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Chapter Text

It was a great day in Neytiri's eyes. The evil demon Sky People were defeated. The sky allies were promised safety here on Pandora, at least, they were not under threat from Na'vi clans attacking them while the demons were sent back to the skies they came, with the one coward telling them things weren't over. Neytiri called him coward after the Dreamwalkers spoke of how he hid under his desk when they and the sky people allies attacked the, what they called "command center" shattering the invisible barrier thing they called a window. She silently laughed in her mind at the thought of Selfridge cowering like a child who knew the were in trouble with grown-ups, like she had seen with Tsu'tey when they were kids and he had gotten in trouble. She knew if he were here now, he'd be proud of this moment. But his spirit was with Eywa, as was Grace, and their stories of what they did for the Omaticaya would be long told in the stories for generations to come. 

Just then, Neytiri saw something. It was an Atokirina. A wood sprite was what the Sky People had named them, like they had named Toruk a Great Leonopteryx. The Atokirina touched Neytiri's shoulder, then, it flew again in the direction of Hells Gate. Neytiri hesitated, but when the Atokirina hovered in place, as if to wait for Neytiri, she understood that it wanted her to follow. Neytiri told Jake she needed to check on something, and Jake nodded, understanding it was a fool's errand to try and bark commands at the one who had taught him to be Na'vi in the first place. The other Na'vi did not question what Neytiri was doing, they saw the Atokirina, and understood it was meant for her to follow. They only watched a brief moment, before refocusing their eyes back to the departing Sky People.

Neytiri wasn't sure where the Great Mother was leading her, but she felt that it must be something important, as more Atokirina joined the one she was following. She hadn't seen so many since her first encounter with Jake. It sent her heart into a state of excitement. Obviously, she was being led to something very important. But why at the Sky People's metal home tree? What had the Sky People hidden here? These were questions she could not immediately have answered. She made her way into the command center that had been trashed by Max and the Avatars. She then went through an air-lock walkway, as Jake called it, and, remembering what Jake told her about these, she waited until the proper amount of breathable air for Sky People was properly distributed in the walkway after the door closed behind her, once the other door opened for her and the Atokirina that had made it in with her, she followed them through the walkway, and into the halls of the metal home tree, she walked by the scientists that were too busy looking at the plants and pictures of the wildlife of Pandora to notice her walking through. She thought in Navi, "These Sky People, excited by the very beasts that could easily make them lunch, no wonder they were not fighting. They are like little children. Now I see where Ma Jake gets it from."

She giggled at this thought, jokingly wondering if they should all just be put in the community nursery area when the new Home Tree was finished. They'd fit right in with young Omaticaya children. She saw many things that looked like toys for the Sky People, or whatever the Sky People used them for that didn't seem to be of any threat to her people. She did see one area that had housed the metal ikrans and metal people that needed the smaller Sky People to operate them. Jake and Trudy had called them Exo-Suits. But at this point, the suits and metal ikrans seemed to be, well, let's just say most would never fly or walk again, save a few metal ikrans and maybe an exo-suit or two. Then, she heard something. Something she did not expect to hear in a place like this. A child's voice. What was a child doing here? Had the Sky People kidnapped one of the Ometicaya’s children when no one was watching? The sounds of the child was coming from the direction the Atokirina were leading her. Neytiri's pace quickened, had it not been for the low hanging doorways, she would have been in full on sprint toward the sounds of the child. Max noticed her rushing by and proceeded to follow, not calling her attention, as her state of mind seemed to indicate she was worried, and trying to draw it might get her to react in a hostile manner by accident. 

Neytiri then came to a room. And what she saw, honestly, she was at a loss for words..... it was a sky person. A tiny sky person. A child. And from what she could tell, barely starting to walk. What was it doing here? Why had the Atokirina led her to this child? She could tell it was a boy. He had hair that was gold like their bright sky light known as Tsawke (Navi for Sun). His eyes, however, were amber, much like many forest Na'vi. They were human sized, but the eye color, certainly fit more with the Na'vi then the sky people. His skin's coloration seemed to be a little mixed. It wasn't blue like Navi. Parts were darker and parts were lighter but the patterns seemed to blend well with one another. He was wearing, not surprisingly, a sky person loin cloth, which made sense based one where he was and how old he was.

Neytiri felt the boy couldn't be any older than a year... maybe less at this point, but she could tell he was strong. She crouched down and looked at him curiously. She tilted her head to one side. The boy did the same. She tilted it the other way and he mimicked her movement of her head. This made her smile a bit. She reached out her finger towards the boy. He grabbed onto it with his tiny hands. "So tiny, yet so adventurous," she said aloud to no one in particular.

"I see you met Miles," came the voice of Max.

Neytiri turned her head to face him, gently making Miles let her finger go. And turned around to face Max. "Why sky child not with sky parents? Why he not go back to home in the stars?" Neytiri inquired in her best English.

Norm stepped in and answered, "His parents, are well, there's no easy way to put this. They are dead."

Neytiri gasped. The boy was what the Navi called Hasa which meant a child without parents in their language. But that had not answered her question of why he was here at Hells Gate and not getting on the the metal Toruk they called a space ship. Max further explained to her that Miles couldn't be put into what was called cryo-sleep. It was the main reason no sky person under the age of 18 years had ever shown up on Pandora in the 35 years the sky people had been on Pandora. Technology hadn't advanced enough to make it safe for anyone younger than 18 to fly through space in cryo, as far as they knew since having arrived.

When Neytiri inquired who Miles' parents were, Norm and Max were hesitant to say. Neytiri could tell that his parents obviously were demon sky people, but it was because of their actions, not because of their blood. She knew this, so, in her eyes, whoever Miles' parents were, it would not change how Neytiri saw the tiny sky person. Max then revealed the boy's mother, Paz Socorro, which is why he was named Miles Socorro. It wasn't someone that Neytiri recognized, but if she was dead due to the battle, she obviously was dead because of the side she chose. But Neytiri was shocked when Max stated Quaritch was Miles' father. Then she hissed, not at the fact "The" demon was the boy's father, but the fact that Quartich had shown no love towards the miracle he helped create. Paz hadn't sounded much better, but perhaps she had shown some attention to the son she had spawned. When Neytiri looked at the boy, she couldn't see "The Demon" in the way he looked. All she saw was a curious little thing exploring his world. But then, she saw something. Something that she hadn't seen since the battle between her mate and The Demon. The little boy started to react as if he couldn't breath. "Oh No! We have to take him outside", Norm screamed.

Neytiri was confused. Take him outside? Wouldn't that kill him? He was just a child. A gift. Neytiri chased after Norm who was carrying Miles, who still had trouble breathing, as Norm also donned his exo pack. She couldn't exactly catch up to Norm due to the low hanging door ways, to stop him. She then followed the two into the air lock, where she could feel it, her own home's air again. And to her surprise, the boy started to breath better. She looked at Norm, then at the boy, then back at Norm. As the doors to the outside opened, Neytiri uttered, "How?........"

"It's not something I can rightfully say that I know how, at the moment Neytiri, but.... Miles here, he's the only human who can breath your air without it poisoning him. Max and I are still trying to figure out how that is. But we have to make sure to get him out here as often as possible. We don't know how Na'vi food will affect him though, so we've only given him Pandoran foods we know are not toxic to humans so far, and well.... they are pureed since," Norm showed that Miles had no teeth yet.

"May I?" Neytiri held out her hands in gesture to request to hold Miles.

"Oh, uh... sure," Norm said.

Neytiri carefully took the little sky boy into her arms. He was so small, so fragile, but she could tell he was strong. That would serve him well here. The boy gently batted at her face with his tiny hands, making her smile. She could hold his entire body in one hand, and yet, he showed no fear in her presence. Most Na'vi children gave her a bit of a wide berth, due to Neytiri's reputation, but little Miles here did not. Just then she heard, "NEYTIRI WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!" 

She looked up to see Jake, who had watched the last of the sky people leave a little while ago, sprinting over. It was thanks to Norm's intervention that Jake stopped in his tracks, but Neytiri had already started to hold little Miles close to her chest as if to shield him from something fierce, which in a sense she was, but, relaxed when Jake calmed down. Norm explained how Miles was special, that he was in no danger without mask out here. That surprised Jake in a good way. But then when it was revealed who was the boy's father, Jake nearly lost it. But Neytiri soon got his head on straight as she said, "All children, even Sky children are gifts Ma Jake. The Atokirina show he be meant for something here. I know not what be his purpose, but Great Mother has spoken and you will not treat him bad or I throw you off ikrans' rookery next chance I get."

All the other Omaticaya warriors who had followed Jake here, backed up a pace. It was not every day they got to see a leader be humbled let alone threatened by another in the clan. But to say it to the sixth Toruk Makto? That was bold. Then again, this was Toruk Makto's teacher they were looking at. Jake himself gulped. He knew better then to lecture his own teacher about how things should be done. And she was right, he knew she was. And hearing that there was really no love between the father and his own son, Jake felt bad. While his own dad back on Earth hadn't exactly been a saint, he was at least a man who showed he cared about Jake and Tommy.

But now it was left to determine what would happen with Miles, as his parents were both gone, he was a breather of Pandoran air, like Norm had told him, was too young for cryo sleep to send back to Earth. Plus, Jake couldn't bare the thought of Earth's RDA finding out Miles could breath Pandora's air and what awful things they'd do to Miles if he did go to Earth. Things they would claim were "in the pursuit of scientific discovery". Not a thought Jake relished. But it was a puzzling question, what to do with a young orphaned sky child who would grow up on Pandora? 

Chapter Text

"Look Jake. The best idea is to keep Miles here. He'd be safe at here at Hell's Gate. At least til we have some more tests run," Norm argued.

"Safe? Test Runs? Norm, he's a boy, not a lab experiment. And what if the one 'taking care of him' forgets that he needs to be outside at certain points?" Jake said, not entirely sure what was coming over him.

"But Pandora is dangerous Jake. Too many risks face little Miles. You've been out there. You know what it's like," Max interjected.

"You're right. I do know what it's like. And I know it would be better for him out here, than to cooped up in this building," Jake argued.

"He's not ready for Pandora. He's too young," Max insisted. 

"And who of you plan to be Sempul (father) and Sa'nok (mother) to Milesocorro?" Neytiri asked as she cradled the little boy in her arms.

Max and Norm looked at each other. Neither of them had "actually" intended to take on the role of father, and no one else was stepping up to take on the role of mother and father for Miles. "Milesocorro is Hasa, and no Sky Person is willing to be new Sempul or Sa'nok. It is not the way of our people to let child live without sa'sem (parent). Milesocorro is no different, even if he be sky child," Neytiri scolded.

The boy needed love. Parents' love. Not some caretakers just making sure he survived. Neytiri couldn't understand how none of the Sky People wanted to take on the role of parents. They were acting so childish. And the fact they were so much shorter than full grown Na'vi didn't help them not seem the part. It was true that Pandora was a harsh world to survive in, but Eywa provides all her children the means to be one with the forest. And somehow, Neytiri knew, Eywa would do the same for little Miles. "But what if he were to wander off on you. Or get poisoned by something that even poisons you. We don't know how fatal that may turn out for Miles," Max tried to argue.

"You speak as if we just have whole clan ignore child entirely," Nuktsa, a Navi scout said in his best English, feeling a might insulted. He understood the child was of sky origin, but even he could tell, especially with the wood sprites floating all around them, this child was not a demon.

"And what if the Na'vi kids are mean to him and hurt him? He's more fragile than all of them?" Norm pointed out.

"If children mistreat tiny Hasa, they will have their Tsahik to answer to," Mo'at informed them agressively.

"I still don't know Jake. A moment ago you seemed to want to be at the kid's throat," Norm said.

"And that was a mistake. I let my emotions of having to face Quaritch so recently get the better of me. Besides... this would be the ultimate humiliation for him. To have Miles here become one of the People, that would be the ultimate insult to the demon," Jake pointed out.

 Norm and Max were about to argue, but Jake did make a fine point. Mo'at then approached Neytiri. "Ma Neytiri, are you willing to do this. To walk the path of taking care of the orphan. Will you pledge before Eywa that you will be the boy's mother?"

Neytiri thought long and hard. She looked down at the little child cradled close to her chest. He looked so calm, so peaceful. She knew, though tiny, the boy was strong. And he was born during a war. A war that had claimed both his parents. Little Miles then maneuvered himself to lay comfortably against Neytiri's chest, yawning, before falling asleep in her arms. Neytiri couldn't help but stifle a giggle, watching this. She then looked to her mother and nodded. "And you, Jakesuli, will you join your mate in "vewng hasa" (taking care of orphan)? Will you pledge to Eywa, once you pass through her eye, that you become Milesocorro's Sempul?"

Jake looked over to Neytiri. It was a scene he did not want to destroy. So often, he had seen Neytiri be the most fearsome thing he'd ever seen. Now she was doing it again, but a different way.... in the way only a mother could. To be honest, he feared the wrath of this version of Neytiri, should he refuse, but more to the point, the more he looked at the little human in her arms, the more he just felt, it was right to take on the role. It would be new territory for him. But he'd do the best he could, and all Marines loved a challenge. What greater challenge was there now, than fatherhood? The boy needed a mother and father, not just random caretakers showing no love, and them being random assortments of caretakers. He had seen back on Earth what happened to kids like that. Many of them.... they fell into a dark abyss, seeing the world being against them, and Jake couldn't bare seeing that happened to Miles. Plus, even though he trusted Norm, Max and all their friends, he was still uncomfortable, thinking that, while they might have intentions they saw as beneficial for all staying on Pandora, Miles may still be subjected to things Jake dare not want to picture the boy going through. He also nodded.

"Then Eywa has spoken, and we have listened. Milesocorro will join our clan. He will be son of Ma Neytiri and her Jakesuli. Though.... a new name must be chosen when he is brought before Eywa herself," Mo'at said. She repeated it in English best she could.

Jake was not sure what to call the little spider. He was calling Miles a spider in his mind, because Miles was clinging to Neytiri like a spider does to it's web. Spider?...... that actually seemed to fit. "What do you think of Spider? or maybe at least as a nickname?" Jake suggested.

He explained why he was thinking it, and Neytiri understood. She agreed that it could be his nickname. But official name, well, Neytiri told him "the mother", as in, she herself, should decide. Jake didn't really argue, as he was not the best at picking Na'vi names. Aru, one of the hunters admitted, that the Spider name was probably gonna stick with the boy, even if it were to be considered an unofficial nickname. Max and Norm accepted that there was no changing the Jake and Neytiri's minds on becoming Spider's parents, but Max insisted to at least have him make some visits so they can run some basic tests, but nothing diabolical, to find out what Spider could and could not eat, drink and be around, so that boundaries could be set and the Na'vi weren't foolish to give him something they shouldn't. Jake was a bit reluctant. Mo'at compromised, saying she would speak with Eywa, as the Great mother knew everything the boy needed, but she understood that Max and Norm still believed their sky people tools were more accurate than the great mother, and she would have him come "once" just to prove that Eywa was right. Neytiri did decide to have one thing verified while they were still at Hell's Gate. Spider was a baby, and babies needed milk. Not, what Norm called "pureed foods". It was probably doing a number on little Spider's system. It might explain his size a bit. Max, seeing Neytiri's logic, did take a small sample of Spider's blood, which surprisingly didn't wake Spider. After getting the sample, Max bolted off to test, so he didn't keep the Na'vi waiting forever. Neytiri turned to her mother and explained that perhaps that one little blood sample is enough for their other tests, and they may not have to come back. But they probably would still find answers with Eywa on the rest far before Max's machines could. Mo'at was impressed. She hadn't thought of that logic.

As they waited Neytiri looked back the little boy in her arms. His hair reminded her of the yellow stars she saw with the others in the sky. Even the sun made his hair twinkle a bit. Then the name came to her. "Tanhi," she blurted out.

"Huh?" Jake inquired.

"His new name. Tanhi. It mean star in Na'vi. That be his name. Our little Tanhi," Neytiri stated.

"Sounds good to me," Aru stated.

Nuktsa, Jake, and Mo'at all nodded in agreement that when they returned to the mountains, Neytiri and Jake would introduce their new son, Tanhi to the clan and to Eywa. As Spider slept in Neytiri's arms, something caught her attention. She felt a crawling sensation on her hand. Right where some of Spider's long hair was. "Could it be?" Neytiri asked herself.

Gently, Neytiri grabbed Spider's hair where she had felt the crawling sensation and brought the end of it into her eye's view. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.... a kuru. The very thing every Navi needed to make "the bond" with animals like Ikran and Dire Horse's, and in Neytiri's rare one time case, a Palulukan (Thanator). And now here, Spider had one, even though his parents were sky people. "Jake.... Spider has kuru," Neytiri said, as she showed him.

Jake looked. And even Norm was shocked. "What.... how did we miss that?" Norm said.

"You didn't know he had this?" Jake inquired.

"No I didn't, and no one else told me. But... that's starting to make more sense as to why he was able to breath Pandoran air. But..... I lack the idea of how that's possible," Norm said.

Jake was at a loss for words. The son he was taking in. He seemed to be part Navi. But it didn't make sense, both his biological parents were human. Something was missing. Something they weren't seeing.

Max then arrived back and started, "Well, I got the test back. And from what the data shows, Miles..."

"Spider, you can call him Spider now," Jake said.

"Okay, well, Spider here, can consume all forms of milk that you all can, including Zakru. I'll have to test that blood sample for what else he can consume in the future. But there's something else I found out I didn't expect to find," Max stated. 

Jake dare not ask how they obtained Zakru milk knowledge. He had some rudimentary knowledge of the colossal beast, but he felt it best not ask how they obtained the milk knowledge. "What else did you find?" Jake inquired.

"Well..... he has..... he has Navi blood flowing through him. Not just any blood. Somehow, not only does he have Navi in his bloodstream..... the ancestry is connected to your family Neytiri," Max informed them.

"WHAT?!!" the group exclaimed in utter shock. 

Any louder, and Max and Norm's glass on their masks would have shattered. "It appears that Paz had plans of her own. She mixed her blood with Navi blood, and that in turn influenced Mi, er, Spider's development. I think that's a key reason why he could breath Pandora's air," Max pointed out.

"And the Kuru," Neytiri whispered to Jake.

"I'll admit, I'm surprised it didn't kill her. Or Spider for that matter. Not saying I would have wanted that to happen, mind you," Max stated.

"How She Get Ma Neytiri's Blood?!" Mo'at demanded.

"I honestly don't know," Max admitted.

Neytiri thought for a moment. Then it came to her. "Grace! She stole it from Grace! That must be how she did it, when Grace took our blood at the old school and was checking to make sure we wouldn't get sick from sky people illnesses. She must have stolen what Grace called our samples," Neytiri exclaimed to Mo'at. 

Mo'at remembered. She had consented to it herself, seeing no harm in it. They then explained their explanation to Jake in their best English. "But why she do it?" Mo'at wondered.

Jake thought about it all. Then a new thought, a thought he did not relish, came to him. Quaritch. That demon planned for so many eventualities. He must have convinced Paz to do this whole thing. They must have thought that if things had gone not as planned when they attacked Home Tree, Spider was their "extra life", as some liked to phrase it  back on Earth. To use Spider's traits against the Na'vi. Mold him into something Jake didn't want to think about. He had read about it in both fictional stories and some histories of Earth's past, but never would have thought such dark ideas would have made their way to Pandora. He was wrong. But... he was so glad that was not coming to fruition. For Quaritch and Paz were gone. Their diabolical scheme would not taint the miracle they helped create. Spider would not be molded into this being they had planned. A monster. 

Jake then said, "I am sure it's something they planned that won't happen, because we won't let it happen, as they are now gone, and won't have the means to make it happen."

"Well good. Now, let us return to clan," Mo'at said.

She then took some of her attire, and made it into a makeshift carrier for Spider, so Neytiri could have an easier time carrying him while they rode back to the clan, joking to Neytiri she didn't want her dropping her grandson. Neytiri giggled, making Spider stir a bit, but not wake up. Soon the group said their goodbyes, and Aru and Nuktsa agreed that they would help ensure the clan behaved when they arrived, though, with Neytiri's reputation and the fact that she was Toruk Makto's teacher held some weight, they were sure that behavior wasn't gonna be much of an issue. By the time they returned to their rides ikrans and Jake and Neytiri to Toruk, it was nightfall, and Spider was fast asleep upon his new mother-to-be's chest, with the sound of her heartbeat helping to keep him in his state of slumber. As the group flew home, they watched, as a huge light, like a star, shined in the night sky. It was the indicator that the demon sky people were leaving their world, heading for their far home, Earth. Neytiri breathed a huge sigh of relief. She hoped she'd never see such a star in the night again. The war was won. And a new life for her and her clan was to begin. The bioluminescent light of the plants below seemed to be dancing, as if celebrating what had happened for them all. Pandora was happy. And that made Neytiri happy.

Now she had a new mission. Being a mother to Spider. To little Tanhi. And any other children she and Jake may come to have. A mission she vowed to do the best she could. If she could teach Jake to be a true Na'vi, then her little ones she would have should be no problem.... she hoped.