Kappa
[Pandora]
“This is so cool,” Spider screamed as he walked over the Tulkan that was swimming against the swarming currents of the open ocean.
“Children,” Loki hummed in delight while laying against the Tulkan’s back. “Quite energetic today, aren’t you? I would think that you should be sleeping… or at the very least, resting. It will be a while before we arrive in Awa’atlu.”
Immediately Loki found Spider kneeling at his side with a gleaming smile. “Awa’atlu? Is that where they are?” he asked cheerfully. “How do you know so much? And don’t say it’s because you’re a god. That joke is getting annoying – fast.”
“But I am,” Loki answered with a deadpan expression as he turned himself on to his side so that he could see Spider more clearly. “And besides, a god must know all, after all.”
“A god must know all?” Spider asked curiously before a smirk lingered into existence. “Then why is the ocean blue?”
“Child's play,” Loki answered with a snigger. “The ocean is blue because it absorbs light – colours emitted that we cannot see.”
“Hmm,” Spider hummed dryly. Truthfully, he didn’t care and he wasn’t sure if Loki was speaking to the truth. He just wanted to find a question Loki had no answer to. “Surely there must be something out there that you don’t know?” Spider pined while the Tulkan snorted. “See,” Spider said while pointing at the Tulkan’s head. “Even he’s laughing at you!”
“She,” Loki corrected with a brewing smirk as he turned from his side to get more comfortable while Spider started spouting slurring words in Na’vi. “Good girl,” Loki murmured softly as he rubbed the Tulkan’s back.
-
[Pandora - Awa’atlu, Jake Sully’s Mauri Pod]
You will carry on living your life.
Those were the words that Tonowari, their friend had given.
Those were the words of comfort given by the leader of the Metkayina clan.
It gave them a purpose that all was not lost. Yet, as hours turned to days, they couldn’t quench their darkest thoughts and desires.
Neytiri was a mother first, and a warrior second and she couldn’t stop being helpless as she watched her children and mate struggling with day-to-day activities. Several moons had passed since Tonowari had visited their mauri pod.
She knew that they would be heartbroken. After all, they saw what she failed to see.
That Spider is family.
They helped her realise that she too thought of Spider as family, a long time ago.
Yet, the pain she felt right now was a pain she had never experienced before.
Helpless, that she couldn’t help her family.
“Mom,” Neteyam murmured softly as he entered the mauri pod. “Are you okay?” he asked with concern as he walked towards her.
“Yes,” she answered softly as she cupped her son into a hug. “Shouldn’t you be out there with your father? Hunting?”
“I was,” Neteyam answered with a sigh. “But I’m distracted. My kills aren’t clean… or as clean as they should be,” he murmured. “I’m thinking of Spider,” he added softly.
“Speak to me,” Neytiri murmured softly as she brought her forehead against Neteyam’s. “Speak to me,” she added softly as she pulled back.
Neteyam sighed while looking at his mother. “My role in this family… I’ve failed,” Neteyam murmured softly. He could tell that his mother wanted to retort. “No,” he continued quickly. “After father, the duty of protecting the family falls on me… and I have failed.”
“Neteyam,” Neytiri murmured in a hushed whispered tone as she held her son’s hand.
“I should have been better… when Spider fell, I should have done better. I should have done something better… he should have never been taken,” Neteyam continued.
“Oh Neteyam,” Neytiri murmured gently. “You cannot think like that,” she added softly while thinking about Neteyam’s position in the family. Jake had been a hard taskmaster when it came to Neteyam. As the eldest, the expectations have been significantly higher when compared to Kiri, Tuk or Lo’ak. “This is our fault… not yours,” she murmured softly.
“No,” Neteyam answered stoically as he gently pushed away from his mother. “Family means family… I’m the older brother… it’s my duty to protect and I failed.”
“You are a child,” Neytiri shrieked in a harsher tone that made Neteyam tremble. “You are a child,” she repeated. “Like Spider, you are also a child of Ewya… the fault is not on you,” she continued as she pressed a hand on Neteyam’s chest. “It’s ours… we tried, we thought… we were wrong.”
Neteyam nodded gently as his mother pulled him into a tightening embrace. It was childish and squeamish, but at that moment, he didn’t care. “I miss him,” he murmured weakly.
“I do as well,” Neytiri responded softly. “Now… shall we go find your father?”
-
[Pandora - Awa’atlu]
“So… that’s Awa’atlu,” Spider murmured gently as panic crept through his beating heart as hideous thoughts began to swarm his mind.
What if they don’t want me?
Wouldn’t Neytiri be happier – knowing I’m not there?
Immediately, thoughts of Neytiri slashing his chest came to mind as he pressed a hand against the hardened scars on his chest.
“Spider,” Loki said from his side.
“Sorry,” Spider yelped as he frantically tried to control his darkening thoughts. “I… I was just thinking.”
Loki sighed. “Don’t do that,” he added softly while placing a hand on Spider’s shoulder.
“Do what?” Spider asked.
“Hiding your feelings,” Loki answered. He had an apologetic smile as he thought back to his time on Asgard. Hiding his feelings was what led him onto a path of destruction and hate and while he revelled the idea of being one with his own thoughts, there were moments where he knew that if he had simply spoken, things would have been different.
“I-,” started Spider.
“I won’t judge you,” Loki said quickly. “You know my story… you know, what most do not.”
Spider nodded. “I… I know that we have talked about it… but it’s that shaking thought… What if they don’t want me? What if no-one wants me… I’d be all alone here.”
“I could take you away from here… take you back to where I’m from,” Loki answered. There would be some complications, but the more Loki stared, the more he realised that he would overcome such complications.
Spider smiled. “No,” he answered meekly. “I mean it… when I said it, I just wanted to be accepted on Pandora… I can’t…I won’t leave.”
Loki smiled while shaking his head softly. He understood the feeling too well. There were days where he would do anything and everything to fit amongst Asgardians. Even after he found out about being Jotun, he simply refused to believe it.
As his gaze fell upon the boy, he knew it was a second chance at correcting his past mistakes by manners of projection.
His next set of words could prove pivotal in where Spider stood when it came to Pandora.
He didn’t have anyone to talk to when he had found out about his origins, and while the story was slightly different when it came to Spider, Loki could feel and tell that Spider was at his wit’s end.
It wasn’t an exact answer, but it was heart-warming when Spider thought about it because something about Loki’s words resonated with his beating heart.
“Whatever happens… whatever you decide, I am here for you Spider,” Loki said. “I will make sure that you are safe.”
Spider’s eyes widened.
Something about Loki’s words resonated with his beating heart.
And at that moment, Spider knew that Loki was not lying.
-
[Pandora - Awa’atlu]
“This is beautiful,” Tsireya murmured as she treaded water lightly while keeping an eye on Tuk, the youngest member of the Sully clan. “You are doing great,” she said ecstatically. “You’ll soon be swimming better than most of the Metkayina clan.”
“Careful,” Lo’ak murmured with a small chuckle as he swam towards her with Kiri alongside him. “Such praise will go straight to her head.”
“It should,” Kiri said as she splashed Lo’ak. “You’re just scared that she’ll be a better swimmer than you.”
“Hey!” Lo’ak responded playfully while trying to maintain a serious face. “It will be years before you can best me Tuk.”
Immediately, Tuk had her tongue out as her eyes squinted mockingly.
“Very mature,” Lo’ak hummed with a sheepish smile as Tsireya gently elbowed him. “Ouch,” he muffled.
“You’re both children,” Tsireya murmured with a smile while shaking her head.
“Agreed,” Kiri answered while trying to contain her need to laugh. Immediately, the waves seemed harsher and Kiri found herself treading water harshly. “What’s happening?” she asked as she reached Tuk quickly.
“Is that Payakan?” Tsireya asked as she looked out into the distance. “The Tulkan’s never come this close to the island.”
“That’s not Payakan,” Lo’ak responded as his head bobbled against the ocean. “That Tulkan has a left fin. Payakan doesn’t.”
“It’s Spider,” Tuk screamed as she used Kiri’s shoulder as a support. “Look… over there, on the Tulkan with that other man.”
Kiri’s eyes widened as she turned her gaze to Lo’ak. “He’s back.”
-
[Pandora - Awa’atlu]
Neteyam and Neytiri had found Jake helping the tribe out near Tonowari’s Mauri Pod. With the briefest of conversations, they managed to get into a routine where they were all partaking in various activities that proved beneficial for the Metkayina clan.
Jake couldn’t help but smile, but like most things it was short lived.
Immediately, murmurs of whispers and gasping shock flickered and filtered through the crowd like rumours. But something felt odd as he noticed that the clan were scurrying to get a hold of their traditional hunting and carving knives.
With a cautious gaze to Neytiri and Neteyam, Jake manoeuvred through the disruptive crowd as they shouted and hissed at his every movement.
And to his utter surprise it was Spider standing there. Immediately, the world around him greyed as the human inside of him came to flourish.
Before his mind could catch up, he was already moving towards Spider. His strides were powerful and strong as he came to a sliding halt while engulfing Spider into a hug. Immediately, he buried his head into Spider’s shoulder as hot and cold tears streamed down.
“Hey,” Spider muffled against Jake’s embrace. “Err… Mr-.”
“Just Jake,” Jake murmured as he pulled back with the biggest smile he could muster.
“Hi Jake,” Spider said softly while holding back tears. It felt odd to call Jake by his first name and he couldn’t help but croak. “You’re crying,” he blundered while looking at Loki who was simply standing there in a guarded manner while nodding in his direction.
“Yes,” Jake murmured softly. “I missed you,” he added gently. “Let me see you clearly,” he continued softly as he brushed Spider’s dreads to the side. “Better.”
“Oh,” Spider noted as he faced Loki once more who continued to nod. “I missed you as well,” Spider replied as he turned his attention back to Jake, but immediately, he was short sighted as an avatar came crashing into him.
“Ouch,” Spider groaned as he found himself facing a familiar face. “Neteyam,” Spider answered with a gleaming smile. “You’re crying,” he noted. Neteyam never cries, Spider mused.
“You idiot,” Neteyam murmured softly as he pulled Spider into a tightening hug.
“Hey,” Spider grumbled.
“I missed you,” Neteyam grumbled while his voice quivered and croaked.
“I missed you too,” Spider answered with a gleaming smile.
“We all missed you,” Neteyam murmured as he turned his gaze to the crowd.
Spider followed Neteyam’s gaze while wondering what he was looking for. Almost instantaneously, Spider had found his answer.
She pressed forward through the ever-growing crowd.
“Kiri,” he said with his eyes pulsing widely. “Tuk and Lo’ak,” he added as he saw them creeping up from behind.
“Spider,” Tuk screamed as she ran towards him. While Kiri, Lo’ak and Neteyam were careful, Tuk wasn’t. An oozing gasping shriek escaped Spider’s mouth as she tackled him to the ground. “Whoops,” she added with a smile. “I missed you,” she continued as she pressed the side of her head against his chest.
“Hey Tuk,” Spider murmured gently. “I missed you as well,” he said softly while staring at Lo’ak and Kiri who were on the verge of crying. Turning his gaze back to Tuk. “You might be taller than me,” he continued while sniggering.
“Yes,” Tuk roared while laughing. “But you’re still my big brother,” she continued.
“Oh Tuk,” Kiri said softly as she walked around Spider’s back. “Welcome back, monkey boy,” she said softly as she hugged Spider from his back.
“Group hug,” Lo’ak screamed abruptly.
“Wait… no,” Spider protested to avail. Immediately, the four siblings had piled in simultaneously. Against the muffling sounds of laughter and chuckling, a weak groan escaped.
It was perfect when he thought about it. His siblings were all around him, laughing and filled with tears of joy. At that moment, he couldn’t ask for anything more.
But then he heard her voice.
“Spider,” Neytiri murmured softly as she walked into his gaze in a crouched position as her children immediately moved out of the way.
It was weird when Spider thought about it. Neytiri has never used such a soft voice, he mused silently while his eyes frantically searched for Loki who had remained at his side silently.
Loki didn’t say anything, nor did he move. But, at that moment, Spider knew that Loki didn’t need to say anything.
Loki was a little taller than Spider in his current human-like form, but the aura around him captivated the audience.
Whatever happens… Whatever you decide, I am here for you Spider. I will make sure that you are safe.
Those were Loki’s words and in the short time he has known Loki, Spider knew that Loki wasn’t the kind to waste words.
The more he thought about it, he could picture Loki prodding him.
Are you not Na’vi?
Did you not learn to hunt?
Did you not bond with an Ikran?
Is there anything in this world that could scare you?
“No,” he whispered ever so quietly as he turned his gaze to Neytiri.
He was not sorry. He couldn’t be sorry. He was a child, and as a child he knew no better. “I,” he started as he wanted to tell her that he wouldn’t apologise for the path he had put them with his capture by the RDA.
Yet even he couldn’t fathom the interruption.
It was like she was hunting. Her speed was immaculate.
One moment, she was in a crouching position while cautiously staring at him. The next, she had pulled him into a hug. His eyes were wide as Neytiri tucked his head into the nape of her neck as she gently cooed.
And in that moment, he knew that everything would be fine.