Predictably, things did not right itself immediately.

Shortly after that weird night with Ronal and Tonowari, it felt like you were reduced to walking on eggshells around the two of them. Nothing you could say ever felt right and any relationship you were making with their family went down the drain when one day you were in your family's marui when Jake marched both Neteyam and Lo'ak to you with a command to fix them up before leaving. You, confused and worried, had wasted no time mixing together medicinal pastes that you learned from Ronal to cover the boys in as they told you what had happened.

While you didn't condone them fighting with other children, you could understand why they had done it.

Sully's stick together after all.

You hissed softly at both Neteyam and Lo'ak as they sat in front of you, both boys bruised and beaten but still energetic enough to argue with one another. Not caring about their fighting, you grabbed and pulled at Neteyam, smearing pastes onto his face and arms, much to his chagrin. "Aii! Auntie, please be nice! It hurts!" but you were unrelenting and covered all his bruises and wrapped his forearms with bandages to cover the little scrapes.

"It would hurt less if you didn't squirm 'teyam," you scolded, "Just be glad that I got to you two before your father could."

Lo'ak scoffed and you glanced at him, "I know it doesn't seem like it, but he doesn't mean to be so hard on you kids."

"Oh yeah? Then why does he yell so much at us? It wasn't even our fault! That guy was picking on Kiri!" Lo'ak defended, but you shook your head.

Sighing you turn to Lo'ak and started rubbing pastes into his wounds too, "That 'guy', Ao'nung, is the eldest of the Olo'eyktan's children. I know it's hard to get along with someone that is mean to you kids, but you must try to apologize to him for fighting him. Jake has asked this of you and nothing else."

Neteyam chuckled, "Ahhh yes, leave the talking to the mighty warrior!"

His brother hissed at him and Neteyam ran his hand over Lo'ak's braids, shaking them around, "Knock it off bro! And besides why should I have to apologize to Ao'nung? None of this would have happened if he hadn't picked on Kiri!"

"Lo'ak, please-"

"No! Why does Dad only make me apologize? It's like he hates me!" Lo'ak yelled at you before freezing.

Your ears pulled back flat against your head, and Neteyam hissed at his brother in warning. Lo'ak looked at you, suddenly frozen in time, "A-Auntie, I didn't mean it."

Wiping your hand clean of the paste on a spare rag, you tutted to yourself before addressing both boys. "Neteyam, Lo'ak! Enough of this nonsense! Your father does not hate you, any of you! And he does not pick and choose which child he loves," you started, and before Lo'ak could interrupt you, you held a hand up, "No, you listen to me young man."

The two teens, cowed by your uncharacteristic anger, said nothing, and you continued, "I know that my brother has been a little...controlling and a little more...harsh recently but listen to me when I tell you this." You grabbed both of them by their biceps and leaned in close, "There is nothing in this world that Jake loves more than his children, and there is nothing that he wouldn't do if it were to make you all happy. But in this case, your safety matters to him more than your happiness."

You released them and smoothed down little fly away in their braids, "Jake knows that he hasn't been the best father as of late, but he is trying to keep this family safe. Know this, Lo'ak, Neteyam, that you are loved by him more than you will ever know."

The younger of the two scoffed, "Oh yeah? If he loves us so much then why is he being such a hard ass?"

"Lo'ak!" Neteyam hissed, elbowing his brother in the ribs, "Enough!"

You shook your head at Neteyam, "No, it's alright." At his sound of protest you reassured him, "Really Neteyam, it is alright. The two of you have only ever known Jake Sully, Toruk Makto and Olo'eyktan, you have never met Jake Sully, the human."

Both of them sat up straight, they had never really heard stories of their father before he was Na'vi. Did they know that Jake was not always a Na'vi? Yes, but they had never really heard of who their father was before coming to Pandora and you, knowing it wasn't your place to tell them, decided that they should know a little bit.

"When my brother was your age, he was a hothead, and mean. Meaner than a palulukan, and he took after our father more than either Tom or I did," you started, taking a deep breath as you recounted those early years, "But, he was fiercely loyal. The only people he got along with was his siblings and no one else, he did not hold any love for our mother or father.

Our mother was a beautiful woman and if given the chance she would have been a great mother, but she was never home. She never cared for us, not like Neytiri cares for you all. She worked all the time, to get away from her family, and our father? Well, he hardly ever worked at all," you said, twiddling with the different beads of your loin cloth. "Our father did not love us, or maybe he did at one point but that was long ago, I might be hard to understand, but some Sky People make the choice to...harm their children. It was no fault of the child's but it happened more frequently then it should have."

Neteyam spoke up after a small bit of silence, "Your father...he-he hurt you?"

You nodded, "When we were too young to defend ourselves? Yes, he did, but he stopped when Jake and Tommy were too old to just let him hurt them. And after they grew up and left home, they took me with them. Neither Jake or Tommy were particularly good at raising a teenage girl, but they would not leave me to suffer alone. Sully's stick together."

Lo'ak shook his head, "I-I do not understand, why would someone hurt their child?"

"I don't know Lo'ak," you admitted, "But, after a lifetime of neglect and abuse, Jake promised he would never make his kids feel like he did. For the most part, he kept true to that promise, but Lo'ak..." When your nephew looked up at you, you could see so much of Jake and Tommy in him that it hurt, "Your father could never hate you. He could never dream of hating you. You are perfect to him, and if he were to lose you... I think that would break him more than anything else."

You gave them a reassuring pat on the arms, "So, please, try to understand that just because he's hard on you, doesn't mean that he isn't just as hard on himself."

The two nodded, and you could see that they were confused, since it was almost unheard of for a Na'vi to neglect or abuse their child. "Auntie...I-I'm sorry," Lo'ak said slowly, "I didn't mean for you to have to tell us that."

"Oh Lo'ak, you didn't make me do anything, I just want you to understand that your father loves you fiercely," you smiled at your beautiful nephews, "Now, enough of that, go put a smile on that handsome face and go apologize to Ao'nung. You too Neteyam."

Neteyam balked at the idea, clearly not expecting to have to apologize as well, "You heard me young man, go with Lo'ak and apologize, or do it separately for all I care. But you also fought Ao'nung and his friends, so that means you have to apologize as well. It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow, let you wounds heal a bit if you must."

You got up and ushered them out the marui, "Now go, go on! I know you two have different chores to do so get to it young men."

Giving each boy a kiss on the forehead, you sent them away; Lo'ak swatted at you playfully and Neteyam merely rolled his eyes at his brother's childish actions. You waved them goodbye before checking the time, and seeing that it was relatively early in the day. Eclipse wouldn't happen for hours and the rest of your family was off doing who knows what.

Sitting outside the marui you thought about what you told the children, and as sad as it was you could understand where Lo'ak was coming from. God, he was a carbon copy of Jake, reminding you of your brothers when they were that age. It was clear to see how much Lo'ak idolized his father, the mighty Toruk Makto and his legacy was hard to live up to though. You knew very much how hard it was to compare to Toruk Makto, and these children have seen more of that side of their father since the Sky People came back then they ever had in their lives.

It was a sudden 180, one day seeing their sweet, but stern father turn into a war hardened warrior.

Poor Lo'ak and Neteyam tried so hard to make Jake and Neytiri proud of them, and you thought that both of them, not just Jake, could tell them more often how proud they really were of their children.

"Hey, how were they?" you looked up to see your brother walking over to you, sitting with you as the two of you dangled your feet above the water.

You sigh, "Lo'ak is convinced you hate him, and Neteyam is just surprised I'm making him apologize to Ao'nung also."

Jake's ears pull down and you can tell he's ashamed, so you throw an arm around his shoulders and lean into his side. "Don't be like that, they are just children, they don't really understand anything of the world," you mumble, "They love you so much Jake, it's just they want to make you proud of them."

"Aren't I though? Don't you know that I am proud of them? Just-just so damn proud of them?" he asked as he stared out to the reef.

You pinched his side, "I know that, but they need more reassuring. They are still just kids."

He chuckled a bit in a self-depreciating manner, "Guess, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree huh?"

Hissing at him, you remove you arm only to tug on his dreadlocks, "Don't say that! Never say that! You have done well with them, you have actually spoiled them rotten! Neytiri always complains how you spoil them so. It's just... all of this war and fighting has changed you from their father to their platoon leader. Despite everything Jake, you've done well."

"God, it doesn't feel like I've done well with them," Jake admitted, "Lo'ak is just... so much like me. He gets too angry too fast! And Neteyam-he's always covering for that knucklehead!"

"Reminds me of a pair of brothers I knew," you said.

Oh, Tommy covered for both your and Jake's asses multiple times. Your other brother would have to help pay for Jake's bar tabs when he went on binders and would come get you after a night partying with friends from college. Between the two of you, Tommy always managed to have to clean up vomit from where someone missed the toilet bowl.

Next to you Jake huffed, "Yeah, yeah it does, doesn't it?"

The two of you just sat there for a moment, enjoying each other's company as the Metkayina all around you hustled and bustled in preparation for the arrival of their Tulkun. They had no clue when the Tulkun were going to come back, but they knew that it was soon. You would like to see a couple Tulkun up close, maybe if you ask nicely one of the patients you had been visiting with Ronal would let you join. They seemed to be warming up to you a bit, but most of the Metkayina still shied away from asking or receiving your help.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Tonowari was looking for you, mentioned something about bringing you somewhere," Jake mentioned and you nodded.

"Did he say where to?"

"Nah, just that you had asked about places near here and that he finally had reason to bring you along," he twisted his pinky in his hear to get some wax out, "Good to know you've been getting along with Ronal and Tonowari! Ronal still doesn't like me. Hell I'm pretty sure she hates me 'n Neytiri, but all that matters is that she likes you."

You perked up a bit, "You think?"

He scoffed, "Duhh, god for being such a braniac you sure don't know how to read the fucking room."

Pouting at him you sulked, "Hey! Don't be such an asshole, asshole! They've become really good friends to me!"

Jake looked skeptical, "Uh huh, and they just become friends with every fucker that comes through Awa'atlu? Tonowari, yeah I can see it, the man is a damn puppy in disguise, but Ronal? Nah, she don't trust easy. You've got those two wrapped around your pinky, and you don't even know it asshole."

You rolled your eyes, "Whatever you say Jake, whatever you say."

He laughed at you, "Oh trust me, you're gonna eat those words before you even know it, asshole! Now go on! Get movin'!"

Sticking your tongue out at you, you set off looking for Tonowari, wondering where he could possibly bring you. You had mentioned wanting to see the Cove of the Ancestors ever since Ronal had mentioned that Tsireya had been wanting to bring the other children there. Or perhaps there were areas in the forest that you had not been to yet that were too far for Ronal to go alone.

"And have a good night!" Jake called out to you, laughing as he too got up to go attend to his own business.

You didn't even turn around but you flipped him off behind your back.

Despite the overbearing feeling of awkwardness that you had felt on that day, you were optimistic that with enough time you were able to get over those feelings and go back to being helpful. You kept walking, trying to make sense of these feelings and what Jake had said to you.

You couldn't wait for all of this to be over.

"I-Is there not an ilu that I can use?" you stuttered out, and fiddled with the strings of your top as you watched Tonowari saddle his tsurak.

You tried to be as respectful as possible without seeming overly rude, but you weren't sure why you couldn't follow the Olo'eyktan to where the two of you were going on an ilu.

When you found him, he was wading through the waters closest to shore, and next to him was his son Ao'nung. You felt exasperated, knowing that if the young man was where then that meant that neither Neteyam or Lo'ak had found him yet to apologize. But, it wasn't like you truly expected for them to find Ao'nung immediately to apologize. Tonowari seemed to be berating the young boy, and you noticed that Ao'nung was heavily bruised around the face.

Especially with a swollen and blackened eye.

You had come up at the tail end of the conversation, and heard "-now you understand why it is so important to get along with them right?"

Ahhh, poor boy was getting chewed out too, just like you had firmly, but gently chewed out both of your nephews. You decided that you would call out to them, so that it didn't seem like you had been eavesdropping. You back tracked a bit, before cupping you hands around your mouth to get their attention, "Tonowari! Jake said you were looking for me?"

You had jogged up to them with a smile, you dipped your head respectfully at Tonowari and Ao'nung, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, is this a bad time?"

Ao'nung gave you an odd look before shaking his head, "No, I was just leaving. Oel ngati kameie, sister of Toruk Makto."

"No need for all that formality Ao'nung, it's just Y/N okay? None of this 'sister of Toruk Makto' business," you grinned at him.

He nodded at you, before saying goodbye to his father, and more surprisingly you as he left.

Now you kinda wished that he had stayed, you felt like wanting to stomp your feet as Tonowari merely kept securing little bags and his spear to his tsurak. "I promise that I will be able to keep up," you damn near pleaded with him, but he gave you a small smile. It was meant to reassure you but it caused little tingles to run up and down your kuru.

That tingling feeling was strong enough that you had grabbed your tail in your hands, looking very unsure of yourself as Tonowari stepped away from his mount to address you fully. "Unfortunately ilu cannot fly as well, so you will not be able to pass over the sea walls. Do not worry, I will make sure that you will be alright," while it was nice to hear the sincerity in his voice, the utter assurance that nothing would harm you under his care, you swore that your neural queue was damn near on fire after his words finally registered to you.

"I-If you're sure," you trailed off and waded through the water to join him.

The Olo'eyktan was serious as he answered you, "Please do not worry, if at any point you wish to return we will do so immediately."

"Okay, but you haven't told me yet, where we are going," you pointed out but he just shrugged and said it was a surprise.

He put a hand out for you to grab, and when you did he maneuvered you so that you were in front of him. You squeaked when Tonowari grabbed you by the waist and lifted you easily up onto the front of the saddle. You bit down on your lip when that electric feeling traveled the length of your kuru down to the tendrils of your tswin. Behind you, Tonowari easily took his own place on the tsurak and patted at your legs to adjust them into a more comfortable position.

You were all of the sudden just surrounded by Tonowari. He had positioned himself to be sitting in such a way that your back was pressed into his chest with an arm framed around you while his other hand was resting idly on your waist. All you could hear was ringing in your ears as he made tsaheylu so damn close to your own tswin. Your heart felt like it was beating out of your chest, and you tried to remember to breathe like Ronal had taught you to steady your heart.

It was a bit hard for you to do while Tonowari's fingers dug into your side a bit as he urged his mount forwards, the swishing motion of the tsurak helped calm you down a bit and whenever Tonowari meant to dive he would tap your side. It felt like hot coals were raking into your side but you held onto his forearm that was guiding the mount. You could only take in the surroundings as Tonowari guided his mount further from Awa'atlu.

The sea cliffs that separated the reef from the ocean were accessible by two main points, going over the wall by tsurak or diving down to a large opening that was closer to the ocean floor. And since Tonowari had packed different things with you two, he would try to spend as much time not diving as possible so that they wouldn't fall off the saddle. Besides with the Metkayina preparing for the return of their tulkun brethren, there had been a lot of traffic going back and forth in the sea cliff opening.

You gasped a bit and held on tighter to Tonowari's arm as he urged the tsurak up and up, the sea cliffs approaching faster and faster. The powerful wings of the mount beat quickly as it rose up from the waters and cleared the cliff walls easily. Both you and Tonowari passing over different Metkayina and when you looked down you could see Kiri and Tuk with Tsireya.

Your nieces looked shocked to see you pass over them with the Olo'eyktan and you could only wave at them as they stood there watching you. Little Tuk dropping the basket she had been holding as she jumped up and waved back to you. You giggled happily as your view of them finally got obscured when the tsurak made it out to the ocean, diving easily back into the water without a fuss.

The entire time you had twisted in the saddle to wave at your nieces, you missed the fond smile that Tonowari gave you, but only payed attention to him when he patted your side. You took a deep breath before angling your body to press against the tsurak with Tonowari following your lead, so that when the mount dived back into the water. It didn't last long before you resurfaced, and you let your breath out.

"So!" you yelled over the winds rushing in your ears, "Where are we going? You never said where!"

Tonowari leaned so that his head was right next to yours, "There is no name for this place! It is somewhere I go to enjoy Eywa's beauty, and there are plenty of good fish that we can bring back in."

You nodded and just leaned back as the tsurak swished through the ocean waves, just enjoying the feeling of wind and sea spray gently hitting your body. When the waves got bigger, you would hold your breath as Tonowari guided you through the waves. Diving in time with the cresting of one way to shoot out of another for a little bit of time spent in the air.

It took maybe a half our of riding the tsurak before the waves got calmer and you could see in the distance little islands arranged in a small circular pattern. You shifted against Tonowari and craned your neck so you can see it better. "Is this it Tonowari?" you called back, "It's beautiful!"

His fingers tightened for a second, before he answered, "It is."

When you looked back at him, his eyes flicked away from you and his face was relaxed while he guided the tsurak closer to the white sandy shores of the biggest island. You could only watch as both giant and miniature versions of Papa Mantis Trees got closer, you marveled at their distinctive leave shapes. All around the trees were smaller, but no less distinctive marine like helicordians. They swayed gently in the breeze, and you remember how much fun you had with the kids playing with the retracting flora when they had been younger.

You felt cold when Tonowari dismounted the tsurak, and all of the warmth that you had felt immediately turned to biting chills. It felt like you were going through withdrawals, and could only feel better when he reached up to help you down from the mount. The tingling in your kuru and tswin slowly disappearing when he let you go and removed the bags and his spear from his mount.

The tsurak hissed at him, to which Tonowari merely chuckled, "Mawey, Snatanhì, mawey."

Tonowari opened one of the pouches he brought to retrieve a small fish for Snatanhì to snack on before he sent the tsurak away.

"Would you like me to hold something for you?" you asked, but he shook his head.

"No, but I thank you none the less," Tonowari smiled, and he gestured for you to follow him, "This place is not swok, but it is special nonetheless."

He guided you through different plants and around rocky structures, the island was beautiful and you couldn't help running your hands on plant leaves while you followed Tonowari. "My mother was shown this place by her parents, and in turn she showed it to me and my siblings," Tonowari explained, "When the time came I showed it to my children and to Ronal as well."

"I can see why you would want to keep a place like this a secret," you whistled, and you wrapped your tail around your leg as you passed by a bunch of helicoradians, not wanting to trigger them into disappearing.

"Yes, I have shown no other this," he confirmed while pushing through different large leafed plants, opening up to a large cove like area.

Large mangrove like trees floated across the calm waters of the cove, and little birds flying in and out of the trees. All trees in the water were connected by vines that crisscrossed between them like power lines, and you could see the roots of the trees in the crystal clear water. Fish swam all through the root systems and you could see little pods of ilus resting along the shorelines.

On the other side of the cove, a figure sat, coaxing a fire to blossom while empty hammocks were strung out behind them. Near them were different shawls all spread out on the ground, covering large areas of sand. Their own spear lay next to them as they kept fiddling around with the fire in front of them.

No...no it couldn't be who you thought it was.

Tonowari walked past you and called out, "Ma'Ronal! We are here!"

That feeling in your neural queue returned, even as your stomach leapt to your throat. You blindly followed Tonowari towards Ronal and just silently wondered.

What the fuck is going on here?!

Oel ngati kameie - I see you

Tulkun - Whale like creatures, they are spirit siblings with the Metkayina

Kuru - Another name for the na'vi neural connection

Mawey - Calm

Snatanhì - Constellation

Swok - Sacred

Sätare - Connection, Relationship

I'm going to be working a new job soon, so the updates may be a little more sporadic. Or they may come a bit faster since I'm hype focused on Avatar rn. Let's hope for faster updates lol.