A Part Of The Custody Battle
Summary of my AU: This fanfiction is inspired by The Boy; basically, it’s a Spider-Center fic, an orphan being seen by both families from different clans. Both want to adopt him and show him unconditional love, which he didn’t have in his childhood, and they couldn’t withstand a life without him in their daily life.Â
Oh boy, he had a difficult time picking which family should’ve a custody of him.
Once Spider was healed from his sunburn, he felt more rested than he had been for the past few days. He still remembers Norm's conversation with him about how Ronal wanted to adopt him. He came to realize that Ronal had welcomed the Marui and their children plenty of times, and allowed him to have a wonderful meal with her family. He always wished to have a parental figure who would give him eyes of unconditional love, like how either Neytiri or Jake would give him those eyes, but never received until the threat through 16 years of his life. He sees every gesture toward him as a reasonable reaction because he couldn’t control what every child couldn’t – a parent. He would’ve imagined a scenario where he belonged with the Sully - a part of a family who show support and affection – a silly image he would’ve told himself until 16.
The set of thoughts was disrupted once Elder Uma(Tonowari’s mother) came into the elder’s pavilion. However, she brought another person with her, a Navi. Elder Uma introduces him to Spider.Â
“Spider, this is Vael. He is here to solve the problem between the two families who wanted to adopt you. But how are you, young Spider?”
Spider said, ”I am fine, Elder Uma, but before I can come to a conclusion on who could adopt me. May I come outside for some fresh air and the feeling of the ocean around my body?”
Elder Uma is always pleased to know that this boy is always respectful to everybody, no matter the age; he treats each person with dignity and is eager to help. She was willing to convince the boy to be a part of her family, and the amount of joy when she was able to call him her grandson, and teach him similarly to how she taught Anoung and Tsireya. Unluckily, she couldn’t influence the boy's choice because she wanted the boy to make his choice to pick which family was suitable for him.
“Of course, Young Spider, but you shouldn’t be putting too much pressure on yourself since your recent recovery.”
“Yes, Elder Uma, I will not put myself into many situations.”
Elder Uma had a lot of trust in him, but she was worried about how he could scare, and painick would let him undergo another cruel healing process again.Â
“But I advise you not to communicate with any of the family, which is why I will go with you to ensure your safety.”
Spider was shocked by the answer, but he couldn’t complain about her answer because it was an opportunity to come outside since he was in a strict place to heal his unfortunate wound. At least, he could view far away and wave to his friends like L’oak, Kiri, Tuk, Tsireya, and Anoung. Importantly, his favorite is Prier.Â
“Thank you so much, Elder Uma —”
“Before we could come outside, your human healer advised you to put on sunscreen to avoid injury and ensure some water at your side at all times.”
“Yes, Elder Uma.”
Just like that, Spider went off to put on his sunscreen and garment(This isn’t the one Jake made for him, but instead Elder Uma made it for him while healing) to make sure he isn’t expose to the sun; he had his water bottle, which is an organic skin water bottle, to make sure he had accessible all times. He didn’t want to experience those agitated moments ever again. He is excited to see Ronal and thanks her for the supplies.Â
“Alright, I’m ready to go.” He walks up to Elder Uma with a cheerful smile. Elder Uma smiled back at him and raised her hand to stop him for a sec.Â
“We need to inform people outside not to bother you in any situation, including both of the families Â
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As one of the messengers from the elder’s Pavilion comes out, they seem to have a message to announce to either the family or the village. Either way, all of the people become quiet, and both families stand outside the Pavilion waiting patiently for the message about their boy. It’s already 3 days, so their boy could recover from his injuries. They couldn’t wait to open their arm out, just for the boy to run toward them and hug them, and just say these magical words, “Mom, Dad ”. Plan pop up as a way to spend time with him, and fulfill his childhood absence, a parental figure.
“I would like to announce that the Boy had recover from his fatal injuries. However, no one could bother both the boy and elder Uma. They must distance themselves from the boy 10ft due to his recent recovery.”
10 ft! Away from Spider, their boy. The idea of hugging him and asking him about his recovery was set aside. The thought of being able to see him was already joyful to them, but not showing physical affection just left them a little bit of emptiness. Both Ronal and Tonowari lower their ear when they hear they are unable to communicate. Neytiri and Jake grasp each other hand looking down.Â
Both of the families know they couldn’t do much as their opinion couldn’t influence the elder's mind for a second of hugging Spider and repeating the word on how they could be glad to see him as a part of the family, reminding him that he brings enormous joy – how it is meaningless to see that specific happiness to be vanished out of their life.Â
The children from both families were so grateful that Spider had recovered from his aggravated injuries. But they weren’t fond of how they couldn’t drag their brother to many activities they wanted him to join with them, such as riding a ilu until sunset, cooking the family meal, crafting something to symbolize their bond, and making him a songcord that he should’ve received as a child.Â
Among and Tsireya were upset that they couldn’t do those activities with Spider, and they expressed to the situation. Hearing those sentences from the messenger hurt, but they couldn’t convince any elder, including their grandmother, to let them have the chance to laugh with him or run up to him and hug him. Â
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As Spider walked out of the entrance, his vision was welcomed by the beautiful ocean. He couldn’t describe how mesmerize is by the Ocean here. He walked out first with Elder Uma behind him to watch him with careful eyes. He looked back with a wide, cheerful smile that Elder Uma returned. Something captured his vision, something else blue, but a different shade.Â
One family was lighter blue, and he was eager to wave enthusiastically at them with a warm smile, but he knew he should follow the elder's demand that the distance between the two families should be 10 feet. He recalls the warming gesture they showed him. The children waved him back, but the messenger's message had cemented their legs. Both parents saw him with teary eyes. How they miss his personality and actions to make their home feel warmer.Â
Spider looks to the other side. It was the Sully; they reminded him of the forest he was raised in. The leaf always offers him protection from the sun. The animals were always a proud symbol of the warrior, of how Eywa could create majestic, but powerful creatures that protect the balance. Recently, they had tried making up since… but he would wave enthusiastically at the family, similar to how he waved to the previous family.Â
He heard a whine and cry from his right side. It’s Prier who is trying to reach him by raising both of her hands. He couldn’t withstand her tears as he tried to hold up every inch of his body not to walk up to Prier and calm her down.Â
He looks behind to make eye contact with Elder Uma.
“Elder Uma, may I calm down, Prier? I understand she couldn’t, but I couldn’t withstand her despair from being unable to reach me previously.”
Elder Uma wasn’t surprised by Spider's question and urge to comfort her granddaughter. She recognizes Spider as the baby's favorite person. She knew both families weren’t able to contact him, but it was tolerable for the youngling to come and visit him. She comes toward Tonowari, who was yearning to welcome the boy to the family as much as possible, but she needs to stand on her ground.Â
“Tonowari, son, could I have Prier come with Spider and me since the baby was missing the warmth of the child?”
“Of course, mother, ” as Ronal handed over the baby to Elder Uma as she walked closer to Spider, she continued trying to extend her hand to reach for him as Spider opened both his arms to welcome her. Once Prier reached her destination, suddenly her crying seemed to stop as she wailed a happy laugh and a smile as she hugged him like he was gone for centuries. Spider heard a similar voice from the distant left, Tuk. He missed her dearly. As she cried tearfully, standing and looking down at the sand. He looks up at Elder Uma with pleasing eyes and is about to ask her.Â
“I know, young Spide,r that you wanted to come visit these younglings, seems like you left an imprint on them.”
Spider had a little blush across his cheek and said, “Well, I'm always glad to be there no matter the circumstance.”
Elder Uma walks up to the Sully family and kneels to Tuk. She could see the hope in the girl's eyes to see her sibling figure.Â
“Would you like to see him as well?”
Tuk nodded vigorously, almost as if she could have lost a neck. The Elder Uma stood and held out her hand for Tuk to hold, saying, “Let go, young one, let's see some of the activities he wants to do with you guys.” Tuk took her hand without any thought, but with a goal(to see her brother).
Tuk ran up to him as he held the baby with one arm, she hugged him tightly as if he was disappearing throughout her life. Spider look both of the girls' eyes, said, “How about we swim in the ocean? I kind of miss the feeling of the wave.”
Tuk essentially said, “Yes! Of course, we should, and I have plenty of stories to tell you about while you are practicing Prier.” He giggles at the energetic behavior, how he missed so much.Â
As Tuk holds Spider’s hand as they are walking to the beach, Elder Uma smiles at the scene where he leads both joy to the girls.
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Not gonna bother; the families are kinda jealous of their youngest one, who was with him. But they’re glad that their young one get to play with him without any conflict in mind. Both families see this moment as a reminder — for the last 3 days, the boy was recovering, their meals don’t feel as delicious with his zealous personality and storytelling to their children — the moment the family had in him in their life, they feel like Eywa gifted light as a person.
Both could have bothered to walk away, but slowly sat down to reminisce about their past and present with or without him. Elder Uma stood at the shore watching these rascals playing until their hearts' content.Â
Neytiri wanted to run up to Spider and scoop him up, and went to her mom to officiate his adoption as a part of Sully. Ronal was in a similar situation to Neytiri, picking Spider up and making the adoption official by either the elder or her. Importantly, Ronal particularly wants him to be hugged during the nighttime, like how an otter mother would hug their children to keep them safe from danger and drifting away because she can’t stop remembering the human technology of showing how small Spider was when he was a baby. If Eywa had the power of time traveling, she would’ve begged to see how the baby could be held in a hand.
She was quite frustrated that Neytiri was able to have an opportunity to be a mother figure to him, but instead showed him the same hatred as any of the RDA.
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As much as Spider enjoys his time with his playmate, his stomach starts to rumble. He was hoping no one would hear the rumbling noise. Both families had heard his stomach rumble as a sign of hunger. They couldn’t let their boy be in a hungry state for a second, so their thought was to step aside and start to go back to Marui to make him a meal he would like.Â
Elder Uma held up her hand and said, “Boy, are you hungry right now?”
Spider blushed at the statement and said, “Yeah, I’m kind of hungry. But I could make myself some of the meals that the human makes for me during my recovery.”
Elder Uma remembers his tears and sounds during his recovery as a recall from the human doctor that it’s normal for humans to experience this because his body is trying to recover the damage as much as possible. Displeased about the boy's experience, but she felt agitated when she saw the human feeding him food that was lack of culture, such as color. She raised a hand.Â
“No, you should eat a meal that celebrates your recovery, not a repetitive reminder of the progress you experience.”
Anyway, that's how far I got. If you enjoy, I could continue further.