Big Trouble

His eyes widened slowly. Everything around was an endless void of dim light of various colours. And he was alone. "Tsu'tey?" he stared around but he couldn't find his spirit brother. "Tsu'tey?"

I'm here.

He felt a soft snout touch his skin. He turned and saw it was his spirit brother. He stroked his snout, relieved that he wasn't alone here. He was becoming scared just for a moment. "Where are we?"

Tsu'tey's ears flicked up, trying to detect the slightest hint of vibrations. They were alone it seemed. Suddenly his ears flicked up. A low soft growl escaped his teeth. Lo'ak turned around. His heart trembled to see a figure approaching them. He became scared. Stay close to me. Urged his spirit brother. Lo'ak stood right next to him, looping his arms around his neck slightly. The figure approaching them was dark and the closer they were approached, the more scared the young boy felt. This was nothing like connecting to a spirit tree of Eywa it seemed.

"Don't be afraid young ones," spoke a spooky voice full of kindness and generosity.

"Who are you?" demanded Lo'ak, spilling whatever courage he could master.

Light shined on the spectre figure and the spiritual brothers were stunned by the closeup appearance of their host who was unlike any being they had ever seen before. The Navi wore bracers and leg guards of the same gemstone material they had bonded too and a wrap of green hair, from a Taquamare. But he was a forest, Navi. He had long black hair tied back and strands dangling on either side of his head. He didn't answer him. He simply smiled. "How I have waited for aeons," his words made Lo'ak feel intense. He stumbled back.

"Who are you?" he demanded again.

"My name is Loaytak," the strange Navi introduced himself. "First chief of the Omatikyena,". His descendant stumbled back more. If he was the first chief of his birth clan then this meant that he was his ancestor. Examining his complete appearance again, a glow of red sparkled from his palm; the etch of a red crystal. He focused again on the smile of his great ancestor. "Never in my life had I ever seen a bond so true,". Right after he spoke, another Taquamare appeared out of the blue. This one had navy blue and silver hairs for a mane and a long tail but kept the same yellow eyes as his significant other. Standing behind Loaytak. It meant…

"I too was a brother of the Taquamares. And now you are the first one since the First Songs to have become 'Sezu Penu Zu': 'One who truly sees',". By the way, he talked and paced closer, he noticed how stunned his pale descendent was reacting intuitively to his words. "Long have I awaited the day one of my blood would bond to the great spirit creatures of our lands and seas,"

"I don't…I don't understand," Lo'ak breathed.

"I See you. You are brother of Tsu'tey. You were blessed by Eywa for this very reason. Now that you have bonded to the power of the Taquamares, you will be in grave danger. Such a grim task shouldn't be entrusted to ones so young, but if you two are to right the wrongs of the past, you will need this," he held out his hand. "Hold my hand,". Lo'ak was scared. He began to regret ignoring his grandfather's advice of not bonding to the crystal. But once again he remembered to trust his instincts. With fear flooding his entire body but courage flowing to his heart as Tsu'tey was beside him, he held out his hand and felt the soft touch of his ancestor's hand. "The less you learn, the less you will be in danger. Find the sword. Save the prisoners. Right the wrongs. Protect the people. And remember only as one will you both be strong," he beseeched. And with a stinging jolt to his palm, Lo'ak's mind was sent flashing like lightning.

Moat prayed to Eywa at the Great Spirit Tree, praying that her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren were safe. She missed them all. Very deeply. She thought of them every single day, hoping that one day she would see them again.

"Great mother, protect my family," she held up her queue to one of the glowing branches. But the moment her tendrils touched one of the glowing veins, her entire mind seemed to jolt up. She disconnected her queue and watched intently as it began glowing so bright. "What is this?". It was no natural force.

This powerful phenomenon was felt by every Tshiank in every tribe across the world of Pandora. A spirit creature had formed a deep connection, passing on energy from a great cosmetic power, one to which Eywa seemed to have no connection and yet it was connected to the biomes of this beautiful but threatened planet. A powerful bond unlike any other had been formed before.

The Direhorse clan of the plains felt it.

The Ikran People of the Eastern Sea felt it.

Ronal was praying at the Spirit Tree when she felt a shock that nearly caused her to have a seizure underwater. She managed to swim back up to breathe.

And so did a clan of Navi who were unlike any other to exist. And they were not good people.

Lo'ak's eyes flickered. Light returned to his sight again. His back was on the soft sea moss. He had fallen back. Tsu'tey had kept him safe in his arms, his long tail tendrils covering him like a blanket. He cringed as he sat up. "What happened?" he cradled his head. "Ahh!" his hand was stinging. He held up his right palm. A crystal etch was on his skin, scorched in red, bright as blood, just like his ancestor.

His spirit brother saw what had happened and whined, feeling guilty. I promise you, Lo'ak. I had no idea this would happen. I shouldn't have pushed you.

"It's okay boy," he stroked his snout. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't push me at all. I'm all right,". They stood up and he looked again at his blood-red mark. "Did you get anything of what he said?"

No.

"Yeah. Me neither. We should head back to the girls and tell them what happened,"

Absolute. Wait. Tsu'tey's ears flicked up. He started growling.

"What is it?" Lo'ak suddenly felt dust pouring onto his head from the cave walls. He stared around seeing the crystals tingling like little insects. Distant thuds echoed from outside the mountain walls. Something was out there. "We need to get out of here!"

Crash! Slash! Clatter! Cling! three giant beasts plunged down upon them.

Look out! Tsu'tey leapt, scooping Lo'ak in his arms. They fell out of the way and the beasts landed on the giant blood-red crystal, sliding down its shiny surface with their sharp claws, sending a loud screech echoing around against the walls. Tsu'tey stood up and snarled, standing in front of his person. Lo'ak sat up and saw they were three giant lizard creatures with four ugly yellow eyes, fangs hanging over their lower jaw from their upper ones and long fork-shaped tongues. They were volcanic black, their bodies long and thin with six legs and sharp claws. Their tails were spiky and they had fin-like appendages poking out of their heads of fiery red and splatches of that colour over its body. They bared their sharp teeth and paced closer to them, towering only slightly taller than Tsu'tey.

Get back! he ordered, shielding Lo'ak but the intruders snarled and charged. He shot a harpoon. One screamed as their right top eye was pierced. He shot another two. One was pierced through the tongue but the other got close enough to leapt right on him. They rolled around. The other two recovered and tried to get to the frightened forest teen. Tus'tey pushed his opponent off and slashed his retractable claws at the other ones, roaring at Lo'ak to get away to safety.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" he cried but the other one saw him and roared. He jumped but he rolled out of the way. He drew out his dagger. The black creature bit biting at him but he dodged, then tried piercing his weapon into his hide but it was so thick he couldn't even leave a dent in it. He was suddenly hit and knocked back, slamming against the face of the giant crystal, marked with long scratch marks. He was stunned for a second. But then he saw the monster trying to charge at him again. Waiting for the moment, he rolled out of the way and it banged its head. He tried to crawl away and grab his weapon but suddenly…."Ahh!"

Tsu'tey heard Lo'ak's screams. Fighting the other two, he saw blood dripping off the third and largest one's claws. He roared. He roared so loud that the entire cave vibrated as if an earthquake was shaking it from the inside. He whipped his opponents away with his tail and he pounced on the animal that harmed his person, fighting it, scarring its face.

Lo'ak pushed himself up slowly, pain coursing through his veins, his wounds stinging worse than a black eye or a bleeding lip. He found his knife but fighting the pain he saw Tsu'tey fighting for his life against their attackers. It was one against three. He heard screams. He heard howls. He heard slashes. He became scared. He couldn't stand back and do nothing. "Ahh!" his palm stung. He raised his hand and saw the crystal palm glowing blood red, just like the crystal. He saw the end of his queue, dangling over his shoulder, glowing red instead of gold. They were near a tiny gem embedded in the ground. He wondered. He grabbed his queue, connected the red glowing hairs to a gem and…

Crystals sprouted out of the walls everywhere. But as they did, the cave walls began to crack. Large stones began falling. One of them fell right on top of one of the intruders, killing it. With one down, Tsu'tey managed to gain the upper hand and fight back against the other two. But more rocks started plunging. The mountain was coming down around them. Come on. He came over to Lo'ak and started leaping upwards out of the bottom chamber but the lizard creatures pursued them. One was just about to bite his tail when more rocks fell upon him. The final one did a giant leap but Lo'ak swung his knife and stabbed its eyes, causing it to shriek and plunge to its certain death.

Quickly they reached the pool entrance and dived in, the Taquamare flapping his tail and pummelling his legs as fast as they could carry him through the water and then…

Gasping for breath, they turned their heads and saw the giant mountain crushing down, disappearing into the sea. Lo'ak couldn't believe what he had done. The moment he had connected to those gems, he had made more of them sprout out but in doing so had brought down the entire sacred mountain. He felt ashamed.

I can't make it. Tsu'tey' half-sank into the sea. Lo'ak dismounted him and became sick with horror. Whilst his back was marred by three lines of red, tracing from the side of his rib cage in a diagonal formation to his lower left back, Tsu'tey's entire body was tarnished with scratches and bites; he was bleeding terribly in fluids of red. "Come on. You gotta stay up!" he tried to keep his spirit afloat but he was losing strength quickly. Though he could breathe underwater, too much blood loss would mean certain death. "Come on! Keep fighting it!" he began to cry. "You can't die!"

It's okay. Breathed Tsu'tey slowly. The only thing that matters is that you're safe.

"No," he shook his head. "I'll carry you if I have to,". Lo'ak tried to make his body lean against him but it was no use. He would sink soon. But just then, something soft and spongy touched his feet. He looked down through the water and saw the bubble spirits appearing. A whole flock of them. They pushed against Tsu'tey's stomach and his legs, keeping him afloat above the surface. Then they began carrying across the surface with Lo'ak clinging on tight to him. He couldn't believe it. The spirits of the sea were taking them to a place where he could treat his spirit brother and save his life.

It was sunset. The children were escorted back to the village, and Ronal rudely shoved Sylwa towards the family hut much to her irritation. Once they all entered with the red-faced general (who had told them everything that had happened), she glared disappointedly at her daughter. "You allowed this. You allowed her to bond with the outcast?"

Tonowari who had struggled to contain his temper finally got it out in a low voice. "Tsireya," his daughter shrivelled, afraid of his anger. "You disappoint me, daughter,"

Sylwa stepped in, feeling guilty for this treatment. "Sir, please don't be mad at Tsireya. It's not her fault,"

"And you…" He pointed a finger at Atuiko who shrivelled in fear. Sylwa hugged him. "You allowed this to continue happening. You have shamed your family," Atuiko was brought to tears and his father's red face made him cry a bit.

"That's not fair," Sylwa spoke back, defending him. "He didn't do anything wrong,"

"And you…" He pointed a dangerous finger at her. "Daughter of a great warrior. Who has been taught better,". Jake and Neytiri had arrived on the scene, having been informed of their daughter's forbidden friendship with the outcast Tulkun. Both were shocked to hear of her adventure yet again into the dangerous open oceans but what stunned them was the fact that an outcast Tulkun had drawn her out all these weeks.

"Please, sir. Payaka saved my life in that storm. She's our friend. She doesn't deserve this," Sylwa knew this was the only opportunity she'd get to try and talk to the chief about her spirit sister; she was not going to lose this chance to prove her innocence.

The chief would not listen. "Sit,"

"Chief, if you could just give me a chance to…"

"Sit down!" he shouted, making her heart jump. She sat down abruptly. So did everyone else. Deep down inside she was scared of his temper but she refused to show it. He blew through his lips quietly, as if releasing compressed anger. "Hear my words, girl,' his voice was serious. Too serious that Sylwa felt threatened. She pursed her lips, trying to hide her fear of his furious face. "In the days of the first songs, Tulkun fought amongst themselves for territory. And for revenge. But they came to believe that killing no matter how justified only brings more killing,"

"So, it's an offence to defend yourself?" Sylwa understood the seriousness of the situation; still, she was outraged that it was a crime to defend yourself no matter how much it was a fault in the eyes of these creatures.

"This is the Tulkun Way. All killing is forbidden. Payaka is a killer, so she is an outcast,"

"I understand this philosophy great chief…but you're wrong," defied the stubborn Sylwa. "Payaka is nothing like what you just said,"

"Sylwa…" hissed her mother. "You speak…

"I know what I know," she continued refusing to be silenced. "If you would just let me tell you what I saw…"

Ronal snarled. "Payaka is a killer whether you see it or not,"

Sylwa stood up, unafraid. "She's no killer! Yes, she broke the Tulkun way but she did it to try and save her pod from slaughter. And she rescued me and brought my brother and me back here when we were lost at sea. Should such generosity be repaid with cruelty?". Her words were full of venom. How dare they call her that. Her snappy words angered the chief and Sharman.

Jake grabbed her shoulder. "That's enough," he hissed in her ear, silencing her.

Tsireya struggled to control her fear, afraid of what would happen next. Atuiko became scared, more for Sylwa than for himself.

"I'll deal with this," the furious dad turned his daughter around and forced her out of the tent, leaving the chief and his wife to vent in outrage at her defiance. She was dragged back to the hut by her heated father. Once they were inside, he made her face him and his outraged face. "How could you shame our family by socialising and bonding with that creature?"

Sylwa was struck hearing him speak like that. "Is that really think of me? You think I was trying to disappoint you by bonding with a creature who saved my life?"

"You endangered your life recklessly,"

"She's my spirit sister. She was lonely and she needed me,"

"You know we have to follow the Metikyena's way,"

"How can they shun a Tulkun who didn't kill anyone? They have it all wrong,". As she argued, Neytiri and Neteyam were outside, cringing at the argument that was drifting them more and more apart.

"Whether you accept the chief's words or not, she caused many deaths,"

Sylwa grew more and more outraged with every word he spoke. "Isn't that what you did when you used to work for the RDA?"

Guilt crushed on Jake's shoulders as he remembered how Neytiri's father and many Navi died the day the Great Tree fell. "Sylwa…" hissed Neytiri, stepping in outraged she would even say that.

"What? It's true!" she snapped back. Her glare turned frosty and unforgiving. "I thought you of all people would understand Payaka. But you're just like the rest of them. All you care about is stupid hypocrisies and rules. You don't care about anything else!"

"Silence!" Jake ordered.

Sylwa refused to be silenced. "No! Ever since we arrived here, you haven't cared the slightest bit about our feelings. This isn't our home! Our home is back in the forest! But you're too obsessed with this place and being in the chief's good graces to even care!"

"Stop behaving like a…"

"Human? It is part of who we are! It's a part of who you are! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A DREAMWALKER! WE WILL ALWAYS BE HYBRIDS! STOP DENYING US OUR BLOOD! WE ARE FREAKS! Lo'ak and I will never be one of the People no matter how much you try to insist! You just want to deny being a human who was a dream walker, because you know you'll always be an outsider too!"

"This discussion is over! You're forbidden to ever see that Tulkun again!"

"But she's lonely! I'm the only family she has!"

"It's for your own good!" Sylwa growled in frustration and stopped out of the hut, Jake following behind her. "Get back here. Now!"

"You can't control my life and keep me trapped here!"

"I'm trying to protect you!" he shouted, losing his temper. "That's what fathers do!"

Sylwa stopped walking. "Well…." She turned her red face and spat out: "I wish you weren't my father!"

Jake was brought to tears hearing her words. His cheekbones dropped, his eyes dowsed, and his ears fell. Even her mother and eldest brother were crushed too. She stalked away, unable to look at him for another moment. "She's just upset," Neytiri spoke to her crestfallen mate. "Sylwa…" she tried to reach out to their daughter. "…it's not the end of the world,"

But Sylwa kept on walking, shedding tears of anger. She whistled. Skeera came to her and she mounted her. They took off into the air and flew to the far side of the island away from the village. They landed on a large Mangrove branch and once she dismounted her best animal friend, she slumped onto the wood and cried into her knees, devasted by the deepening conflicts growing in her heart. Skeera kept her left-wing enfolded around her protectively.

Lo'ak had fallen asleep on Tsu'tey's back. When he woke up slowly, he realised it had turned nearly dark and yet the bubble spirits had carried him and his spirit brother to the far side of Metikyena island to a lonely beach. Once they were in shallow waters, he dismounted Tsu'tey and helped him walk onto the beach. He was still infected with scratches and collapsed on the sand, having spent all his energy to keep their heads above water whilst the bubble spirits helped them float and carried them. They were lucky no one had spotted them.

"Just hang on bro," Lo'ak implored, cradling his head. "It's gonna be okay. Just rest. I'll get something to help you," He gently laid his hand on the sand. He then rushed over to some trees, picking up some large palm leaves and carrying them over. He placed them together like a pillow and settled them under Tsu'tey's head. "It's okay," he stroked his scaley skin, trying to soothe his pain. It helped but he had already lost too much blood to the sea. He needed treatment soon,"

"Lo'ak!" cried a voice. Scared at first, the boy was relieved to see it was his best Navi friend, rushing to him with a red wet face. He fell to his knees embracing him. "Oh Lo'ak," he was crying.

"I'm sorry we left you. We just didn't want to get you into trouble," as he pulled back and cupped his cheek, he saw deep distress in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"The chief learnt of Sylwa and Payaka. And she had a big fight with your dad," he said solemnly. Lo'ak sighed, not wanting to learn what words had been shouted between them. But Atuiko's sniffles made him turn to him. "And he said I shamed my family,"

"No," Lo'ak embraced him tightly again. "You haven't shamed anyone,"

Though heartbroken by his father's disappointment in him, Atu was more concerned for the feelings of the heartbroken Sylwa whom he hadn't seen since she was escorted away. "Why does your dad have to be so harsh with you two?"

"Because we're not perfect like Neteyam," the dejected boy twin lamented.

"What happened to him?" Atuiko gently stroked Tsu'tey as he lay on the sand still suffering from his wounds.

"We were attacked. He brought me to this cave but then…after I…." he paused. He was afraid of telling Atu what had happened. "Three giant beasts attacked us. He's been hurt…badly. I didn't know what else to do. I just need to get some medical supplies from my family hut and I can fix him,"

"Once you heal him, you've gotta get him away before someone finds him," Atuiko said seriously.

"I will," Lo'ak promised. "Watch over him while I get the medicine,"

"Be quick," the kid took over comforting whilst Lo'ak dashed off. He stroked Tsu'tey's head. "It's gonna be okay. You're gonna be all right,"

Lo'ak dashed through the village as fast as he could, avoiding the faces of everyone spotting him. He needed to get the Sky People medical kit his father had brought with the family and treat his spirit brother's wounds before it was too late. Whilst he quickened his pace, he heard giggles and gasps and whispers.

"What happened to his back?"

"Looks like he's got a mark just like his sister,"

His throat grasped in on itself. How was he ever gonna tell anyone what had happened?

Jake hung his head in shame. His daughter had practically disowned him. He hadn't realised the extent to which overprotectiveness was pushing them apart until it was too late.

"Dad?" Neteyam came to him, to sit beside him.

"I don't know what to do,"

Lo'ak spotted them from nearby. He fumed with rage at his father but now was not the time to discuss. He tiptoed into the hut and found the medical kit box. He tiptoed again when…

"Lo'ak!" shouted the voice of his brother. By the time their dad's voice turned, Lo'ak had already dashed off, sprinting through the village as fast as he could, his dad and brother behind him. He jumped over platforms, accidentally crashing into baskets much to the anger of the villagers. Neytiri who had gathered her other two daughters after failing to find Sylwa saw him, crying out: "Lo'ak!" but he ignored her completely. The next thing that caught her eye was the three lines of red on his back.

He had just passed another hut and reached the beach when he collided right into Aonung. Roxto and the other two former bullies were with him. He fell. Roxto pulled him up but noticed the first aid kid. "What the…"

"You have to keep them distracted," pleaded Lo'ak. He looked back, hearing his father and brother closer and closer.

"What's going on?" Aonung demanded.

"Please," Lo'ak begged.

The prince sighed. "Okay. But whatever you're doing, you gotta hurry,"

"Thank you," Lo'ak managed to scurry off, just in time before his dad and brother reached the sand where they saw Aonung and the others standing in a clear line in front of them.

"Where's Lo'ak?" Neteyam demanded.

"He went up there," Aonung lied pointing up a cliff. "Come on,". He guided them up the cliffs whilst Roxto took a moment to look to make sure Lo'ak was out of sight. He was.

Atu stroked Tsu'tey. "There. There," he stroked. "It's okay,"

"Atu!" he turned his head and saw that Lo'ak sweaty and panting like a tired ilu had made it. He fell to his knees, sliding to them. "You gotta make sure my dad and no one else comes near here!" he implored.

"I'll try," he said. When he stood up, he saw the three long lines on his back. "Lo'ak! What happened to you?"

"I'll explain later. But you gotta go!" he implored.

"Be quick," he reminded and he jogged off to make sure no one would find them.

"There. There," Lo'ak opened the medical box, pulling out ointment and clothes. "This is Sky medicine. It might not be what that rude sharman lady would provide but it's better than nothing. This will sting," he warned.

Please get it over with. Tsu'tey begged. Lo'ak began treating him, making sure to connect their queues as well so that they could feel one another, bear this pain together and get through it.

That's the next chapter done. Thank you reviewers for your dialogue and story ideas. To answer everyone's questions that they've been asking some characters and Avatar 3, here are the answers.

1. Tousal is actually alive but he is held captive by the Ash People

2. Alunal was the Navi who risked her life to ensure Payaka's safety so she's supposedly dead. I might put her as being held captive by the Ash people too.

3. The Evil Navi are the Ash People that will appear in Avatar 3. As they will (spoiler alert: most likely be working with Quaritch), I'm thinking they might be Navi that don't worship Eywa and bring death and destruction, I'm thinking that just like him they don't respect the balance of life. They will be after Lo'ak because of his connection to Tsu'tey and the crystals so his spirit brother will need to protect him.

I would also like to offer my condolences to you Bailey. I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you and your family are doing alright. Once again thank you all so much for supporting this story and giving out all these reviews. I hope you all have enjoyed this story a lot. The main battle will be coming in a few chapter's time. See you all soon.