𝖲𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖧𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍

𝗈𝗇𝖾

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞

༄𓆉︎♫︎☀︎︎❦︎☀︎︎♫︎𓆉︎༄

      TU’AHU SULLY LOVED HER HOME OF PANDORA. The ikran flying through the mountains, the thick forests home to animals and plants of all kinds. The Sky People were gone, had been for most of Tu’ahu’s life. There was peace and happiness in forest.

      Tu’ahu, Neteyam, Kiri and Lo’ak were very close in age. Neteyam was two years younger than Tu’ahu, and Kiri and Lo’ak were a year younger than him. Spider, the stray, as Tu’ahu called him, was nestled right between Tu’ahu and Neteyam, age wise. Tuk was the baby, rounding out the family at the age of eight. Tu’ahu was always dragged into her brothers’ schemes and jokes, against her will. When they would get into trouble, it was always her fault.

      Life in Pandora was magical. Tu’ahu hunted with her mother in the forests, fished with her father and brothers in the waters. She rode the ikran every day with her mother’s bow, looking for new adventures, and to get a break from her brothers and sisters. She made new beads for the family, tying them into their hair whenever it was time. Tu’ahu was the oldest, and she knew to act like it.

      She learned with her grandmother on how to become the next Tsahik, the spiritual leader of the clan. Her mother refused the role, and so it landed on the shoulders of Tu’ahu. Her father was Toruk Makto, the clan leader. Their family was important, but Tu’ahu was the only Sully child, it seemed, who cared.

      It happened strangely one night when Tu’ahu was babysitting her brothers and sisters. They saw the fires from their home. The Sky People had returned. Forests burned, animals died. Their parents came home, distraught. Everything changed that night. More pressure fell to Tu’ahu, and her brothers and sisters would rely on her even more.

༄𓆉︎♫︎☀︎︎❦︎☀︎︎♫︎𓆉︎༄

      “And you string this last bead, tie the knot tight, attach it to the leg, and you’re done,” Tu’ahu smiled, helping her baby sister, Tuk, finish her toy. “Go play with it, annoy the lab people.” 

      Tuk smiled, standing up and running off to play. Tu’ahu looked over to see Kiri and Spider messing around, as they always did. Tuk came running back over to where Tu’ahu had stood up. “They’re coming! Kiri, Spider, Tu’ahu! The war party’s coming back! Come on. Come on.” Tuk grabbed onto Tu’ahu’s hand, pulling her with her.

      Kiri, Spider and Tu’ahu followed little Tuk to where the ikran were flying in. Tuk ran to their mother as she dismounted her ikran. Tu’ahu frowned at Lo’ak’s dejected face, and the red scrapes on Neteyam’s body. “Neteyam? What did you do?” she asked as she reached him, inspecting both of her brothers.

      Neteyam brushed her off. “Fall in,” came the voice of their father. He was angry as he turned to the boys. “You’re supposed to be spotters. You spot bogeys and you call ‘em in. From a distance! Does any of this sound familiar? Get here!” Jake said, calling Lo’ak over as Kiri joined her sister in checking over their brother. “Jesus. I let you two geniuses fly a mission, and you disobey direct orders.”

      “Shxawng,” Tu’ahu spoke in Neteyam’s ear, moving his hair out of the way.

      Jake rolled his eyes at his daughter. “Kiri, can you go help your grandmother with the wounded? Please?” he asked.

      “My brother is wounded.” Kiri said. Neytiri came behind Tu’ahu, pressing a kiss to her head, stroking her long hair.

      “It’s fine.” Neteyam brushed her off.