twenty seven. until we meet again
FINDING OUT THAT KIRI HAD A SEIZURE WHILST SHE AND LO'AK HAD BEEN WITH PAYAKAN BROUGHT SADNESS TO LE'AH. Norm and Max arrived after receiving Jake's call, desperately asking them to come to the Metkayina clan to observe Kiri. Le'ah and the rest of her siblings stood outside, refusing to leave until the girl woke up. They felt useless as they continuously peered in, seeing their sister connected to wires and machines that tracked her brain activity.
Le'ah lifted her head from Lo'ak's shoulder as she embraced him as the sound of incoming footsteps advanced towards the pod. Relief filled her system at the sight of Ronal and Tsireya coming with equipment to help Kiri. If anyone could help Kiri, it would be the Tsahik.
As much as she loved Norm and Max's company, they didn't know about the Na'vi compared to the rest. Le'ah escaped from Lo'ak's arms, watching Ronal intently walk into the Marui Pod. She stood outside, wanting to walk in but saw Norm and Max rush fully to grab their gear as Neytiri yelled at them, leaving the pod. A frown enveloped the Sully girl's face, watching the people go.
She turned her gaze back on Kiri, about to step in before her father walked out. The girl met eyes with the man, ducking her head down. Jake sighed, clasping a comforting hand over her shoulder. Le'ah knitted her brows deeply, peering at her father, "let Ronal help her. Kiri will be fine, Le'ah. Tuk and your mom are with her."
Le'ah wanted to fight her father's words, yet she didn't have the energy during such a stressful time. Jake glanced at Neteyam pleadingly, and the older brother knew what he meant, grasping his sister's forearm in solace and pulling her towards him. Le'ah didn't tear her gaze off Jake, watching him walk towards Norm and Max.
Neteyam exhaled calmly. Although inside, he was just as worried as Le'ah was for their sister, "Kiri will be okay, Le'ah. She's a strong fighter. Eywa will help her," Despite Neteyam's encouraging words, Le'ah couldn't help but feel defeated. The girl nodded to shrug the boy off, her eyes lingering on Kiri as Ronal began to perform her acts as Tsahik.
A part of Le'ah couldn't watch her sister being in such pain, yet she was determined to keep an eye on the girl if cases were to go wrong. She silently prayed to Eywa alongside Ronal, hoping Kiri would wake up. She watched Ronal blow onto Kiri's skin and into the air, repeating the same action a couple times.
Le'ah's eyes teared up, seeing Kiri still unconscious. She turned swiftly into Neteyam's chest, feeling his arms hook around her securely. Neteyam kept his eyes glued in the pod and widened as he saw Kiri steer. Le'ah heard Neteyam sigh in relief, tearing out of his arms and faced the pod, seeing Tuk and her parents crowded around Kiri as she had woken up, sobs escaping her hoarse throat.
Le'ah breathlessly chuckled, gazing to the sky as she thanked the Great Mother for waking her sister up. She questionably glanced at Neteyam, asking through her eyes if she could go in, to which he replied with a nod. Le'ah smiled briefly at the boy, stepping into the pod leisurely. Jake turned his head at the sight of his daughter whilst Neytiri cupped Kiri's hand, soothing her hair.
The man held a hand out for Le'ah, to which she returned, being pulled gently towards the girl. Neytiri gazed up at her daughter, a smile imprinted on her face as she shuffled out of the way, allowing Le'ah to crouch down at Kiri's side. Le'ah smiled at her older sister, inching forward to wipe the tears that fell from her eyes, staining her cheeks.
The rest of the siblings were huddled outside, relief flooding their blood. Yet, now that Kiri was awake and was fine, Neteyam had a lingering thought in his head that he knew he wouldn't be able to rid of.
And that thought contained a single girl by the name of Juniper.
Neteyam found his father in their Marui Pod, organising some fish for them to eat. He sighed before stepping in, watching as Jake lifted his head and made eye contact with his son. Neteyam remained stood as his dad came to his feet, stepping towards the boy before he softly spoke, "dad, can I talk to you?"
The man nodded his head briefly, a frown enveloping his face from the sudden tone in Neteyam's voice—laced with reluctance. The boy crouched down, his hands fiddling. Jake noticed his wary behaviour and sat on the side of his son, inspecting the boy's facial features. His nose was contorted, his brows knitted deeply, "Neteyam—"
"What was Juniper like?" He suddenly asked. Jake raised his brows at the question, having been cut off by his son. Neteyam exhaled sharply, turning his head to look at his father, "I mean, you've already told us stories about her. Every night. But ... was there something else about her that you haven't told us?"
Jake wanted to know where this was coming from. He didn't expect his son to come up to him, asking about the Vespera girl. Despite knowing that the kids spoke about Juniper amongst themselves, they've tried to avoid the sore subject when it comes to their parents. Jake hesitantly nodded his head, "she was a sky person before, you know that. But she died," Neteyam frowned, listening keenly, "she was sick. Really sick ... that's how she became Na'vi. Her father, Mateo, brought her back with the help of some scientists."
The Sully man knew that he was keeping information about the person who had helped, but the man that had helped—Tom—was more than a fever dream. Like he hadn't existed. And Jake planned to keep it that way for as long as he could, "they tortured her. Shot her. Juniper was barely alive by the time the people came and saved her," No matter how many times Jake remembered the pain that Juniper had endured, it would always make his blood boil. He found out more about her past when she passed as Neytiri opened up about the girl, "she was welcomed into the Omaticaya, becoming one of them, almost instantly. She was a warrior."
Jake smiled slightly as the girl flashed through his mind. The way she held herself up when she had gone through a lifetime of pain. There was no doubt that Juniper had a strong heart—one that he or Neytiri had ever seen. Neteyam breathlessly chuckled as he recalled the stories he was told from such a young age. The moment he had seen her in person flashing through his eyes.
"June was bound to become the best warrior the clan would have seen. She could've been Olo'teyeke if that's what she wanted. But Juniper would doubt herself, no matter how much she strived to be the best. She was still a kid."
Neteyam didn't know what to say. His father's voice carried such grief that it pained him. At this moment, the Sully boy wanted nothing more than to go back to the cove of the ancestors to see the Vespera girl once again, "I'm sorry, sir," He apologised. Neteyam apologised for the loss that his father had to experience. He was sorry for such a pure life be taken by the same people that were hunting his family down. He was sorry for Juniper herself.
As Jake went to say something to the boy, an excited chuckle cut them off. The two men turned, seeing Le'ah breathing heavily, "there you are, Neteyam! I was looking for you everywhere, you skxawng!" The boy stood up with urgency, followed by their father, as their brows furrowed. The girl smiled, reaching for her brother's hand, "bro, come on. The tulkun have arrived!"
Neteyam rolled his eyes, cursing his sister in his head for the scare she had given him. Before he could say anything, he was being pulled away until they stopped for a brief second. Le'ah gazed at Jake, an expression of sorrow plastering her face, "hey, dad," She paused for a moment, "I'm sorry. For what I said before."
Jake watched as his kids left, closing his eyes momentarily. He felt the same grief he felt for many years. The pained man—from the moment he cupped the girl's cheek in his hand as she spoke her final words—crept up on him, "what am I gonna do, June?" He asked nobody, gazing up.