An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
by gOtbreadlOOser
summary: Somewhere between bad decisions, oversized clothes, and a trunk full of memories, Jake Sully’s past comes spilling out—and with it, the chance for his sons to understand him a little better.
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I recently read that story and I loved it so much! If you're interested what Jake has in his trunk of memories, go read this story! <3
Kiri going apeshit over Spider and killing anyone who has hurt him...
But what about Spider going apeshit over Kiri and killing anyone who has hurt her?
We already saw him going crazy when Quaritch had shifted his attention toward her. We all watched as Spider thrashed in the Recom’s grip, snapping and spitting like a cornered animal, all restraint gone. All pure rage in that itty bitty human body. If given even half a chance, he would have torn them apart with his bare hands to keep her safe.
There’s something so terrifying about Spider unleashing hell for Kiri. Imagine this scrawny, smart-mouthed teenager filled with nothing but piss and vinegar, finding Kiri bloodied and hurt. Something in him would simply snap. You thought Quaritch was frightening? His son is worse. Spider has studied his father's brutality up close. He has watched it, endured it, and memorized it. Everything he learned in captivity, about intimidation, about traps, about psychological warfare, he weaponizes. Grenades are rigged beneath patrol routes. Deadly booby traps hidden in the undergrowth. Poisoned darts shot in the dark. He becomes a one-man army, striking without warning, vanishing before anyone can see his face.
By the time Jake finally tracks him down and drags him back to the reef, it’s already too late. Spider has left devastation in his wake. Clenched in his fist are over a hundred stolen dog tags, cold, clinking trophies of the men who dared lay hands on Kiri. He refuses to surrender them. The Metkayina stare at him in stunned silence as he dismounts Bob and walks past them without a word, blood dried dark against his pale pink skin, eyes distant and unrepentant.
He steps straight into the Sully marui where Kiri rests, propped in her hammock, beadwork pooled in her lap. She looks up and smiles. Not at the blood caked in his skin. Not at the dog tags clenched tight in his fist. At him. Kiri reaches for him with her long arms as if nothing is wrong, as if he is not shaking from adrenaline and weeks of sleepless nights in a rage. He offers the dog tags to her like proof, like an offering. She huffs, knocks them aside without a glance, and pulls him down into her embrace, uncaring of the blood smearing against her skin.
No speeches. No reprimands. Just the quiet sound of their breathing evened out as they curled together in the hammock. For the first time in weeks, since the day she was hurt, they finally sleep.
The Cove of the Ancestors was festively decorated. After all, it was a very special day. For the first time, an Omatikaya and a Mangkwan would belong together before Eywa. The sun stood high in the sky, making the sea sparkle. The village had gathered in a cluster on the beach. At the very front stood Tonowari and Jake. Neytiri and her children were a bit off to the side.
Their hair and bodies were elaborately adorned. Bright colors swirled in spirals and lines down their arms and legs. Feathers were braided into their hair, and Kiri wore necklaces of shells and pearls. Spider had climbed onto a large rock to be able to see something in the crowd of tall Na'vi.
And now, through the middle of this crowd, Neteyam and So'ley stepped forward. They held hands, as tightly as if the slightest breeze might tear them apart. They were adorned as well. Neteyam wore the body paint of the Omatikaya, along with jewelry of the Metkayina. On So'ley's body hung a beautifully woven garment, which Kiri and Tsireya had made in the days before. Her usually open hair was fixed in an intricate braid at the back of her head, and she radiated joy.
Tonowari's headdress trembled as he moved and joyfully raised his arms. "Welcome!" he called to the crowd. "My friends, my brothers and sisters. This is a special day." He paused as Neteyam and So'ley stopped in the middle of the cove, right in front of him and Jake. Neteyam's heart pounded faster than ever. The Olo'eyktan and his father looked down at the couple with pride.
"We have gathered today to congratulate Neteyam and So'ley on the beginning of their journey," Tonowari placed a broad hand on each of their shoulders. "Their love is witnessed before Eywa. We pray to her that this love will never fade. That she will make the sun shine for them, and that their bond will be as fruitful as the sea."
A little shyly, Neteyam glanced over at So'ley. She smiled at him, and Neteyam knew he would love her forever. He would provide for her, protect her, and take care of her. He would give his life for her.
"We pray to Eywa that she may give her blessing." Tonowari released the couple and turned to the people. "And no matter which clan we belong to," he continued, "we Na'vi are one people. No matter where we come from, love will unite us." He looked back down at Neteyam and So'ley. "Do you swear, before Eywa, to preserve this love? Do you swear to walk the path of life together, to support the clan, and to honor each other and Eywa?"
Neteyam nodded. "I swear." So'ley did the same, and Tonowari smiled proudly. "Then may Tsaheylu be your witness." According to Na'vi custom, a man and woman were bound as life partners once they bonded with Tsaheylu for the first time. That Nete and So'ley had already done this was something no one needed to know. Neteyam turned to his partner and raised his kuru.
She connected with him, and Neteyam felt what he had already experienced. His spirit opened, received So'ley's soul, and they became one. Their breathing slowed, their hearts beat in unison. Only vaguely did he hear Tonowari congratulating them as life partners. Only when So'ley detached her kuru from his did he hear the clan leader's voice loud and clear. "So Eywa, may it be!"
The people repeated this saying, and Tonowari nodded to the couple. Neteyam turned back to So'ley with a pounding heart. His Muntxate. They had discussed the ceremony's proceedings beforehand. And yet, it caught Neteyam off guard when So'ley placed her lips on his. Like a seal, the kiss represented the beginning of their marriage. Excitement grew in Neteyam. But also joy. Joy for what was to come, for his future with So'ley.
By the time the sun disappeared behind the sea, the people were already deep in the celebration of the ceremony. Drums and singing echoed over the village. Torches and colorful lights danced along the beach. Neteyam's siblings whirled around with the Olo'eyktan's children. Spider and Lo'ak seemed to have had too much of the intoxicating drink that was offered at the celebration, singing loudly into the night.
So'ley and Neteyam had taken a small moment for themselves and walked along the beach. Behind them, at the edge of the village, stood Neytiri watching them. Her eyes glistened suspiciously. Then Jake came up behind her and put an arm around her shoulders. His body paint was already smeared from the celebration and dancing.
"We lose our firstborn so quickly" Jake murmured. Neytiri nudged him in the side. "Don't say that, Ma Jake!" Her voice sounded angry, but Jake recognized the pride and sadness in it. "He's in good hands," he said, looking at the two silhouettes in the distance. Pride filled his chest, and he silently thanked Eywa that Neteyam had found the same happiness as he himself had so many years ago.
Neytiri turned to him. "Things will be different." Jake smiled and pulled her closer. With his thumb, he wiped away a single stubborn tear that ran down Neytiri's cheek. "Yes, it will. But he will always remain our son." She smiled bravely and laid her head against his strong chest. "Hold me."
Neteyam took So'ley's hand and placed one of the shell pearls in it that they had received from Tonowari after the ceremony. So'ley lifted her head and looked at him. She grinned apologetically. "I still don't know what this is." Neteyam chuckled. "These are pearls for our songcords."
"What are songcords?"
He stopped and reached for the cord that always hung on his belt. Colorful pearls were strung on it. Occasional bones and ornaments interrupted the string of pearls. "This is my songcord. Each of these pearls stands for a specific song, an event, or an important moment in my life," he began. So'ley took the cord from his hand and examined it.
"Whenever something wonderful or significant happens in our lives, we link it to a pearl," he pointed to a turquoise pearl in the middle of the cord. "Like here. This one stands for when I tamed my ikran. Usually, we connect the pearls and events with a lyric, so that our lives become an ever-growing song."
So'ley's eyes widened. "Wow, that's beautiful!" She looked admiringly at Neteyam's songcord. "I wish I had something like that." Nete smiled. "You can start now." With that, he held up the pearl in his hand and pointed to the end of his songcord. The same identical pearl was threaded there. "This one is for us. For you," he said. So'ley's eyes flickered up. She looked at him lovingly. "You've woven me into your songcord."
Neteyam had to laugh. "Of course." He couldn't imagine a life without her anymore. "You are everything to me, So'ley. I love you." Her eyes became moist. "I love you too." She hugged him exuberantly. Neteyam smiled and held her tight. He would never let her go again. Never would he let her go. She was his, they belonged together.
"Will you show me how to make a songcord?" she murmured into his shoulder. He had to smile. "Of course." He would do anything for her. For his fire girl.