Chapter Text
A few days had passed since the incident, Spider was doing his best to get used to the fact his legs were not working. Norm and Max were still running tests to verify if Spider's Avatar was compatible for him right now. And Mo'at had still been at the Tree of Souls, searching for answers, any methods that might be found among the memories of the ancestors that might help Sider get his legs back or if Ewya herself may have a solution. She of course, made sure to take breaks, and eat. Sometimes Eywa took time to answer questions and prayers. She was sure Eywa was hearing the prayers of Jake and Neytiri to help Spider get his legs back, whatever form it took.
During that time, Neytiri was preparing. Preparing her ikran. Why. The night before, she and Jake had had a conversation with each other about what should be done.
The Night before
"How can you ask us to abandon everything we love?" Neytiri spat.
"It is to protect the children and our people Neytiri," Jake said.
"Why can't we protect them here?" Neytiri demanded to know.
"Baby. Those ghost walkers know about Spider. Alright. And they have probably told the whole RDA about him by now. They may have been after me and you to begin with, but they'll see him as their main query now. And with how vulnerable Spider's condition is right now, if he stays anywhere near here, too close to the RDA, they'll exploit that. Remember, I used to be sky person. I came from the other world. If their history has taught me anything, conquerors will exploit any opportunity, especially vulnerable individuals of their enemy," Jake told her.
"But Spider's just a boy. Would they really come after him out of all of us? He's no major threat in his condition," Neytiri pointed out.
"They don't know about his condition. And you saw how Quarritch and his group had our children. If that's how harsh they were treating them there, I can't imagine if a single one of our children got taken by the RDA back to their stronghold what they would do there. But Spider, they'd think he'd be the easiest to break, because he was born of them, so they'll be after him first," Jake said.
Neytiri hadn't thought about it that way. But now that Jake pointed it out, it made the most sense. Spider was after all, Quarritch's birth son, or at least of the past sky person version of him. If this unblessed ghost walker was The Demon come back from the abyss of darkness, he might think he could get in Spider's good graces. He might think he could turn Spider on the Sully's. She wouldn't let that happen. He was their son, by the will of Eywa. And after The Demon had fired the grenade that had put Spider in his condition, whatever rights to Spider that ghost walker thought he had, the right was gone as far as Neytiri was concerned. Honestly, that right of parentage was lost to The Demon after his abandonment of the boy. Knowledge wasn't lost to her that yes, she was The Demon's killer of his sky person body, but she was also aware, thanks to the careful eyes of their sky people allies, that Quarritch had abandoned Spider as a father, far before his sky person death at Neytiri's hands.
And the sky person "foster parents", as Jake called them, The McCoskers, were not much better, before the Sully's took Spider in. Always being way too strict with him, but never with their own blood born relations, punishing Spider for some of the simplest things. And worst of all, there were days he'd be locked up by them, just for "spending too much time" outside in Pandora. Neytiri had been the one to break him out, after she heard her children complain how the McCoskers refused to let them see him, saying that he was being punished, just for playing with them. The boy was only 5 years at the time, and being locked up for playing with children around his age. That did not sit right with Neytiri. When Neytiri approached the McCoskers, demanding an explanation as to why they were locking Spider away like some sort query, the McCoskers tried to lie as to why the boy was being locked up, but Neytiri broke through their lie, with some intimidation tactics and discovered this wasn't the first time they had locked Spider up for no good reason. The other scientist admitted they had no knowledge of this, and felt bad they didn't investigate, but Neytiri did not blame them. They had not taken on the role of fostering Spider, and Spider never came to them about it, so how could they have known? But after her discovery, while the McCoskers protested that Spider was better off with his own kind, and they were his best chance to be raised properly on Pandora, Neytiri could tell that the McCoskers were treating Spider more like a foot soldier then a son. She was not gonna stand for Spider being treated as if he were already supposed to be a warrior, so she and Jake agreed to adopt Spider into the Sully family. Some clan members protested at first, but after hearing Spider's story, the clan agreed, he was better off with the Navi. The boy needed a family, not just babysitters. And Neytiri had been happy to learn she had made the right call 11 years ago, cause the day the RDA returned, they sent a message to promise amnesty to anyone willing to re-join the RDA, to which the McCoskers were quick to accept. Who knows what might have happened to Spider, had he stayed with the McCoskers. But one good thing they did do, was not tell the RDA about Spider.
back to present day
Neytiri had just finished rigging her Ikran, Amethyst, whom she had named after the Earth Rock, because Amethyst's eyes had reminded her of the rock she had learned of at Grace's school. She had rigged a new type of seat. A seat that would allow Spider to ride on the ikran in his current state. She could detach and rig it to any of the family's ikrans too, so, if one of her children wanted to fly with Spider on the journey, it would be easy to place. The family was planning to leave, get as far away as possible. Spider was coming with them. The farther away they were from RDA influence the safer all their children were. Norm and Max protested that they should stay here, because there was no way to link Spider to his new Avatar, if they did find out Spider could link, with or without the growth acceleration of his avatar. But when Jake pointed out the huge target that was on Spider's back now, Norm and Max did agree, the farther he was from Bridgehead, the safer he would be. She watched as Spider was showing the attitude of "Sully's never quit", a phrase Jake was always saying, alongside "Sully's stick together". And Sully's did stick together. If they went, Spider went with them. Tomorrow, the family would make their way to the Metkayena. The Sea Clans. Jake had made friends with an Olo'eyktan named Tonowari there. His mate, and the Tsa'hik of the tribe, Ronal, wasn't exactly considered a friend, but she wasn't an enemy either. Jake felt if he explained everything, the leaders would allow him and his family to stay with them. Including Spider. He prayed to Eywa that there would be no demands made of Spider, especially in his condition.
After Neytiri was done with the final fitting of the seat she would place Spider in, she heard the clan cheer. That meant one thing. Their Tsahik, her mother, had returned from the Tree of Souls with her group of lookouts. She hoped to hear good news. So, she made her way to Mo'at's mauri. When she got there, she greeted her mother. "I trust Spider has been coping with his condition, daughter," Mo'at said.
"The best he can. He's showing that he won't let his inability to walk keep his spirits down. But I worry mother. So much going on. I really worry for him," Neytiri admitted.
"You wouldn't be a good mother if you didn't worry for him Ma Neytiri. If there's one thing you two have in common though, Spider is as stubborn as you are. Always trying to show he can take care of something, even when others offer help. It's just how he is," Mo'at pointed out.
Neytiri wanted to protest that she wasn't "that" stubborn, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew her mother was right. "Did Eywa provide answers. Has the great mother anything to offer Spider?" Neytiri inquired.
"She has answered daughter. And it seems she was one step ahead of you," Mo'at started.
"A... step ahead?" Neytiri wondered.
"She revealed to me that Spider will get his legs back. I cannot reveal how, as she has asked me to keep that information private. But she did tell me to say that in order to help Spider with getting the ability to walk again, he needs to be away from the Sky Demons' influences. Our tree is too close, and while she is able to ward off the Sky People flying into the Tree of Life's territory, she cannot deal with the ghost walkers as easily, as part of them is part of our world. The way she needs to deal with them is different from how she can deal the other sky people who are not ghost walkers or our allies. And she knows that her son Spider is at risk if he stays here. So she will have further answers to reveal to you when the time is right, to help Spider walk again, and it will be out at sea. With the Metkayena. When you get there, be sure to consult with Ronal, have her speak with Eywa. Ronal may be strict, but she is understanding," Mo'at finished.
"But what if they don't accept us mother. What if the Metkayena demand we leave, or demand that Spider leave?" Neytiri worried.
"The will of Eywa can not be undone. The Metkayena would be abandoning Eywa if they demanded any of you leave their presence. Be calm Ma Neytiri. Soon enough, you "will" see your son walking again. And the Metkayena will accept you and your family," Mo'at said.
Neytiri did have an emotional moment, as she hugged her mother. She'd be far from everything she had known most of her life. But Mo'at assured her that, if her family is with her, part of the forest goes with her too, and she'll never truly be gone. And Mo'at promised to visit when she could spare time. After the two had their conversation, Neytiri headed back to the family mauri, where she informed everyone that tomorrow, they'd be making their departure. Jake had chosen Tarsem to become the new Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya. The clan were insistent of Jake to reconsider, but Jake always had a way to show reasoning behind his actions. If any of them were in his situation as clan leader, what would they do? Would they risk the safety of their clan and kin, all because they chose to ignore Eywa's will? Eywa's influence was something the clan could not ignore. They had seen what had happened to clan members in the past who tried to do so, when Jake originally became their Olo'eyktan. Tarsem, while reluctant to take the mantle, accepted the honor, and promised to do his best to live up to the example of the sixth Toruk Makto.
When morning arrived, the people traveled to the Tree of Souls, where the ceremony of transferring leadership took place. "The leader must die, so that the leader can be born," is what the ancestors had taught them. Jake had received the ceremonial cut, to show he no longer held the title of Olo'eyktan. Toruk Makto would always be held by him. He is only one of six who had ever ridden "The Last Shadow". The tears of the people were heard. Many wishing the family well and that Spider would once again walk. Spider shed a few tears of his own. He was going to miss the place he had called home all his life. But even he could not protest Eywa's will. Her will was that his healing would take place away from here. Away from the ghost walkers who had caused this. Away from The Demons. Soon, Neytiri made sure Spider was properly secured to the seat that had been made for him. Afterwards, she and Tuk mounted Amethyst and the rest of the family soon followed suit. Jake lead the family away from the Tree of Souls. They could hear the cries of their people, as they watched the Sully's depart. Mo'at shed her own tears as she watched her daughter disappear from sight.
When the sun had reached its highest point in the skies of Pandora, the Sully family had reached the edge of the forest, and the open ocean before them. Everyone looked back. Everyone making a silent goodbye to the home they loved. All wondered what life awaited them, as they made their way to the Metkayena's stronghold. Would Tonowari be as welcoming as Jake remembered him? Would Ronal be too strict? Would the reef people demand they leave, even if the clan leaders accepted their situation? The Sully's were not sure what to expect. Neytiri trusted the words of her mother, but as a mother of her own, the doubting questions still lingered even in her head. But if this was Eywa's will, who was she to defy Eywa's will. Her family needed to be safe, and Spider's healing was out here at sea. How exactly, she herself could not answer. But she'd figure it out somehow.