Sky Full of Stars

Chapter 5: The Talk

When everyone got back home, Jake had told everyone to go to bed. Lo'ak and Neteyam were sad when they heard the news from Kiri that Spider had been taken by Quaritch before they fled the scene, Y/n comforting them even though she wasn't as sad as them. She didn't necessarily like Spider or being around him, but she knew that the Sully children all liked him, and she didn;t want to see him get hurt either. She wasn't surprised when Jake and Neytiri had silently called her outside.

"What were you thinking? Please tell me!" Jake asked her. She looked to the ground, his tone showing total disappointment.

"I'm sorry sir. I-I just wanted the kids to be happy and enjoy time in the forest. I remember when Neteyam and I were younger we would always explore new areas together, and it was so much fun. I didn't know any of this was going to happen. If I did, I would have pushed Lo'ak harder to not track to where the footsteps were." Y/n sighed, feeling disappointed in herself.

"We put you in charge of Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk because we know that you're responsible. We don't do it so that you can follow them around everywhere. Not to take them to the place that we've told you and Neteyam thousands of times not go!" Jake scolded.

Y/n looked to the ground, unable to think or say anything. This was one of the first times that Jake has actually yelled at her.

"I'm sorry." Y/n said, her voice cracking halfway through saying it.

"Sorry won't be enough right now. You're grounded until further notice." Jake told her. She nodded and walked back to her hammock, curling up into a ball. All of the kids were awake except for one. Neteyam layed awake, listening to his parents yell at Y/n. He had watched her walk back into the tent with her head down, and curling up in a ball in her hammock. He went to bed hearing her cries next to him.

The next day, everyone was tired. No one got a lot of sleep because of the events that had happened the night before. Y/n was the worst though. She said nothing at breakfast, leaving shortly after to go visit Tipani. When she was gone, it had given Lo'ak and Kiri a chance to talk to Neteyam.

"What's going on with Y/n?" Lo'ak asked his older brother.

"Last night I heard Dad yelling at her." Neteyam told his younger brother. Lo'ak held a confused expression on his face, Neteyam sighing and calling his a moron quietly. Lo'ak shoved him a little before getting up and walking away, going to see his friends. Neteyam called his Ikran, trying to find where Y/n had gone. He eventually found her at the tree of souls, her queue connected to one of the branches that draped down. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was slightly parted. She looked so peaceful in the moment. Neteyam wondered what memory she was seeing. Maybe one with her Mom? He knew that they were really close, but then she got sick.

"I saw my Mom." She spoke quietly. Neteyam wondered how she knew that he was there. She disconnected her queue, walking up to Neteyam.

"We were sitting by the fire with your family, singing songs. That's the last memory I have of her before...." Y/n spoke, a tear sliding down her cheek. Neteyam raised a hand and swiped his thumb, brushing the tear away.

"It's alright. We should head back, it's getting dark out." Neteyam spoke quietly, grabbing the girls hand and leading her back to her Ikran. They hopped on, and flew back to their home. When they reached it, they saw Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk all huddled by their parents tent, listening to their conversation. Neteyam and Y/n joined, crouching next to Lo'ak.

"I cannot, you cannot ask this." Neytiri had said, her voice quiet. "I cannot leave my people. I will not." Neytiri spoke again. Leave the people? What's happening.

"He is hunting us. He is targeting our family!" Jake explained,

"You cannot ask this! The children, everything they've ever known is here. The forest. This is our home!" Neytiri shouted defiantly. The children's hearts broke at the sounds of their mothers' pleads.

"They had our children.... He had them right under his knife." Jake hissed. Neytiri sat quiet for a bit before getting up and walking over to her bow.

"My father gave me this bow as he laid dying, and he said to protect the people. You are Toruk Makto!" Neytiri pleaded.

"This will protect the people!" Jake retored, sighing before he spoje anymore. "Quaritch had Spider, and that kid knows everyone! He knows our whole operation." Jake said. Y/n look over to Kiri at the mention of Spider, she looked down with a sad facial expression.

"If the people protect and harbor us, they will die," Jake started before he paused. "Do you understand?" He questioned. Neytiri sighed, but nodded. She went to speak, but Jake cut her off before she could get anything out.

"Look, I've got nothing, I've got no plan. But I can protect this family...that I can do." Jake stated in a harsh tone as he looked his mate in her eyes. Tears fell from Neytiri's eyes, rolling down her cheeks as she looked down to the ground. Jake approached her and grabbed her shoulders, making her look back up at him.

"But I do know one thing, wherever we go, this family is our fortress." Jake spoke.

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