aonung was picking on Kiri. He called her a freak," he confessed, his words tinged with indignation. Arya listened quietly, absorbing his words before she sighed deeply.

"I appreciate that you stood up for your sister, and Neteyam had your back. However, there were other ways of handling it before resorting to violence. Go apologize to Aonung," Arya instructed, her voice firm but gentle. Lo'ak hesitated, unsure of her reasoning. "What? Why should I?" he protested. Arya crouched down beside him, her expression softening as she wiped the blood from his nose with a cloth. "Because he is the chief's son, and because you are a bigger man than Aonung. Go make peace," she urged, her words carrying a weight of wisdom. With a resigned sigh, Lo'ak nodded and exited the hut, prepared to follow his mother's directive.

As Neteyam turned to leave as well, Arya called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. "Hey," she said, catching his attention. Neteyam turned back to face her, curious about what she had to say. "So, what'd the other guys look like?" Arya inquired, a playful glint in her eye. Neteyam chuckled in response, a hint of mischief dancing in his gaze. "Worse," he admitted with a grin.

Arya smiled knowingly. "That's good," she remarked, her relief evident. "So much worse," Neteyam returned her smile before Arya spoke, "Get outta here." She winked as Neteyam made his exit, leaving Arya alone with her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, she turned her attention back to the tasks at hand, focusing on preparing dinner with Neytan and Kiri by her side.

Neytan's concerned gaze lingered on Kiri, sensing her distress. "What is wrong?" he inquired gently, his voice laced with worry. Kiri didn't meet her father's eyes, her frustration evident as Arya observed the interaction with a heavy heart. "Nothing. I'm fine. Why should I not be fine?" Kiri retorted tersely, her tone defensive as she slammed a leaf down. Neytan's gaze shifted to the leaf before he turned his attention back to his daughter, crouching down beside her in an attempt to offer comfort.

"Why can't I just be like everyone else?" Kiri's voice cracked with emotion as she voiced her inner turmoil. Neytan's heart ached for her, his own emotions mirroring hers as he whispered softly, "Oh, Kiri." He reached out to brush her hair away, but she pulled away, her frustration palpable.

Arya watched the exchange, her heart heavy with empathy for her daughter. As she glanced at Tuk, her thoughts drifted to her sons, their struggles weighing heavily on her mind. In that moment, her thoughts also turned to her dear friend Grace, a reminder of the challenges they had faced together.

༄༄

Later that night, after the family had finished dinner and Neteyam had gone exploring while Tuk slept, Arya noticed Kiri sitting outside, her gaze fixed on the water, feet immersed as fishes danced around her. Arya exchanged a kiss with Neytan before she made her way to Kiri, sitting beside her. They sat in silence for a moment, Kiri hastily wiping away tears. Arya spoke softly, "So, what's on your mind, baby girl? Missing Spider?" Kiri nodded, her voice trembling, "Yeah. But that's not all." Arya waited patiently, her hand resting on Kiri's shoulder. "Okay, so what is it?" she asked gently.

"I feel her, Mom," Kiri whispered, her gaze dropping. Arya's brow furrowed in concern. "You feel who?" she inquired. Kiri looked up, her eyes reflecting a mix of awe and uncertainty. "Eywa. I hear her breathing. I hear her heartbeat. She's so close. She's just there... like a word about to be spoken," Kiri explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know you think I'm crazy."

Arya's heart went out to her daughter. "You're not crazy, baby girl," she reassured, wiping away Kiri's tears and gently tucking her hair behind her ear. "So, what does Eywa's heartbeat sound like?" Arya asked with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Kiri's smile returned as she replied, "Mighty." Arya smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead, feeling a sense of connection in her daughter's words.

Their moment was interrupted by approaching footsteps, and Arya turned to see Neteyam holding Aonung firmly by the braid. They approached, and Neteyam released his grip, urging Aonung to speak. "Tell her what you told me," he demanded. Arya's heart sank as she listened to Aonung's account of what had transpired involving Lo'ak.

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

By: SilverMist707

I loved watching that moment with Jake and Kiri <3