Race to the Sun

Check out our episode here!

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Nizhoni Begay can see monsters. She can see one right now. He’s pale, has thin blond hair, is tall, skinny and has bulging eyes. He stands out because he’s wearing a suit at a school basketball game and there is a circle of empty seats around him. Nizhoni’s instincts scream at her and she clutches the turquoise pendant around her neck for bravery. Nizhoni moved from a big public school two years ago to ICCS, the Intertribal Community Charter School pronounced icks, and is not cool or popular. She’s on the basketball team with her bestie Davery to try and rectify that, and despite being very distracted by the literal monster watching the game, she volunteers to take the pivotal game winning shot. The monster has moved however and just as Nizhoni is needed to grab the ball and shoot, she spots him twenty feet away, his eyes red and staring straight at her. Freaked out, the basketball hits Nizhoni straight in the face instead. 

Nizhoni is flat on her back with a bloody nose, the game is over, and Davery is sympathetically and dramatically replaying what happened. The missed shot and bloody nose has not helped her popularity or coolness. Davery doesn’t understand Nizhoni’s need to be accepted, but it’s because she’s the kid with the barely there dad and no mom and Davery’s parents are very present and invested in their son. Davery noticed Nizhoni was distracted during the game and when he questions it, she doesn’t tell him about the monster. As they leave and the janitor comes in, Nizhoni spots the monster again at the top of the bleachers staring right at her. 

Nizhoni’s dad and younger by 10-months brother Mac are waiting for her when she comes out of the gym. They need to get straight home as her dad’s potential new boss at Landrush Oil and Gas, Mr. Charles, is taking them out to dinner. Nizhoni sees her face isn’t the only one busted, Mac has a black eye from his bully/nemesis Adrian Cuttlebush. Nizhoni tells Mac about the monster and he suggests that the monsters might be able to spot Nizhoni like she can spot them. Yikes. At home, there is a huge SUV parked on their drive, Mr. Charles is already there. After two bodyguards get out of the SUV, so does the monster. 

Nizhoni and Mac try to play it cool as they greet the twangy voiced Mr. Charles. Nizhoni declines shaking his hand since she’s covered in blood and all, but Mac does. Nizhoni heads inside to clean up and on her way out, finds Mr. Charles by himself in the living room holding a family photo - Nizhoni, Mac and their mom and dad. Mr. Charles, who has lost his twangy accent, calls the family interesting and says that her mother is known by his associates. Nizhoni tells Mr. Charles that she knows he’s a monster, which pleases him as he doesn’t have to play games. 

Mr. Charles explains why he is here and it has to do with Nizhoni’s mother. He reveals that her mother’s side of the family goes way back in Navajo history to the goddess Changing Woman. Nizhoni knows about Changing Woman but as a Holy Person, not a goddess. Changing Woman created the clan system of the Navajo people. The system tells them who they’re related to, and it's one of the first things Nizhoni and Mac learned since they carry three of the original clans in their lineage. Mr. Charles also says the ancestry also traces to one of Changing Woman’s twin sons and he is here because he’s been told there is a girl, a daughter of their former enemy, that could stop his plans. Mac is special too, Mr. Charles felt it when he shook his hand, but his potential is different than Nizhoni’s and unrealized, but it’s also power that Mr. Charles can use. Nizhoni though, she is her mother’s daughter and he can’t afford her ruining his plans. Suddenly, Nizhoni sees Mr. Charles is holding an obsidian knife and it is pointed right at her.

Using Buffy-style skills, Nizhoni charges Mr. Charles and kicks the knife away then elbows Mr. Charles in the face. Unfortunately, Nizhoni’s father and Mr. Charles’ two bodyguards come in and the obsidian knife Nizhoni accuses Mr. Charles of having is now a pencil. Her father is seething with parental rage and grounds Nizhoni. She’s to stay home in her room without her phone while they go for dinner to her favorite place, Pasta Palace. 

Nizhoni can’t sleep. She keeps thinking about what Mr. Charles said. As she declares that she doesn’t deserve this, a croaky voice from the top of her bookshelf speaks up and, after a few mixup idioms, tells Nizhoni life’s not fair. It’s her stuffed horned toad Mr. Yazzie, but alive! Did the basketball hit her in the face a little too hard? Well, keeping her mind open, Nizhoni accepts it. Mr. Yazzie is here to help her slay the monster. They’ll need weapons, so first they need a map to the Glittering World. Na'ashjéii Asdzáá, Navajo for Spider Woman, should be able to provide one to the House of the Sun where Nizhoni can ask very nicely for some weapons, but the Sun can be rude so Nizhoni will need to be careful. If they don’t succeed, well, monster hunters who fail to slay monsters disappear. Mr. Yazzie then tells her to wake up and jumps at her! 

Nizhoni’s father is knocking at her bedroom door, takeout container from the Pasta Palace in hand. He needs to understand why she attacked Mr. Charles, and he doesn’t believe the truth. Nizhoni’s dad says that her mom had a big imagination too, and always said she saw monsters, but he always put it down to her artist's imagination. 

The next day, walking to school, Mac tells Nizhoni that he likes Mr. Charles and doesn’t believe he’s a monster, but thinks it’s cool if he gets powers. At school, Nizhoni grabs Davery and confesses she sees monsters and all about Mr. Charles. It’s very word-vomity but Davery believes her. Davery uses his dad’s library password to look at grown up websites for monster attacks, Mr. Charles, and Spider Woman. Davery encourages Nizhoni to come to Ancestor Club, the cookies were good last time, and it may give her some useful information. 

By lunchtime Nizhoni is starving and skips out of school to go home for food. In the driveway is Mr. Charles’ SUV and her dad’s car. Nizhoni sees Mr. Charles telling his bodyguard to be careful with the merchandise. On his cell phone, he says that “the boy” will be secured but “the girl” takes after her mother but will comply if her father asks her to come. Once Mr. Charles is gone, Nizhoni heads inside and everything seems in its place, but her dad isn’t there. She realizes he must be in the SUV. Nizhoni runs to her room for Mr. Yazzie but he is just a stuffed animal. In the kitchen, Nizhoni spots her lunch bag that she accidentally left behind and inside, she finds a red apple with RUN carved into it. Suddenly Mr. Charles returns, Nizhoni hears him mention “the photo” and runs into the living room for the family photo before bolting out the back door, dropping the apple.  

Back at school, Nizhoni shouts that her dad has been kidnapped to the Ancestry Club. Pulling Davery out, she tells him everything. As they’re talking, the Principal calls Nizhoni and Mac to the office for a family emergency. Before Nizhoni goes to fetch Mac, Davery looks up where to find Spider Woman, and Davery not only finds out it’s at Chinle, Arizona on the Navajo Nation, but that there is a train heading that way in an hour. He purchases three tickets, one for Nizhoni, one for Mac, and one for him. Nizhoni heads off to find Mac.

Nizhoni can’t find Mac, but he’s obviously not at the Principal’s office because the intercom message calling them both there is getting increasingly annoyed. Clearly, Adrien, Mac’s nemesis, has him cornered. Nizhoni finds Mac on the ground. Nizhoni tries to throw a punch but Adrien is agile. When he picks up one of Mac’s special art pencils and snaps it, Mac rages, but with powers! He uses the sprinklers to fight Adrien and his goons and chase them off. Once they’re alone, Nizhoni tells Mac what’s been going on and that they’re going to find help. 

Nizhoni and Mac make it to the train station, but Mac wants to give up already because he’s hungry but they’re broke. Nizhoni heads to find food and finds an unattended snack cart. Nizhoni tries to steal flaming hot Cheetos, her brother’s favorite snack, but she wants to vomit from guilt. As she’s about to grab the packet, the cart lady comes back and catches her. The cart lady gives her meals and snacks for three people, telling Nizhoni that one is for her smart friend and her that brother shouldn’t eat too many Cheetos. The cart lady then tells her to pass forward the good deed. How does the cart lady know her name, that Mac adores Cheetos or that Davery is on his way?!

Nizhoni and Mac board the train when the whistle blows. Davery makes it just as the doors are sliding shut, Adrien Cuttlebush running after him. As the train pulls away, Nizhoni sees Adrien with a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth. He’s turned into a monster! A few moments later, Davery sits down next to them. Davery thinks the monster after Nizhoni, Mr. Charles and his bodyguards are shapeshifters. That would explain Adrien. They update Davery with Mac’s water superpowers and the cart lady from the station giving them food. Inside the bag of food, Nizhoni spots a flyer with something written on the back. It’s a poem that Nizhoni reads out. There is a lot of blood and sacrifice in it, but it also seems to be a puzzle helping them. 

Later, Nizhoni falls asleep and wakes outside her grandmother's house with one of the dogs, her grandmother calling her. Her grandmother accuses Nizhoni of being too much like her mother, and says that she needs to wear a coat when it’s cold outside. Suddenly she’s wearing a coat, and as her grandmother keeps talking, more coats and gloves appear on Nizhoni, her grandmother insisting she can never have too many coats. Then Davery wakes her up on the train.

Davery says something is wrong. The train is going vertically up a mountain and there is no one else on the train with them. Suddenly Mr. Yazzie speaks up and Davery and Mac can hear him. Mr. Yazzie introduces himself and announces that Nizhoni and Mac have inherited the powers of Changing Woman’s twin boys, Monsterslayer and Born for Water. They once protected the Diné and when monsters threaten the world, new heroes, their descendents who have inherited their powers, arise to fight the new evil. Mac is totally here for super twin powers, and Davery is in, too, since clearly the snack cart lady gave them three meals not two. Mr. Yazzie has taken the liberty of redirecting the train with the help of the Holy People. He also confirms that Mr. Charles is a shapeshifter, related to vicious bird creatures called bináá' yee aghání, the monsters that kill with their eyes. He is powerful, evil, and wants to destroy the land, and he will want to free his kin to help him. 

They leave the train on Sisnaajini, the Mountain of the Dawn, the easternmost sacred mountain, and the home of the Rock Crystal Guardians and the Gray Dove Heralds. They will visit the Four Sacred Mountains and gather an item from each place. A perfect white shell from Sisnaajiní, a piece of turquoise from Tsoodzit, an abalone shell from Dook'o'oostiid, and a nugget of black jet from Dibé Nitsaa. This is all sounding like the cart lady’s note. Suddenly they realize how cold it is, especially Mr. Yazzie. They’d best find the white shell quick! That’s when an arrow lands at Nizhoni’s feet.

A gentle voice asks for their names and a crystal boy with a shell necklace steps forward, bow and arrow in hand. This is the guardian of the mountain. Rock Crystal Boy welcomes back Mr. Yazzie before leading them to a small house. Inside the warm house with cups of tea, Nizhoni introduces herself with her name and clans the Navajo way. Rock Crystal Boy declares they are related and that she is his granddaughter. After the introductions are made, Nizhoni says she needs a perfect shell to gift to Spider Woman. When they finish their tea, Rock Crystal Boy takes them to a humongous pile of clam shells, and they all look perfect! 

It’s an impossible task, but that, as Mr. Yazzie points out, is negative thinking. They start climbing up and digging in. After half a day of searching, Nizhoni finds the perfect shell. As they’re climbing down to their next task, a giant bird flies toward them and lands close to them. This isn’t a normal bird, its Łizhin the herald of Dibé Nitsaa, Mountain of the Folding Darkness, the northernmost sacred mountain and the home of the Jet Guardians and the Black Bird Heralds. Łizhin has come to see Mr. Yazzie and his companions because their herald, Black Jet Girl, cannot be found. Nizhoni is also a guardian of Dibé Nitsaa and Łizhin needs her help. Mr. Yazzie suggests they split up because they don’t have much time. Nizhoni will go with Łizhin to Dibé Nitsaa, Davery to the Dook'o'oostiid, the western mountain, to retrieve the abalone shell, Mac to Tsoodzit, the southern mountain, to find the turquoise. Łizhin calls other herald-birds to help take the friends to their mountains. 

The group splits intending to meet back at Spider Rock after receiving their gifts. Black mountain is surrounded by thick fog, freezing cold and strong wind. Łizhin links the bad weather to Black Jet Girl’s disappearance and gives Nizhoni a feather that will turn into what she needs when she needs it to aid in her task. The herald-bird then departs, telling Nizhoni she will be back at sunset. Left alone with only a feather, Nizhoni heads to Black Jet Girl's hut to find the guardian and kill some monsters. 

Two buzzard creatures are tugging at rotten meat in front of the fireplace and Black Jet Girl is frozen and scared, crying, lying next to the entrance. Nizhoni pulls Łizhin’s feather and tickles Black Jet Girl’s nose causing her to sneeze. The buzzards, who are blind, hear Nizhoni and Black Jet Girl. Nizhoni declares that she is a monsterslayer here to save Black Jet Girl. After laughing and mocking Nizhoni, they tell her to look into their eyes. Yeah, no. Nizhoni throws the feather into the fire at Black Jet Girl’s insistence and it turns into salt grains which spit out and hit the buzzards. The mountain starts to rumble. 

Nizhoni and Black Jet Girl escape the mountain and spot an avalanche coming toward them. They huddle in safety as the mountain covers Black Jet Girl’s hut, burying the buzzards. Black Jet Girl praises Nizhoni’s bravery and promises to help find the perfect stone gift for Spider Woman in the morning once she’s healed. 

Nizhoni wakes the next morning to a camp fire, Black Jet Girl, and Łizhin. Black Jet Girl hands Nizhoni one of her jet earrings to give to Spider Woman before climbing on Łizhin. As they fly to Spider Rock, Łizhin says there has been an accident, but not what. Nizhoni spots Mac and Davery standing with their herald birds on Spider Rock as they approach. Davery has managed to get his gift but Mac postures and states the quest is a waste of time, they need weapons not “junk.” Mr. Yazzie explains Mac wasn’t able to get the gift because there was a storm and the feathers of his herald bird were slippery. As the bird turned, the turquoise and Mr. Yazzie fell and Mac chose to save Mr. Yazzie. Nizhoni should tell Mac about their father's kidnapping, but doesn’t, and instead she adds her turquoise necklace to the gifts, the one her mom gave her. Now they can go to Spider Woman. 

They find an old truck, trailer, and mailbox that reads THE NA'ASHJÉII RUG WEAVERS EXTRAORDINAIRE! Nizhoni knocks on the trailer door. A beautiful Navajo woman opens the door and Nizhoni, thinking she’ll sound crazy asking for Spider Woman, says they're here to buy a rug and the woman invites them inside. After some confusion because none of the friends can keep their story straight, they admit the real reason they’re there and the beautiful woman says she is Spider Woman. Nizhoni gives Spider Woman the gifts which she accepts and mentions that the necklace is familiar and that she met Nizhoni’s mother once. She then tells them there is no map to the Glittering World and that they’re already here. Now, where is the Rainbow Road?

Spider Woman will take them to the Rainbow Road during the day tomorrow. On Rainbow Road, they will encounter four trials. In the meantime, they can help make dinner. After eating, Nizhoni checks out Spider Woman’s rugs and Spider Woman mentions that Nizhoni likes the same one her mother did when she passed through about ten years ago to find the Rainbow Road, the same time she disappeared. Was her mom off to fight monsters? Was she protecting them? Suddenly Nizhoni is overcome with tiredness so it’s time for bed. As they settle, Nizhoni tells Mac their dad has been kidnapped by Mr. Charles. Sweet dreams!

They wake before the sun is even up the next morning and it’s raining. If they want to travel the Rainbow Road, they need to be there to greet the dawn. Spider Woman takes them along a muddy path to the Rainbow Road which they can only see when the dawn’s light hits it. She warns them to stick to the road because monsters will try to lead them off and says she will deliver the sleeping Mr. Yazzie to the House of the Sun. As they walk along the road, they notice, just like a real rainbow, as the sun rises and the rain dries out, the Rainbow Road disappears. They make a run for it, but Nizhoni is watching behind her not in front and falls off a cliff.

Nizhoni slips down the muddy side and is joined by Davery and Mac. Luckily they can still spot the Rainbow Road. As they’re working out how to get back to the road, they hear a moan. Definitely haunted. Or it's the talking rocks that the cart lady’s note says is the first trial. Mr. Yazzie is there to greet them which is strange considering they just left him with Spider Woman. Mac doesn’t care and runs towards him even though the cart lady’s song had a line to beware a talking toad. Nizhoni and Davery see this “Mr. Yazzie” is missing his sweater and has bright red eyes just like the bad guys. Mac follows “Mr. Yazzie” down a path and into the moving rock walls. Nizhoni looks around for something to help them as the walls close in. Nizhoni tries to use cotton wood branches to hold the moving rock walls open, but they don’t work and she's got to go inside anyway to save her brother. Inside is a dark maze and Nizhoni can hear Mac, which spurs her forward until she finds not Mac, but a monster instead. 

As the monster mocks Nizhoni, she uses her Buffy fighting skills on him. Davery entering the clearing distracts her which allows the monster to disappear. Mr. Charles now has her brother too. Together Nizhoni and Davery are able to get out of the canyon and straight to the Rainbow Road. They continue on, and it takes them to a marsh with razor sharp reeds, the next trial. Nizhoni tells them to cover themselves in swampy mud to protect them from the reeds and it works! Unfortunately a massive rainstorm hits them, washing the mud off. The end of the reeds is close so they push through, ripping their clothes. 

Continuing on, Nizhoni and Davery reach the next trial, prom of thorns, and it’s the worst ever. The gym's double doors swing open and they’re invited in to the high school prom. Everyone in the gym is friendly, but Davery warns Nizhoni not to accept any food or drink because heroes often get tricked when given them in stories. When they’re asked to dance though, they do, then sit and talk to the high school kids telling them everything they’ve been through. They’re popular! Then they eat the cookies and drink the punch and know Mac’s name but not who he is. Uh oh… tricked! The next song stirs something in her mind and Nizhoni realizes this is the trap and their trial is to escape. The high school kids try to stop them from leaving but Nizhoni pulls the fire alarm and uses it as a distraction to escape to the Rainbow Road. They were in the high school for a long time, the sun is setting and they have only until the next morning to save her dad and Mac, but they still have one trial left, the map to find, and weapons to obtain. Luckily the last trial has found them. 

The field ahead of them is a field of mirrors, all different shapes and sizes. The cart lady’s note said something about knowing themselves, so they walk through the field looking in the mirrors. In one, Nizhoni spots a woman around thirty years old. It’s her mother! Putting a hand to the glass, Nizhoni falls into the mirror. 

Nizhoni falls into the field, this time it’s empty and in the middle of winter. A person approaches carrying a baby but they don’t acknowledge Nizhoni and walk toward the trees. When the person puts down their hood, Nizhoni sees it's her mom and the baby is Nizhoni! Nizhoni watches her mom talk to baby Nizhoni, stripping her down to a thin dress and rolling her in the snow to “make her tough” and calling her a warrior. She says that she will be the first to see the monsters if they return and won’t be battling them alone. Then Nizhoni sees her mom giving her the turquoise necklace before a sound alerts her mom and she runs towards shelter, grown Nizhoni and a monster following. Grown Nizhoni heads inside, watching her mom and dad together before the banging at the door draws her mom outside, crossbow in hand. Her dad doesn’t see or hear the monster. 

Nizhoni is suddenly back in the field of mirrors, angry her mom chose to fight monsters and likely die rather than be with her family. Davery tries to help her understand what her mom did, but it still hurts. Getting back to the task, Davery points to a mirror and they close their eyes and look in together but Davery is gone when Nizhoni opens her eyes. A deer approaches and, assuming it’s a Holy Person, Nizhoni interprets its movements as urging her to complete her tasks for her family and Davery, and she’s determined to do it for her mom and prove she is a warrior as her mom named her. 

There is a massive mansion at the end of the Rainbow Road. There’s also a ticket machine in what looks like a waiting area. Two giant bear statues stand at either side of the door. As Nizhoni approaches, the bears demand to know who she is and ask what her number is, so Nizhoni takes a ticket. She then explains why she is there, missing very important monster-related details, and when she’s denied entrance into Jóhonaa'éí’s house, the house of the Sun, the bears start arguing and are very sassy. When Nizhoni finally mentions the monsters, the bears are quick to see if the Sun is available. They mention that one of her friends is already there. 

Inside the Sun’s blinding white house filled with pictures of the sun, Nizhoni meets Jóhonaa'éí and is reunited with Mr. Yazzie. Nizhoni must explain the trials she experienced and what she learned from each. When Jóhonaa'éí asks if Nizhoni is a monsterslayer, a person who’ll fight the monsters and protect her family and keep going even when things seem bleak, Nizhoni confidently says yes. Great, now it’s time to get her some weapons. 

Mr. Yazzie is pleased Nizhoni has made it to the House of the Sun when so many heroes don’t, like Davery and Mac. They aren't the sacrifice mentioned in the cart lady's note, either. Most likely, they are in the lost and found. Jóhonaa'éí suggests Nizhoni go to pick up her weapons because she doesn’t have much time. Jóhonaa'éí takes Nizhoni and Mr. Yazzie to his weapons room, and while Nizhoni was expecting a room like in a museum, she’s instead faced with lightning and Jóhonaa'éí will forge whatever weapon she wants from it. Nizhoni discusses her brother's and Davery’s abilities and is given a book of lightning for Davery, a one-time use bottle filled with liquid lightning for Mac, and a bow and arrow for herself. Time to get Davery and Mac from the lost and found. 

When Nizhoni opens the door to the lost and found, she sees her mom in a case, frozen. She’s there because she was unable to slay the monsters of her generation, she didn’t pass one of her trials, and her soul is stuck in the one she failed. Nizhoni also spots Davery and Mac, frozen in their own cases. Mr. Yazzie reminds Nizhoni about the cart lady's note, she must sacrifice a dream to save them. Her dream is to be a hero which she tells Jóhonaa'éí to take in a very dramatic fashion. The ground quakes and cracks form in the cases, freeing everyone inside. After a quick reunion, Nizhoni gives Davery and Mac their weapons before she and her brother are reunited with their mom. 

Mac hugs his mom, but Nizhoni can’t just yet. She's struggling with the fact that the other freed heroes are their ancestors. So many of her family are there, does that mean they’re not very good or is it just so unfair on her family? Jóhonaa'éí gives Nizhoni’s mom a giant sword forged from lightning so that she can help defeat the monsters. Suddenly Łizhin and the other heralds and guardians arrive at the House of the Sun. They tell them that the sun is up and the monsters are free at Tsé Bit'a'i the great rock with wings, or Shiprock. 

Nizhoni looks around and sees Jóhonaa'éí in armor carrying a shield on the edge of the horizon, climbing an invisible set of stairs. In the distance, they can hear the monsters breaking free. Davery and Mac will ride with their heralds again, Nizhoni’s mom with Rock Crystal Boy and his herald bird, Nizhoni with Black Jet Girl and Łizhin, while the other heroes will take the Rainbow Road. 

The heroes, guardians and heralds go to war at Shiprock. Buzzards are streaming out of a cave. Davery tells them to aim for their eyes to blind them and their hearts to kill them. Nizhoni uses her bow and arrow with expert efficiency. It’s a chaotic and violent war in the skies. At one point, Mac is knocked from the back of his herald bird, Nizhoni, Black Jet Girl and Łizhin go after him, but aren't fast enough. Luckily, Spider Woman, standing on the cliffside, saves him with a web. A giant buzzard comes screeching in the fray and on its back is Mr. Charles and he’s heading to Mac. As Łizhin goes to intercept, her wing is hurt and she is forced to land. Before she does, Davery tells Nizhoni he knows how to defeat them and he found the answer in his lightning book. Nizhoni needs to jump. Okay then…

Nizhoni falls into her mother on Rock Crystal Boy’s herald. Nizhoni readies her bow and is instructed to take left, while her mom takes right, slaying with the lightning sword. Nizhoni only has one shot left and needs to aim true at Mr. Charles. As self doubt hits her, Mr. Charles pulls out his obsidian knife, and Nizhoni lets her arrow fly. Mr. Charles catches the arrow out of the air and hurls it back at Nizhoni and directly hits her heart. Nizhoni falls to the ground. 

Nizhoni wakes up, the arrow gone and Mr. Charles above her. Apparently she can’t be killed by her own arrow, which is displeasing to Mr. Charles. He brags about already having added Mac to his collection of children with unique abilities who will soon be put to work. Mr. Charles then pulls his obsidian knife and transforms it to a sickle. As Mr. Charles is bad guy monologuing, the arrow impact area over Nizhoni’s heart has been getting warmer, her vision clearer, her blood firing. She knows where her arrow has gone and releases the lightning in her blood straight at Mr. Charles, blowing him to smithereens. 

The buzzards and other monsters start popping into gross confetti. Davery arrives and helps Nizhoni stand. Nizhoni is reunited with her mom, Mac, Mr. Yazzie, and Spider Woman. Spider Woman has also brought Nizhoni’s dad who she found in an SUV. Nizhoni’s parents reunite, everyone turning away to give them a moment. 

Soon, a bright green pickup trundles toward them, it’s Nizhoni’s grandmother who invites everyone back to her house for a feast. With the return of so many relatives, she’ll need to take two trips to collect everyone but thankfully, being on the reservation, there won’t be any questions. On the way, Nizhoni tells Mac and Davery she no longer needs sports fame or YouTube credentials, the important people know how cool she is and they’re right here with her.