Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter four of "Gone in the Dark." This chapter introduces Mo'at, Norm, Max, and Riri. I was sad when Mo'at did not appear in the rest of Avatar: The Way of Water after her family left for the Metkayina. I decided to have her join them as I believe she would miss them terribly. Stay tuned for chapter five.

XXXXX

Chapter 4: Mending Injuries/Small Speak

Mo'at wrapped a bandage around thirty-year-old Nia's right thigh carefully as she sat next to her on a cot in a marui. Nia had her eye on the stitched-up gash. She heard a clearing throat and glanced at Norm, who happened to be in his avatar form in which he was straightening the bandage covering the gash on twenty-five-year-old Fkeu's forehead. Fkeu groaned while blinking three times. Both injured Na'vi were Metkayina.

Nia looked ahead with a soft sigh. She was rather short for a Na'vi woman. Her long hair was tied up in a bun. A few strands stuck out. She had tattoos on the right side of her face and across her chest. The tip of her tail contained a tiny knick on it. In fact, the knick was barely noticeable. A scar went across the middle of the palm of her right hand. Both of her strakes had knicks in them near the ends.

Fkeu breathed deeply. He was slightly shorter than Jake was. His long hair hung down his back. His arms contained tattoos starting from the shoulders and ending near the wrists. His chest had a scar going across the upper part of it. His left ear contained a small knick in it. His right ear had a slightly larger one in it. Wincing caught his attention. He looked over to see Nia gritting her teeth.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to cause you discomfort," Mo'at apologized in a gentle voice.

"It's all right," Nia responded and swallowed hard. "It is difficult not to cause discomfort when it comes to treating injuries."

"That is especially true when you get a large gash across your forehead," Fkeu added and sighed annoyingly.

Nia eyed him. "Kiri was right. Your forehead did look like it was split open with a meat cleaver."

"At least the gash will heal," Norm said as he pulled a part of the bandage down. "It will likely leave a scar, though."

"I can live with another scar," Fkeu whispered and scoffed irritatingly. "It sucks, but it is what it is."

"You can't live without your head," Nia pointed out matter-of-factly.

"No one can," Fkeu commented and turned to her. He perked up his ear a little bit. "Jake once said we'd leave our heads somewhere if they weren't screwed on tight."

"He may not be…be…what was that expression again?" Nia asked confusingly.

"He may not be book smart, but he is street smart. He sees things as a whole. He stays aware of his surroundings. He can make decisions in a split second," Norm explained swiftly.

"That's it," Nia commented. "I cannot keep up with all these human expressions, especially the figures of speech."

Mo'at chuckled. "You have all the time in the world to learn about them."

Mo'at finished wrapping the bandage and tied it up. Nia sighed in relief while shifting her attention to her. She touched her leg, a small smile forming on her face.

"Thank you. You did an excellent job," Nia complimented.

"You are welcome. You were the perfect patient," Mo'at responded with a smile.

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to walk normally for a while," Nia grumbled with an annoyed huff.

"You will be able to balance yourself with this staff," Mo'at said, reaching over to pick up a staff. It twisted around from top to bottom. Feathers decorated its entire frame with the exception of the ends. She grabbed it with the other hand. "Humans use similar instruments when they cannot put weight on their legs."

"That is good craftsmanship," Nia said in amazement.

"Jake made it for a young Omaticaya woman who suffered a stroke soon after giving birth. Her name was Leli. She was smaller than most Na'vi woman were. Her legs were partially paralyzed, and her speech was slurred somewhat. Her son is called Tswayon," Mo'at explained.

"Thank you. It astounds me you were willing to give up being tsahik of the Omaticaya just to join your family out here," Nia murmured, a tear falling from her eye.

"It wasn't long after my family left that I began to miss them terribly. I wanted to be with them, so I began training Athena to take my place. She is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare," Mo'at explained.

"Your grandchildren taught us about human culture," Fkeu said, smiling. "It is very fascinating."

"Yes, it is," Mo'at agreed as she swung her tail from side to side. "For all the flaws humans have, they have strengths too. One is an appreciation for their culture, especially its myths and legends."

Norm adjusted the top of the bandage. Fkeu winced somewhat painfully before curling his hand into a fist. He breathed deeply, the pain fading away quickly. Norm pressed his lips together.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to cause you discomfort," Norm apologized in a guilty voice.

"It's all right. I am used to pain," Fkeu admitted and snorted in a slightly louder manner. "I have had worse wounds too."

"I do not want to know how bad those wounds were," Norm mumbled, shuddering badly. "I've seen enough of them to last me a lifetime."

"I see," Fkeu whispered. "It is good to know Jake and Lo'ak's relationship has gotten a lot better." He frowned quite a bit. "He used to be very hard on him."

Mo'at tilted her head slightly. "Jake wasn't very hard on Neteyam and Lo'ak until humans returned to Pandora. Some thought he was being a bad father by doing this. I do not think so. He was trying to shape them into fine young men. There were times I felt he took it a little too far."

"If Tuktiery and Kiri had been in Neteyam and Lo'ak's places, Jake would have been very hard on them too," Norm commented truthfully.

"Lo'ak was usually never one for following the rules. He is exactly like his father. He is reckless and impulsive. Neteyam often took the blame for the messes Lo'ak got them and their siblings into," Mo'at added.

"We saw a bit of that," Nia admitted and suppressed a yawn. "Lo'ak kept getting himself in trouble. It was as if he could not stop." She scratched the back of her neck. "Kids are kids. They will do things they are not supposed to."

Norm rubbed his nose. "Like visiting the old shack where Jake and Quaritch fought."

"Exactly," Mo'at agreed. "That area will bare the scars of the first war for years to come."

"This war has proven to be even more brutal. Hunting parties are being attacked without provocation by Green Spears. I know some Metkayina have done the same to theirs," Nia said, her ears lowering in shame. "Tonowari and Ronal have punished them by making them stay here unless they are needed for battle."

Fkeu exhaled sharply. "One thing is clear. Many people are suffering from this war."

Nia nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

Nia let out a long yawn and smacked her lips. She proceeded to talk about the time Aonung played a prank on her.

00000

Seventeen-year-old Riri stood on the pier outside of another mauri. She had her eye on the ocean. She observed three ilus leaping upward in the distance. The first and second ones disappeared underwater. The third one came to the surface. Its companions leapt upward with delightful barks. They twisted in midair. They reentered the water, creating small splashes.

Riri perked up her ears. She was slightly taller than Tsireya was. Her left ear contained a knick at the top and a scar close to the base. Her long hair was braided down her back. The lower part of her left arm bore two bite marks from dolphins. Her right leg had a scar starting in the middle of her thigh and ending close to her ankle.

The ilus came together. They rolled three times before heading underwater. They did leaps into the air. They landed on their stomachs, which made big splashes. They headed out to sea while barking excitedly. Riri tried hold back a smile, but she could not help herself. A clearing throat diverted her attention. She spotted Max standing not far from her.

"Do you mind if I join you, Riri?" he asked.

"Not at all," Riri replied as she motioned toward the spot next to her. He came to her side. "What brings you here?"

"I thought I'd take a breather from caring for this war's patients," Max said, cringing badly. "The last time I saw this many injured and dying Na'vi was nineteen years ago."

"Not to mention you are helping to care for this clan's enemies," Riri added, taking a deep breath.

"It would be murder not to," Max said seriously. He crossed his arms while emitting a sad sigh. "Besides, Tonowari and Ronal ordered their warriors to bring any injured Green Spears here for medical care."

"I admit we are grateful to have your people here to help care for the injured and dying. Your medical care is very fascinating," Riri said, her voice showing much awe. "Before then, none of us have ever seen a C-section in action."

"Maureen has delivered forty-eight Omaticaya babies by C-section in nearly two decades. All the mothers survived without complications and have only faint scars to remind them of the surgery. Their children were completely healthy," Max explained.

"That is good," Riri said, a small smile crossing her lips.

"That's not to say a mother won't suffer complications at some point," Max admitted, frowning somewhat.

Riri swallowed hard. She hoped no mother would ever suffer complications from C-sections. She knew the future was not set and that anything could happen in the blink of an eye. She saw that when Jake, Neytiri, and their children arrived here unexpectedly. She did not like how Aonung, Roxto, and their friends bullied Lo'ak and Kiri. She was glad they stopped when they did. She did not want the family to leave.

"I never thought we would get tangled up in another war when we have greedy humans to deal with," Riri whispered, sadness lining her voice.

"Me neither," Max agreed and sighed heavily. "Humans and Na'vi are more alike than we realize. They can experience jealousy, arrogance, selfishness, self-pity, etc."

"Both species are capable of waging horrible wars and killing those who stand in their way of gaining power," Riri added.

Max shook his head in disbelief. "I was once told those who have the control have the power."

"That power can be very dangerous when it is in the hands of the wrong people," Riri muttered in much fear.

"Like the RDA administrators," Max commented, his body shaking quite a bit.

Riri nodded. "Exactly. In many cases, evil people really do not think they are. They see themselves as saviors."

Max rubbed his neck with both hands. He slipped them into his coat pockets before clearing his throat. His heart skipped a beat or two as an ilu surfaced and emitted a soft squeak in the distance.

"It is good to know Aonung and Lo'ak are best buddies now," he said in much relief.

"Aonung may act reckless, but he eventually takes accountability for it," she said, smiling. "That is what I admire most about him."

"Aonung did not hesitate to help Payakan either, though the latter was an outcast," Max pointed out.

"Payakan may have been welcomed back into his pod, but he still spends a lot of time alone. Lo'ak told me Payakan enjoyed the solitude during his exile," Riri explained. "That is very unusual for a tulkun."

"Animals have their own personalities. They have their own wants and needs. Those who know them best should care for them. They should train those who want to help or take over," Max said.

"You said it does not always turn out that way in regards to humans. Sometimes, people who have no idea what they are doing end up caring for animals. That can result in abuse," Riri mumbled, her body shaking badly.

"I know," Max mumbled sadly. "It's not right, but what we can do is make sure the best candidate is screened in any industry. Every now and then, someone like Jake comes along. He has no experience, but he turns out to be a great candidate."

She chuckled. "It is no wonder he came into contact with the People. He was clueless, but he learned to adapt in both the rainforest and the ocean."

He formed a small smile on his face. "He sure did. I was afraid he would hurt himself when he first woke up in his avatar, but he managed to gain control quickly. It usually takes a while to get used to it, but he had little trouble."

"It would have been funny if Grace ordered him to do jumping jacks," Riri teased with a giggle.

"Oh, yes," Max agreed and chuckled to himself. "Maybe I should do some."

"Add some pushups to that," Riri added.

He shook his head. "No, thank you."

Riri ruffled Max's hair. He moved out of the way and gave her hand a playful smack. They laughed before looking toward the water. The ilu did five rolls before disappearing beneath the surface.

"Aonung is such an amazing boy. He is strong, courageous, helpful, kind, and caring," Riri whispered in much awe.

"I can tell you really like him," Max responded in much warmth.

"Who wouldn't?" Riri said, giving a shrug. "He is a good role model. Boys look up to him. He tries not to get in trouble, but he can't help it sometimes."

"Many kids can't help but get in trouble all the time. It is in their nature. They may tame it. They may not. Who knows?" Max commented with raised eyebrows.

"One thing is clear. We must always expect the unexpected. We did not expect the Metkayina and the Green Spears to become engaged in a war. We can never be sure what the future will bring," Riri explained.

"That is right," Max said. He and Riri kept their eye on the water as the ilu surfaced and went out to sea. They listened to its squeaks and squeals. It slipped underwater.