~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

Time tells stories.

"I want you to stay," she says pitifully. "I don't want you to go fight." 

It was sort of a group-hug between me, Tuk and Neytiri. Neytiri was gazing at her child longingly, sadly. "It is alright, Tuk. We will be back before you know it." 

Tuk wipes her eyes. "It's not the same. What if you get hurt!" she looks up at my shoulder, wrapped in thick dressing. "You already have!" 

My heart aches at the thought of leaving her. I knew I had too, but it didn't make it any easier. I decide to ignore her comment about my injury and move on. "Kiri will be with you." I say, gesturing to the girl, who was standing beside Mo'at. Both of them looked sorrowful. The rain has not dissipated and was only becoming more intense by the second. It was cold and heavy. Kiri never really had a heart to fight, unless it was necessary. She would rather stay and care for Tuk, particularly joining Spider. I found the human boy standing near Txana and Nanti, who both had been opted to stay behind. Viper, Linayin, and Iwa, however, were among the flock of warriors. 

Eventually, Mo'at came forward and pried the seven-year-old off my leg. "Come, child. We must let your father go." 

With a heavy heart, I watched Mo'at take Tuk back to the edge of camp. I took my place between Neytiri and Neteyam. To my surprise I felt small next to my eldest, who towered over us and our smaller ikrans with his titan banshee. Fe'ya was sitting behind him, her hand on his waist. She watched me with a neutral expression.  

I'm almost glad I was unconscious during the time it took Neteyam to tame the beast. "Where to, Dad?" He asked. asked, in almost a mumble. Something was nagging at him--I could tell, I could always tell. It was in his eyes, a fearful glimmer. But even still his posture was positive and assertive. 

"Where we left off," I said, "at the village."

                                                                                                 ~~~

Nobody could tell me I was wrong for doing what I did. If you looked me in the eye, and said, "Neteyam, you're wrong for killing those avatars in cold blood." They couldn't say it with a straight face.

 It had dawned on me as we were flying that to put an entire end to the whole RDA, I eventually would have to face Lyle and Z-dog and Quaritch's recoms that I hurt. I'm not sure I was ready for that. Surely pure anger would make them more powerful than me, and I was already a lanky teenager with minimal experience. The odds were not good.  

But I still had to do it. I had to 'fight the good fight', protecting my loved ones and my tribe. Dad used to tell me I wouldn't have a problem doing that, but he stopped saying it after I turned thirteen and could actually fight. It was like he avoided the fact that I, after some time, lived up to his words. I get it--after experiencing the worry and panic when my siblings were kidnapped, I really understood his concern, but he was bound to let us defend our home sooner or later. 

I guess now was that time. 

Maybe I would die in the next twenty-four-hours. 

Maybe not. 

Only time would tell. I only could hope that one day, long after this fight, I would tell my kids the story of how we bravely fought off the deadly RDA and saved Pandora, when we were young and full of energy. I hoped they would squeal and giggle as we added small exaggerations to the tale--and I mostly hoped Lo'ak would use his charm and goofiness to fascinate them in ways that was beyond my skill level.

                                                                                         ~~~ 

I really was having a hard time wrapping my mind around what was happening. The Omatikaya tribe was being attacked, again, and Dad was letting me fight. I recited it in my head to fully grasp it, the Omaticaya tribe was being attacked, and Dad was letting me fight.   

We soared in an abundance of numbers above the forest. My stomach was jittering with anxiousness and excitement. My first real fight, other than the one on the enemy ship. But I tried not to think about that fight much. It was in the past, we've moved on. 

However, the fight on the RDA's sea dragon made me kind of wish this battle was over the ocean. Having an entire other clan to help you plus Payakan, made it sound appealing compared to what we were going against. I wish Payakan could be here, even though it was silly and stupid to have such a ridiculous thought. Payakan couldn't just grow legs and walk across the planet to get here. But either way, I imagined he would encourage me and give me advice on how to face my enemies. The thought of that alone gave me a little hope. 

But then I looked at Dad, flying a little ahead of me. He was focused--prepared, ready. Other than the sling giving his shoulder support, you would think he'd never been knocked down. I tried to fix my posture like his was, straight and confident, the same as Neteyam, too--I wanted to be another version of them, a part of the group. 

That wasn't ever going to happen, though. Now, I had to compete with two Toruk Makto's just to earn my spot amongst the Sully status. I don't even know what he was riding--it had to be smaller than Toruk, just a little, and it was black and purple like a viperwolf. I was holding onto the tiny chance that the ikran wasn't a Toruk, and just a bigger version of a banshee. If it really was a Toruk, then I would be squeezed out of the hierarchy completely and never receive my honor or respect. I would be forgotten. 

Luckily, I could just go live with Tsireya's family. 

I then felt guilty for even thinking that. Dad was trying, he really was, he was letting me fight, and I had actually traded my relationship with him for Payakan's during our time at the reef. He probably thought I hated him. I wouldn't be surprised if he still did. I wanted to talk to him, but I just didn't know how. I was deathly afraid that when this war ended, I wouldn't get to speak to him. 

Any of us could die. Mom, Dad, Neteyam. Me. But I made a promise--I wouldn't die. I planned to keep that promise. 

                                                                                    ~~~

Memories were the core of or lives. Memories told stories. Memories were meant to engrave dents into our hearts and make us remember our past, and our present. They cause us to grow, to make a better future for ourselves. To learn from our mistakes. As the scent of smoke and fire become profound and the sight of destroyed forest came into view over the horizon, Neteyam placed his hand over mine and squeezed it. 

I felt like I should kiss him. I almost did--but Lo'ak had to ruin the moment. He and I shared a bittersweet look as the warriors began to glide down, and one by one land on the burnt ground. My heart ached and my gut wrenched in fear of the future. None of the RDA were around, but I knew they were close. Too close for comfort.

Then, I heard a gunshot. Followed by a thud. Then a scream. I couldn't tell if it came from me or someone else. 

                                                                                                    ~~~    

AN: Again, not as long as desired but I'm busy and failing math so, yeah. I know I said I was making it long but I'm trying, okay, these chapters are short but many. And this one wasn't scripted to be long anyway. 

Thank you!