Avatar the Way of Water (My Version)

Leaving Home

Lo'ak had fallen asleep, his head by Sylwa's side. She was the first one to wake up. She stroked his head and he woke up too. "Feeling better?"

"Much," she said.

The door opened and they could see the doctors entering inside. Realising that they would need him to leave, Lo'ak stood up and held her hand again. "I'll come back in a bit,"

"I should be realised soon," she said. "And don't worry. I'll be all right,"

He nodded and he left the lab. To his surprise, their sisters and Neteyam were waiting outside for him. "How's she doing?" asked Kiri.

"Much better,"

"We would have come to get you but we thought Sylwa might need you with her," said Tuk.

"She did. She's a lot better now,"

"Let's go tell Mum and Dad," said Neteyam. They walked over to the tent but when they approached the shelter they could hear arguing from inside. It was loud and it was their mother who shouted.

"Our home is here! You cannot ask me for that. I cannot leave my people. I will not!"

Tuk peaked under the covers. Kiri and Lo'ak took a peep through a gap.

"He's chasing us," Jake argued. "He after our family,"

"You can't ask me for that," Neytiri was deeply distressed. "The children only know the forest! This is our home!"

"Quaritch had them under his knife," said Jake distressfully, drawing his hand under his chin to emphasise how awful it was for him to see their children helplessly held captive. "Sylwa could have died," if that bullet had killed her...

Neytiri picked up her prized possession. A special unique bow. "My father gave this bow as he lay dying," Jake's ears dropped remembering her late father. "He said, 'Protect the people' You're Toruk Makto!" she begged.

"This will protect the people. Quaritch has Spider and the kid knows everything. He knows our whole operation. He can lead them right here," As they heard their father rant, the kids turned their heads to each other, wondering what was happening to Spider right. Though they know he would never betray them intentionally, the Sky People had certain ways of getting whatever information they wanted out of their prisoners. Cruel methods. "If the people harbour they will die. Do you understand?". Neytiri was close to breaking out again. She couldn't bear to see any of their people die. Jake hated hurting her like that but his words were true no matter how painful. "I've got nothing," he confessed. "I've got no plan. But I can protect our family," he knew deep down that he had to remain strong. "One thing I know. Wherever we go, this family...is our fortress,"

He embraced his mate and Neytiri hugged him tightly, shedding tears.

The children were devasted. They walked away from the tent, heartbroken at the thought of having to leave the only home they had ever known. "This is all my fault," lamented Lo'ak. "I took us to the forest. We got captured. Spider got taken. And now...now we're screwed,"

"We all wanted to go to the forest," Kiri said, not wanting him to feel guilty too, Tuk clutched her hand.

"We have to tell Sylwa," said Neteyam.

"No, we can't do that," Lo'ak refused. "This will break her heart even more,"

"She'll find out soon enough. It's better if she hears it from us,"

Lo'ak wanted to disagree but his brother was right. They walked towards the hospital lab. He approached the door. He raised a hand to touch the handle but he paused. The siblings watched him a little tensely. "I can't do it," as the closest sibling to his twin, Lo'ak couldn't bear to hurt her in any way. He couldn't tell her the awful news.