Soon the subtle differences in the foliage made themselves known. From colors to textures, to various patches of growth. The coast wasn't thick as Na'ring; land animals were few and far between, explaining why the Reef people maintained a seafood diet. Spider's senses tickled at taking it all in, on top of the cornucopia of life under their waters. Spider had been in them near every day, salvaging the wares of battle. Tired of wrinkled skin, he'd opted out of swimming with Lo'ak to get better lay of the land. The weeks made it clear his brother was suited for the deep blue- or for Tsireya.

"How about this one?" Spider gestured to a multi-leafed plant, fanned out similar to a helicoradian. Only it was alone, where helicoradian grew in bunches. Alone and sharp-blue from an almost white stem. Kiri bent next to him, cautious of its dusty leaves. They were foraging for antibodies, adhering strict instructions from Ronal of which plants and herbs to retrieve. However, the plant was-

Spider noted a slight sweetness entering his mask, as Kiri stumbled back. He reached for her as she sat, childishly to the ground. "Kiri?"

"The dust... it invites... sleep." Kiri guessed, rubbing her eyes. "Perhaps like your anesthesia."

She yawned and Spider chuckled, catching Kiri's hand absently over the sandy soil. Its few blades waved, peaking curiosity. "Is Ewya just as strong here?"

Kiri's fingers clutched into the blades. "Everywhere. Even while all is..." she glanced toward the glimmering shoreline. "so uncertain. If I just knew what she wanted to say..."

"Time's gonna make it better." Spider spoke assuredly. Spider turned at the sound of Tuktirey's laughter. Over the lazy leaves, she outran a wave, holding something out for Jake to see. He watched, stomach turning. "Tuk's the strongest."

The feel of Kiri's shoulder startled him. Spider looked into her tender eyes and she leaned in, voice just as attentive. "You're wrestling with something."

Fresh shivers froze Spider on the spot. A chill similar to water, pressing in on him; pushing with Quartich to the surface... Spider swallowed the image away. "Same weight as anyone."

"Can't fool me, Monkey Boy." Kiri stood, not pushing the matter. She simply ran out, waving to Jake and Tuk. Spider gathered a breath and followed, squinted into the sun to burn out the images. What he'd done; there was no answering what he couldn't himself. There was only the sting of the gash, healing across his chest, that talked back.

He paused as Jake left the girls to meet him halfway. He put on a respectful smile. "What'd you find?"

Jake loosely displayed the stone and shells in his palm. "Tuk wants to make bracelets for the wounded."

Spider nodded, fingering his regulator. "A good focus for her."

"Something we can start together." Jake agreed.

"I'll still care for the ikran." Spider hastened, careful with the seam under his chin. The mask was sweatier here. Norm and Max and set up a station, so he had some chance at relief. Nights though he preferred the marui, with the Sullys. In case they needed him.

"She's right."

Spider caught Jake's gaze, back straight. "Sir?"

"Something's bothering you." Jake hunched down, watching his daughters. He motioned for the slight powder Spider had collected. He inspected it, but his eyes remained on Spider. "Everyone's gonna- handle this differently. They just do. But if you need to talk... I'm here."

Spider's chest tightened. Jake stood at his silence, starting to step away when Spider blurted. "That's what you do now?"

Jake looked back, puzzled. Spider stared up at the solider- father- he sought to emulate. But at what price?

"Talk to me." Spider clarified, rising his chin. High enough to gauge Jake's reaction. "Cuse, you never did before. Now..."

Don't ruin this! Spider's heart desperately screamed. But something wrestled. It always had, and Spider found he couldn't ignore it anymore. "Everything's 'help with this', 'Good job, boy.' Is it all- just so you can pretend Neteyam's not gone?"

Jake's face went stunned. "We- Spider that's not it."

"What then?" Spider panted against the brunt of Neytiri's cut. "Why am I only now hearing what I've waited my entire life for?! I'm not him, Jake! I carry a child's bow, I can't ever hope to know tsuhaylu... I can't..." Spider had to step back, imagine the room to breathe his words out correctly.

"We've always welcomed you." Jake insisted. To which Spider grunted. "Only as close as your wife."

Jake's momentum stopped, sparking a fear in Spider that he was pushing too hard. "Neytiri reflects what the Omaticaya remember. A son... carries the legacy of his father."

A legacy back to haunt him! Spider's heart cringed. And I kept that alive.

"Maybe she'd come back if I left-"

"Spider that's not an option." Jake spoke finitely, like he did at any council. "Seeing you with my kids- is the greatest thing. You show it's possible for us to embrace each other, live together-"

Jake's eyes were on him now, that deep look that preceded oel ngati kameie. Jake placed a cautious hand on Spider's shoulder. "Being gone... it brought up a lot of confusion, huh?"

Spider glared, warning him not to go there. He passed Jake, tuffing through the warm sand until the sea breeze swept his arms and hair. Tuktirey caught sight of him, smiled and waved- unabated. She jumped back to the rippling water. "C'mon, Spider!"

"In a minute." He called back, looking down at his battery pack. Green, but it would need charged before the end of the day. He felt Jake coming to tower over him- a hand on the pack to check as well. Spider kept his eyes to the water. "Can I ask a question? Human to human?"

Jake failed to hide a wary look. "Yeah, sure."

"What's Earth like?" Spider moved his gaze over the peaceful beach, recalling the dense Na'ring trees in comparison. 'Paradise' was a word the lab guys threw around a lot.

"Probably worse than I can say." Jake rubbed his chin, watching the girls blend between the clear water and the unending turquoise sky. "Many people in one city; so close no one's air was their own."

He lowered himself down, eyeline to the horizon. Spider did the same, intent to hear more. Help me understand, even a little more!

"People fight for a different happiness there. My dad worked," Jake swallowed hard, seeing beyond. "Everyone did. Because without money, you couldn't survive. No forests to forage from, no neighbors offered their help... Everything cost so much, what was earned went out of your hand before you could think. And you'd question if you ever really owned anything to begin with."

Spider heard this monologue, trying to picture pale, coarse human skin instead of Jake's striped-blue avatar.

"And noise." Jake pinched the bridge to his nose. We'd use it to distract from how unhappy we were. But with so much coming at you at once... it was hard to discover who you were."

Spider hesitated, trying to picture this. He had no real glimpses, but each anecdote over the years had placed dread on his stomach. He licked his lips. "What they're doing is wrong. Yet, Sky People have nowhere to go, when Earth dies. Quaritch said they've been searching all over."

"They have." Jake composed himself. "Probably feel they're running out of options. Likely, many don't realize what's really happening here. Give people the chance not to die, they won't ask a lot of questions."

Spider realized his gaze had been following Kiri, spotting her smile among the multiple shades of bright. He'd missed it; so much. And if I want to keep it, I should be honest.

"When the Recoms slaughtered the atolls," Spider shook his head at the memory. He continued, daring to look at Jake. "I woke up. Realized I'd stopped feeling like a captive... so yeah, I'm confused..."

Jake grabbed his neck and turned their foreheads to meet. "None of this has been fair to you. From the start."

Spider knew it was more than that. But he stayed still, soaking the embrace in; where his tears couldn't be seen.

"We want you here." Jake near-whispered. "With us. And when this is over, it'll be the way it should've been. You're a resilient young man and a resourceful warrior. Eywa knows your heart. I refuse to believe she can't see that."

Spider longed to grab those words, wrap them tight into his songcord. How long, Monkey Boy? How long you think they'll hold?

"If she can..." Spider dared to hope. "Couldn't she for others? I mean, they deserve a chance; right?"

Jake breathed past a lump in his throat. "They do. If they'd only take it."

}{}{Two Days Later}{}{

Jake spotted the slight movements as the clouds broke, sending the shadow of Turok across the battlefield. The sheer size blew him away every time, covering RDA and Me'txep. He didn't know what to expect... every day the coast became brighter and brighter with the raids. War had taken hold here as had his guilt.

"Kllkä!" Jake barely spoke before Turok curved his way closer, gaining rapid speed. The leononpteryx's claws struck first and the soldiers fell back across the deck of the gunship. Those still alive. Jake took aim before they could, eyes and teeth bared. "Enough remain to steer the ship away. Use it to send General Ardmore a message!"

"Their bodies are message enough." Axtain's voice growled from behind, attesting to the powerful adrenaline that pulsed through every Me'txep looming nearby. Jake ignored him, zeroed in on the closest solider, Innis. "You come from Bridgehead?"

Innis' eyes stayed narrow with hate. "We report back in four days."

That's the first thing you lie about. Jake could've smirked. Instead, he held out a drive. "Report back now. Straight to General Ardmore."

"Why should I-"

"This keeps up," Jake cut him off, Turok's breath force enough to intimidate their ranks. "There'll be no new home- or hope- for your people."

This paused everything, until Innis took the offered drive. Jake moved back, indicating for Axtain and the others to follow him to shore. He now felt disdain from both sides. He was used to that. Under Turok's lead they reached the rocks. Jake barely had time to take his stance... as Axtain leapt off his ikran to stalk toward him. "The battle was ours!"

"Where's Neytiri?" Jake ignored that, glancing over the gathering Na'vi. She'd stand out, bright blue amongst the Me'txep stoic grays and reds. Axtain grabbed his shoulder. "You had no right-"

Jake flipped his wrist back, goring Axtain with his eyes. "I asked a question."

The Me'txep warrior glared back, swinging his knife up. Jake blocked it, stomping Axtain's thigh to crumble him to his knees. From their mounts and the rocks, the Me'txep shrilled their battle cries. Their sounds, eager and insistent- curled Jake's stomach. He only yielded when he spotted Neytiri's ikran landing.

"You let the demons live." Axtain accused him.

"Not many." Jake recalled the bodies running red over the deck and in the water. Drawing closer, he saw how Neytiri's eyes agreed. Her war paint, new markings on her bow... if not for her lavish-blue skin, he'd might think-

"What were you thinking?" she demanded, angling herself between Jake and Axtain.

"We need to talk." Jake went straight to begging. Alone.

Neytiri hesitated, a moment for Jake to spot the new beads in her hair; they shone in an odd way, a few dark, a few red. What did they stand for? And why would she wear them... but not add Neteyam's?

"I will meet you back in the caves." Neytiri relied to Axtain. The others took cues from him, falling back; the eyes of them and their ikran watching hungrily. Jake followed Neytiri with an unwelcome wariness, never turning his back completely. At the instant of privacy, he took Neytiri by the wrist. Their eyes started at each other. Jake noted the sadness, she still held back behind anger. He trailed his fingers into hers. "How... how are-"

"You have information?" Neytiri cut him off, withdrawing to check her bow. Jake braced his words. "I've called a meeting- with General Ardmore."

She stilled and her eyes raised slowly. "Of the demon city?"

Jake nodded. "Ikeyni and Tsentey offer their cliffs as the meeting place. I want you to be there-"

"Nooo!" she pulled back, the anger shaking her limbs.

"They might be desperate enough to listen." Jake rushed in. "Norm's going to record it and send it to all the bases. A call for anyone who would pledge their loyalty to the Na'vi. Sky People are not all bad, Neytiri."

"They are!" She insisted. "They are destroyers! Liars, killers-"

"Hey, hey," Jake moved to hold her, but the bow stayed between them. So, he held her look where he couldn't hold her body. "I'm- of the Sky People. Like it or not, that's where my song started. And I love you."

Neytiri's stance didn't twitch, her eyes never wavered. The wind brushed at her hair, her feathers... and for a moment, he thought it might strip the casing about her fragility. She angled "To continue my life with you Jake... there's no room for both. You gave up one. For me!"

"It was my gamble." Jake pressed a hand on his Na'vi skin; he didn't remember the human feel. "My sacrifice... Anyone willing to take the same chance- isn't that what Ewya would want?"

She was already shaking her head, a step closer to Toruk. She basked in his size... or perhaps the memories. Her next words dragged out. "Are you sad... when they die?"

"I'm not proud when I have to kill." Jake thought carefully. Her shoulders squared off, as though this was a betrayal. Jake realized then, how distant their feelings about this war had become.

"Every kill I make." Neytiri iterated carefully, already stepping back. "Is for us. For our children to once again know skies without smoke. Maybe, when this is done..."

But she didn't finish. Maybe she didn't know how, same as Jake didn't know what to say to bring her back. Hold our children again, instead of weapons.

"Please come back." he tasted the bitter plea. "I need you... with me. I always have."

Neytiri ducked her head in a sob. Then hardened her chin. "And I am needed here."

You need the pain to go away. Jake sensed all too easily. But Neytiri didn't allow for any other words; only patted Toruk's nose and walked stoically past him. Jake listened to her steps fade, a mournful sigh encouraging tears. How much more did his sins expect him to lose?