Worlds Apart: Volume I

The During: The Worse Conversation

Ney'ite nervously ran her fingers along the beads of her song chord. She looked at Neyetam as she heard her parents arguing. Kiri looked anxious as Lo'ak came to join them. Kiri looked at Lo'ak and shushed him. Tuk did her best to look into the tent through the crack on the ground. Neyetam grabbed onto Ney'ite's hand in an attempt to comfort her.

"Quaritch creature can wade in here without Eywa spotting him," Jake said.

"Our home is here!" Neytiri argued. "You can't ask me for that. I cannot leave my people. I will not." Their mother did her best to hold strong in her position.

"He's chasing us. He's after our family," Jake said the horrible truth that was plaguing Ney'ite's mind.

Their mother and father were the leader of the clan. They were the ones who stood their ground against the Sky People. They lead the way for the clan to do the same. Their parents were experienced warriors who could handle themselves: they were not. Ney'ite and Neyetam were barely considered adults in the clan. Kiri and Lo'ak were on the cusp. Tuk was just eight years old. If the Sky People wanted to take down their parents, going after them would be their best chance.

"You can't ask me that!" Neytiri exclaimed. "The forest is the only thing the children know! Our home is here!"

"He had our children," Jake said. "He had them under his knife."

"My father gave me his bow as he lay dying," Neytiri said. "He told me to protect the people. You are Toruk Makto!" Neytiri made her final pleas to their father.

"This will protect the people," Jake argued. "Quaritch has Spider and he knows everything. He can lead them right here. If the people hide us, they will die. Do you understand that?" Jake paused for a moment. "I have nothing. I don't have any plan. But I can protect our family, that I can do. One thing I know. Wherever we are, thisfamily is our fortress."

Neyetam pulled all of them away from the tent. They knew that their parents conversation was over for now. Neyetam led them to a quiet spot where they all knew they wouldn't be disturbed, but their parents would be able to find them if needed. Ney'ite knew that their parents did not need another panic from not being able to find them.

The siblings sat in a circle. Ney'ite pulled her knees close to her chest as she sat next to Neyetam. Lo'ak had his eyes down. Kiri had her arm around Tuk's shoulder. None of them wanted to speak. None of them wanted to think that their parents were actually considering what they just heard.

"They won't actually make us leave, right?" Tuk broke the silence.

"I don't know," Neyetam sighed.

That admission made Ney'ite feel even worse about the entire situation. Neyetam was the one they looked to in situations like this. He was the oldest. He was the one they looked to when they were unsure.

"This is all my fault," Lo'ak said. His eyes were still down.

"Don't beat yourself up," Kiri said.

"It's not your fault, Lo'ak," Ney'ite said as she looked at her brother. "You had no idea that the RDA made more avatars. Especially since they're all back from the dead. That's something no one could have predicted."

"She's right, bro," Neyetam said. "It's not your fault." He looked around their circle. "No matter what happened last night, we're going to keep moving forward. What does Dad always say?"

"Sully's stick together."

Those three words brought the siblings together once more. They knew as long as they were together, everything would be fine.