Fpxìyäkìm - Enter.

Mengenga pe'ngay? - Are you two to judge me?

Oe pänutìng - I promise.

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Ronal paced the open front to her medicine hut. Everything was bathed in the warmest tans and golds across their village. It belied the heavy hearts her people trudged the walkways and shallows with. While her eyes ran the lines of herbs and needles organized along the walls, Ronal felt her shell necklace, worn smooth over her years as tsahìk. As such, the weight kept her focus on her responsibility- her duty- to her tribe. With Tonowari, Jake Sully, it had been magnified with the dawn of the last eclipse. Returning from the carnage of Three Brothers, a new era bore down on the Metkayina. If not to all Na'vi?

What will become of your earth, Great Mother? Ronal could not ponder too long. She had other matters, here and now, to tend to. She'd left Tsireya, still crying, to gather the necessities... for the funerals.

"Ronal."

She looked up to the shadowed face of her husband. He stood alongside the palest, shortest form Ronal had ever seen. Golden hair swelled around the small head, a stern face masked in the breathing device Sky People needed. Without it, Eywa's air was their death. Yet, they sought to live here... these... things!

Ronal stepped back, breathed, then nodded. She had asked for this time; before Neteyam de Suli Tsyeyk'itan's funeral. It would be the last, before they faced everything to come. She spied Tonowari's stoic gaze, his hand dwarfing the Sky person's neck.

This effected things beyond the funeral. She didn't want to face this, but Ronal needed to make sense of it. There were several among their tribe they would lay to rest; they would perform the rites and prayers, but joining the body with Eywa was the family's right. At Lo'ak's word, this Spider was one of the family. He and Tonowari had already shielded him from a mob of their surviving warriors. Ronal ordered him brought to her, leaving Jake Sully and Neytiri to tend their son's body.

Ronal gestured the boy into her hut. "Fpxìyäkìm."

Spider stepped over the threshold, eyeing his surroundings. Then watching her face-to-face, extending his arm. "Oel ngati kameie, Ronal of the Metkayina."

His fluency surprised them both. Tonowari eyed her and Ronal encouraged him joining them. Stay with me.

It had taken many years of their marriage, to learn where to support each other and support the tribe. A language in their eyes had formed; which warmed and strengthened her in more ways than Tonowari knew. Ronal, however, didn't break her stride, circling Spider slowly. His wounds were almost bright, mending against pale flesh. She clutched the back of his hair; Spider neither moved nor tensed. Ronal glanced at Tonowari, as they both noted the lack of any tail. How did he move or accomplish anything?

"Mengenga pe'ngay?" he suddenly asked, demonstrating immense reserve. Ronal didn't answer, taking up one of his four-fingered hands. They were attached to a thick wrist and arm... but well-muscled. His legs, while short, displayed the same. It was easy to believe he'd had a childhood of work, of climbing... over Eywa's ground. He had grown here and held a posture which showed the proper reverence in a healing hut. Ronal connected to the sadness within his tiny eyes... and she dropped his hand with disgust to realize it.

"My people mourn," she hissed, teeth bared. "They weep because of your people."

If Spider wanted to shrink back, he didn't allow himself; but the marble-brown eyes trailed to the floor.

"We will allow the Sully family to stay," Tonowari explained, own eyes drifting to the water layered beneath the communal marui. Only to step farther in, towering over the sky boy. "Toruk Matko speaks for you. But every man must speak for himself."

Spider tilted his head up, breath echoing against his mask. "I'm not afraid to speak. But, will the mountain hear the wind?"

Ronal stared at him, sharing Tonowari's shock. "You- presume we will not listen!"

"To whom you've already placed the blame?" he upheld their language without a stumble, astounding her further. Spider kept his chin up, palms spread to Ronal. "I have heard Mo'at's wisdom under the Spirit Tree, while my feet learned every acre of Na'ring..." His bravery lost steam, becoming lost in memories. Have whispered prayers over my kill."

His voice wavered, but there remained pride and honor to this past. Ronal gripped his mask to connect their eyes. "Yet you led the demon ship to trample our villages. Murdered an innocent tulkun mother and child-"

He reacted then, fighting tears and her grip. "I didn't know... I wanted to help, but there was nothing... they would've..."

Spider held back; because any sentence would be insufficient?

"A warrior always has a choice." Tonowari challenged, his voice low. Spider steadied himself under Ronal's palm. " Sky People don't believe in choice. You invite Eywa into your thoughts, right? They tried stealing mine, to hurt the Sullys. Hurt my-"

He yanked away, trying to hold himself in this space of decision. Pressing a hand into his hair, Spider closed his eyes; only reopening them when his breathing calmed. "I never took a life. But I watched the tulkun refuse to leave her calf."

Ronal's chest tightened at the mention of Roa. She turned, doing a slow count of the shelves to hide any susceptible tears. Her spirit sister's songs were forever gone with the world! This devil child knew nothing-

"I felt that love." Spider's words cracked behind her, Tonowari's hand on her shoulder. "In her movements and cries, through the cold walls of the ship. Protecting till her last breath. I'm sorry for her death... but I will remember her. Always."

Remember? At this, Ronal turned to search his waist for a songcord. It was tightly spun, handcrafted beads and pebbles poking out from the threads. The shadows had changed, bringing more light to the deep-blue streaks- fruit stains- on Spider's pungy flesh. In that moment, Ronal's eyes widened, seeing it as the literal clash of their cultures. Both readying to spill red over the land.

"Do you know who you are, boy?" Ronal put to him harshly, though her interest was now higher. And the hate softer. Spider gave a long pause and she caught many things behind his eyes. Grief, guilt, confusion... and yearning. Spider forced his voice steady. "If I could become Na'vi, I would. I would sever my heritage. Maybe, maybe it's meant as a reminder of why I defend Pandora and Toruk Makto's family. Because I will..." His gaze steeled on both of them. "Till my last breath."

None of his declarations had answered her question. In the midst of war, he was at war with himself. Ronal was dismayed, yet felt the blame becoming less and less. Spider seemed to remember his place, bowing his head. "I'll go back to the forest, if that's what you want. I won't cause trouble, or add to your pain. Only, please."

He lowered himself to one knee, begging. "Allow me at Neteyam's funeral. He- He was my brother."

The boy's fingers dug into the thatched marui floor. Holding himself at their mercy. Ronal's hand was back to her shell, this past day running wildly through her head. Tonowari remained guarded as she angled away; a farther memory standing out.

"She misses Spider." young Tuktirey had said of her sister, Kiri, so often by herself. Ronal had continued with her work, but listened. "A good friend?"

Tuktirey had nodded, becoming pensive. "The best climber out of all of us. Sky People took him." Her hands worked harder. "I hope he makes it back."

Not once had the child stated Spider was also a Sky Person. This struck a balance against the hate in Ronal, Tonowari, the tribe... Ronal reached up, finding sand root and a bowl. She breathed in the breeze through the hut. Knowing, as with anything, these feelings needed to be purified. Not overnight, nor by her alone.

Can this boy do that? Ronal gathered her pestle and returned to kneel in front of Spider. "Tonowari-"

He needed nothing more, grabbing a jug of water, boiled and clean of salt. Ronal poured some over the root, where Spider could see. "Can you eat this?"

After a moment, Spider nodded. Ronal churned quickly at the root until it was a paste. "It gives strength, restores hydration..."

She handed the bowl off to him, watching intently. He drew a breath and opened a portion of the mask to insert some of the mixture. There was hissing, wheezing, and then he was chewing gratefully at it. "Irayo."

Ronal ordered her muscles to relax, with a final glance to Tonowari. His face was the same as when the Sullys had arrived... but the final word rested with her. She commanded Spider's attention, as he swallowed a third bite. He caught her seriousness, lowering the bowl between them.

"You brought... the gift of my spirit sister's final moments." Ronal stated, holding any quiver from her chin. "I will not hold your grief from you."

Spider relaxed even more then she had, though his chest rose and fell with inexpressible gratitude. He dipped his head to them. Ronal placed a hand there, feeling the hair he'd molded after the Omatikaya. Give me strength...

"You will be under the chieftain's protection," Ronal declared, keeping her voice solemn. "Not everyone will understand my decision. But, they will accept it. Likewise..."

She lifted the sky boy's head, somehow encouraged at his wary eyes. He wasn't afraid to show weakness- yet work to fortify his strength. No one fully saw how revealing the eyes could be. Ronal moved on. "Likewise, accept the fragile duty you have, Spider. Death will come to both sides. Can you give us hope for something beyond that? For other Sky People to understand?"

"Oe pänutìng." he stated immediately, the most emotion Ronal had witnessed. "I want them to love this land; as much as I do."

Ronal raised her chin, contemplating as he continued to eat. Praying that this wouldn't lead her people to more suffering.

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This rolled around in my head a few days after watching Way of Water. After the way the Sully's were 'judged' before being granted sanctuary, I can't imagine Ronal and Tonowari wouldn't wrestle with the same questions in regard to Spider. Seriously, his arc is the more intriguing of the saga and better be addressed appropriately in the sequels. (Might write a few one-shots between him and Neytiri.)

Hope you all enjoyed!