Petrichor

See You, Fuckers!

She looked around at her family one last time. Neytiri, tears in her eyes, Mo'at, sadness in her face, Tsu'tey, soft and understanding. The four Olo'eyktan children all stood between their mother and father, looking up at their auntie, uncle and cousins. Ilhia kissed all four of their foreheads, and then kissed her sister, her mother, and her brother on their cheeks.

"We will meet again," Tsu'tey smiled, wrapping his arms around her. She reciprocated, squeezing him tight.

"Be good," Ilhia sniffed, pulling back. Tsu'tey just gripped her arms for a second, and let her go. Neytiri dived into her open arms, tears streaming down her face.

"I wish you did not have to go."

"Me too. Me too."

They were all packed. Ilhia had done most of it the previous night, Ätopä helping her. The girl had decided she was going to accompany them on their journey, and she stood now with Neteyam, speaking to him in low tones. Neteyam had a little smile on his face.

She hugged Mo'at last, her mother's grip on her almost painful. "I See you, my child," she whispered into Ilhia's ear. "I have no doubt your journey will go well."

She could hear Jake and Tsu'tey slapping each other on the back, Tuk hugging her cousins. Her arms tightened for a split second, and then she eased from her mother's grasp.

Jake wanted to go across the ocean, to the Metkayina clan, a reef clan. She could think of nothing worse, but she had to put the kids and Jake first.

It was early in the day, well before most Na'vi were awake. They hadn't wanted to tell anyone, they just wanted to disappear. No doubt the People would ask, but they'd be well away by the time they found out.

Ilhia looked around the massive cave one last time, a strange mixture of regret and sorrow hitting her. They'd lived here for a year, but it had never really felt like home. Not to her.

Txi'a chirped softly from a few feet away, and Ilhia glanced back at her, a soft smile on her face. Lo'ak was standing with his own ikran, the creature nudging him in the chest, and her son grinning and patting her head, mumbling at her.

The notion made her think of Leypa, and then of Leypa's ikran. The poor girl had been gone when they finally got back to their ikrans after he and Spider had been taken. Ilhia hoped the ikran was okay. She must have been missing Leypa dearly.

"We must go," Ilhia said finally, all eyes landing on her. They nodded, Jake looking sombre as he clapped Tsu'tey on the shoulder once more.

They climbed on their ikrans in silence, Tuk climbing on with Ilhia. The six ikrans were in a line, ready to fly up. Ilhia was the last one to rise, waving goodbye to her sister and her brother, not knowing it would be the last time she'd see either of them.

They flew high in the sky, well above the trees, and when they reached the coast line, Jake called out and pointed, towards the sea, towards the unknown.

Ilhia looked back at the forest, at her home, for the last time.

They were leaving everything behind.

***

He'd finally got Spider to convince the demons that he wasn't a threat. It had taken some doing, and he'd still been bound as they'd walked to the demon ship, but Quaritch had eyed him warily, pointed a finger in his face and warned him not to do anything stupid.

So now he and Spider were in the back of a helicopter, four more soldiers and Quaritch in with them too. Leypa's legs were hanging over the side, his feet planted solidly on the metal bars below that helped the machine land. Spider had been forced to perch on Leypa's knee and keep a hold of his arm bind, as the other option was to just float in the back and likely fall out of it.