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"Imala, keep up!" Lo'ak exclaimed, looking back and noticing Imala scanning the beautiful views from the Hallelujah mountains.
It wasn't common they were allowed to explore Pandora during their youth, so when Imala got the opportunity, she'd soak up any sight of Pandora. "Will you leave me alone, Lo'ak?" Imala asked, tired of his usual grudge towards her. Lo'ak hissed, shaking her words off before continuing to climb deeper into the mountains.
"Mala, Mala, look!" Tuk exclaimed before running towards Imala. Looking down at the youngest Sully, Imala saw the bright-coloured flower within her small fingers, "I found it for you. It is purple, your favourite colour?"
Imala nodded her head, bending down to allow Tuk to replace her less-fresh flower with the new one. "It is perfect, TukTuk," Imala smiled before stroking some fallen hair behind her ears, holding onto Tuk's hand as they travelled further down.
"Jesus, I thought we lost you," Lo'ak said, using an English word he had recently learnt from Jake. "Oh, so, you do care?" Imala asked before Lo'ak shook his head but feeling the defeat of her rhetorical questioned weight on his shoulders.
Spider couldn't help but laugh.
Tuk tightened her grip onto Imala's hand, scanning the plants for anymore pretty flowers.
"Bro, why did you bring Tuk?" Spider asked Lo'ak, noticing how unfocused and unbothered Tuk was with the situation.
Lo'ak stood higher than them, turning around to face them all as he continued his teasing: "She's such a crybaby. 'I'm telling — you're not supposed to go to the battlefield. I'll tell mom if you don't let me come.'," Lo'ak explained before Tuk stuck her tongue out at him.
Imala laughed, knowing how persuasive Tuk could be and she took that to her best advantage.
"Don't pick on her," Kiri warned Lo'ak.
As they continued to scan the area, Lo'ak and Spider found a gunship buried inside of overgrown veins. Imala frowned as she looked up at the aircraft, watching as Lo'ak climbed into it. "Are there any dead bodies up there?" Tuk asked before Imala snapped her head down towards her, eyebrows furrowing.
"Um, y—" Lo'ak went to answer before feeling Imala's palm squeeze his calf. "Don't answer that, Lo'ak," Imala warned him because she knew Tuk would want to see that body for herself, and that isn't a forgettable sight for such a young child.
After finding Kiri, all five of them decided to continue searching. Until, they came across something that poses a threat to them.
The trace of an Avatar's boot.
"Way too big for human," Lo'ak said before Imala looked down at her own feet and compared the size. "Avatar's?" Spider questioned as Lo'ak continued to look around and track who made the footprints. "Maybe. They for sure aren't ours," Lo'ak said as he and Spider walked deeper into the forest.
"What are you doing?" Kiri asked.
"Shh. I'm tracking," Responded Lo'ak.
Imala held Tuk close to her body. Tuk's little braids tickled against her stomach but the Na'vi didn't dare laugh and attract any threats.
Tuk was visibly scared, her little palm held onto Imala's arm that was laced around her chest in a protective style whilst her body tensed beneath Imala's touch. "It is okay, Tuk. Nothing is going to happen to you," Imala tried to ease her mind but nothing seemed to work.
Hiding behind bushes, Lo'ak and Spider glared at the one place they definitely were not allowed to go — The Shack. "We are never supposed to come here. Dad is going to ground you. . . for life," Kiri was taking pride into hurting Lo'ak's feelings after putting his siblings, and friends, in trouble.
After Tuk noticed the multiple Avatar's scattered around The Shack, she jumped behind Imala's body, slightly peeking over her shoulder so she knew the next move.
"Bro, we've got to check this out. Let's go," Lo'ak whispered before Imala shook her head.
Was Lo'ak truly this dumb? He really was a skxawng. Spider and himself left for a couple of minutes, declaring them as a threat before returning back.
"Devil Dog, this is Eagle Eye, over. I've got eyes on some guys. They look like Avatar's, but they're full in camou and carrying AR's. There are six of them, over," Lo'ak explained to Jake as Tuk whined and leant closer into Imala's body, hoping she'd protect her.
Imala looked at the Avatar's, immediate worry filling her body.
They waited for Jake to reply, Lo'ak pressing the button on his piece: "We're at the old Shack," Another pause, "Me, Spider, Kiri. . . Tuk and Imala."
That was the pause that made all this even more serious. Lo'ak knew not to bring Tuk and Imala into these dangerous situations. Tuk was too young and Imala had no defensive skills, or training, to help protect herself.
How could she? Imala's childhood was full of ignorance and cruel words from her parents. Resulting in Imala believing she wasn't good enough to learn these types of things. Instead, Jake introduced a close relationship with Mo'at so she could learn healing, making herself feel useful.
"Yes, sir, moving out," Lo'ak said before grabbing Imala's arm and pulling her and Tuk away from the area.
Kiri threw her usual 'charm' into the conversation: "See. I told you."
Imala pulled her lips together, into a thin line, so she couldn't make any noise. Tuk also knew not to make a sound when Kiri placed her finger to her lips. "You're going to be in so much trouble!" Kiri whispered to Lo'ak, not understanding her own rules towards Tuk which confused the little girl. "Kiri, stop!" Lo'ak replied, shaking his head.
"Guys, come on, it's almost Eclipse," Tuk told them all.
Imala smiled softly before watching as an Avatar lunged at Tuk's body, tightening her within their strong grip whilst Tuk screamed.
Lo'ak pulled Imala behind him, holding up his bow and multiple Avatar's revealed themselves from behind colourful bushes and trees.
Trouble isn't even the word to describe how much shit they were in.
