Chapter Text
In the year 2119, a new star lit up the sky over Eywa’eveng. This was the first ship to bring the Sky People down onto the planet. They landed closest to the Omatikaya clan.
Mo’at, the young Tsahìk of the Omatikaya, had a terrible dream the night before the star appeared. When she awoke, all she could remember was fire and fear, and the screech of Toruk. Mo’at had run to Vitraya Ramunong, seeking guidance from the Great Mother. Eywa had no answers about the strange beings that came from the sky, no counsel for what to do about the ground they cleared to construct a massive metal complex. In the end, it was decided to establish peaceful negotiations, trusting that Eywa would maintain the balance.
Mo’at had been chosen as tsakarem for her dreams. She was the only daughter of the clan’s best weaver, born with a unique connection to the forest. Though she would not remember later in life, during her first tsaheylu with Eywa she had been shown her path, and given an apology for what she would endure. There was always a feeling in the back of her mind that she was meant to bear great sorrow, and she learned to appreciate the joyous moments. She grew up alongside the children of the Tsahìk and Olo’eyktan, watching Eytukan grow from a shy and empathetic child into a confident warrior and leader their people were proud of. They mated before Eywa and prayed for the prosperity of their family, but it would be years before they were blessed with a child.
Sylwanin was the pride and joy of the clan. The years of living alongside the Sky People had fostered anxiety and uncertainty, but the clan leaders were strong and capable, and their daughter would be raised to protect her people.
A few months later, a son was born to one of the clan’s most talented healers. She too had waited for this child. Holding him in her arms, the part of her mind she knew was connected to Eywa told her that he would grow to do great things. Artsut gave her son a warrior’s name, a strong name for the child who would make her proud. Her Tsu’tey, the future of their clan.
Being so close in age the two children became inseparable, though no one minded. They were polite and gentle, curious about the world in a way that seemed greater than their years. When Mo’at and Eytukan were blessed with a second daughter, she became their shadow.
Those first few years were good. Sylwanin was clever and brave, with a strong moral compass and protective nature. She doted on her baby sister. Even as a toddler she had carried Neytiri around, trying to show her every part of Kelutral. Sylwanin had endless patience with Neytiri, and Mo’at could see the kind of Tsahìk her oldest would become. Her second daughter was a true free spirit. Neytiri dreamed of flying, being far above the world but safe in the knowledge that her family was below. Sylwanin dreamed of songs, the voices of her people echoing in her ears.
On the days when Mo’at taught Sylwanin the ways of being Tsahik, Eytukan took Neytiri flying. When they launched into the sky she would shriek with laughter, and her smile was the brightest thing he had ever seen. Neytiri would stretch her arms out to the mist, trusting that her father and his ikran would never let her fall. As a child Eytukan thought that flying would make him feel small or vulnerable. His first flight changed everything. He was able to see the place he had spent all his life, all he had ever known, and it was beautiful and full of life. All he wanted for his daughters was that sense of certainty, that even though they were one being in a large interconnected world they had value. He worried that Neytiri would grow to resent Sylwanin as the heir, but his daughter proved him wrong. She had no need for a title, she only wanted to be free.
Eytukan chose Tsu’tey to train as Olo’eyktan when the boy was only eight. He had considered it since he saw the bond Tsu’tey shared with his eldest, but a match for his daughter had to be more than childhood friendship. Tsu’tey was strong and focused, and when his natural talent failed he spent hours improving himself until he was among the best. His peers respected him, and he was capable of walking in tandem with Sylwanin to lead their clan. When he had asked Mo’at for her approval and the approval of Eywa, Mo’at had just smiled and nodded towards where Sylwanin and Tsu’tey were showing Neytiri how to hold a bow, giggling when she made mistakes but never letting her feel discouraged.
The only conflict Eytukan ever had with his daughter was her insistence that they do something about the Sky People. He did not like the invaders, and the introduction of the Dreamwalkers only made him more uncomfortable, but he had seen what happened to the warriors who tried to fight the Sky People. He had never seen wounds like that before, and they had no idea what the metal creatures the Sky People brought could do. Eywa wept for the damage they were doing, but his duty was to keep his people safe. Begrudging peace kept them safe, so he allowed the Dreamwalkers to do their work. At the request of Mo’at, he allowed Grace to start a school and teach their children, sending his own daughters. Sylwanin saw the school as a chance to show the Dreamwalkers the ways of the Na’vi, to educate them and make them see. Eyktuan had reminded her that as his child, she set an example for others. If she behaved and tried to learn and share their world in return, then the other children would follow.
Sylwanin agreed, at least for the first few years. But as she grew into adulthood, she became angrier at the treatment of nature by the Sky People. Her connection to Eywa grew and fueled her emotions, and the younger warriors agreed. Eytukan had tried to speak to her, had tried to have Tsu’tey get through to her. The two had grown quite close, nearing the point where they would mate. He could see their genuine love for each other, and hoped that the boy he had chosen as his successor would protect his eldest. When he heard that the mining operation had expanded and the Sky People were growing bold, he prayed that peace would be maintained even as Sylwanin stopped going to Grace’s school.
On the day that everything changed, Grace had chosen a lesson about plant biology. Many of the children already knew how plants grew and were connected to Eywa, but Grace was an expert. The youngest members of the school were quite happy to look at the diagrams and the samples Grace had taken, and the older students were engaged in a discussion on why Eywa would choose certain traits and modes of being.
Grace had been keeping a close eye on Neytiri since her sister had stopped coming to school. Neytiri was clearly worried about her, distracted from her studies. Neytiri may have passed her iknimaya and earned her place as an adult, but in Grace’s eyes she was still so young. Grace had spent the last several debriefs with Selfridge arguing about the school’s usefulness and trying to keep the RDA from encroaching further into Omaticaya territory. She knew that the younger warriors were restless and angry, and Sylwanin was the voice of her generation.
In the middle of her lecture about Kelutral, Grace heard whoops and cheering voices approaching. Sylwanin, Tsu’tey, and a few other warriors ran into view, grinning victoriously. Grace felt dread settle into her chest. The teenagers were dressed in war gear, their hair braided with feathers and their faces painted. There wasn’t a hunt today, nor a celebration or ceremony. The children would have told her if something had been planned, and if this was sanctioned by the clan leaders the little ones likely would not have been allowed to leave Kelutral.
Grace stepped forward to ask the teenagers what was happening, watching as the smiles on their faces started to face before the world around her just… crumbled. Gunshots rang out, striking the walls of the school. Grace screamed for the children to get down, trying to shield her students with her own body. The children were crying, terrified of the weapons they had never seen before. Grace desperately guided them toward the back door, yelling at them to head toward Kelutral. She turned to scan the room just in time to see the bullet strike Sylwanin, watching as her body began to fall and Neytiri screamed in horror. The younger girl lunged toward her sister, but Grace was faster, grabbing her from behind and pulling her toward the door as the bullets continued to fly. Grace could see Tsu’tey running to Sylwanin but she couldn’t take both of them. Tsu’tey curled his body around Sylwanin, desperately praying to the Great Mother.
In Grace’s arms, Neytiri breaks, wailing in grief. She fights against her teacher’s arms, begging to be set free to try and save her big sister. The world fell silent in her grief, and everything seemed to freeze. All she could hear was her own heartbeat, unaware of her own screams. She cried out for Tsu’tey, begging him to move Sylwanin and bring her to safety, but he simply laid over her body, waiting for a bullet to hit him as well.
Neytiri remembered very little about the days that followed. She remembers the funeral, and the sound of her mother’s voice breaking as she tried to complete the rites. She remembers seeing the light leave her father’s eyes, watching as he closed his heart off to the Sky People. Tsu’tey spoke very little. Everyone could see that he was drowning in guilt and grief, but no one could reach him. His mother and brother had tried, as had Mo’at and Eytukan, but he remained a broken shell. The man he was, the person he was going to be as the Olo’eyktan to Sylwanin’s Tsahìk was dead, left in the doorway of the school house.
Two weeks after Sylwanin died, Neytiri found Tsu’tey perched on the edge of one of the floating rocks, watching the sunrise. She had snuck out to escape the cloud of sadness that had settled over their home, unable to spend another morning watching her parents try and return to normal. Flying with Seze was the only time she felt like herself again, but when she spotted Ngam’i’a and Tsu’tey she knew it was time for them to talk. She landed Seze next to Ngam’i’a, giving both a gentle pet before sitting beside her oldest friend. They sat in silence for several minutes. Neytiri gazed at Tsu’tey, seeing clearly for the first time the way that grief had changed him. She wondered if she looked just as different. Surely she did.
“I remember the day you were born.” Tsu’tey’s voice was quiet but steady, and his eyes did not leave the horizon. “We were only two, but I remember. Sylwanin and I were kept out of the way, but we could hear the adults talking. When you had arrived she was called back to meet you, and she dragged me with her. You were so small, but your eyes were clear and vibrant. She was so happy to have a sibling, and she promised you that she would always protect you.”
“She was my favorite person. She understood me, saw me. I was grateful for that, and for the responsibility she carried.”
“She was happiest when she knew that you were free.”
Neytiri had cried more than enough. Her chest was heavy and tight, but her eyes were dry. It felt right to talk about her sister and the future she did not get.
“My mother taught me many things, but there were tsakarem lessons that I did not have to attend. On those days I would train with you, or fly, or simply run through the forest.” Neytiri turned to see Tsu’tey’s eyes were finally on her, gentle and understanding. “She would have been an incredible Tsahìk. It was her birthright. I am not my sister. I do not have her connection or leadership. I am not ready.”
Tsu’tey reaches out to hold her hand. Sylwanin was the woman he loved, the one he planned a future with, but Neytiri had been dear to his heart since the day she was born. Their little shadow, grown into a powerful warrior.
“She is gone, and she has taken a part of me with her. I loved her. I think I always will, and I cannot give you the same love. But I think we can find a way to live, to work together for our people in her memory.”
Neytiri leaned closer, and Tsu’tey wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a very long time, wrapped around each other. They were the only two who would really understand. Neytiri rested her head on his chest the way she had many times as a young girl. She knew his heartbeat as well as she knew her own, just as she knew the man it belonged to.
“I will train hard, to be your Tsahìk. I will never be her. I cannot replace her, even if the clan will see it that way. You and I, we are a team. I trust you, more than anyone else.”
On that morning, they made a promise to each other. Everything had changed, and war was coming. There would be no more peace with the Sky People, and it was their duty to ensure the survival of their people. Unbeknownst to either of them, a new ship was headed to Pandora, carrying someone who would change their lives.
Chapter Text
On Earth in the year 2126, just after the first humans reached Pandora, a set of twin boys were born premature. Both the doctors and the parents expected the worst, but the first boy was born with a powerful set of lungs. His cries welcomed his younger brother, smaller and quieter but no less excited to enter the world. They were named Jacob and Thomas, and their mother knew they were meant for great things.
Jake was always the louder twin, even when his younger brother caught up to his size. He was the first to crawl, trying to escape anytime his parents looked away. His first steps were not toward freedom or his parents but his younger brother, who had dropped a toy and started to cry. Jake’s first wobbly steps accomplished what he would spend the rest of his life trying to do - protecting the people he loved. The boys were joined at the hip for most of their childhood, until Tommy found his purpose and began to run toward Pandora, leaving his brother behind.
Tommy was the smart one - the first one to talk, the first to learn to read, the one their teachers always preferred. Jake wasn’t dumb, but he preferred people to books, learning best with his hands. When faced with being left alone, he leaned into his impulses and signed away his life to the Marines. It was a challenge, but he was strong and determined, a good fighter. He thought he could do good, make his planet safer while Tommy abandoned it to study alien plants.
Turns out he was a good Marine, rising to the rank of corporal and given a position of leadership in his squad. Venezuela was a mess, and he got used to death and destruction. It became a comfort to Jake that Tommy was escaping, going somewhere that if not safer was far more beautiful. He’d hear that Pandora had huge forests, clean and full of life. Tommy would like that.
Then Jake is twenty years old and he is shot in the back trying to protect a fallen soldier. His entire world erupts in pain, but he doesn’t lose consciousness immediately. He lays in the mud as the battle continues and he prays that his brother forgives him for dying 6,000 miles away in a warzone. He wakes up four days later in a VA hospital and wishes he didn’t when he realizes he can’t feel his legs. Tommy was the brains, Jake the brawn - the egghead and the jarhead - and now the one thing he could trust was useless. Tommy called a few times, but apparently Avatar training was intense and he couldn’t travel. After the first few months Jake stopped answering the calls, letting Tommy leave a voicemail about how great his studies were going and how close he was to leaving. With each call Jake took note of how much the muscles in his legs deteriorated. He retreated into himself. He tried a few new activities he could do with just his arms, and he found that drunk people in bars didn’t care about the wheelchair, but his life was dull. He didn’t think about his future or lack thereof.
Years later Jake will wish he had answered the phone, or went to meet Tommy in person. He will wish he cried that night looking at his brother’s body, agents be damned. At the moment, all he could think about was Tommy’s last message where he shared that he had completed the last steps of training and would be leaving in a few weeks. Tommy sounds exhausted but so happy. He always ended the call by telling Jake he loved him, but not this time. The message had gotten cut off when he spent too long rambling about the research he was going to do.
Jake was supposed to die first. They had both always known that, even if they never said it out loud. He came into the world screaming, and he signed up for the Marines knowing it was likely he would die in a blaze of glory. Tommy was gonna die of old age after a lifetime of scientific discoveries, getting to tell his kids about their crazy uncle and all his reckless choices. But the world wasn’t fair, or just. His good, smart, kind brother gets shot in the street for money he would have gladly given away if asked.
Jake agrees to go in Tommy’s place, and he watches as his brother’s body burns.
The first thing he really sees on Pandora is the base, a metal monstrosity crowded with personnel. It was familiar, at least, but so was the feeling of being pitied and judged by his fellow soldiers. He was living proof that their bodies would fail one day, that they were minutes away from being weak and useless, and they hated it. Somewhere in the flight down to the planet Jake had made a decision. He was mostly here to get his legs back, but it was at the cost of Tommy’s life and dreams. Fuck the stares, and the judgement, and the fact that he hadn’t trained in any way. He was gonna learn to do things right and make Tommy proud, and when he returned to Earth and got his legs back he would reclaim his life.
Now that doesn’t mean he has to be nice about it. Grace Augustine may have been Tommy’s hero, but when she acts like Tommy’s death was an inconvenience to her work rather than the tragedy it really was, Jake was gonna snark back. After she stormed off to bitch at the guy in charge, Norm showed him around the labs and an explanation of how the next few days would work.
Norm headed off to the barracks, but Jake lingered in the bio-lab. Tommy had mentioned the first time he saw the avatar six months before he was meant to ship out. The avatar had looked like a baby then, a little blue body in a huge tank, and Tommy had joked that it looked more like Jake as a baby than him. He’s got that look on his face you did all the time as a kid, like he’s fed up with being kept in one place.
Jake had seen the avatar briefly before he was put in cryo, long-limbed and bony the way all young teens are. All grown up, the avatar really did look like Tommy. Jake knows Norm was trying to be reassuring, and he knows they had the same face, but he knew his brother better than anyone in the world. In this artificial sleep the avatar had the same crease in his eyebrows and set of his jaw that Tommy did when he fell asleep studying too late. Max had mentioned that Tommy’s avatar was the closest to the native Na’vi so far. They had attributes of big blue cats, with the ears and tail. As he watched the avatar’s ears flicked and he scrunched his nose. This body was tall and strong, meant to move with power and grace. He’d seen the size of the arrows in the wheels of the tractor earlier, and knew how strong the Na’vi had to be to use weapons like that. Jake absent-mindedly rubbed his thigh, feeling how thin his legs had gotten. Tomorrow he gets to walk again, even if it's in a stolen body.
The first night on Pandora Jake had the same dream he’d been having since he got shot. He dreamed of flying, but he couldn’t see the ground or where he was flying to. He just felt weightless and free. Waking up was difficult. He became aware of his surroundings slowly, and for a brief moment he had forgotten the numbness in his lower body.
Hell’s Gate was clearly not designed with accessibility in mind. His quarters were not made for a wheelchair user, but the mess hall and the labs were just as bad. One day in and he was frustrated, holding back the impulse to snap at everyone. He was gonna be here for six years, so he had better figure something out. Norm was probably the most tolerable part of this whole ordeal. He was a massive nerd, but so was Tommy. Norm kept up a steady stream of chatter during breakfast, beyond excited to finally be on Pandora. Jake mostly tuned him out, the cadence of his voice acting as background noise.
Grace was already in the link room when they arrived. In the other room the avatars had been removed from the amnio pods, carefully monitored by the med techs. Max had settled into the control room, ready to run interference if the links became unsteady. It was clear they had perfected this routine, and from the look on Grace’s face she was just waiting for Jake to fuck it up.
Norm was at ease, settling into the link chair and setting up his biometric sensors like he’d done it a thousand times. Jake supposed he had, he’d been training alongside Tommy for three years. Grace watched them both carefully as Jake moved over to his link unit.
“How much link time have you logged?” She directed the questions at Norm, but Jake knew she had already read their files and knew the answer.
“Five hundred and twenty hours.”
Grace turned to Jake, raising an eyebrow. Something about her made Jake bristle. He could deal with egotistical authority figures, he was a Marine, but Grace’s judgment felt personal. Tommy would have told him to behave, to understand his place in this operation and let Grace direct him. Jake had never liked the way Tommy made himself smaller for his “superiors.”
“Zip. But I read the manual.”
“Tell me you’re joking.”
Jake held back a laugh, mature enough to realize that Grace was dealing with a lot of shit and he was just the cherry on top. The link unit was only a few inches taller than his chair so he could make the transfer himself. He gets himself seated on the link before Grace reaches over but -
“Don’t! I got this.”
He had always hated when the nurses and physical therapists touched him, moving his body like his legs were no longer part of a human being. He knew how strange they felt, and it was deeply uncomfortable to see their hands on him and not be able to feel it.
“So you just figured you’d come out here to the most hostile environment known to man, with no training of any kind, and see how it went? What was going through your head?”
Jake meets her eyes, unashamed. “Maybe I was just tired of doctors telling me what I couldn’t do.”
When he’s settled, she checks if the biometric sensors are properly connected and pulls down the clamshell brace. She pauses for just a second, looking for something in his eyes. She had personally chosen the next round of avatar drivers. Thomas Sully had stood out to her. All of the applicants were passionate, all of them bent over backwards to kiss her ass, but he and Norm seemed to really understand the purpose of the Avatar program. He had mentioned his brother briefly, but Grace didn’t think about it until the manifest confirmation reached her desk. J. Sully, not T. It hadn’t mattered six years ago, she could make the best of it and there would be other scientists and anthropologists, but then the entire operation fell apart and Grace was left trying to pick up the pieces.
“Relax and let your mind go blank. That shouldn’t be hard for you.” She smirked as she closed the hood, listening as his retort cut off. Honestly she liked him, against her better judgment. If he turned out to be good with the avatar and kept out of her way, it might be nice to have someone who talked back. Plus, it would keep the security apes off her back. Behind her Max approves the link, and she sees the scan of his brain appear.
“That’s a gorgeous brain. Nice activity.”
“Go figure.” Maybe this would work after all.
To Jake, the link felt like he was underwater, floating toward the surface. The back of his eyelids were bright, colors flashing until -
He opens his eyes. For a moment he wondered if the link failed and they had woken him back up in his body. It didn’t feel any different, but his eyesight was sharper. The first deep breath revealed a far stronger sense of smell, and he could feel his ears flick against his head. The med techs were moving around beside him, and Jake had enough of lying down. He sits up on the gurney, feeling his new lungs fill with air. The muscles in his arms were strong, moving easily despite this being the first time. He can’t make out the details under the gown, but he feels over his chest. The avatar’s rib cage is different, with an odd muscular structure over top. He can vaguely hear Max telling him something, probably to take it slow the same way every doctor had on Earth, but Jake felt good. He scans down the rest of his body to see blue feet and-
He had forgotten, in the excitement of the new body, that these legs worked. His chest felt warmer, and barely trusting himself to breathe he let his brain signal muscles that haven’t worked in years. His toes twitch, then wiggle.
Jake swings his legs over the side of the gurney, feeling the cool floor under his feet. He pushes himself up to stand, not quite balanced with the new proportions but these thighs were strong and held his weight easily. The med techs seem so small, bustling around trying to get him to sit again. He turns to look at where Max was still trying to get his attention and something moves on his arm. He jerks and his tail jerks with the movement, acting with a mind of its own to knock medical instruments over. Jake wants to laugh at the chaos he’s causing, knowing he’s just proving Grace right, but he has better things to do.
“I need you to sit down, Jake.”
“It’s okay.” Jake smiles, and he could feel the edge of his lips get caught on his new fangs.
“Jake! Listen to me. You’re not used to your avatar body. This is dangerous.”
“This is great.”
He takes one careful step, then another. His second first steps, not toward his brother but in his body. The wires pull tight, so Jake yanks them off. It was easy to escape after that, stumbling past Norm to push open the door and finally experience Pandora.
The training area is active, two avatars playing basketball right outside the doors and others tending to the gardens or the equipment. He briefly interacts with the two, but the expanse of the training area is far more enticing. He finds his balance, each step becoming easier until he breaks out into a run. He runs until he feels the burning in his chest and legs, the air whipping strands of hair in front of his face and definitely showing off more than he intended out the back of the gown. He slows to a stop in the garden, digging his toes into the dirt. He hadn’t done that in years, not since he and Tommy visited their grandparents and they were put to work in the yard. Maybe it was just how new the body was, but everything felt so intense, the air and dirt smelled completely different than Earth.
“Hey Marine!”
Jake turns and sees what has to be Grace, tall and thin and blue but definitely her.
“Grace?”
“Well who’d you expect, numbnuts? Think fast!”
She tosses a strange Pandoran fruit toward him, which he catches easily. The flesh of the fruit is sweet and mellow, and Jake didn’t think he’d ever tasted anything better. This body felt like freedom.
“Hey, check it out.”
Norm has finally caught up to Jake’s mad dash across the compound, seemingly not concerned with his behavior now that Grace has interfered.
“I am a living God.” Norm poses, and Jake finally laughs. He could imagine Tommy doing the same thing, so he gives in and poses as well. Grace shakes her head at both of them.
“Come on, you both need to get out of those gowns. Can’t have you flashing everyone at Hell’s Gate.”
The rest of the day consisted of reflex and motor control tests and getting to meet the other avatars. Everyone else was a scientist, and they took advantage of Jake’s lack of background knowledge to talk his ear off about their area of study. He didn’t know half their fields existed, but they didn’t seem to mind his presence. Jenna, the woman he’d seen earlier playing basketball, was one of the biologists studying the Na’vi. She had complimented his muscle control, running him through a few fine motor tests out of curiosity.
“You know, we were all pretty impressed when we saw this avatar. Mixing human and Na’vi means most of us don’t quite blend in, but even with your eyebrows you look pretty Na’vi. They got lucky with your genes.”
Part of Jake wanted to correct her that it was Tommy’s genes, even if they were identical, but he was preoccupied by her tone. Reading between the lines, apparently he made a good-looking Na’vi. He had to admit some of the avatars fell into the uncanny valley, not human but also not quite what the few images of the natives he’d seen had looked like. He couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit smug about it, and from the look Grace had given him she could tell.
Pandora didn’t get completely dark, but he could tell when night had fallen. They had settled into beds in the longhouse, where the bodies would remain when not active. Jake had taken the time to investigate more of the body, as he hadn’t looked closely when he changed. There were certainly some differences, and he was still getting used to the tail. These bodies had no hair, the blue skin soft and smooth. The hair on his head was longer than his human hair had ever been, including a very long, thick braid. The origin of the braid was sensitive, but in a way that made the whole world feel just a bit more intense when he rubbed at it. He figured out that the braid wasn’t the important part, but that it was used to protect some other structure. At the end of the braid were pink tendrils that moved on their own, like his spinal cord was alive and outside of his body. He spent several minutes watching them move, not daring to touch them.
“Alright gang, light’s out.”
Grace walked down the aisle, checking on each of the avatars as they left their links. Jake was still awake, staring at his queue.
“Don’t play with that, you’ll go blind.”
Jake huffed a laugh, dropping the braid to settle back on the bed. He relaxed, letting himself separate from the link and return to his body.
Waking up sucked. Everything was dull and artificial, and when he tried to move his toes he was disappointed all over again. He sighed and moved to get back into his chair, knowing he had to eat and get back to his quarters. Tomorrow they were leaving Hell’s Gate to collect samples, which sounded boring as hell to Jake but at least he got to explore.
Notes:
Here we introduce Jake, and get into the scenes in the movie. Bear with me for this part, I'll get to the original stuff soon enough.
I love Jake, and as the older sibling myself I want to explore his relationship with his brother and his own identity after losing him. Tommy will feature heavily in Jake's story, like Sylwanin.
Chapter Text
Jake doesn’t dream of flying that night. The morning is easier, now that he knows what it feels like to be in the avatar. The rations in the mess hall are boring but Jake didn’t mind. He was just killing time waiting for the link time when he was summoned to the military side of the base.
Trudy wasn’t the pilot he expected, but she was easygoing and didn’t even blink at his wheelchair. She reminded him a bit of the pilot he worked with in Venezuela, especially the way she talked about her baby.
“You guys are packing some heavy gear.”
“Yeah, that’s ‘cause we’re not the only thing flying around out there, or the biggest.”
Jake remembered the few images of Pandora he had seen on the news, the massive flying creatures that the newscaster had compared to prehistoric dinosaurs. The idea of meeting that thing in the sky was not pleasant. Trudy took him through the armor bay to where the Colonel was waiting. Jake knew his type. The security briefing told him everything he needed to know about Quaritch, so he wasn’t surprised when he was recruited to provide intel. It was obvious that Grace was never gonna give this guy anything. Even if Jake liked her, the woman had a stick up her ass about the military side of this mission. Quaritch was easier to work with, focused and disciplined. They all had their orders, and Jake knew he could handle his part, especially if it guaranteed him his legs back. Grace didn’t have to know, or like it.
Flying in a Samson was different in the avatar. He could feel everything, and the air was rich with smells and sounds. Norm seemed to hate it though, much happier on the ground with his plants. Jake settled back into his old routine, letting the Marine persona fall over him. This was unknown enemy territory. They might be bigger now, but so was everything else. It was beautiful and greener than anything he’d ever seen, but every sound set him on edge. He knew his tail was tense, flicking behind him as he took point. Grace was completely at ease, mostly bothered by his white knuckle grip on his rifle.
The school was strange, an oddly human building in the middle of the jungle. It had clearly been abandoned for a few years, the forest growing over the walls in an attempt to reclaim the space. There were a few children’s books on the ground, and fading drawings tacked onto the walls. Between the state of the place and the way Grace looked at the remnants, he knew something had happened here. The bullet holes in the wall told him everything he needed to know, and for a second he felt a phantom pain in his lower back.
Grace and Norm were far too excited about roots. After watching them gush over plant signals for twenty minutes Jake decided to scout ahead, almost wishing something would try to kill them just to give him something to do. The next clearing had weird spiral plants as tall as he was, and he reached out to see if they felt as weird as they looked when suddenly the plant reacted and pulled back into itself with a funny noise. Jake amused himself with the plants for a moment, unaware of the titanothere on the other side of the glade. Jake froze, raising his rifle to aim before Grace’s voice stopped him.
“Don’t shoot. Don’t shoot, you’ll piss him off.”
“It’s already pissed off.”
“Jake, that armor’s too thick. Trust me. It’s a territorial threat. Do not run, or he’ll charge.”
“So what do I do, dance with it?”
“Just hold your ground.”
Something in Jake recognized the territorial part of Grace’s warning, so he tried to make himself bigger and louder. It seemed to work, which just fueled his ego. He laughed, ready to move back over to where Grace and Norm were working, when a sound behind him chilled his bones. He turns to see a massive panther-like creature, three tons of muscle and hatred snarling straight at him.
“Oh, shit.”
Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Grace was panicked.
“So what about this one? Run? Don’t run? WHat?”
“Run! Definitely run!”
Jake bolts through the forest, relying entirely on the instincts this body apparently came pre-programmed with. His heart was pounding and his lungs burned but he kept moving as the predator lunged at him. He tries to hide in the roots of a huge tree but the palulukan catches him, shaking him with a grip on his pack. He unlatches the backpack and drops to the ground, scrambling away as fast as he can. He starts to think that this is the end, and he’s gonna cost the government billions of dollars because he decided to fuck with a plant, but then he sees water ahead.
When Jake pulls his battered body out of the water, he realizes he has no fucking clue where he is or how to get back, and it will be dark in a few hours. He’s alone with no weapon in a forest full of creatures that see him as a tasty snack. He manages to fashion a spear with the knife he kept strapped to his leg, but every minute that passed just made him more freaked out. He feels like something is watching him, but brushed that off as paranoia.
In the tree above him, Neytiri observes the Dreamwalker who managed to escape a palulukan. Not many could say that, but it was also his fault he was pursued in the first place, bumbling about and making noise like a child. She had spotted the ship earlier when flying, choosing to follow Grace and the new Dreamwalkers to report back to her father. It was bittersweet to see Grace. Neytiri’s last memories of her were from the worst day of her life, but before that Grace was kind and had taught her so much. The other Dreamwalker was like the others Grace worked with, awkward and uncomfortable in his body.
The one below her was different. He did not move like her people, too stiff and tightly-wound, but he was in full control of his body. His behavior reminded Neytiri of the young hunters she trained alongside. It was admirable that he survived, but she had her instructions. He would only cause problems. So she breathed in, drawing her bow to aim at his heart. She readied herself to shoot when a movement caught her eye. An atokirina drifted down, dancing in the air before settling on the tip of her arrow. She had seen them before, and knew from her mother that they were often Eywa’s way of sending a message. For this spirit to stop her arrow….
She lowers her bow, watching as the Dreamwalker wanders away. Something was about to happen, and her mother would want to know. Night was falling, and the creatures of the forest would take advantage of his stupidity. She continued to follow him, watching in confusion as he made a torch. He should have just waited for the plants to come alive and light his way, the fire would only agitate the nantangs that were following him. She kept close, waiting for another sign.
Neytiri sighs as he antagonizes the nantangs, accepting that she would watch this skxawng get eaten, but the atokirina on her arrow bothered her. If Eywa did not want Neytiri to kill him, was this what she wanted? Below her, a nantang leaps for the man’s throat, and without thinking Neytiri draws her bow and shoots the creature before it can kill him. SHe leaps down from the tree, walking into the circle of light provided by his torch to shoot another. One comes for her, but she rolls, drawing her knife on instinct and driving it into the nantang’s chest.
She pulls herself into a crouch, swinging her bow and yelling. They begin to retreat, and she follows until they are out of sight.
She turns to the Dreamwalker, feeling her tail lashing behind her. His stupid torch is still blazing, preventing her from seeing the lights of the plants. She ignores the Dreamwalkers protests as she drops it in the water. He moves past her to retrieve the spear, but Neytiri ignores him in favor of the dying nantang with her knife in his chest. All hunters were taught to kill when necessary, but this creature did not deserve to die tonight.
“Forgive me, my brother.”
She checks on the other wolf, sending a prayer for his spirit. The Dreamwalker is talking, but he is not important. Neytiri decides that Eywa sent her to protect him, and that it was time to return home. Her mother would know what this all meant.
“Look, wait up, I just wanted to say thanks for killing those things.”
She continues to ignore the voice behind her, until she feels a hand on her shoulder and she twists with her bow in her hand, smacking him upside the head.
“Damn.”
“Don’t thank. You don’t thank for this. This is sad, very sad only.” Neytiri had not spoken English with another person since her sister’s death. The words felt odd in her mouth, but she needed him to listen. She had knocked him to the ground, and he had a very stupid look on his face. She had watched him all day, she knew that he was exhausted and scared and very confused, but her grief and anger over the senseless death had taken her patience.
“Okay. Okay, I’m sorry. Whatever I did, I am so sorry.” Jake tried to calm the Na’vi woman down, taking the chance to really look at her. She was beautiful in the way the predator earlier was, lithe and powerful and completely in control in this wild environment. Her accented English was kinda cute, at least when she wasn’t hitting him. He recognized that he probably shouldn’t have grabbed her though.
“All this is your fault. They did not need to die.”
“My fault?” Jake was getting more frustrated, his blood pressure rising. He was grateful for being saved, but she made no sense. “They attacked me. How am I the bad guy?”
“Your fault! You’re like a baby. Making noise, don’t know what to do.”
Jake should probably be more offended than he was, but he was kinda distracted by the way the bioluminescence reflected in her eyes. Man, he had to get it together. This whole day was messing with his head.
“Fine. Fine, if you love your little forest friends, why not let them just kill my ass? What’s the thinking?”
“Why save you?”
“Yeah. Yeah, why save me?”
She walked closer to him, meeting his eyes for the first time with a piercing gaze.
“You have a strong heart. No fear.” Jake’s breath caught in his throat, captivated by her tone. He wanted to lean closer, wanted to listen to her talk forever. He had never seen eyes that luminous and gold.
“But stupid! Ignorant like a child.” Jake flinched slightly, watching as she walked away.
“Well, if I’m like a child, then maybe you should teach me.”
“Sky People cannot learn. You do not See.”
“Well, then teach me to see.” Jake felt like they were on a different page. Clearly See meant more than he was used to. At this point he really regretted not at least skimming some of the info on the Na’vi culture.
“No one can teach you to See.” She stalked off, leaping between the branches. He tried to follow, much less gracefully.
“Look, come on, can’t we talk.” She ignored him. “Say, where’d you learn to speak English? Dr. Augustine’s school?” He tried to speed up to get closer, nearly falling off the branch. His heart dropped out of his chest, but she caught him.
“You’re like a baby.”
“I need your help.” Jake didn’t have much pride left at this point. Without her, he would be dead a dozen times over.
“You should not be here.”
“Okay, take me with you.”
“No! Go back.”
“No. I can’t, I don't know where we are.”
“Go back.”
He opened his mouth to argue when a white fluff, almost like a dandelion seed, floated into his range of view. It was oddly beautiful, like the tendrils in his braid, floating through the air like a jellyfish in the water. It settled on his arm, almost tickling him, so he smacked it. He didn’t know what these things could do, everything else wanted to kill him, but Neytiri grabbed the offending hand.
“No!”
Another came close, so he just used the other hand.
“No!”
“What… What are they?” More and more were appearing, floating closer to his body.
“Seeds of the Sacred Tree. Very pure spirits.” Neytiri knew he could hear the wonder in her voice, but she couldn’t be bothered to care. This was more than one atokirina stopping her arrow. Dozens were around them, settling onto his body like a gentle touch. Eywa had never before touched one of the Dreamwalkers, and the atokirina seemed almost fond of him. His eyes were wide, the light of the seeds reflecting in his pupils. He seemed even more childlike than before, trying to hold still as they perched on him. After a moment they floated away, and the air around them seemed colder for their absence.
“What was that all about?”
Neytiri knew the rules. She knew that he was not allowed at Kelutral, but this was unheard of. He had to be seen by Tsahìk. Her father was not going to like this.
“Come. Come!”
They were not actually far from Kelutral. It was curious, the whole day he seemed to be accidentally wandering closer to her home. Seeing the atokirina, maybe there was a reason for it. She tried to calm her nerves as they approached. Her father had become harsher since Sylwanin’s death, growing angrier at the Sky People, and the other warriors followed. She knew that many of them would have ignored the first sign and killed him anyway.
She let the Dreamwalker stumble behind her, until she heard a curse and he went crashing down to the ground. She had forgotten about the patrols, and now they were surrounded by several warriors on pa’li.
“What are you doing, Tsu’tey?”
He was her oldest and dearest friend, and she knew him best. The look in his eyes told her it was more than just protecting the clan, he was furious.
“These demons are forbidden here.”
“There has been a sign. This is a matter for the Tsahìk.” He had spent most of his life training to be Olo’eyktan, he respected the role of Tsahìk and knew better than to interfere. He held her gaze for a moment, likely trying to see if she was serious, before nodding to the other warriors. He mounts his pa’li angrily.
“Bring him.”
Jake couldn’t see much, but he could tell they were entering a massive tree, larger than any building he had ever seen on Earth. There was some sort of energy in the tree, something he could feel in his bones that told him how old this place was, how many people had lived and died here. The warrior Neytiri had spoken to walked close, glaring at him when Jake tried to catch his eye. He was slightly taller than Jake, his hair shaved back like a Mohawk but carefully braided. He was probably about Jake’s age, and his features reminded Jake of marble sculptures, cold and strong. His jaw was tense, his brow furrowed. Clearly he was not happy Jake was here, if the bruises around his ankles didn’t already tell him that. Neytiri walked ahead of them, trying to seem unbothered but her shoulders were too tense.
Her father had clearly been preparing for the evening meal. This was not going to be a welcome interruption. She approached first, even though he quickly noticed the Dreamwalker because of his strange clothes.
“Father, I see you.”
“This creature… Why did you bring him here?” She had heard that voice from him before, everytime a warrior made a mistake that put another in danger. She fought to keep her ears and tail steady and her voice respectful.
“I was going to kill him, but there was a sign from Eywa.”
“I have said no Dreamwalker will come here.”
Jake had no clue what was happening, but the man Neytiri was speaking to was definitely in charge. He held himself like a General, and his neckpiece was crazy elaborate and covered in what looked like claws.
“What’s he saying?” The female Na’vi didn’t answer, and the warrior next to him still refused to meet his eye.
“His alien smell fills my nose.”
“Hey, what’s he saying?”
The woman finally turned, inspecting him. “My father is deciding whether to kill you.”
Oh, her father. Damn, he got saved by the daughter of the person in charge. In a moment of panic, Jake leaned back on human etiquette.
“Your father. It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Jake stepped forward as though to shake the man’s hand, but the warriors around him hissed and pushed him back. The leader observed him, and Jake felt like a small bug about to be stepped on.
“Step back! I will look at this alien.”
An older woman approached, her clothing as elaborate as the leader’s. They all listened to her, stepping back to give her room. Neytiri knew this was the key, and if his actions with her father were any indication he needed a warning.
“That is Mother. She is Tsahik. The one who interprets the will of Eywa.”
“Who’s Eywa?” If it had been any other time, she would have been taken aback that he did not know of Eywa, but her focus was on her mother. She walks around the Dreamwalker, grabbing his tail and examining his queue. She had not been close to a Dreamwalker in years, and this one was different somehow. She pulled a thorn from her garment, drawing blood from his chest.
Jake flinches at the pain, deeply confused as the woman licked his blood from the thorn.
“What are you called?”
“Jake Sully.”
“Why did you come to us?” The honest answer was ‘I was chased by a predator and then your daughter saved me, but I’m on this planet because my brother died and they needed someone to pilot this body to protect a bunch of nerds while they look at plants.’ That likely wouldn’t be helpful, so he settled for the answer that came to him.
“I came to learn.”
“We have tried to teach other Sky People. It is hard to fill a cup which is already full.”
“Well my cup is empty, trust me.” Jake could almost hear Tommy laughing at him, but it was true. “Just ask Dr. Augustine, I’m no scientist.” That seemed to intrigue the strange woman, and the younger Na’vi who saved him seemed curious as well.
“What are you?’
“I was a Marine.” Scrambling for a reference that would work with the Na’vi, he decided on an old nickname. “A warrior, of the Jarhead clan.”
Neytiri wasn’t quite surprised by this answer. His movements showed a level of control over his body, and he observed the forest like he was on patrol. Of course the Dreamwalker who escaped a palulukan was a warrior, even if he had not been trained the same way she was.
“A warrior! I could kill him easily!” Tsu’tey knew that this Sky Person was no warrior, not like the warriors of his clan. He was weak and unbalanced, with no mastery over the forest.
“No! This is the first warrior Dreamwalker we have seen. We need to learn more about him.” This could be the moment Eytukan feared, when the false bodies were used to hunt down his people, but he wasn’t sure. The Dreamwalker was foolish, but sincere. He was in control of his fear.
“My Daughter, you will teach him our way, to speak and walk as we do.”
Jake could see the woman who saved him protest, but clearly the scary dragon lady had the authority. The younger one turned to him, glaring.
“My daughter will teach you our ways.” Okay, so the scary lady was the other clan leader, but clearly could overrule her family. “Learn well, Jakesully. We will see if your insanity can be cured.”
So that was definitely insulting, but the more important thing was that he had made it. He had survived, been brought to their home, and they were going to let him stay and learn. Grace was gonna lose her mind. The younger woman grabbed his arm, dragging him away. She was a bit rough, and Jake realized his adrenaline had run out and he could feel his earlier injuries. He must have made some noise because the Na’vi slowed, her grip relaxing.
They ended up in a small room, far enough away from the central meeting area that he couldn’t hear anything. She forced him to sit, stalking around the room to pull bandages and fabric out of baskets. When she turned, Jake could see just how unhappy she was with this arrangement.
“Off.”
“What?”
“Clothing. Off.”
“Ummm..” Jake was deeply confused. The woman sighed and sat next to him, tugging at his sleeve to point at the long scratch on his arm.
“Clothing off, to heal.”
Jake pulled the tattered shirt over his head, feeling much more exposed, but she didn’t seem to care. All of the men he had seen so far only wore a loincloth, so clearly modesty wasn’t a thing for the Na’vi. Her tone was unpleasant, but her hands were gentle as she cleaned and bandaged his wounds. When that was done, she smacked his leg.
“Off.”
“I’m not hurt.”
She rolled her eyes, definitely fed up with his nonsense.
“You are to learn from us. You must dress like us.” She held up the loincloth she had grabbed earlier, amused as his eyes widened and he curled in on himself. She had always found it silly that the Dreamwalkers wore Sky People clothing. It limited their movements, and prevented them from truly feeling the world around them. Years ago they had offered more traditional garments to Grace, but she always refused. This one could not refuse.
Jake stood up reluctantly, leaning down to pull off his shoes and socks. The Na’vi maintained eye contact, watching closely as he undressed.
“Could you, uh, could you turn around.”
She rolled her eyes again, but turned. He undressed as quickly as possible, trying not to think too much about his own nudity. He wasn’t sure he would ever get used to the differences in biology. The loincloth was weird, but seemed easy enough to put on. He thought he did it right, but the woman turned back around and rolled her eyes again, reaching over to adjust some of the straps. He cringed but tried not to move as she tightened the garment.
Look, Jake had done some stupid things when he was younger, but he had no interest in wearing a thong. Apparently he had no choice, but he had no idea how women wore these regularly, much less the entire Na’vi clan. The strings kept riding up, and his entire ass was exposed. He tried to push down how self-conscious he was as the woman nodded approvingly, grabbing his arm again to drag him somewhere else. If she kept this up he would have a permanent, four fingered bruise there.
He could smell the food before they made it back to the gathering area, and his body seemed to know the food would be good. He was used to eating communally, but everyone sat together on the ground, limbs and tails overlapping. He tried to make his way through the crowd after his guide, apologizing when he stepped on someone’s tail. She was waiting for him with food, seemingly amused by his mistakes. He sat to eat, finding whatever she had grabbed him to be weird but pretty good, far better than military rations.
“You know, I don’t even know your name.”
“Neytiri te Tskaha Mo’at’ite.” Her voice was accented and she spoke quickly. Jake only caught a few syllables.
“Again, a whole lot slower.” She turned to look at him, taking pity on his confusion.
“Neytiri.”
“Neytili. He knew he got it wrong, but Na’vi had a few sounds he wasn’t used to in English. She tried again, slower and clearer.
“Neytiri.
“Neytiri. It’s nice to meet you, Neytiri.” It was a good name, and it felt nice to be able to call her something. This would be interesting, but at least she was trying to teach him. He’d have to ask Grace for some help with pronunciation later.
They ate in silence. Jake could feel the eyes of the clan watching him, but after two years of using a wheelchair he was used to it. The gaze he couldn’t ignore came from the warrior from earlier. The angry stare made him want to confront the man, who he thinks Neytiri called Tsu’tey, but it wouldn’t make a good impression on the clan leaders who sat next to him.
Neytiri noticed Tsu’tey’s stare, resigning herself to a conversation with him later. He had become serious and cold in the last two years, but he opened up in their private conversations. Neither of them had to be happy about this, but it was their duty to listen to her mother and behave. He was the best warrior in the clan, she would need his help to teach the Dreamwalker.
Tsu’tey sat at his traditional place next to Eytukan, glaring at the Dreamwalker. He was not the worst looking of the Dreamwalkers, but he was foreign, ugly in his deception.
“These aliens try to look like people, but they can’t”
Mo’at hummed in agreement. “He seems dim to me. And his eyes are too small.”
They watched as he spoke to Neytiri, observing her tail flicking in exasperation. Tsu’tey trusted Mo’at’s judgment, but he would be prepared for the day this went wrong and he would have to kill the Dreamwalker. He must have said something stupid, or at least stupider than normal, because Neytiri’s ears flicked and her eyes narrowed.
“I say she will kill him.”
After they ate, Neytiri led him to the outer branches of the tree that held the hammocks. It was weird to try to settle in so far above the ground, but the day had caught up to him and he fell asleep easily.
Chapter Text
When Grace exited the link, she didn’t leave the room. Instead she pulled up a chair next to the Marine’s link unit. They had lost avatars before. Max was carefully monitoring the link, waiting to forcibly pull Jake out if the body seemed in danger. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but they had no idea what would happen if the avatar died while still linked. She didn’t quite like Jake yet, but she wasn’t prepared to lose him on his first day. He had potential.
So she sat and watched his vitals, aware of Max and Norm nearby. He was still alive, and the link was stable, but that wasn’t a guarantee of his safety. Night had fallen, and Jake had no idea what was out there. She was prepared to sit there all night until she was allowed back into her own link to look for him. Then Max made a noise.
“He’s coming out of the link. Jake!”
Max gestured to the unit, watching the monitors as Grace pulled the lid up and shook him.
“Come back, kid. Come on. There you go.”
Jake’s eyes flew open and he took a deep breath. Grace was leaning over him, her forehead creased in worry, and Max was hovering nearby. He took another breath, feeling the difference in his body. He felt smaller, not quite weaker but so very human. Grace helped him sit up with a grip on his upper arm.
“Damn, you were dug in like a tick. Is the avatar safe?”
“Yeah, Doc. And you are not gonna believe where I am.” He grinned, boyish and charming. Grace sat herself back down on the chair she had pulled over, letting him move himself back into his wheelchair as one of the med techs rushed over to check his readings.
“Alright, I’ll bite. Where’d you end up?”
“I’m with the Na’vi. One of them saved me, brought me back to their big tree.”
“You’re in Kelutral?” Norm’s voice was high, shocked. Grace was stunned into silence for a moment, waiting for Jake to laugh or say it was a joke.
“You’re being serious. They let you stay?”
“Pretty sure they wanted to kill me, but apparently the scary lady in charge wants to see if I can learn something.”
“Mo’at.” Grace missed her friend, surprised that she had allowed Jake to stay. The Na’vi’s relationship with Eywa was still odd to Grace, and she supposed Mo’at had a reason. “Well shit, kid. Guess we have to re-evaluate your role in this program.”
Jake watched as Norm started to pace and mutter something to himself. He had settled back into his chair, and could feel that while he fed his avatar, this body needed food too. Grace shook her head and stood, leading them out of the lab.
“Alright, we need food and you need to tell me exactly what happened.”
After dinner, Jake was once again summoned by the Colonel, this time accompanied by the boss.
“‘Jarhead clan’? And it worked?”
“Hey, I’m practically family. They’re gonna study me. I have to learn to be one of them.”
“That’s called taking the initiative, son. I wish I had 10 more like you.”
Selfridge sighed, bored of the macho posturing. “Look, Sully. Just find out what the blue monkeys want. You know, we try to give them medicine, education, roads. But no, no, they like mud.”
Jake couldn’t quite agree with Selfridge. The Na’vi were visually primitive, but from what he’d seen they lived comfortably and peacefully in the forest. And they had medicine, Neytiri had handled his injuries easily. But a corporate puppet like Selfridge would never understand. He didn’t have to, his job was to make money.
“Their damn village happens to be resting on the richest unobtanium deposit within 200 klicks in any direction. I mean, look at all that cheddar!”
“Well, who’s gonna get them to move?”
“Guess.”
Damn. Jake had hoped that wasn’t his job. He was left alive on a technicality, and he had no real power. He’s pretty sure if he told Neytiri to leave her home she would push him off a very tall branch.
“What if they won’t go.”
“I’m betting they will.” Jake didn’t like Quaritch’s implication. Yeah, the Na’vi were alien hostiles, but total genocide seemed like a stretch.
“Okay, hey, look. Killing the indigenous looks bad, but there’s one thing that shareholders hate more than bad press, and that’s a bad quarterly statement. I didn’t make up the rules. So find me a carrot that’ll get them to move, otherwise it’s gonna have to be all stick. Okay?”
“You got three months. That’s when the dozers get there.”
“Well, we’re wasting time.” Jake wasn’t sure what direction he aimed that in. He wanted to be out of the control room and away from this greedy asshole, but he also knew that his place was to follow orders. He could ponder that later, right now it was time to get back into the link and start his first day of training.
Grace was waiting for him outside of the control room with a tablet.
“Okay marine, you’ve got an in but it’s not enough. You’ve gotta keep the peace, so you need a crash course on the important people you’re gonna interact with.”
Grace ran him through the “royal family,” whom he had already met, on their way back to the link room. After the third repetition, Jake was a bit bored, but he knew it was important.
“Okay, let’s run through them again.”
“Mo’at. Dragon lady.” Another photo. “Eytucan.”
“Eytukan.” Grace had been correcting his pronunciation the whole time, but he wasn’t sure what the difference was. “He’s the clan leader, but she’s the spiritual leader. Like a shaman.”
“Got it.” Even in the photos they had a powerful presence, confident and stable. Eytukan definitely hated him, but Mo’at seemed to think he was an interesting lab rat. Another photo, this time the young warrior.
“Tsu’tey.”
“He’ll be the next clan leader.” That made complete sense, especially because he was sitting with the clan leaders at dinner. Tsu’tey also seemed to hate him, but Jake knew his type. He’d wear the warrior down eventually, he just had to prove his worth. The next photo was familiar, but she was younger, more carefree.
“Neytiri.”
“She’ll be the next Tsahik. They become a mated pair.” Grace indicated Tsu’tey. Okay then, she was engaged to the other warrior. It would be interesting to see how they interacted. So far he did listen to her, but they seemed tense.
“So who’s this Eywa?”
“Who’s Eywa?” Norm’s voice was high again, tight and frustrated. “Only their deity. Their goddess, made up of all living things. Everything they know! You’d know this if you had any training whatsoever.”
Norm might end up being a problem. His jealousy made sense. Jake knew from Tommy’s messages that they had dedicated a ton of time and brainpower to preparing for this job, and then his dumbass stumbles in and gets escorted right to their home. He gets it, but he’s also not in the mood to deal with Norm today.
“Who’s got a date with the chief’s daughter?”
“Come on, that’s-”
“Knock it off. It’s like kindergarten around here.” Grace followed Jake to his link unit, sitting on the edge when he got himself settled. She met his eyes for a long moment, like she wanted him to feel the weight of her expectations. She looked back at the photos she had taken before it all went wrong.
“Neytiri was my best student. She and her sister, Sylwanin. Just amazing girls.”
“I didn’t meet the sister.”
“No, she’s dead.” Jake didn’t have a response to that. “Let’s go. Village life starts early.” Grace stands up, giving him a look. “Don’t do anything unusually stupid.”
Jake wakes up in his avatar, the hammock he was sleeping in swaying slightly. In the light of day he could finally get a good look at his surroundings, and they are breathtaking. The branches of what he now knew was Hometree, or Kelutral, stretched high in the air, the warm sunlight peeking through. Jake was never one for church or historical buildings, but the massive forms reminded him of an old Earth cathedral. He hears a noise and turns to see Neytiri awake, sitting in her hammock watching him.
“Morning. What’s the plan for today?”
She continues to observe him for a moment.
“You know nothing. We must start at the beginning. Today you will ride pa’li.”
“Alright. I can handle that.”
Neytiri looks skeptical, but she moves to begin the day. They walk back through the central area, grabbing food quickly. Hometree is alive, and Jake watches the Na’vi around them interacting and completing their daily chores. Many of them pause to observe him and Neytiri, but they do not seem unfriendly, more curious. Several young girls are weaving under the direction of an older woman, singing something Jake can’t understand. Other Na’vi were working on cleaning and preparing food. One woman had a baby in a sling around her chest, a tiny tail hanging out of the fabric.
The children of the Omatikaya seemed very interested in their new guest. He could hear them giggling and following behind him and Neytiri. One little girl runs up to touch his tail, retreating when he tries to catch her. She wasn’t scared, and her friends were laughing, so Jake smiled. He didn’t spend much time with kids on Earth but he did like them, and it was nice to be looked at without fear or judgment.
Jake realizes Neytiri walked away at some point to grab the direhorses - pa’li, the Na’vi call them pa’li. She returns riding a pa’li, leading the second one by the reins. She nods her head away from Hometree and begins to walk toward a clearing, expecting Jake to follow.
He had never ridden a horse on Earth. He’d seen them before, his grandparents’ neighbor had a barn, but they didn’t seem to like him. The way the pa’li was looking at him made him think this wouldn’t go well. The pa’li whinied, stomping all six feet when he tried to get close.
“Easy, boy.”
“Pa’li is female.”
“Okay. Easy, girl.”
She looked critical but let him approach. He gently pets over her neck, her skin tough but smooth. She seemed to like being pet, leaning into his hand when he looked to Neytiri for guidance. Neytiri stands by the mare’s head, holding her steady as Jake climbs on her back. It’s weird to ride without a saddle, but not horrible. She points at the antennae then his braid. Grace had given him a quick rundown on what the weird tendrils were actually used for, so he got the message. He moves carefully, worried about startling the mare, then connects their queues.
Neytiri watches as his mouth drops open in shock. She had experienced tsaheylu since the day she was born, but the Dreamwalker was not prepared. The pa’li reacts to his shock, shifting its weight. She reached out to touch the antennae.
“This is tsaheylu - the bond. Feel her heartbeat, her breath. Feel her strong legs.”
Tsaheylu was overwhelming the same way the first link was, like his body had suddenly become bigger and stretched thin. He could feel the mare, feel her nerves and her desire to move. She was strong, but simple, willing to be ridden by Na’vi but requiring respect. He hummed, petting her again, feeling a bloom of affection for this strange creature.
“You may tell her what to do. Inside. For now, say where to go.”
Alright then. Telepathic horses. Honestly not the weirdest part of this whole scenario.
“Forward.”
She shoots forward, and Jake is promptly thrown off into the mud. He lands painfully on his hip. Neytiri winces, but she is not surprised. His posture had been wrong, he didn’t know how to sit properly and hold on. She sees Tsu’tey at the far edge of the pool, amused by his failure, but she was there the first time he had fallen off a pa’li. Yes, he was a child, but in many ways so was this Dreamwalker. Jake pushes himself back up, readying himself for another try.
He continues to fall, each time more painfully. Neytiri waits for him to give up, for his ego to be bruised so badly he simply storms off, but each time he gets up out of the mud and looks to her to try again. The pa’li has grown used to her strange rider, seemingly not minding his learning process.
Then Tsu’tey rides his pa’li across the water, stopping beside them to share his unwanted advice. Neytiri wanted to smack him, but it wouldn’t be appreciated by either party. Boys, honestly.
“You should go away.”
“Nah, you’d miss me.” Jake takes in Tsu’tey’s sneer, how tightly he holds himself. “I knew you could speak English.”
“This alien will learn nothing. A rock sees more.”
Neytiri nods, and Tsu’tey accepts the answer as a dismissal. She would grow tired of the alien’s failure soon enough. There was a reason she was not asked to teach the younger warriors, and they had far more skill than the foolish Dreamwalker. As he rode away, he couldn’t help but admire that the alien hadn’t let failure get to him, but it was only the first day. It wouldn’t last.
Neytiri turns back to Jake, taking a deep breath to hold back an insult. If every lesson went this way, she was going to kill him. Tsu’tey was right, he did not See.
It takes several hours, but he does eventually learn to stay on the pa’li. He is still a bad rider, but Neytiri chooses to accept the victory and move on to other lessons.
Jake was happy to exit the link that evening, his exhaustion carrying over into his human body. He wanted to sleep, but first he had to report to Quaritch. He’d gotten a good look at Hometree, even managing to convince Neytiri to show him a bit more of the structure. He’s pretty sure she only took him around in the hopes he would fall off and relieve her of her responsibility, but it was getting him the info he needed.
He didn’t notice Max in the stairwell. Max had figured something like this was going to happen the first time Jake was summoned to the command room, but he couldn’t let it slide. He’d been working with Grace for years and knew how important this was to her, that this was the first chance they’d had in two years to smooth things over with the Na’vi. Jake wasn’t a bad guy, he was just being a good soldier. Grace would have a solution.
As it turns out, her solution is to fall back on their emergency plan. She’d been talking about the possibilities of the mobile unit for several years, but this seemed to be the last straw. So in the middle of the night she starts to pack up the equipment, asking Max to find anything the mobile unit was missing. She’d asked Trudy to be their pilot. She had a good feeling about the girl from the way she handled Jake’s disappearance the first day, and she was more pleasant than any of the other pilots.
Jake wakes up early to a knock on the door from Norm, holding a cup of coffee as a peace offering.
“You’re gonna want to pack your stuff, Grace has decided to move our operation.”
He’d only been on Pandora for two days, so he just shoved everything back in the duffle and moved to follow Norm, chugging the coffee. It tasted like garbage but he was too tired to care.
As soon as they got to the hanger Grace started ordering them to move equipment. Jake turned to Trudy but she just shrugged and kept moving boxes into the Samson.
“So, where are we going?”
“Getting out of dodge. I’m not about to let Selfridge and Quaritch micro-manage this thing.” So this was about him. Well that made everything more complicated, but at least she was taking him with her. He figured she would find out eventually, but there was nothing either of them could do. He had his orders, and she needed him for access to the clan. “There’s a mobile link up at Site 26 we can work out of, way up in the mountains.”
“The Hallelujah Mountains?” Norm sounded way too excited.
“That’s right.”
“Are you serious?” He was grinning, starting to sort of bounce in place.
“Yeah.”
“Yes!” Norm was doing a little dance, pausing when he saw the look on Jake’s face. “The legendary floating mountains of Pandora. Heard of them?”
Jake shrugged. The mountains could be interesting, but he was gonna spend most of his time in his avatar anyway. They packed quickly, in the air before Selfridge noticed what Grace was doing. Better to ask forgiveness than permission, or in this case do whatever she wants and not give a shit about his opinion. The hardest part was getting the avatars in the back, but the other scientists seemed to be on Grace’s side.
Flying over the forest toward the mountains was beautiful. The view wasn’t enough to interest Jake, but the sight of Trudy flirting with Norm in the cockpit was. Apparently scrawny nerds were her type. This could be fun. The equipment started fritzing out as they got closer to Site 26, something about the magnetic formations. The clouds part and Jake sees the mountains for the first time, actually floating in the air. It’s incredible and terrifying, like any moment they could just plummet to the ground.
The remote research station turns out to be two shacks and some equipment on a jut of rock. Grace moves into the unit first as Norm and Trudy help Jake out of the Samson. Military planes don’t exactly come equipped with handicapped ramps. He wheels inside the airlock to see Grace turning everything on. The first shack is big enough to hold four bunks, a bathroom and a space to eat, but movement is tight. Jake is glad his wheelchair fits. Through the corridor he can see the link unit, with a section of lab equipment.
He moves to inspect the links and sees that Grace has worked out of this station before. Everything is organized the way she likes it, and there are photos of Grace with some Na’vi kids.
“Alright. Jake, you’ll be in the link at the end. Beulah. She’s the least glitchy. Norm, I need you to operate Jake’s link.”
Norm was not happy about that, huffing and glaring as he moved toward the link unit.
“Hey, you got a problem?”
“I trained for three years for this mission. I speak the language fluently. He falls off the frickin’ turnip truck and all of a sudden he’s cultural ambassador?”
“It’s not our choice, Norm.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t come out here to wash the dishes while you’re on some interspecies booty call.”
Jake couldn’t help but feel offended on behalf of Neytiri, but he knew where the anger was coming from. He and Grace watched as Norm stormed away. Not like he could go very far.
Least glitchy wasn’t reassuring, but the process went smoothly. Once again he woke up in his hammock with Neytiri staring at him. One of these days he would ask her why, but they had better things to do. She refused to explain what she would show him today, beyond saying they would start learning the language.
She led him up the core of Hometree to a higher branch, looking for something in the canopy above. They end up on a section of woven mats acting as a floor. When she spotted movement she gave an odd, bird-like cry. Jake could see rustling, and a tail, then a blur of movement as a goddamn dinosaur burst out of the leaves to land near Neytiri. It was beautiful in the way all the creatures on Pandora were, bigger than the ones he had seen near Hell’s Gate.
“Holy shit.”
“Do not look in her eye.”
Jake averted his gaze, focusing on the darker markings on the banshee’s chest. Neytiri was affectionate with the beast, smiling and petting its head.
“Ikran is not horse. Once tsaheylu is made, ikran will fly with only one hunter in the whole life. To become taronyu, hunter, you must choose your own ikran and he must choose you.” She connects her queue and easily climbs onto the ikran’s back. Jake remembered his dreams of flying, and something like a need settled in his chest.
“When?”
“When you are ready.” With that she and the ikran launched into the sky with a loud cry. It was incredible. Neytiri flew like the ikran was an extension of her body. She looked joyous, like the ground was holding her back and she was finally free.
When she deemed he had been watching long enough, she landed and led him to a quiet branch to teach him. Jake wasn’t a terrible student on Earth, but he had never tried to learn another language. He learned that the word she kept calling him, skxawng, meant moron, but at least it didn’t mean anything worse. He could handle moron, he just wished she would stop smacking him when he got things wrong. It was odd to feel his ears and tail react, and honestly he would learn better without the headache. But she smiled when he got things right, and somehow found the patience to keep teaching him.
The first week was strange. Neytiri kept him away from the others in the clan, trying to beat the basics into his thick skull before she called in reinforcements. It was starting to feel natural to be in his avatar, so much more like himself than he had felt in years, but every night he returned to his human body.
He and Grace were in a sort of stalemate, not talking about what he was doing but also not ignoring it. She had taken to sitting with him at mealtimes and giving him lessons on Omatikaya history and culture. Her eyes would always drift to the photos, and he could see the grief and longing on her face. He had to force down any doubts about his mission, rubbing his thigh to remind himself why he was doing this. This was happening with or without him, at least he could try and convince them to leave.
His priority in the shack was to patch things up with Norm, who was frustrated with the preferential treatment Grace was giving Jake. He managed to corner the scientist one evening.
“Norm, hey, can we talk for a minute?”
“I guess.”
Jake hesitated. “Look, I know how much work you put into this. You’re a hell of a lot smarter than me, and a thousand times more prepared. In a fair world, you’d be the one in Hometree, but it didn’t work out that way. If I could swap I would, dude, but I can’t and I need your help to not look like a total moron.”
Norm huffed but settled back onto his bunk. “It’s good to hear that. I’m still probably gonna be jealous, cause this feels a little bit like bullshit, but I’ll learn to deal with it.”
“So you’ll help me? Cause I am not doing great at the language, and Neytiri is gonna feed me to an ikran one of these days.”
“Yeah, dude, I can help.”
Norm turned out to be a huge help, and Trudy’s attention seemed to help his attitude as well. Norm seemed to agree with Neytiri’s assessment of Jake’s language skills, but he tried. Na’vi had some weird sounds, and it’s not like Jake didn’t already have an accent in English. He could thank Naomi Sully and her Australian heritage for that. He was getting there, and after a week he could say a few phrases and start to pick up words in conversation.
“I See you.”
“I see you.”
“But it’s not just, ‘I’m seeing you in front of me,’ it’s ‘I See into you. I See you. I’m accepting you. I understand you.’ So you gotta get this, okay.”
“Yeah, I get it. Makes sense why they kept talking about Seeing. I’ll keep thinking about it.”
“It’ll come to you.”
His avatar body adapted quickly to the new training regime, his muscles strengthening and his feet hardening on the rough bark. He learned to trust the instincts this body carried, to trust the part of him that was Na’vi and ignore his human reservations. Neytiri liked to talk about the flow of energy in the forest, and when he asked Norm the scientist started going on about the electrical signals and neural network. Neytiri seemed to interpret it in a more spiritual way. He was sure his video logs were just getting more confusing for whoever was forced to watch them.
“I really hope this tree-hugger crap isn’t on the final.”
“This isn’t just about hand-eye coordination out there, you know. You need to listen to what she says. Try to see the forest through her eyes.”
“Excuse me, this is my video log here.”
It was impossible to get any privacy in the mobile unit, with all of the equipment so cramped. Someone was always in the background, and he ended up in most of their logs as well. He noticed Trudy spent a lot of time in her Samson, and he also noticed when Norm disappeared. Good for him.
Fifteen days into his stay with the Omatikaya, there was something different in Neytiri’s eyes when he woke up. He had gotten used to her watching him while she waited for him to link, but today it put him on edge.
“Okay, spill. What’s happening today?”
“I have asked Tsu’tey to teach you.”
Shit. Well, he was gonna die today. Neytiri taught with a ‘learn fast or die’ mentality, but at least he seemed to be growing on her. Tsu’tey continued to hover and watch, his gaze seeming to find Jake lacking. He hadn’t been outright aggressive, but Jake knew Neytiri had asked Tsu’tey to help because it was time to work with weapons. Today should be interesting.
Notes:
Alright, this is the point where I'm gonna heavily interfere with canon. Spoiler for the next few chapters, Jake is a moron but he is sincere and genuinely trying and while Neytiri gradually accepts that he's a good guy, Tsu'tey gets smacked over the head with it.
Also, I know that Jake is a white man but some of the weird macho American nonsense they have him think and say is gross, so I'm gonna make him a bit more enlightened.
Side note, Sam Worthington is great but he could not hide his accent in this movie to save his life so I've decided that Mama Sully was Australian.
Chapter Text
Neytiri woke the first morning of teaching the Dreamwalker slowly, like emerging from a deep pool of water. The sun was warm on her face, and she could hear others around her beginning to stir. For a moment everything was good, then she remembered the body in the next hammock.
He was not like Grace or any of the other Dreamwalkers she had met, but he was a Sky Person. He was dangerous, even if his eyes were bright and his face open and easy to read. She sat up in the hammock to observe him.
He looked dead. She had never seen a Dreamwalker body without its soul, and it was… disconcerting. The chest rose and fell, but it was hollow, empty. Something fundamental was missing. Neytiri found that she couldn’t look away, waiting for a sign of life.
Soon his eyelids began to move, then he woke. She watched as he smiled up at the canopy of Kelutral, stretching lightly. She made a soft noise and he turned to look at her, still smiling. He looked younger in the light of day, softer.
“Morning. What’s the plan for today?”
She didn’t answer right away, waiting for the anger she felt toward the Sky People to rise in her. It didn’t come.
“You know nothing. We must start at the beginning. Today you will ride pa’li.”
Neytiri had first ridden pa’li as a small child with some of the older warriors. She often rode with Tsu’tey as he learned, until she was tall enough to mount the creatures on her own. She much preferred ikran, but all warriors start with pa’li.
“Alright. I can handle that.”
She doubted it. She was certain he would try. And try he did, over and over to very little success. He is not completely hopeless, but he rode like his body wasn’t his to control. She still did not feel her hatred of Sky People around him, but she certainly would if the next several weeks continued in this pattern. She was never meant to be a teacher, and he was a terrible student.
When the Dreamwalker went to sleep that night, Neytiri quietly left the sleeping area to find Tsu’tey. He was high in the branches, looking out over the forest as though it would all collapse if he looked away. She had found him like this many times over the last few years. Neytiri worried for him, for his lack of sleep and the way he closed himself off to everyone but her and his students. She knew that the person he was before was gone, but she grieved this loss. He had been so warm, so generous and filled with excitement for the future. He bore his future role easily, head held high.
These late conversations were the only times she saw a glimpse of that boy, the one who made her feel brave and capable.
“I assume he continued to fail.”
Neytiri huffed, settling in close. He was warm against her side, the cadence of his breathing settling her own nerves.
“He learned. Eventually.”
Tsu’tey sighed. “I respect your mother deeply. I trust her judgment. But this is foolish. He may be a warrior among the Sky People, but he will never be Omaticaya. His presence puts us all at risk.”
“I know. But he tries. It is almost… admirable.”
“He is ignorant and weak, worse than a child.”
“Yes.”
Neytiri looked down at the song cord tied to his tewng, drawn to the bead she knew represented her sister’s death. They had sat and carved the beads together, painting them the color of the feathers Sylwanin wore in her hair. For a second she wondered what color he would choose if she died, if she would even merit a bead on his cord. She shook her head to clear the thoughts, focusing on the sound of his breathing.
“I know why my mother chose me, but I fear I am not a good enough teacher to accomplish what she wants. I need your help.”
Tsu’tey hissed, pulling away from Neytiri slightly. He knew he was overreacting, but the idea of helping the Dreamwalker was revolting. He would not be complicit in making him part of the people his kind had harmed so terribly. Yes, this Dreamwalker seemed different somehow, and he knew that it was part of his duty as the future Olo’eyktan to deal with such challenges, but still…
Tsu’tey took a deep breath, grounding himself with the smells of the forest. He leaned back into Neytiri. It was not fair for her to bear this task alone. They had agreed to work together, to share their burdens.
“I will not be easy on him. I will not accept failure, and if he proves a danger to us I will kill him.”
“Thank you, my friend. There is no one else I trust.”
He turns his head to press a kiss to her temple. These moments with her were the only time he felt peace, and he had a feeling the Dreamwalker would continue to feature heavily in their conversations. He will take Saeyla and Ka’ani on patrol tomorrow. If he was to train the Dreamwalker, he needed to make sure they were ready for their trials.
Neytiri found herself observing the Dreamwalker every morning before he woke, almost fascinated by the process of life returning to the body. She wondered what it felt like to move between bodies, what differences he noticed. Sky People were much smaller and weaker, and they had no way to connect to Eywa or other creatures in the forest. What did that feel like, to be alone?
On the second day she introduced him to Seze, pleased by his awe of her. Seze was beautiful and powerful, and it was good to fly with her again. She feared that until the Dreamwalker was ready for his own ikran they would not have much time together. When she landed, Neytiri could see a new kind of determination in his eyes. He wanted to fly. Even if that was not a great reason to become an Omatikaya warrior, he was motivated to learn now.
It was not easy to teach Jake. He seemed to respond best to a combination of physical corrections and subtle praise, but she found herself leaning heavily on smacking him. It was easy, and the sight of his tail reacting made her hold back laughter. He would learn the basics with her, or he would fail. If he managed to learn, she would turn him over to Tsu’tey.
His accent was terrible, but he wasn’t bad at memorizing the words themselves. He refused to back down from a challenge, and his history as a warrior lent him an edge in physical tasks. When he became passable at archery she knew it was time for Tsu’tey to begin his lessons.
Tsu’tey himself alternated between training his students and observing Neytiri with the Dreamwalker. He was improving, slowly and painfully but improving. Neytiri would come speak with him every few nights, sharing the Dreamwalker’s progress. She was not exactly fond of him, but he was not as bad as either of them assumed. Tsu’tey clung to his dislike even as she shared what Jake was learning, how he was humble in his failure and the childish joy he found in new experiences. Something like jealousy formed in the back of his mind. Neytiri’s emotions were not his to control, and they both understood their responsibilities. He did not doubt that she cared for him, or that they would follow the path set out by the Olo’eyktan.
No, the jealousy came from a place of grief and longing for the person he could have been. Being chosen as the successor to the clan leader was an incredible honor, but his choices had been made for him since that moment. He could not remember the last time he was allowed to fail as badly as the Dreamwalker does on a daily basis, and his failure would not have been met with amusement. He was only twenty, yet he felt far older.
On the fifteenth day since the Dreamwalker had joined their clan, Tsu’tey waited for him in a clearing. He had chosen a location far enough from Hometree to feel isolated, putting the focus on his lesson and not the sounds of the clan. This area was where many young warriors learned the basics of weapons and combat. Fighting was always part of a warrior’s duty, with a long tradition of physical and mental challenges creating the best leaders and clan members, but it had become far more important since the Sky People arrived. No longer did they fight ceremonially or during interpersonal conflict. They were at war.
Tsu’tey felt almost pleased with the nervousness in Jake’s eyes as Neytiri led him to the clearing. He could see the Dreamwalker trying to act confident, but he still didn’t know how to control his tail. That appendage betrayed him, waving behind him nervously before tucking in between his legs.
Neytiri held Tsu’tey’s gaze for a long minute, likely trying to determine if she was going to return to the clearing to find a corpse.
“Try not to kill him today. He is not hopeless.”
“I will be the judge of that.”
Neytiri sighs and turns to walk away, ignoring the pleading look Jake was giving her. He was at the mercy of Tsu’tey, she did not plan to be stuck in the middle. Tsu’tey walks around Jake, examining his posture and musculature. He had avoided looking closely at the Dreamwalker before. Tsu’tey had spent several years in Grace’s school and had seen many of the other Dreamwalkers. Their bodies were false, made to look like his people but bastardized with demon traits. Jake Sully was not the worst he had seen. The hair on his brow was wrong, as were his hands and feet, but his time with the Omaticaya made him less off-putting. Tsu’tey could see that Jake had, likely subconsciously, observed Neytiri’s movements and began to mimic them. He held his weight the right way, his shoulders held high and ears moving to catch every sound. Perhaps Neytiri was right that he had potential.
“You have been chosen to be trained as a warrior. That is the decision of the Tsahìk, but she does not give permission for iknimaya. Your teacher does. Neytiri and I will say when you are ready.”
Neytiri spoke English like it was an inconvenience, purposefully ignoring the rules as long as her point got across. Tsu’tey spoke English slowly, deliberately. He considered every word before it was spoken, and he held direct eye contact to ensure he was understood. Grace had claimed that Neytiri and her sister were the best students, but that was because Tsu’tey rarely spoke while at the school. That did not mean he was not listening and internalizing her lessons. He was intense, but Jake kinda wanted to just sit and listen to him speak. He had a power to his voice that would make him a good leader.
“Why do you wish to be a warrior?”
Jake cocked his head, confused. “I was told to train with Neytiri, to learn the ways of the Omatikaya.”
“No. That is not what I asked. You do not train because you are told, you made a choice.” Tsu’tey moved closer, standing only a few inches away from Jake. “You claim to be a warrior. Why did you choose that path?”
Jake had no idea how to answer that in a way that would make sense. Joining the Marines was a stupid decision made after a lifetime of not being good enough at anything but fighting, a direct result of his own abandonment and self-worth issues. He sighed.
“The place I grew up, my culture, there weren’t a lot of choices. If you were smart enough you got a good job, a good role in the community. The rest of us were just… labor. The only thing I was ever good at was fighting. So I became a warrior.” Jake broke eye contact, staring over Tsu’tey’s shoulder at a fern. “When you sign up, they tell you it’s for a good cause. That you’ll be protecting your people, and it will all be worth it.”
“You regret your path?”
“No. Just… I was injured, and suddenly I was nothing to the people I was fighting to protect.”
Tsu’tey steps back, walking over to his belongings. He didn’t know what to make of this, with no context for how the Sky People lived in their home. It seems they were not only cruel to his people.
“If you continue, you will be an Omatikaya warrior. Will you regret that path?”
“No.” Jake’s voice is stronger this time, more sure of his answer.
“Then I will train you. But you will learn what it means to be a warrior. It is not about your body or your skill with a weapon. Taronyu learns to shoot an arrow not to kill, but to feed their people. A kill is made when necessary, and the creature is honored for its sacrifice. Tsamsiyu learns to fight not for the thrill of violence, but to answer when their people have been wronged. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I do.”
It was so much simpler than on Earth, honest and straightforward. There was no question of intention or character. Jake had no doubt that anyone who showed too much interest in the kill or violence was not allowed down the path, that only those who chose to be a warrior because they were called to it were allowed to succeed. Any idiot over 18 could join the US military. They give every trigger-happy moron a gun and permission to kill the “enemy” with no consideration for shared humanity.
Jake didn’t regret being a Marine. It taught him about himself, but also about the world he lived in. The strong preyed on the weak. He was strong, until he wasn’t, and the world gave up on him. On one of his bad nights he had gone online and looked into why they were at war with Venezuela, if the stories of the government abusing their citizens was true. They were, at least in part, but that wasn’t why Jake or any other soldier was sent there. They were sent to protect money and resources, and a whole lot of people were caught in the cross-fire.
“Today you will show me what you have learned with a bow. I will correct your mistakes. Tomorrow Neytiri will join us on pa’li, to learn to shoot while moving. I will teach you other weapons, unarmed combat. When you are ready, other students will join you, to learn from each other.”
“That sounds good to me. Neytiri’s been working on archery with me, it’s not something Sky People do anymore so I’m still learning.”
“No, Sky People use their metal machines and explosives. They use the weapons of cowards, their kills are cruel and messy.”
Jake couldn’t argue with that. He figured Tsu’tey was going to do this all day, interspersing lessons with derogatory comments about humans. He wasn’t exactly wrong, and Jake knew better than to talk back to someone holding very sharp objects.
Archery training was… different with Tsu’tey. He did not speak as much as Neytiri, choosing to observe and simply correct Jake’s posture and movements. He was strangely gentler than Neytiri, like he had forgotten exactly which student he was working with. There was no praise when Jake did something right, but the disapproval was starting to fade from Tsu’tey’s eyes. The Dreamwalker was at the level of a child, but some part of Tsu’tey kept reminding him that the man had held his first bow only a few days before. Tsu’tey made him shoot until his arms shook, but the Dreamwalker did not waver. He continued without protest, ignoring his body’s need for water or rest.
“Stop.”
Jake’s arms dropped, barely able to hold onto the bow. Tsu’tey took the bow from him, watching as Jake painfully uncurled his fingers.
“You shoot like a child. It will be some time before you are ready to be a warrior.”
“Good thing I’m not going anywhere.” At least for the next few months, unless Selfridge loses his patience early. That didn’t matter, not today. He would figure something out.
Tsu’tey clicked his tongue, reaching into his pack for a paysena. He took a drink before offering the water skin to Jake, whose ears flicked upward in shock. He took the container after a bit of hesitation, grateful for the drink after several long hours. Tsu’tey watched Jake move his strained muscles, careful not to aggravate anything. He could see that the man was familiar with rough training, with pain and muscle fatigue. Jake handed the paysena back to Tsu’tey and stretched, feeling the pull in his shoulders. A strand of hair fell into his eyes and he tried to brush it back in place, but that just caused more hair to fall.
“Why do you not fix your hair?”
Jake startled, looking down at where Tsu’tey was still crouched. He ran a hand through his hair, resulting in more of a mess.
“I’ve never had hair this long, I don’t know what to do with it.”
Against his better judgment, Tsu’tey spoke. “Sit.”
“What?”
“Sit.” Tsu’tey gestured to the ground in front of him. Jake sat down slowly, but Tsu’tey huffed and shoved at his shoulder until Jake’s back was to the other man. Jake could hear him muttering in his native language, something about his brother maybe. Jake jumped slightly when he felt a hand in his hair, but Tsu’tey only pulled out the old ties another avatar had helped him with the first day and began to comb through with his fingers. It was kinda relaxing, if not deeply confusing. Jake heard a noise and looked up to see Neytiri had returned to the clearing. She looked just as confused as he felt.
Neytiri had not truly expected Tsu’tey to kill Jake, but she thought they would argue or start a fight. Instead, she returns to see Jake looking exhausted but not injured, with Tsu’tey braiding his hair. She moved closer, and Tsu’tey raised his voice so she could hear his thoughts.
“He is worse than a child. He cannot braid. These ignorant Sky People, sending their people in these false bodies without teaching them to care for the body, to treat a Na’vi body as Eywa intended. They wear those clothes and carry the wrong weapons, they do not treat their hair with respect. They have no beads. He is your student, you will fix this.”
Neytiri stifled a laugh, nodding in response. She had noticed that his hair was becoming increasingly disheveled, but had not realized that the Sky People did not teach their Dreamwalkers how to prepare their hair. She would have to add a lesson. There should be some beads she no longer used somewhere.
Jake looked like a baby syaksyuk in the jaws of a nantang, his eyes wide and tail holding absolutely still. It was almost cute, how he lacked fear when confronted by predators and learning to fight from her but was so scared of Tsu’tey touching his hair. Tsu’tey finished braiding the hair out of his face, tying it back the way young warriors do in training. It should hold for a few days, then it was Neytiri’s problem.
“He looks very nice.”
Tsu’tey scoffed, trying to keep the blush from rising in his cheeks. He stood abruptly and grabbed his things, walking from the clearing. He wasn’t quite sure why he had done that. It felt too affectionate, too kind for the demon who had invaded his home, but it didn’t feel wrong. Tsu’tey shoved the feeling down, resolving to be harsher during the next few lessons. For now, he did not feel ready to return to the others at Kelutral, so he called for Ngam'i'a. Flying would clear his mind.
Behind him in the clearing, Jake was still frozen in bewilderment. Neytiri takes pity on him and reaches out a hand to pull him off the ground.
“I see the lesson went well.”
“I guess. My aim has gotten better, I’m getting the hang of the muscle movements and the breathing. Still having trouble with the extra finger.” He wiggled his hand at her to prove a point, but she just raises a brow and turns to walk toward Hometree.
“Come. We must work on your speaking.”
That night Tsu’tey seemed far less relaxed in his normal spot. He has his legs drawn up to his chest, looking very small. Neytiri hesitated, but she knew he needed company. He would simply sit there and continue to spiral until morning unless she interfered. She sat beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“He says you are a good teacher. He listens to you, behaves.”
Tsu’tey remained silent, looking out at the beauty of their home but not really seeing it.
“Thank you, for fixing his hair. I had not thought it important.”
“I should not have done that.”
Tsu’tey’s voice was quiet. He could still feel the phantom sensation of soft hair, warm and silken in the sun. After so many hours it started to feel almost like blood, but that might have been his own guilt. How dare he show kindness to this demon, when so much has been lost because of his kind?
“If Saeyla were to ask for help with her hair, would you have done it?”
“Saelya would not ask.”
“Yes, but if she did? Or anyone else in the clan.”
“Of course. It is part of my duty to care for our people.”
Neytiri leaned back, placing her hand on his cheek to make him look in her eyes.
“The Dreamwalker is training to become one of us. Whatever his flaws, and there are many, he has never hurt one of us. To aid him is not to betray our values.”
“Then why does it hurt? Why do I feel the judgment of our ancestors?” He leaned closer, pressing his forehead to hers. Neytiri closed her eyes, trying to find the words to comfort him. She thought of her sister, of her skill with words and the way that she and Tsu’tey simply understood each other. That was why he was reacting like this, like he had betrayed her memory.
“Do not listen to those voices. They do not understand the world we live in, the pain we feel and the war we must fight. Listen to your heart, and to me.”
“Do you trust him?”
“No.” She did not, not completely. She trusted his actions and commitment to learning, but there was something guarded in his eyes, a look Grace had sometimes when the younger children weren’t looking. Whatever the Dreamwalkers experienced while they were not present, they did not share with the Na’vi. The Sky People had plans, and Neytiri knew that Jake had some idea of what they were. He would ask these odd questions sometimes, and when she answered he looked ashamed. “I do not have to trust him, only that he will learn our ways and become someone I can trust. For now, I trust my intuition and my skill. I trust my mother, and Eywa. I trust you.”
“And I, you. I fear I do not have the same faith in the Dreamwalker, or even in the Great Mother, but I will trust you.”
Neytiri smiled, moving to kiss his cheek before laying her head back on his shoulder. His arm settled around her shoulders, holding her close. Tomorrow will be the first lesson all three of them will participate in, and she was almost excited about it.
Notes:
I am very excited to get to the training montage and flesh out their relationships. But I do take slow burn seriously, it will be several chapters of confusion and emotional turmoil and pining.
I am working on these chapters as fast as I can, I genuinely enjoy writing but this is a lot of work an I'm starting an internship tomorrow. I plan to put a chapter out every few days.
Chapter Text
The lesson with Tsu’tey and Neytiri wasn’t necessarily harder than the last two weeks, but Jake could tell something was off. When she wasn’t correcting him Neytiri was watching them both closely, like she was trying to solve a problem. Tsu’tey was quiet, cold, but Jake saw something in his eyes that looked uncertain.
Jake was slowly figuring out what type of man Tsu’tey was. He wasn’t heartless or cruel, he didn’t believe that his strength gave him authority or power over anyone weaker. Jake had grown up in a position of relative privilege. They didn’t have a lot of money, but he and Tommy were safe and well fed and able to choose their lives. America had been safe, when Jake went to fight he went to another country. He truly couldn’t comprehend what it would feel like for your home to be invaded, for aliens to come down and try to claim your land and resources, to threaten your culture. And to be told as a child that you would one day be in charge of protecting your people… Tsu’tey was stronger than Jake would ever be.
He was also a pretty good teacher. Jake could see his frustration with Jake’s mistakes, but he had more patience than Neytiri. She seemed quite happy to pawn him off on Tsu’tey, observing from her perch on a low branch and calling out corrections. It was an odd day, but Jake could handle that.
They had been training for several hours when Jake heard a noise behind them and a young Na’vi man entered the clearing. Tsu’tey moved toward him, speaking to the younger man in a low voice. Jake couldn’t quite hear what they were saying, but Neytiri dropped from her perch and came over to translate.
“Arvok. Tsu’tey’s brother. He has a message from their mother.”
Tsu’tey’s brother. He could see it now, they had the same bone structure, but Arvok was definitely younger, more timid. He lacked Tsu’tey’s strength and conviction, and whatever their mother wanted him to say made him visibly nervous. Tsu’tey nodded to his brother and turned to address them.
“I must go. We will continue tomorrow.”
They watched as he walked back toward Hometree with his brother. Jake wondered what that was about, realizing how little he knew about Tsu'tey. When he was out of sight, Neytiri grabbed Jake’s arm.
“Come. I will teach you to fish.”
Jake hadn’t gone swimming in years. The oceans and lakes on Earth were far too polluted, but his mother had taken them to public pools when they got bored on school breaks. The lake Neytiri took him to was completely different, clear cool water and with colorful rocks and luminescent plants. He was a bit too excited to swim, and Neytiri told him off for scaring the fish, but she was smiling slightly.
When Neytiri found Tsu’tey that evening, he was tense and angry. She left him some space, but moved so her knee was pressed against his thigh, just so he knew she was there for him.
“How is your mother?”
“Angry. Disappointed. She believes that I should have disobeyed the Olo’eyktan and killed the Dreamwalker.”
“She should know you would never disobey my father.”
“She knows, but she says that the Sky People are a poison. She said that teaching the Dreamwalker is causing the clan to lose respect for me, that if I continue I will be challenged for my place as heir.”
“You are the strongest warrior in our clan, chosen by my mother and father as the rightful Olo’eyktan. There are none who would challenge you.”
Tsu’tey does not respond to that. Artsut had given him names, warriors and members of the clan who agreed with her, but he didn’t want to share this with Neytiri. This was his problem to handle.
“I will ask the Tsahìk for guidance. The Sky People grow bold, it will be our downfall if we are not united under your father.” Tsu’tey sighed, shifting to sit closer to Neytiri. “Arvok says that mother’s doubts about your parent’s judgment have grown. She has been harsh with him, less forgiving, and I have been too busy to protect him.”
“He knows that you care for him. He trusts you, as do the other warriors. Your mother has a strong voice, but she has no true power. I am on your side. We will survive this together.”
“If my mother tries to kill him, I will not be able to stop her.”
“Then we must continue to train him, so that no one will doubt your teaching.”
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while. Neytiri knew that he was still worried, about the conflict within their clan and the threat of the Sky People on the horizon. Her connection to Eywa had never been as strong as her mother or sister’s, but Neytiri had learned to listen to her instincts and the voice of the forest. Something was changing in the forest, and Jake was at the center of what was coming.
That evening when he exited the link, Jake sat in front of the photos from Grace’s school, staring at Neytiri and her sister. Tsu’tey didn’t seem to like the camera, but a few of the photos caught him in the background. They seemed so much younger, even if it had only been a few years. Sylwanin was always next to her sister, her arm around Neytiri as she smiled at the camera. In other photos he spotted her talking to Tsu’tey in the background, and Tsu’tey had a warmth in his expression Jake hadn’t seen yet. It wasn’t youth he was seeing, it was a lack of grief and responsibility.
After a few long minutes he heard Grace walk up from behind him. She stopped, leaning on the side of his wheelchair to look at the photos herself.
“The kids weren’t sure about the camera at first, but they really started to enjoy taking photos. I would have to tell them the day before so they could get all dressed up. It was so cute.”
“They seem really happy.”
“They were. The adults had their fears about the humans on Pandora but the kids just wanted to learn. They didn’t understand what it meant, what me being an avatar meant. I thought I could protect them from it, keep Selfridge and the military from getting too close.”
Jake thought of the overgrown school and the bullet holes in the walls, the half-finished drawings on the floor.
“Grace, what happened at the school?”
“Sylwanin had stopped coming to school. She was angry about the clear-cutting. One day, she and a couple of the other young hunters came running in, all painted up. They’d set a bulldozer on fire. I guess they thought I could protect them.” Her voice is too calm, too detached. She turns away from the photos to pour herself a cup of coffee, and Jake sees that her hand is shaking. “The troopers pursued them to the schoolhouse. They killed Sylwanin in the doorway. Right in front of Neytiri. They shot at the others. I got most of the kids out. They weren’t allowed to come back, after that.”
“I’m sorry, Grace.”
“A scientist stays objective. We can’t be ruled by emotion, but I poured ten years of my life into that school.” Grace pauses, her voice wavering. “They called me sa’nok.”
“Mother.” Jake thought of how much pain Grace was carrying, how hard it must have been to keep working on Pandora. Her attitude made sense, now.
“Mother. That kind of pain reaches back through the link.” She sits down across the table, looking at him intently. “Jake, this is a job. Learn what you can - but don’t get attached. It’s not our world, and we can’t stop what’s coming.”
Jake meets Grace’s eyes, and for a moment they see each other completely. They both know he’s already getting attached, and that Grace is just lying to protect herself. This isn’t a job anymore, even if Jake still has his orders and Grace has hers. They’re in too deep, and they both know that what’s coming is going to hurt.
Chapter Text
It took Jake another week of training to build up the courage to talk to Mo’at. Whenever he was in Hometree he could feel her eyes on him, her gaze intense and scrutinizing. The first night had shown him how much power she held, and he was a bit terrified of pissing her off and getting kicked out. He was deeply conflicted about his place on Pandora, but he knew he wanted to keep training with Neytiri and Tsu’tey as long as possible.
In the end, the way Grace and Norm looked when he talked about his day and the things he got to see convinced him to talk to the Tsahìk. They had both worked so hard to get here, and if the Omatikaya had learned to accept his presence they might be okay with a few more Dreamwalkers.
The look Neytiri gave him when he asked to speak to her mother almost broke his resolve, but he knew that Grace deserved this chance. She brought him through Hometree to where Mo’at was working, motioning for him to wait while she checked with her mother. Jake stood outside of the room, watching a group of young girls learning to prepare strips of leather for garments and jewelry. The girls were singing, and after a moment Jake realized it was a Na’vi counting song they were singing for the littlest girl. He could see why Grace cared so much about these kids.
“Mother will speak with you now. Be respectful.”
“Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.”
Neytiri gave him an uminpressed look, but stepped aside. Jake entered the room, taking in the baskets of herbs and the mellow, earthy smell of incense. Mo’at was sitting in the center of the room grinding leaves into a paste. She did not look up as he entered, but gestured to a spot in front of her. He sat down gingerly, watching her hands as she prepared a salve he remembered Neytiri using on his wounds the first night.
“My daughter says you have something to say to me.”
“Something to ask, actually.” Mo’at looks up, raising a brow slightly. “I know it’s not my place to ask you for any favors, but it’s not for me. I’m asking for Grace. She told me she’s known you for years, she respects you.”
“Graceaugustine was not like the others. She listened, even if she did not See. She was a good teacher.”
“Yeah, she’s been helping me. She cares so much, and she misses the kids.” Jake paused, his eyes catching on a bracelet Mo’at was wearing. He had seen it before, in the photos of Sylwanin. “Grace told me what happened at the school. I am so sorry for your loss.”
“Graceaugustine said the same thing. I asked her why she apologized, when she was not at fault.”
“I never understood it, but it’s a thing Sky People do. We just meant that we feel bad you’re hurting.” Mo’at nodded, setting down her tool to touch the bracelet. “That was her’s right, your daughter’s? Grace showed me a photo. She was beautiful, Grace said she was her best student.”
Mo’at looked up at him, her eyes sad.
“She always wears this necklace, I thought she had made it while she was a teacher, but then I saw Sylwanin was wearing it in one of the photos. She gave Grace the necklace, and Grace hasn’t taken it off since. What happened at the school was horrible, and I know that the Sky People are at fault and you needed to protect the Omaticaya children. But if I can… I’d like to ask that you allow Grace and another Dreamwalker to come to Hometree. They’re good people, they don’t have any connection to the other Sky People. They just want to learn from you.”
Mo’at is quiet for a long moment, looking at Jake as though waiting for a sign. Finally, she speaks in a quiet voice.
“I did not think she kept that. My daughter was proud of it, so happy to give it to her teacher. She was special, my first born. She learned so quickly, and she wanted to teach the Dreamwalkers our ways. I think she would be sad that the school was closed.” Mo’at reached out, taking one of Jake’s hands in hers. Her hands are warm and dry, calloused from years of work. Jake abruptly thinks of his mother, something he hadn’t done in years.
“I will allow Graceaugustine and the other to enter Hometree. My mate will not be happy, this will be conditional. But the children have asked to see her, and she was good to us for many years.”
“Thank you, Mo’at, I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
Mo’at smiles, letting go of Jake’s hand to stand and grab a basket.
“Neytiri says you are improving.”
“Yeah, I think so. I’m doing pretty good for a guy who had never held a bow before. She’s a pretty good teacher, and Tsu’tey has been really helpful.”
“Many in the clan doubted you would learn. I had my doubts.”
“I get it. I didn’t give the best impression. But I am trying. This is important to me.”
“That is good.” Mo’at grabs something from the basket and walks back over. “Here. My daughter says she will teach you to braid and weave soon. You will need these.”
Jake reaches out and takes the bundle from her, unwrapping the fabric to find leather strips and colorful clay beads. He knew that everything was made by hand, and that this likely came from Mo’at or Neytiri’s personal stash. He rewrapped them carefully, making the promise to himself that he would learn to braid and wear these with pride.
“Thank you, Mo’at.”
He stands and begins to leave, spotting Neytiri waiting for him. Before he can reach her, he hears Mo’at speak.
“Jakesully.” He turns, and she is looking at him with a slight smile. “Thank you, for talking to me about Grace and my daughter. She is happy with Eywa, but it is good to think of her as she was.”
Jake smiles and walks out to meet Neytiri. He asks what they were talking about, but he changes the subject by showing her the beads. They place the bundle with Neytiri’s belongings to go learn how to make use of every part of a kill, but Jake spends the day distracted.
He thinks of Mo’at’s words and the emotion in her eyes, the way she carries her daughter with her on her wrist. He catches a glimpse of himself in a pool of water and realizes that he had stopped thinking of this body as Tommy’s. He didn’t have any of Tommy’s belongings from Earth, but he did have this avatar body. Somehow it didn’t feel like enough.
Jake left the link that night with a grin on his face, pushing the lid open to see Grace looking at samples. Pulling himself into his wheelchair and moving over to her station, he could see Norm and Trudy in the other section drinking coffee.
“Hey Grace, I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Grace looks up, narrowing her eyes at him. She pushes her chair back to face him fully.
“What did you do?”
“Norm! Come over here!”
Norm raises an eyebrow but walks over, Trudy following out of curiosity.
“So, I may have had an interesting conversation about you two today.”
“Jesus marine, what now?”
“Mo’at says you can both come to Hometree.”
Grace freezes, waiting for a punchline. Norm’s eyes go wide.
“Are you kidding? You got permission from the Tsahìk?”
“Yeah, I figured it wasn’t fair that I got to go and train while you guys were stuck here. She said it’s conditional, but you guys should be able to do your research.”
“Are you sure?” Grace’s voice was quiet, unsure. He leans over the table to grab her hand.
“I’m sure. She said that the kids were asking about you.”
Grace tears up slightly, holding his hand tight. Norm starts to bounce around the unit, speaking far too quickly to Trudy about Hometree and the things he wanted to study. Jake simply sat at the table, taking in the joy that was filling their little unit. For the first time since being given his orders, he felt like he did something right.
The next morning, Jake waited for Grace and Norm at the base of Hometree, accompanied by Neytiri, Tsu’tey, and Mo’at. A few of the other warriors were spread through the forest to keep an eye on their journey. As they got closer, Jake could see that Norm still didn’t have much fine motor control over his avatar. He could take samples, but he was clumsy and his tail was giving him away. Jake knew he wasn’t much better in the tail department, but he could see the difference his lessons had caused. Grace was trying to project confidence and respect, walking straight to greet Mo’at.
“Oel ngati kameie, Tsahìk Mo’at.”
“Oel ngati kameie, Graceaugustine. It is good to see you, my friend.”
“This is Norm Spellman, he’s a scientist like me.”
Norm greets Mo’at as Grace turns to look at Neytiri and Tsu’tey. Tsu’tey turns, not wanting to meet her eyes, but Neytiri approaches.
“Oel ngati, kameie, Neytiri Mo’at’ite.”
“Oel ngati kameie, Doctor Graceaugustine.”
“You look good. Stronger. I hope you’ve been well.”
“I am well. I am glad to see you.” Something catches Neytiri’s eye and she walks closer, reaching out to touch Grace’s necklace. She smiles sadly. “My sister would be happy you have this.”
Tsu’tey looks up at this, seeing the necklace. He seems to freeze, and Jake watches as he forces down his grief to hide behind a blank expression. Jake catches his eye for a moment, but Tsu’tey simply walks back into Hometree.
Mo’at leads the group into Hometree, calling over one of the elders to give Norm a tour. Norm looks incredibly excited, and Jake almost feels bad about how many questions the elder is going to have to answer. Grace is bombarded by a group of children, all trying to tell her about what they have been learning and showing her that they still remember English. Jake takes a moment to watch her interacting with the children, noticing that the children’s parents don’t seem upset about her presence. Seeing that all is well, he goes over to Neytiri.
“Hey, I know we’re working on tracking today but I wanted to talk to you first.”
Neytiri nods, leading him out of Hometree. He waits until they’re safely out of earshot.
“I didn’t ask you before talking to your mother. Are you okay with Grace being here?”
Neytiri looks intently at the ground, one hand fiddling with her necklace.
“The last time I saw her was the worst day of my life. She saved me, and she mourned with me. Mother says she can return, so I am fine.”
He walks closer, carefully reaching out to touch her arm.
“Grace told me what happened to your sister. I am so sorry for your loss.”
“You did not kill her.”
“No, but I am a Sky Person. It was my people who hurt her, and I know it’s been hard to train me. Thank you, by the way.”
“Do not apologize. You are different. You are learning to See.” Neytiri tilts her head, her eyes open and filled with emotion. Jake opened his mouth to respond, but a noise from behind indicates that Tsu’tey has followed them to assist with the lesson. Jake gestures to Neytiri to wait, turning to address Tsu’tey.
“Tsu’tey, I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t ask you before I talked to Mo’at. Are you alright with Grace being here?”
“I am fine. This does not concern me.”
Jake moved closer, trying to hold his gaze.
“Grace told me what happened at the school. She told me who Sylwanin was to you. I’m so sorry, I can’t imagine what you went through.”
Tsu’tey clenches his jaw, turning his head and stepping back.
“No, you cannot.”
“I think he can.” Neytiri moves to stand in between them, placing her hand on Tsu’tey’s arm before looking at Jake. “Something in your voice. Who do you grieve?”
Jake looks away from her, watching Tsu’tey’s face. His ears are turned toward their voices even as he avoids them.
“I wasn’t supposed to be the one to come here. My brother was a scientist, he was going to work with Grace. He was shot a week before he was supposed to leave.” Tsu’tey’s ears flick up and he turns to look at Jake. He can feel Neytiri’s gaze on him as well.
“How long ago?” Her voice was far gentler than he had ever heard it.
“We’re put to sleep for the trip, so you don’t remember it. For me, it’s been…” Jake tried to do the math quickly, realizing he had lost track of the time he’d been with the Omaticaya. “A month. To me, it feels like I lost him just over a month ago.”
Jake thought of his brother’s face and the flames that consumed him, and he just felt numb. He knew he was supposed to mourn, to cry, but he felt like the part of him that loved Tommy had been locked away. He felt Neytiri gently touch his arm, and Tsu’tey moved closer. He hesitated, but he also reached out for just a second.
“Then we grieve with you. And I thank you, for thinking of us.” Tsu’tey seemed to realize that this was getting dangerously close to vulnerability and emotional connection and cleared his throat, stepping away. “We have lessons.”
“Yes, yeah we do.” Jake shakes his head to clear his thoughts, squaring his shoulders and walking after Tsu’tey. Neytiri follows, but he can see her mind is elsewhere.
When Jake exits the link, Grace is waiting for him. She hands him a glass of water and food, sitting next to him on the link bed while he eats. He doesn’t feel hungry and just pushes the food around the plate.
“You need to eat.”
He stays silent, but takes a few bites.
“Thank you, for today. I missed them so much. I wasn’t sure if I would ever see them again.”
“What happened to staying objective?” His voice was harsher than he intended, but Grace didn’t take it personally.
“I saw you today, with them. I’ve been listening to your reports, but it’s different in person. You’re different, with them. And I know you saw me with the kids. We’re past objective, and we both know that’s dangerous.”
“Quaritch gave me orders. Me and Trudy.” Grace doesn’t look surprised, but she does pull a cigarette out of her shirt pocket and begin to smoke. “We’re supposed to send them info on Hometree, so they can plan an attack to get to the deposit underneath. I’m not a good man, I’ve never been, but I’m supposed to be a good soldier. He told me he’d make sure I get my legs back.”
“Shit. Max told me they had given you orders, I just… I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
“Three months. Or, two now. That’s how long we have, to get the Omatikaya out of Hometree.”
They sit in silence for a moment.
“They’re not gonna leave, are they?”
“Not a chance in hell. But if they don’t, I don’t think we can stop Selfridge.”
“So we’re screwed, and so are the Omatikaya.”
Grace sighs, leaning forward to rub her forehead. Jake looks at his legs, realizing he had lost more weight since he started spending his days in the link. This conversation with Grace was the first time in weeks this body had felt real, but it didn’t feel good.
“We just have to keep trying. Send info to the goons to keep them off of our ass, but nothing too harmful. I’ll talk to Max, try and make a plan. For now, you need to eat, and sleep. You should probably shower as well. I heard you’re training with some of the other warriors tomorrow.” She claps a hand on his shoulder before moving over to her work station. “Don’t worry about your report today. Add it to tomorrow’s.”
Chapter Text
The next morning, Neytiri looked far too amused when he woke up. He was immediately a little bit scared about what she had planned, but he decided to just let whatever was going to happen, happen. Neytiri wasn’t vindictive, whatever that look was about shouldn’t be too bad. Besides, today he gets to train with Tsu’tey’s other students, which he was genuinely excited about.
Saeyla and Ka’ani were a little younger than Neytiri and full of energy. They were in the group that captured him the first night, but they seemed willing to try and accept him. It was genuinely fun to go through little competitions that Tsu’tey had set up to test them, and Jake enjoyed how much Tsu’tey indulged his students and clearly cared about them. Jake spent most of the morning watching their interactions, trying to learn more about how Omatikaya warriors were normally trained.
A few hours in, he realized something interesting about Saeyla. She seemed to have a crush on Tsu’tey, which he didn’t notice but Neytiri definitely did. Jake tried to keep his face neutral when she got a little too pushy with her mentor, but Ka’ani didn’t seem to be able to hide his emotions. He definitely knew what Saeyla was doing, and he didn’t like it. Neytiri seemed more amused than anything else. He’d have to ask her about it later, but he didn’t blame Saeyla. Tsu’tey was a good looking dude, he was strong and talented and gave his students a lot of attention.
After their midday break to eat, Tsu'tey sent Saeyla and Ka’ani to practice with a larger group of trainees. Neytiri dragged Jake back to Hometree, stopping to pick up the bundle of beads and a basket before bringing him to the central gathering area. She sat off to the side, within earshot of the group of weavers. Jake joined her, wondering when this was gonna turn and bite him.
“You need to learn to braid. All Na’vi must learn to care for themselves. I thought about how to teach you, knowing you have the skills of a child.” Neytiri smiled, mischievous. “Who better to learn with than other children?”
Neytiri gave a bird-like call, and Jake heard giggling and the sound of small footsteps. Suddenly he was bent over by a weight on his back. A group of children, several of whom he recognized as Grace’s students, had surrounded them. One of the girls was bold enough to try and climb his seated form to perch on his shoulders, which made Neytiri laugh. Jake heard a laugh, lower in pitch and quieter, and realized that Tsu’tey had joined them. He was carrying a toddler, whom he kept in his lap when he sat down.
“The best way to learn is practice. The children will let you try with their hair, and they will practice with yours.”
The little girl climbed back down, twisting to sit in front of him. She was smiling widely, and Jake could see one of her front teeth had fallen out. His heart clenched, these kids were so cute and so familiar, even if they were blue. Turns out kids were kids on every planet. The kids had scrambled to form a braiding chain, watching carefully as Neytiri opened the basket of beads and hair accessories. Jake reached up and began to remove the braids that Tsu’tey had put in his hair over a week before, but a tiny hand shoved his away.
“I want to do it.”
Jake looked over his shoulder to see two girls had taken sections of his hair. He smiled at them.
“Alright then. I trust you. My name’s Jake, what about you two?”
The girls introduced themselves as Umay and Fiyani, and the little one who had climbed onto his shoulders earlier was Ketxe. They seemed to decide he was now their willing hostage and began to chatter behind him. Even if he didn’t learn to braid, this was a good way to practice Na’vi. Jake tried to watch Neytiri carefully as she began to demonstrate on one of the older kids, but she was braiding with three fingers. He kept having to readjust his fingers. The girls behind him would giggle when he made a mistake, but they weren’t bothered by his hands. Ketxe thought it was cool, so she kept grabbing his hand and making him drop the braid he was working on.
At some point Grace walked past, holding back a laugh at the big bad marine being ordered around by a group of children. She could see how careful he was being, aware of how much bigger he was than them. She would tease him later about it, back in the mobile unit. She made eye contact with Tsu’tey, who looked just as amused as she felt. Tsu’tey was quite content to sit on the edge of the gathering, holding Hakam and giving tips to the nearest kids. Hakam was dozing off in his arms, his older brother Auil keeping an eye on him while getting his own hair braided. They were the children of a healer who often worked with Artsut, and Tsu’tey had been roped into watching the boys in the past.
Shifting Hakam so he was more comfortable, Tsu’tey watched Jake. The Dreamwalker was surprisingly good with kids, though that may be because he was just as immature. It was good to have a quiet, happy moment with the children. He had spent too long with the elders of the clan, planning and worrying. This was what they were fighting for, this was their future.
Jake wasn’t doing too bad. His braids were a little messy, but once he figured out how to account for the extra finger he was able to get the hang of it. Ketxe seemed to approve, at least. The girls doing his hair were rougher than Tsu’tey was, but they were so happy.
“Alright Ketxe, I think we can try adding a bead. Pick one for me.”
Ketxe leaned forward to rummage through the basket, and Jake looked up to meet Neytiri’s eyes. She was completely relaxed, braiding without having to look. He almost laughed when he noticed two kids had taken over her hair and were not doing nearly as neat of a job. He turned to look at Tsu’tey, finding him helping one of the kids add a feather to their braid. The little boy that he had been holding seemed to have moved. Jake turned back to Kexte, who had picked a few beads, but was distracted by something pushing his arm.
He looked down to see the Tsu’tey’s toddler had wandered over and was shoving his way under Jake’s arm to curl up in his lap, apparently deciding that Jake was a better place to take a nap. Fiyani giggled at the look on his face, explaining that the boy’s name was Hakam and he did that a lot. Jake carefully adjusted Hakam to lean against his chest and continued working on Ketxe’s hair, trying not to wince as Umay pulled too hard on his hair.
A little boy approached Jake, who tied off Kexte’s hair and turned to face him.
“Sorry about Hakam. I can move him.”
“Nah, it’s alright. He’s sleeping.” The older boy sat next to Jake, reaching out to brush some hair out of Hakam’s face. “Is he your little brother?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Jake. I had a little brother too. Drove me crazy, but I loved him.”
“Auil. He is very loud, when he is not sleeping. Mother says I have to teach him when he is older.”
“I’m sure you’ll be a great teacher. You did pretty good with your braids.”
Auil smiled shyly, leaning closer to Jake to watch his hands.
“What is it like, to have another finger?”
“Huh. I don’t know, I’ve always had this many fingers. It’s harder to use a bow, but I don’t mind.”
Fiyani had been listening in, deciding to put herself into the conversation.
“My mother is a hunter. She says you won’t ever be good at archery, ‘cause of your demon blood.”
Yeah, Jake had forgotten that kids repeat everything they hear.
“Well, I’ve only been learning for a month. I’ll get there one day. Do you wanna be a hunter too?”
“No. I wanna be a musician like my dad.”
“I wanna be a weaver.” Umay’s voice was quieter, and she seemed to follow Fiyani’s lead. Jake carefully reached a hand up to feel the braids she had completed. They weren’t perfect, but for her age she did pretty good.
“Well you did a great job with my hair. I’m sure you’ll be a great weaver. You did a good job too, Fiyani.”
“Thanks. Needs more beads though.”
“What do you think, Auil? How am I doing?”
“Not terrible. Umay is way better.”
Jake laughed, feeling Umay get shy and hide her face in his shoulder. Neytiri looked up and smiled at him, and on the other side of the circle Tsu’tey’s voice was steady and calming. He hadn’t even noticed how much time had passed, but there were more clan members in the space. He scanned the room to check for any hostility, but no one seemed to mind that he was interacting with the children. Some of the women preparing food seemed to be gossiping about him, glancing over and laughing.
Tsu’tey stood carefully and walked around the circle to stand by Neytiri.
“It is time to finish and prepare for dinner.”
The kids protested, but they knew not to argue with an adult. Umay and Fiyani tied off their last braids, proud of their work. Ketxe ran off quickly to show her hair to her parents. Hakam was still mostly asleep, so Jake sat and waited with Auil for their parents. Auil perked up when a man approached. Jake shifted the toddler to carefully hand him over, and when he met the man’s eye he was not angry or upset. A Dreamwalker had been holding his baby for hours, and the man had no problem with it. It felt good, that little bit of acceptance.
Tsu’tey actually sat next to Jake and Neytiri during the meal. He could see that Eytukan was confused, but Mo’at didn’t seem surprised. Whatever doubts Mo’at had about the Dreamwalker, he was proving to her that he cared deeply about the people around him. That was an endearing quality, as was the way he handled the children of the clan. Grace had joined her for the meal, so Mo’at directed a comment her way.
“The children seemed to enjoy today.”
“Yeah. Jake’s pretty good with kids, apparently. The kids were always the most willing to talk to us Dreamwalkers.”
“Children possess wisdom that many of us have lost. Their hearts are more open.”
Grace nodded, watching Jake as he and Neytiri tried to get Tsu’tey to participate in their conversation. She had noticed how close they had gotten, how Jake was able to bring out something in Neytiri and Tsu’tey she had worried they would lose. They were her kids, once, her students. She had watched them grow up. Now she was just worried that she was going to watch them die.
Notes:
Look, I just love the idea of Jake getting forcibly adopted by a group of children.
Saeyla is one of the students who gets her ikran with Jake, and she canonically has a crush on Tsu'tey and tries to get with him the night Jake and Neytiri mate. I'm definitely gonna use her for some angst, but not until after the battle cause of everything else I need to fit in.
Also sorry for the last sentence, I seem to enjoy hurting my own feelings.
Chapter Text
At some point, Jake realized that he needed to keep track of the days. The RDA’s deadline was looming, and he couldn’t afford to lose time. They continued to send reports to Quaritch, but everything was slightly edited. Jake started to record two versions of his logs, one for Grace’s research and one to be officially viewed. Grace herself was coordinating with Max and the personnel in Hell’s Gate who were sympathetic to the Na’vi. They were lucky enough to get the engineers and maintenance staff on their side, and Trudy was talking to some of the pilots. It didn’t feel like enough, but it was better than nothing.
Grace had drawn a makeshift calendar on one of the walls, and one of them would cross the day off every evening. Jake appreciated it, in a way. He struggled with living two separate but simultaneous lives, and somehow the countdown made the time he spent in his human body feel real again. Or at least the amount of days that had been checked off reminded him to shower and shave.
His lessons continued, focusing more on the traditions and proper actions of hunters and warriors. He occasionally trained with some of the other trainees, but unlike the elders and children of the clan the young warriors seemed to dislike his presence. Neytiri called in reinforcements for his lessons in handicrafts, pawning him off on some of the weavers and carvers of the clan. Grace’s kids decided that he was part of their group now, so Neytiri had him learn garment and jewelry making with them. He genuinely enjoyed it, and honestly the kids were pretty good teachers.
Ketxe in particular had claimed Jake as something like an honorary big brother, trying to climb up and sit on his shoulders at any opportunity. He had to memorize the sound of her footsteps to brace himself, as the first time she tried it while he was walking they both toppled over, sending Neytiri and most of the other witnesses into a fit of laughter.
[July 5]
The day itself had been fairly normal, with Neytiri leading him on a hunting expedition to track and practice aiming at a yerik, but he was yet to make a kill. She said he was close, but the forest had yet to give him permission. Jake didn’t fully know what she meant by that, but he was starting to internalize her tree-hugging spiritual nonsense. If they all believed it so deeply there had to be some truth in it, and Grace had been researching the connections between the plants and animals of Pandora.
That night, Neytiri directed him out of Hometree after they ate. She led him through the forest toward the small lake they had swam in before. Jake would never get used to the bioluminescence of Pandora, how beautiful everything was. On this night, Jake found himself distracted by the line of glowing freckles on Neytiri’s shoulders, almost tripping on a root when he spent too long trying to count them.
She had apparently planned on a night fishing lesson, pulling him into a dugout canoe with their bows already prepared. As Jake carefully watched for fish, he thought about how the glowing anemone on the bottom of the lake looked like a swirling galaxy. When he successfully catches a fish, Neytiri smiles at him. He didn’t even care how tired he would be the next day. This was worth it.
[July 6]
Unfortunately, Tsu’tey had been waiting for them when they returned to Hometree, and seemingly decided to make Jake’s life just a bit difficult for no reason. Between the late night and trying to complete tasks in the mobile unit, Jake barely slept. So he was tired and a bit grouchy, but there was no way to convince Tsu’tey to take it easy on him.
They ended up hiking fairly far away from Hometree to practice archery, with Jake being quizzed on Na’vi vocabulary the entire walk. They both teased him for his mistakes, but it didn’t feel malicious. He was grateful for the time with them, away from the watchful eyes of the clan.
When they finally arrived at the spot Tsu’tey had chosen, he took up position in the background, observing Jake’s movements without correction. Neytiri was the one who took over, standing close to him to adjust the position of his arms. Their first few lessons like this were harsh, impatient, but today her hands were gentle where they touched him. Jake tried to focus on the target, but he was distracted by the feeling of the calluses on her hands from years of archery. He turns to meet her eyes, not sure what expression he was wearing. She pulled away, shy and a little startled, and Jake raised his head to look at Tsu’tey. Jake expected annoyance, but Tsu’tey was just looking at them calmly, with a sort of soft look on his face. Jake had no idea what to think.
He had a difficult time with his recording that night. At some point he found himself just staring at the calendar drawn on the wall. He didn’t realize that he was dozing off until he woke the next morning, not in his wheelchair by the desk but in his bunk. He was confused, realizing that not only had someone moved him, they had tucked him into bed. His eyes landed on Grace, scrolling through a report and drinking coffee at the table. She made a snarky comment when he rolled over to join her, but she was smiling and her eyes were fond.
[July 8]
A few days later, Neytiri kept him out late again to show him the nightly patrol routes. At some point they could see Tsu’tey and his trainees on patrol below them. He was projecting vigilance and restraint, but Jake could see the ways his ears flicked toward the younger warriors, who seemed to be joking about something.
When Neytiri had taken him on a circuit around Hometree, she dropped out of the trees into a clearing. They were surrounded by chest-high ferns, one of the few plants that didn’t glow, but the world around them was still filled with color. Neytiri signaled for him to be quiet and follow her as she approached a small creature, almost like a little lizard, that had perched on one of the ferns. Jake thought it looked a bit like a stick insect, with the shape of its legs mimicking leaves, but it was purple and had small glowing veins. Jake reached out to touch it and the spine on its back unfurled into a disk-like bioluminescent membrane, the creature spinning up into the air as it opened. It was like the poor thing was attached to a frisbee. Jake laughs softly, prompting Neytiri to lunge into the ferns to startle the rest of the lizards. Dozens of the little creatures launch into the air, spinning and glowing. Neytiri hops around, gently tapping the fans to send them in another direction. The different colored lights play across her skin, and for a moment she is totally herself, her guard down, and she is the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
[July 9]
The next day Jake found himself carefully observing everyone around him as he ate. He had tried to keep his eyes to himself in the past, but he was curious about something.
He kept a close eye on Neytiri and Tsu’tey, watching the ways they interacted with different members of the clan, their body language around Mo’at or the other warriors. The Na’vi didn’t have a word for “lie.” Neytiri embodies this, acting on her impulses and refusing to deny herself. She spoke her mind, and wore her every emotion openly. Tsu’tey on the other hand… Look, Jake knew he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He worked better as a blunt weapon, but he did know people. It seemed to Jake that Tsu’tey was taught the concept of lying to yourself and absolutely internalized it. He could see the emotions he couldn’t quite suppress in the movement of his ears or brows, but getting Tsu’tey to talk honestly about how he felt or what he wanted seemed pretty much impossible.
Jake didn’t want to make assumptions, or get his hopes up. He was still an outsider, and they were still engaged to each other. But he knew there was something growing, and he didn’t understand it. He knew he’d eventually have to ask Grace, but he needed to figure out what to ask first. So, he went to the only people who would answer him honestly and without shame - the kids. He was tasked with making a new armband anyway, and Ketxe said she found some cool rocks for him to add.
She was very talkative, and liked to repeat things her parents told her. It wasn’t until he decided to pay attention that he noticed her description of her parents was odd. She had said that her mother was a gatherer, but then talked about her mom making a new flute for the clan. He would have assumed she just had two moms, but he had met her father.
“Ketxe, I have kinda a silly question.” The little girl looked up from her attempt at a bracelet for her father.
“You told me your mom was a gatherer, right? Does she also make instruments?”
“No, that’s Sa’nok Tsyo. Sa’nok Neyara is the gatherer.”
“Okay. So you have two moms, and a dad?”
“Yep! Sempul says I’m too much of a handful for two parents.”
“So, are they all mated?” Jake had read a bit about mating, and he had asked Grace how it worked when they talked about Neytiri and Tsu’tey, but she had always made it seem like the Na’vi were strictly monogamous.
“No silly. Sa’nok says you don’t have to be mated to be a family.”
“Are there a lot of kids with families like yours?”
“A few. Sempul says that Eywa makes some people with more love to give, but Sa’nok says it helps keep the clan strong.”
“Huh. Thanks, Kexte.”
“Do Sky People have mates?”
“Not really. They don’t have tswin, so they can’t make tsaheylu. But we do have a thing called marriage, it’s where people choose to be together their whole lives. There are families like yours where I come from, a lot of them actually. Earth doesn’t have a lot of resources, so more parents helps to protect kids and gives them a better life.”
Ketxe nods, considering. “Are Sky People sad that they can’t do tsaheylu?”
“People don’t normally miss things they don’t know about. I think I would miss it, if I ever had to leave.”
“Do you want to go back?”
“Honestly? No. There isn’t anything left for me on Earth.”
“Do you have any family?”
“I did. I had parents, and a brother. I lost my parents a long time ago. My brother died before I came here. He was a scientist, like Grace.”
They had both stopped working at some point, distracted by their conversation. Jake knew that Ketxe didn’t quite understand the things he was saying about humans and Earth, but she was smart enough to see that it was hard for him to think about.
“My grandmother died last year. I was sad, but Sempul told me that she was with Eywa, and that I’d see her again.”
Jake didn’t have the heart to tell the girl that Tommy died light-years away from Eywa on a broken and dying planet. He smiled at her and ruffled her hair, reminding her to keep working. He looked around the large room, taking in the way that everyone moved with purpose, each doing their part to care for their clan. Now that he was paying attention he could see how physical the Omatikaya were, how much body language and physical touch played into their interactions. He felt the phantom sensation of Neytiri’s hand on his arm correcting his aim, of Tsu’tey braiding his hair.
When Ketxe had finished her bracelet she climbed onto his shoulders so he could carry her to her parents. Jake handed her off to her father, noticing for the first time that both of the women who sat by him at meals had the same necklace, which matched the beads in his hair. Something in the back of his mind thought about the hair tie Neytiri had given him, and the strand of beads she and Tsu’tey both wore in their hair.
Notes:
So this is a bit of a training/slow burn feelings montage pulled from the movie and some deleted scenes. This chapter and the next are also me exploring the Na'vi system of mating and relationships and adjusting canon to fit my story.
Chapter 10
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
He didn’t talk to Grace that night, knowing that he was grounded the next day for maintenance on the link units. Beulah may be the least glitchy, but she wasn’t meant for everyday use for weeks on end and none of them wanted to accidentally fry his brain. Jake spent the morning with Trudy in her Samson. Turns out she was regularly communicating with some of the other pilots and had some interesting gossip from Hell’s Gate, and it was good to tease her a bit about Norm.
After lunch he stayed in the mobile unit, helping Norm with a repair to one of the scanners. Grace was a few feet away running diagnostics on Norm’s link unit.
“So I have a dumb question for you guys, but I am genuinely curious about this.”
Grace sighed, raising her eyebrow at him. “Alright, lay it on me.”
“I was talking to one of the kids yesterday, and she told me that she has three parents but only two are mated. When I asked a few weeks ago it sounded like the Na’vi were strictly monogamous. How does mating and relationships actually work?”
“Huh. Okay, didn’t expect that to be the topic of conversation today, but it’s a good opportunity. Norm, I’m gonna test your knowledge of Omaticaya culture here.”
“No problem.” Norm got that look on his face he always got when talking about Omatikaya history. “From what I can tell it’s not something they talk about much, but only because they don’t seem to feel it’s important to distinguish. Basically, mating is a very specific bond made official in sacred spaces that involves tsaheylu. It’s not like a mystical chosen thing where they’re born with one true mate, the bond requires explicit consent and choice of partner. The mating bond is really important for lineage tracing, especially with the Olo’eyktan and Tsahìk. The majority of clan leaders are a mated pair, across dozens of clans.”
“So the mating bond can only be done once, between two people?”
“As far as we know.” Grace had set her tablet aside, leaning forward to be more present in the conversation. “I asked a widow once if she would mate again, and she looked… offended? But I have seen people in relationships, both platonic and romantic, after losing a mate.”
“The Olo’eyktan and Tsahìk, are they always arranged?”
“Not always, but it’s common. Especially to choose the proper Tsahìk, someone with the right connection to Eywa.”
“Are those roles always gendered?”
“No actually, they just have been recently so that’s become the mainstream assumption. Mo’at has told me about Olo’eyktan and Tsahìk of different genders. It seems that the current Tsahìk gets a sign from Eywa about the role the child will play, not just an automatic ‘the oldest kid is a boy so they’ll be Olo’eyktan’. The Tayrangi clan currently has one female leader who fills both roles, and it will stay that way even when she is mated.”
“I had no idea. Honestly I made a bunch of assumptions about the Na’vi because of the stuff I heard about them on Earth and from the RDA.”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised by that. I have tried, but my research doesn’t make for good sound bites. I’m just glad you’re willing to listen to the kids and learn something.”
“The kid was telling me that her father thought families like theirs were accepted by Eywa, that some people were chosen to have more than their mate.”
“Hey, that’s a good way to explain their relationship in the context of their beliefs. The Na’vi don’t treat Eywa the way humans treat some of our gods, it’s not that the Great Mother specifically designed each of them and made their choices for them, more like she sets out approved paths and gives them signs for what will bring them happiness.” Norm had grabbed a book from Grace’s lab section, flipping through to find the section he needed.
“Okay, another ignorant question - what about the kids? Like, how do you know who the biological parent is?”
Grace hummed, trying to find the words. “Again, this isn’t something they talk much about, but from what I can tell, procreation requires tsaheylu with your mate, like the bond is a pre-requisite for fertility. And honestly, the Na’vi don’t care much about paternity. They have a long tradition of adopting children, and they truly believe that it takes the help of the entire clan to raise children to their fullest potential. That’s why it meant so much that they accepted my school, and why Neytiri wanted you to interact with the kids.”
“Oh, I thought she just wanted to watch me make a fool of myself.”
“I’m sure she enjoyed that, but no. The acceptance of the kids is really important for earning your place in the clan.”
Jake nodded, leaning forward to grab the book from Norm and look at the section he had indicated.
“I guess I’m just surprised that the Na’vi aren’t actually that different from humans. I think I hadn’t noticed or thought about this stuff because it didn’t stick out in my brain.”
“To be fair, it was my literal job to study the Omatikaya and it took me a few years to ask those questions. I didn’t publish a lot of what I learned, it felt like an invasion of privacy. Then it felt like something the RDA might use to hurt the Na’vi if it came to that.”
“Well we’re stuck here all day. Might as well tell me whatever I need to know now. Neytiri keeps forgetting that I only started learning this stuff two months ago.”
Grace and Norm grinned. Norm started pulling out the books he had brought, and Jake knew he was in for a long afternoon.
That evening, Jake had settled into his bunk, flipping through Grace’s book to find information on the hunting traditions of the Omaticaya when she walked over. Grace pushed his legs over to make room, sitting on the edge of the bunk.
“Alright marine, what’s up with the questions? I know some of it is curiosity, but you seemed a little too interested.”
Jake shrugged, setting the book aside.
“Neytiri has me working with more of the clan to learn other skills, so I’ve just been noticing more. After I talked to the kids I was working with the weavers, and they were gossiping. One of the weavers was talking about the transfer of betrothal to Tsu’tey from Sylwanin to Neytiri as the heir. It’s kinda weird to me, so I figured I’d ask you.”
“Yeah, I don’t have to agree with their tradititions to respect them. I knew what would happen after Sylwanin’s death, but of course I couldn’t ask Neytiri about it.”
“When people have mentioned the whole mating thing before, they both looked… resigned? I’ve seen that they care about each other, but this really feels like an arranged marriage more than anything else.”
“They were both raised to understand the importance of the roles and relationship between the Tsahìk and Olo’eyktan. Tsu’tey and Sylwanin were arranged but they truly loved each other, I think they would have chosen each other regardless. He and Neytiri simply have a different relationship, and for them mating is just a partnership to lead the clan.”
Grace watched Jake’s face closely as she talked. He tried to keep his expression under control, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded. It just didn’t feel right. Neytiri looked most happy when she was flying or hunting, but she seemed to shrink into herself when she was working with her mother to learn the duties of the Tsahik. Tsu’tey was harder to read, but Jake thought that might be the point. He had been chosen for this role as a child, and had been held to a certain standard since.
“Jake, you know I’m not blind, and I do listen when you talk. If by some goddamn miracle we pull this off and you get accepted by the clan, it’s still not going to work out.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Grace sighed, racking her brain for a way to get through to him. She settled on the thing she had never told anyone else.
“You know, I’ve spent almost my entire adult life here. I’ve given every part of myself to my studies. The only person I was ever involved with was a geologist who arrived a few years after I did, but she left years ago. That doesn’t mean I don’t understand where you’re head’s at. There was a woman, one of the Omatikaya storytellers. I spent a lot of time with her, recording the stories of the clan for my research. She taught me so much about the forest and their connection to this world.” Grace stood and walked over to the fridge to grab a photo before settling back on Jake’s bunk. “This is her kid, right here. He was a good student. He had the same talent for telling stories. Jake, I need you to really listen to me here. I get it, but it will never work out the way you want. They both have responsibilities, and we can never really be a part of the clan.”
“I know. God, I know. But… I don’t know how to deal with this. Grace, they treat me like I’m worth something.” Jake scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to keep his voice steady. He could feel Grace lean her weight a little closer to him, warm against his side. “I screw up all the time, and they definitely let me know, but you should have seen the way they look at me when I do something right.”
He moves to sit up slightly, needing to fully face her.
“Grace, I’m not a good guy. I never have been, but I’m supposed to be a good soldier. I’m supposed to follow orders. So I made a deal with the devil, for something so stupid.”
“Jake, you said yes because they offered you your life back.”
“It doesn’t feel like much of a life. Not anymore, not when I’ve gotten to experience this version of life.”
“You’re young, kid. You’ll get through this and go back to Earth, and you’ll figure out how to live a full life.”
“There’s nothing left for me, on Earth. Tommy was the only thing I had left. The only people who give a damn about me are here, on Pandora. You and Norm and Trudy, and them. If I leave, I have nothing, even if I get my legs back. It takes months of therapy to walk again and rebuild strength, and I will have no one on my side.”
“What do you want to do, then?”
“Fuck if I know. I just… keep trying to function day by day, and maybe something will come to me.”
“I talked to Mo’at. I didn’t mention you, but I told her that the RDA wanted them out of Hometree.” Grace paused, staring down at the floor. “She didn’t listen, and I can’t push while we’re still on probabtion. They will never leave. They have faith in Eywa, in Hometree, and somehow they have faith that the humans won’t be stupid enough to commit genocide to get a rock.”
“We’ve got to try. Even if they hate me for it, I have to try.”
“I’m not giving up. I’ll keep talking to her, maybe I can get an audience with Eytukan. You can work with the younger warriors, maybe Tsu’tey can prepare them for what’s coming. The four of us here will do everything we can, and we have Max and his crew in Hell’s Gate. For now, you and Trudy have to keep up the act. Send information that seems helpful but won’t actually affect the Na’vi. Run anything past me if you’re not sure.”
“Do you think we can actually stop this?”
“I don’t know. And I don’t know what will happen after. So, we take it one day at a time.”
Grace took a deep breath and stood up, putting the photo back in its place. It was so easy to get caught up in the joy of seeing the children again, but they were on a time limit. It was July 10th. They had a month and a half, and only if the RDA kept their word.
“Your storyteller, have you talked to her since you’ve been back?”
“No. She has more important things to do.”
“I think you should. Might be nice to have a friend.”
Grace smiled slightly, considering. “I’ll think about it. Go to sleep, kid.”
Jake settled himself back on his bed, letting his mind quiet. He drifted off to the sound of Grace moving about the unit and Norm’s quiet snores. Just before he fell asleep, he felt Grace move the blanket so that his feet were covered, even if he couldn’t feel the chill.
Notes:
Okay, this is setting up how the relationship is gonna work as well as just some world building. That and some more bonding between Jake and Grace, just to hurt us all a bit more when the inevitable happens.
And yeah, Grace is queer to me. Jake is also bisexual, I'm gonna mention that more in the future. I am but a simple lesbian, in my writing everyone is a bit queer. Also I love Sigourney Weaver.I'm gonna keep publishing chapters in groups, just cause that's how I write. The next section will cover more romance montage-ing and Jake getting his ikran.
Chapter 11
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Something seemed to change in their dynamic when Jake was finally allowed to make a kill. Maybe it’s that he had reached that point far earlier than anyone had expected, or that when he said the prayer he meant it. Maybe it was just that Jake had been paying closer attention in the last two weeks. Whatever it was, Jake’s feeling that something important was coming had grown.
Jake was still struggling with his identity and self care. He knew he wasn’t doing enough with his human body. He was losing weight, and shaving felt like too much of a chore most of the time. Grace was getting worried, which meant she was pushing him after every link. After one particularly long day, his arms felt too weak to transfer to his chair.
“You were in for 16 hours today.”
Jake ignored her, leaning on Norm to assist with the transfer. He tried to leave the link section and go to his bunk, not interested in the lecture that was coming.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re still losing weight, you need to eat.”
Grace grabbed the handles of his wheelchair, forcibly moving him back to the kitchen area and setting a microwaved burrito in front of him.
“Here. Bon appetit.”
Jake poked at it, reluctantly taking a bite.
“I made a kill today. We ate it. I know where that meal came from.”
“Other body. You need to take care of this body, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Jake, I’m serious. You look like shit. You’re burning too hard.”
Jake reaches over and pulls the cigarette out of her mouth, snubbing it out on the table.
“Get rid of this shit, then you can lecture me.” He knew he was being harsh, but he was exhausted and frustrated with his body.
“I’m telling you, as your boss and maybe even your friend, to take some down time.”
“I can’t. Tomorrow we leave for iknimaya.” He had finally been deemed worthy by both Neytiri and Tsu’tey. He was so close to accomplishing his goal, to becoming some version of a member of the clan. Grace shakes her head, walking around the table to pour a cup of coffee.
“Yeah. You’re gonna ride a banshee, or die trying.”
“That’s right, Grace. This is what I’ve been working for.”
“And this is your check up from the neck up, Marine. You’re getting in way too deep. I know, I’ve been there, so trust me when I say this is not going to end well.”
“Probably. But I have to continue.”
“If you die tomorrow I’m gonna be real pissed off.”
“I don’t plan to. They said I’m ready, and I know I can do this. Grace, if I do this I get to fly.”
“When is this gonna end, Jake?”
“Well the calendar says we have a month until the RDA goes full nuclear, so I guess that’s when it ends. If they attack Hometree, I’m either killed in the attack or Neytiri is gonna murder me herself.”
“Have you spoken to them?”
“No. I will, after tomorrow. After I prove that I want to be an Omaticaya warrior. I’ve been… avoiding it.”
“Can I be honest, Jake? I’ve been trying to talk to the clan, so I know how hard it is, but you need to buck up and talk to them. You’re being really fucking selfish trying to keep the peace when that deadline is on the horizon. They need to know.”
“I know that. I will.”
The rest of the evening was quiet, as was the next morning. Grace had a cup of coffee and some food waiting for him, a sort of peace offer. When it came time to link, Grace was the one to get him settled.
“Don’t die today. That avatar cost millions, it would be a shame to lose it.”
Jake smiled, laying back in the link unit.
The night before Jake’s iknimaya Neytiri found Tsu’tey not in their normal spot but on a lower branch with Ngam’i’a. He was giving her treats and talking to her quietly, likely trying to ignore his worries about how the trainees would do tomorrow.
It had only been two months of training with Jake, but she did not worry. She knew he was ready, the same way she had known she was ready years before.
“He will not fail tomorrow. Neither will Saeyla or Ka’ani. You have taught them well.”
“He had better not. I would hate to have wasted my time.”
Something in his tone was off, and he was tense and frustrated.
“Did your mother speak with you again?”
“Yes.” Tsu’tey sighed, sitting down on the branch. Ngam’i’a nudged him, so he reached up and petted her chest. “I informed Olo’eyktan that my students were ready, including Jakesully. She was angry that I would ever allow him the chance to complete iknimaya.”
What Tsu’tey didn’t say out loud was that it was not just Artsut who confronted him, but several of the older warriors who have grown to see Eytukan as an ineffective leader. He keeps his back to her, unsure what she would see in his eyes. Neytiri sits next to him, leaning against his back. He had taken her on flights on Ngam’i’a when she was younger, so the ikran didn’t mind her presence. She would give her a treat after they returned tomorrow.
“I remember your iknimaya. I was so excited for you to claim an ikran and take me flying.”
“I know, I had just returned and you begged to fly. It did not take you long to finish training and claim Seze. Your sister used to say that you were more at home in the sky.”
“On the ground, I am the daughter of the Olo’eyktan, I am tsakarem. In the sky, it is just me and Seze. But I will always land and return to my duty.”
“You have done well, teaching him our ways. You are becoming an excellent tsakarem.”
“I will never be like my mother, but I try. In that I have learned from Jake, how hard he has worked to become a warrior.”
“I have watched him learn. He has done well, but Neytiri, he is not Na’vi. He will never be one of the People.”
“Perhaps not. But he is strong in heart and body, and he has learned much. Things have changed, Tsu’tey.”
“That is what I fear. There have been many signs of something to come, and we both know he will be at the center of it.”
“Have faith, Tsu’tey. If we have learned anything from this, it is that our people will adapt and survive.”
“How are you so certain?”
“The Great Mother stopped my arrow for a reason. She gave me a purpose, and she gave me you to be by my side. I ask for nothing more.”
Neytiri was already awake when Jake linked, as always. She got them moving quickly, taking him to a small room to prepare for the iknimaya. She helped him position his knife sheath and leather vambrace, braiding his hair so that he looked proper. Jake added the armband and necklace he had made, proud of his own handiwork. The last step was the yellow warpaint. Jake had seen clan members painted for different occasions, but this was his first time. The paint was cool, and the feeling of the dry pigment was odd, but Neytiri’s hands were gentle on his skin and she looked proud.
Tsu’tey was waiting for them with Saeyla and Ka’ani, who were also ready for their ikran. They both looked nervous, and Jake remembered that Tsu’tey was hesitant to declare them ready. The four of them set off on pa’li toward the ikran roost in the Hallelujah Mountains, Neytiri taking to the sky on Seze. Jake still isn’t great with the pa’li, but they seemed to have taken pity on him and learned to do most of the work. The mountains were still awe-inspiring, and his stomach clenched when they rode too close to a sheer drop down to nothingness.
They came to a point where the pa’li could not continue, and they began to climb. Tsu’tey was leading, pausing every few feet to check on his trainees. Jake didn’t have any trouble, the whole exercise reminding him of climbing the ropes in bootcamp. Besides, the threat of falling to your death gave you a pretty good grip.
The path to the ikran rookery had them walking on a tiny path on the cliff face, which finally opened up into a larger clearing. Jake heard a shriek, and Neytiri landed Seze next to them. He bent his head toward her, acknowledging her teaching, and she smiled, Seze bumping her large head against Neytiri for attention. Neytiri greeted Tsu’tey, who moved to survey each of them. He stops in front of Jake, holding eye contact for a long moment. He seemed to be asking if Jake was ready, so he squared his shoulders and held his chin higher.
“Jakesully will go first.” Tsu’tey smirks slightly, like he’s daring Jake to fail after all the effort they put into teaching him. Jake hands him his bow, walking behind the waterfall to get a good look at the group of ikran. Neytiri follows behind him, then Tsu’tey and the younger warriors. She stops him, leaning close and speaking quietly.
“Now you must choose your ikran. This you must feel, inside. If he also chooses you, move quick, like I showed. You will have one chance, Jake.”
“How will I know if he chooses me?”
“He will try to kill you.”
“Outstanding.”
She reaches down and takes his hand, squeezing it before quickly letting go. He looks back over his shoulder at Tsu’tey, who nods and gestures him forward. Jake unrolls the leather strap he had been given to subdue the ikran, swinging it slightly as he moves forward. He approaches several ikran, but they simply fly away. It is very weird to be purposefully antagonizing giant predators, but he knew what was coming.
Finally, a large male turns and spreads his wings, shrieking and glaring directly at him. Jake feels it, like Neytiri said he would. This is his ikran.
“Let’s dance.”
He hears the other warriors laugh nervously, and Saeyla says something he doesn’t catch. He ignores it, swinging his strap and lunging quickly, managing to wrap the leather around the ikran’s mouth. It slashes at him, but he swings onto its neck, desperately holding on as the ikran rears back and tries to buck him off. He wraps his arms around the ikran’s head and bends it towards its neck.
“Don’t be afraid, warrior!”
“Make the bond!”
He hears Tsu’tey and Neytiri and he moves to grab the antennae, pulling it toward himself. The ikran rears back and headbutts him, sending him flying off its neck and rolling toward the edge. He manages to catch himself on a vine. He hears Neytiri scream for him.
He pulls himself back over the edge, lunging back onto the ikran’s neck. He clamps his arms down around its head.
“Tsaheylu, Jake!”
Jake brings the ikran to the ground, holding its jaws with his legs as he grabs the antennae and jams the end against his queue. He feels the moment the bond is made, the ikran below him calming. Jake can feel him, his acknowledgement of their bond and his desire to fly. He untangles himself, moving to perch on his ikran’s neck.
“That’s right, you’re mine.”
He takes the leather strap off and sits back, letting the ikran shake himself out and move into a more comfortable position. Neytiri is right there, grinning, and he can see the pride on Tsu’tey’s face. He seats himself more comfortably as Neytiri runs up.
“First flight seals the bond. You cannot wait.” She pushes them toward the edge. “Think, ‘Fly!’”
“Fly?”
And the ikran launches them both off the cliff, plummeting toward the ground. Jake yells, holding tight to the creature’s neck as it twists in the air.
“Oh shit!”
The bounce off a cliff wall and Jake barely manages to hold on before he is pulled into another free fall. The ikran shrieks, and Jake yells back.
“Oh, shut up and fly straight!”
Somehow that works, and the level out. Jake can finally catch his breath, taking in the fact that he is actually flying. His adrenaline goes down, replaced with a childish joy. The ikran responds, chirping.
“That’s it. Bank left!”
The ikran responds smoothly, and they settle into an easy pace.
“Level out. That’s it.” If the mountains were beautiful from the ground or the Samson, they were indescribable from the back of an ikran. He can hear Ka’ani cheering from the rookery.
Neytiri calls out, falling into formation with him on Seze. She makes it look easy. She settles below him, smiling up with something more than pride. She motions for him to follow, and they take off. They swoop down, close enough to a rock face for Jake to feel the mist of the waterfall.
“Yeah, baby, I got this! Oh shit!” So maybe he’s still learning, but he’ll get the hang of it. His ikran agrees, their bond pulsing with determination. He loves this, the wind and the freedom and the power, whooping with joy. He never quite connected with the pa’li, but this ikran felt like a kindred spirit, reckless and fiercely loyal, with a deep dislike of being restrained or restricted.
Saeyla and Ka’ani are also successful, joining them in flight with Tsu’tey on Ngam’i’a. Jake teases Neytiri, making her laugh, and he scolds them both, but he’s trying to hold back a smile.
They are led back to Hometree, landing in the uppermost branches of a nearby tree. Jake dismounts, finally taking the time to look at his ikran. He’s beautiful in the way most of the creatures on Pandora are, fierce and colorful and alien. The bond is new, still a little uncertain, but the ikran trusts him enough to be fed and fitted with a saddle. He thinks about naming him something majestic or powerful, but then the ikran tries to bite his hand off when he holds out a treat and he settles on calling him Bob. Bob looks unimpressed at this thought.
They spend the next several days flying, learning how to control his ikran and adjust to the wind and the environment. Neytiri is more playful in the air, more comfortable teasing. She smiles more, far away from any responsibility. Tsu’tey joins them sometimes, calmer and more in control. On one flight Neytiri took them back into the mountains, through high stone arches. At the center of the formation Jake sees what looks like a massive glowing willow tree.
At the end of his first week of flying, Neytiri has him out practicing hunting from ikran back. It’s harder to balance with just his legs and aim while the ikran twists below him, but he has a good teacher. It is a bright day, so Jake knows something is wrong when a shadow falls over him and Neytiri shouts. Jake looks up to see a massive creature, the Leonopteryx , diving straight for him. The huge predator is unlike any of the ikran Jake had seen on the roost, colored scarlet and yellow like fire. Jake turns and dives, hoping to lose the Leonopteryx in the trees. He hears its jaws snap shut as it barely misses Bob. They desperately fly through the trees, banking between two huge branches that manage to halt the beast. It shrieks and flies away, leaving Jake and Neytiri to land, shaken and breathing hard. They look at each other, Jake sees her eyes are wide and her ears are straight up in shock, and they both start to laugh.
Neytiri takes them back to Hometree, leading Jake to the totem room. The largest piece was a massive skull that Jake now recognized as the Great Leonopteryx , or Toruk, like the one that had pursued him earlier. He reaches up to touch its teeth, each as long as his hand.
“Our guys call it the Great Leonopteryx .”
“It is Toruk. Last Shadow.”
“Yeah, right. It’s the last one you’ll ever see.” Seeing the skull up close, Jake knew they were damn lucky to escape earlier.
“My grandfather’s grandfather was Toruk Makto. Rider of Last Shadow.”
“He rode this?” Learning to ride an ikran was a rite of passage that typically took years of training, he couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to get Toruk to cooperate. Bob still tried to buck him whenever he got distracted.
“Toruk chose him. It has only happened five times since the time of the First Songs.”
“That’s a long time.”
“Yes. Toruk Makto was mighty. He brought the clans together in a time of great sorrow. All Na’vi people know the story.”
When Jake exited the link, he asked Grace about Toruk. Norm and Trudy were curious, so they all crowded around Grace’s workstation to look at the RDA files on the Great Leonopteryx.
“The Great Leonopteryx is the apex aerial predator. Not only rare, but the sightings tend not to get reported.”
“There usually isn’t time to key the mike.” She shakes her head, mentally comparing the creature to her Samson. She knew who would come out on top in a fight.
“The People call it Toruk.”
“The Last Shadow.” Norm’s voice is awed and a little scared.
“Last one you’ll ever see.”
“I saw one take out a gunship once, just rammed into the side. Total yard sale. Ate the crew like peanuts.”
“And you say this one came after you?”
“Yeah, we must have gotten too close to his roost or something.”
“It’s not a good sign that it’s active and angry, especially with the RDA ramping up mining efforts. This could get messy.”
Jake remembers the tree he saw a few days before, figuring he should ask while they’re all present.
“Hey Grace, when we were flying, Neytiri brought me through these huge stone arches, the place looked important.”
Grace scrolls through images taken in the mountains, and Jake stops her when he sees the formation.
“That’s it.”
“Vitraya Ramunong, the Well of Souls. It’s their most sacred place.” Grace moves the image, showing just a glimpse of the interior. “See the Flux Vortex in these false color images?”
“Yeah, that’s what messes up my instruments.” Trudy leaned over Grace’s shoulder to get a better look at the scans.
“There is something really interesting going on in there biologically. I would die to get samples. Outsiders are strictly forbidden, you lucky swine.”
Jake looks at the image for a long moment. Norm walked away to grab a snack, and Trudy gave Jake a look.
“How important is this place?”
“Why?”
“I haven’t sent in a report in over a week. If I don’t send something, they’re going to shut us down. What happens if I send these images?”
Grace sighs, reaching up to rub the bridge of her nose.
“Depends. I doubt they’d actually go after this place, it would be too hard to go in blind, especially with the number of banshees in the area. I don’t like it, but it’s the only thing of note. Let me edit some of the data, then you can send it.”
Jake turned to Trudy, seeing his own doubts reflected on her face. None of them are comfortable with this, but it was the only way to keep their operation safe. It would buy them enough time to keep trying.
Notes:
Time for another batch of chapters! In this group we have iknimaya, first hunt, and the Dream Hunt glow worm trip. I really love Bob, he's great. And I love the way Toruk is introduced and how he chooses Jake. Long chapter, lots of plot stuff but some good character interactions.
Chapter 12
Summary:
Hunt chapter, and some fun drunk shenanigans. I just like the idea that Tsu'tey is a weird drunk, where Neytiri gets giggly. Jake just thinks they're both lightweights.
Also Saeyla is a fun vehicle for mild conflict, she'll come in a few more times.
Chapter Text
Iknimaya was the first rite of passage, a marker of being a warrior, but to be a hunter required making a kill. Neytiri had spent the days before the hunt running Jake through drills on his ikran until she determined that he was ready. Talioang were revered among the Na’vi as their main source of animal products, and making a kill required precise aim at the gap in their armour on the creature’s shoulder. There were over a dozen hunters participating in the hunt, split between archers on ikran and pa’li riders with spears.
Bob had felt his anticipation all week, and the morning of the hunt was difficult to control. Jake knew the feeling, knowing that this was all another test to prove himself not just to Neytiri and Tsu’tey but the entire clan. He kept up a mental conversation with Bob as the hunters prepared, feeling both of their excitement grow.
On the flight, Jake felt himself leaning into Bob’s predator instinct, letting it calm his nerves. They had nothing to fear, no reason to worry. They were made for this.
The herd of talioang was massive, each creature 2,000 pounds of muscle and armor thundering across a plain. The first to make a kill was a hunter on pa’li, taking down a female.
Jake watches as the other hunters ready themselves and make their first attempt. Saeyla misses her first shot, as does Ka’ani.
“Focus on the movement. See the moment, then shoot before it comes again.” Tsu’tey’s voice carries above the noise of the herd, and Jake knows he needs to make his shot. He spots a male on the edge of the herd, and he and Bob both lock in on the target. They swoop in, Bob screeching as Jake draws back an arrow and fires, striking the talioang right in the shoulder. The beast crashes to the ground, skidding in the mud as Jake whoops. He heard Neytiri cheer, grinning at him from atop Seze. Jake banks left and sees Tsu’tey salute, acknowledging the kill without showing too much favoritism. Tsu’tey turns back to see Saeyla and Ka’ani make their kills on the second attempt, and he is both proud and relieved. He had worried about those two, that he had pushed for these trials too soon, but they needed all the capable warriors they could get.
When the rest of the herd has moved on, the pa’li riders rig up a system of nets to drag the beasts back to Hometree. Every part of the animal would be used, and with this hunt the clan would be set for weeks.
If not for Grace’s voice in the back of his head reminding him of their deadline, Jake might have let this success go straight to his ego. As it was, he was pretty proud, and he knew that Neytiri and Tsu’tey were pleased. The group returned to Hometree to find Mo’at and Eytukan waiting along with the clan members in charge of butchering and preparing the kills. They both looked pleased with the results of the hunt, and Eytukan even gave Jake a nod of approval.
Grace had described the Hunt Festival to him before, but she had not warned him that most of the clan was going to end up drunk. Early in the night a massive bonfire was built in the central space, with everyone sharing in the kill. The children had swarmed the hunters, begging for stories about. It felt a bit like the Fourth of July, but Jake had a feeling the Na’vi wouldn’t appreciate fireworks.
He knew something was up when the children were sent to bed and containers of a mysterious liquid that Neytiri called swoa. The adults of the clan passed around bowls of the drink, and the music began to pick up. Neytiri had started dancing with a hunter he recognized as Peyral, both performing as ikran spirits. She was so beautiful he almost missed Norm clumsily dancing on the side, holding his own tail.
Tsu’tey brought a bowl of swoa over to where Jake was talking to some of the young hunters, a sort of challenge in his eyes. Jake took a long drink, and trying not to react to the taste - a mix of moonshine and mushrooms, strong and offputing but not horrible.
“Watch that stuff. It’ll knock you into next week.” Grace was making the rounds checking that no one was drinking too much, already having given up on Norm. He seemed content to just sway to the music, muttering to his tail about roots.
“It’s fine, Grace. Tsu’tey’ll make sure I don’t cause any trouble.”
“Alright then. Just don’t blame me tomorrow.”
Jake is no stranger to drinking competitions. He spent more time than was healthy in a bar after his injury, and he never backed down. But, this body had never drank before. It wasn’t a bad high, he just felt fuzzy and distracted. Tsu’tey was a bit blurry, swaying slightly. He was making intense eye contact, and had been for the last two bowls. The hunters around them were rowdy, but he seemed to be contemplating something.
“I thought - enough drink, you would not be so confusing.”
“Sorry.” Jake grinned, watching as Tsu’tey mirrored the expression. He knew it was the drink, but it was nice to see Tsu’tey let go a bit.
“Your warriors hide inside machines, fight from far away.” Tsu’tey had a much looser grasp on English like this, pausing between words. “I did not think a Sky Person could be brave.”
Jake wants to answer, but Neytiri comes running over from her place in the circle. She reaches out and pulls Jake up.
“You must dance! It is the way!”
Jake can feel Tsu’tey’s eyes on them as she pulls him into the circle. He tries to follow her movements, making her laugh as he stumbles. They fall into the rhythm of the dancers around them, and Jake feels lighter than he has in years.
Tsu’tey watches Neytiri teach the Dreamwalker how to dance, sees the way her face lights up around him. He wants to be angry, or jealous, but he isn’t really. He feels fond, amused.
“Dance with me, Tsu’tey.” Saeyla's voice draws him out of his thoughts and he turns to see the girl standing beside him. “Show me how a warrior of the people moves.”
“Ka’ani, show this girl how a warrior dances.”
He does not look at her face, does not acknowledge the rejection. She should know better, and he does not wish to deal with her at this moment. He walks around the edge of the dancing, finding Grace. She invites him to sit, and they watch the dancers. He catches glimpses of Neytiri and Jake, and when they see him next to Grace they break out of the circle. Jake grabs Grace’s hand and pulls her into the circle, ingnoring her protesting. He starts listening to his instincts, letting go of his control and just dancing, and Grace joins. She seems younger when she dances, more like herself.
Neytiri holds out her hand to Tsu’tey, and he hesitates. She had been so happy earlier, he didn’t want to be an obligation, but she was not there out of duty or pity. He takes her hand, and they fall into the dancers. As they move they both catch glimpses of Jake, and it feels right. To be there, dancing with her and watching him. He thinks again that he should be jealous, and realizes that he is, he’s just not sure what part he’s jealous of. Neytiri laughs and pulls him closer, and for the moment it doesn’t matter.
Jake didn’t dance for long, choosing to sit off to the side and watch. Grace sat with him for a while, talking about the history of the dances and what some of the costumes meant. When she left to get some sleep, Jake realized the fire and the swoa might be getting to his head. He wandered away from the party, finding himself on an outer branch. Jake laid back on the branch, staring up through the canopy at the stars.
“Too much to drink?”
Jake craned his head back to find Tsu’tey smirking down at him.
“Nah. I’ve definitely done worse. Just wanted some air.”
Tsu’tey nodded and perched next to Jake’s head, looking up with him.
“Has Neytiri shown you which star the Sky People came from?”
“No, she doesn’t keep me out at night much.”
Tsu’tey stretched out his arm, pointing at one of the stars in a cluster.
“There. I did not see the first time, but every few years it lights up again. The last time was nearly three months ago.”
Jake knew he was talking about the shipment Jake had been a part of. He didn’t realize it was visible from the surface, but it made sense. He stared at the star that was Earth’s sun, feeling just how far away from his home planet he was.
“What did you mean earlier, that I’m confusing?” That wasn’t what he intended to ask, but the drink was still messing with his focus. Tsu’tey looked sort of embarrassed, trying to avoid eye contact, but Jake had no shame when he was drunk.
“I thought I knew what would happen, when Neytiri brought you. I thought I knew who you would be. But you are not like the others, and it confuses me. You confuse me.”
“To be fair, you’re not what I expected. I thought you were going to hate me forever.”
“Neytiri asked me to try, to give you a chance. I trust Mo’at, and I trust her, so I did. You have… surprised me.”
“Impressed you, you mean.” Jake was teasing, twisting back to poke Tsu’tey’s arm. He was definitely still drunk, but so was Tsu’tey, who just smiled.
“I suppose. I did not think a Sky Person would ever learn to See.”
“I had good teachers.”
“Yes, but it is more than that.” Tsu’tey paused, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. “There have been many Dreamwalkers in the forest. You were chosen, only you. Our Great Mother saw something in you. I do not know what, not yet, but I know that you were chosen for a reason.”
“I wish I knew what she wanted from me. I’m trying to learn, to help. I want to protect the People, but I feel like I’m failing.”
“What would you protect us from? Your own people?”
“They don’t feel like mine any more. They gave up on me a long time ago, so I’ve given up on them. I just want to survive, to stay here as long as I can.”
“I know little about Sky People, but I know they would kill you for that.”
“Probably. But I’d go down fighting. That’s what I’m good at.”
Tsu’tey looked down at him again, searching for something in his eyes. The forest was quiet below them, the air still and cool.
“You are worried about something.”
Jake sighed. “The Sky People, they’re… getting impatient. There’s something they want, and it’s underneath Hometree. My team, we’re trying to… stop them, maybe. Get them to go somewhere else. But we’re just a few people. Most of the base hates the Omatikaya. They’d follow orders to attack.”
“Hometree is strong. We have many warriors. If they do come, we will survive.”
“I know that you’re strong. But I’ve seen what Sky People can do to their own people, the violence and the destruction. It would be safer to leave.”
“They will not drive us from our home. Our Great Mother will protect the balance.”
Jake wanted to scream, to shake him and tell him everything Quaritch had threatened to do. But it wouldn’t work. They would never listen, they wouldn’t believe him until it was too late.
“Yeah. She will.”
Jake tried to smile, but he knew his expression wasn’t quite right. Tsu’tey frowned, reaching out to trace the line of his brows.
“Sky People's features are strange.”
“Yeah well we don’t have ears or a tail. We use our eyebrows to communicate.” It was strange to be touched so softly by Tsu’tey, but Jake let the haze of the swoa settle over him again. Tonight was not the time to get introspective or overly emotional. He let Tsu’tey trace his brows for a moment, feeling his body get more tired. They both had things to do tomorrow. Jake reached up to grab his wrist, holding it for a moment before sitting up.
“Come on, I think we both need to get some sleep. Let’s grab Neytiri and head for the hammocks.”
Tsu’tey followed quietly, and it wasn’t until they found Neytiri that Jake realized he was still holding his wrist. Neytiri was tired and giggly, draping herself over Tsu’tey’s side and talking to him in slurred Na’vi. Jake nodded to the people still awake and led them away, making sure neither of them fell off a branch and made it into their hammock safely. He would tease them about it tomorrow.
Chapter 13
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When Jake was ten, his father died in a workplace accident. At that age, he was only told that something went wrong with the equipment his father worked with, and that a dozen workers were killed. When they got older, Jake had learned the truth. Marcus Sully’s work didn’t have safety measures, or failsafes, or employee protections. Most of the work was automated, so the humans who were involved were considered expendable.
Jake didn’t remember much about the one and only funeral he had attended on Earth. Actual burial was stupidly expensive, so most people were just cremated. They had a small gathering, so Jake and Tommy were forced into itchy suits, listening to the adults talking about their shitty lives. Even then Jake’s response to grief was to shut down, and he doesn’t think he cried. Not for weeks after at least, but Tommy did. He was more comfortable with his emotions, more secure. The first fight Jake ever got into was in gym, when some of the boys in their class made fun of Tommy for tearing up when the teacher gave them condolences. He didn’t feel anything when he hit them, nor when his mother was called. He felt nothing when she scolded him, nothing on the trip home. It wasn’t until he was sitting in the bathroom while Tommy cleaned him up that Jake started to cry.
Jake had experienced a lot of death. His mother had died just after he was deployed, and active combat was filled with senseless loss. He wasn’t the only one shot that day, but he had been confined to a hospital bed, unable to get closure.
There wasn’t any time for a funeral for Tommy. Jake had less than a week to sort out Tommy’s affairs and settle his own, and honestly he had been so distant from Tommy’s life he wouldn’t even know who to invite. It didn’t matter anyway, Tommy was dead. A funeral wouldn’t change that, or make Jake feel any better.
Neytiri had explained the Na’vi interpretation of death during one of his first lessons. He had still been confused about why killing the viperwolves upset her, why she prayed over one of the bodies. She had said that the Na’vi believe that there is a network of energy that flows through all living things. All energy is only borrowed, and one day you give it back. He figured it was kinda like Buddhism, with the soul continuing on and becoming part of a new life. He’d learned the prayer you spoke after a kill, learned to appreaciate that a kill is made to feed the people, and that they believe that their body will nourish the forest and promote new life when they die.
He didn’t quite understand it until one of the clan elders died. She passed peacefully, with no pain. Jake had seen that the Na’vi do grieve the dead and feel that some deaths are a tragedy, but this felt different. The family had prepared the body, carrying her carefully out of Hometree and out into the forest, choosing a place to lay her to rest. A hole was dug among the tree roots, and she was laid there curled like a child in the womb. Her children placed flowers and beads alongside her body, and they were not crying. They spoke quietly as they arranged her, telling stories of her youth. When they were done, Mo’at recited a prayer.
When the ceremony was completed, the woman’s daughter held up a strand of beads and began to sing as they walked back toward Hometree, her family joining. Jake felt rooted to the spot, struck by the way the flowers were placed so gently on her body and the simple acceptance of the family that it was her time and her spirit was with Eywa, protected and loved. His chest felt tight, and all he could see was his brother’s body burning in a cold, metal facility.
He could see Neytiri approaching, but his throat closed up and he couldn’t face her. Jake turned and walked as fast as he could without running into the forest until he was sure he was out of sight before collapsing to his knees. He desperately tried to calm down, to pull himself together. He had no reason, and no right, to break down over this.
He didn’t hear the footsteps over the pounding in his ears, but he didn’t startle when a hand rested on his shoulder. There were only two people who would have come to find him. Jake scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to ignore the fact that they were shaking and that there were tears on his cheeks. The figure sat next to him, and he wasn’t surprised to see it was Tsu’tey.
“Fuck. Sorry, this is stupid. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.”
Tsu’tey didn’t say anything, just watching as Jake tried to gather himself. His gaze was steady, understanding. His ears twitched as another set of footsteps drew closer, and Jake knew Neytiri had come to find them. He tried to wipe the tears off his face before she could see him, but the look she gave him showed it didn’t work.
“Sorry. I don’t… Something just got into my head today. It’s stupid.”
She sat on his other side, but he turned his face away. Tsu’tey’s hand on his shoulder was grounding, keeping him from trying to run away.
“There is no shame in grief. You do not need to apologize.”
“I should be stronger than this.”
“Is it a Sky Person belief, that emotion makes you weak?” Tsu’tey shifted closer, starting to gently rub his thumb against Jake’s collarbone, almost without thinking. This was deep into emotionally vulnerable territory, but Tsu’tey knew what it felt like to suppress grief and feel entirely alone. He met Neytiri’s eyes, and he could see that she agreed.
“Sort of. It’s mostly a masculinity or warrior thing. Sitting around crying doesn’t win wars, and real men are supposed to, not feel, I guess.”
“Do you truly believe that?” Neytiri’s voice was soft, a bit too close to pity for Jake’s comfort but somehow not patronizing. Jake tried to take a deep breath and felt it catch in his chest.
“I didn’t cry. Not that night, when they showed me. I haven’t cried since, and I don’t know why. He was my little brother, I was looking at his body, and I didn’t cry.” Jake hated the way his voice broke, how little control he had over himself. Neytiri reached out and took his hand, and he tried to focus on the moment, on sitting between the two of them in a place that was beautiful and peaceful. All he could see was flames, and the flowers in the burial.
“There are many ways to respond to death. You do not love him or grieve him any less.”
Jake nodded, trying to take Tsu’tey’s words to heart.
“What made you think of him?”
“We don’t bury people anymore on Earth. There’s no room for it, land needs to be used by the living. Most bodies are cremated, burned. Tommy was burned. I watched the burial today, how beautiful it is and how natural it felt, and I just… That’s what he would have wanted, to be given back to nature, to be buried under a tree.”
Jake leaned his head back, looking up at the sunlight filtering through the branches. The forest was filled with life, but this little clearing they were in was sheltered, safe.
“I’m not supposed to be here. This body, being here, this was all supposed to be for Tommy. We were identical twins - we started as the same egg and split. People always used to mix us up, at least until we started talking. The Dreamwalker bodies are made for specific people, but Tommy and I have the same body, so they brought me when he died. This was his dream, what he had worked for his entire life, and I feel like I took it from him.”
“It is not your fault that he died, or that you were chosen to come in his place.” Neytiri squeezed his hand.
“I should have protected him. I was being selfish and stupid, and I wasn’t there for him.”
“What do you mean?” Tsu’tey shifted to try and meet his eyes. Jake looked away quickly.
“I told you I was injured while fighting. I was shot in the back. The injury was… bad. I nearly died. My other body, the real me, can’t walk.” He couldn’t bear to look at them, not sure if he could take the shock or pity. “I was angry at everything and everyone, and Tommy was so happy. I couldn’t be around him. I never thought… I thought he’d come here and when he got back everything would be okay again.”
Their hands were still on him, steady and warm. Jake was drowning in guilt, aware of the things he’d done wrong in his life and the fact that he didn’t deserve them.
“I knew Sylwanin was going to attack the Sky People. I knew it was dangerous, but I did not stop her. In the days after, I blamed myself for her death.” Tsu’tey’s voice was calm and unwavering. He had only ever spoken about this to Neytiri, but he had a feeling that Jake needed to hear it. “It took me weeks to go to Utral Aymokriyä to speak with her, but she did not blame me. She laughed at me, said that I was arrogant to believe I could choose if she lived or died. I have learned to survive without her, though I know I have changed.”
“Grief does not end, but it is not the end.” Neytiri had a quality in her voice Jake normally associated with Mo’at. “We believe that there is no death, for in death we simply change. The body may break down, but the spirit is saved with our Great Mother. The living must also change with death, and that process is often painful. His death is new, and you have not allowed yourself the time to process. It will grow easier, with time.”
“He would have liked that philosophy. He was better with emotions. I just bottle everything up until it explodes.” He looked down at his lap, suddenly aware of how close they were sitting. His gaze caught on a strand of beads tied to Neytiri’s tewng, and when he turned Tsu’tey was also wearing a similar strand. It looked like the one the daughter had been holding earlier, and it felt like a good way to change the subject.
“The daughter earlier, she was holding a thing of beads like that.” He gestured towards Neytiri’s strand, and she looked surprised. “What do they mean?”
Neytiri untied her cord, holding it up so he could see the beads. “They are waytelem, songcord. The cord is a record of our lives, the moments that have changed us. The first bead is chosen by your parents when you are born.”
Tsu’tey holds up his cord, running his thumb over the beads as he speaks.
“Each person chooses the moment and the piece, and the meaning is known only to their family. When you die, your family sings your songcord to remember your life, then it is given back to you.”
Jake smiles slightly, looking over the beads on their songcords. It was kinda amazing, every member of the clan keeping a record of their life. He thought about the long beaded cord that Eytukan had wrapped around his staff, how many accomplishments that must represent. Their cords had one matching bead, and after a second Jake realized that it must be the moment both of their lives changed. She was gone, but they carried her in their life story. She would be sung about when they died, forever a part of their narrative.
“Thank you, for showing me. And for being here, I think today was the first time I really had to think and it just hit me. I’m okay.”
Neytiri held eye contact for a moment before nodding and pushing herself off the ground.
“Come. I think we will fly today. Will you join, Tsu’tey?”
Tsu’tey stood as well, and Jake felt a pang of sadness when he moved his hand. It was nice, to be held in some way.
“I must speak with your father first, then I will join you. The hunt is soon, we must all be ready.”
Jake pushed himself up, pulling his emotions back into the little box in the back of his brain labeled “Do Not Open.” It wasn’t a great system, but this was the first time he had broken down in front of two people he wanted to impress. He began to follow them back through the forest, but a small rock caught his eye. It had a natural hole in the center. Tommy had found one once, calling it a witch stone. He’d worn it on a cord around his neck all summer, saying it would bring him luck. This stone was made of swirled green and grey, like two minerals twisted together. He didn’t know why, but he picked it up and tied it to his tewng.
When Jake woke up in the link, he didn’t raise the lid immediately. He laid in the darkness, imagining that the machine was the cardboard box that Tommy had ended up in. The thought hurt, but he could still breathe.
Jake opened the lid and sat up, breathing in the filtered air and the smell of coffee and cheap soap. After almost three months of being in the link all day, he was thin and pale. He’d also forgotten to shave recently. He had called this body his real body earlier, but it wasn’t quite true. Neither was him, and both were him. He didn’t know anymore, the lines between his lives blurring with each day.
Grace was waiting in the kitchen area with some food for Jake. She was starting into her coffee, frowning.
“What’s wrong?”
“Got a message from the boss. We have to report to Hell’s Gate tomorrow to talk to Selfridge.”
“Shit. Any clue why?”
“We’re getting closer to the deadline and they’re starting to care less.” Grace looks up at him. “Trudy got a message earlier. Quaritch wants you to report to him while we’re there. We need to be careful here, try to stall them while making sure they’re not suspicious of us.”
“Quaritch is a lot of things, but he isn’t stupid. Grace, we’re running out of time.”
“I know. I’ll talk to Max while we’re there, see what we can do. Trudy was gonna talk to some of the pilots. We’ll figure something out.”
The sky was dark, heavy storm clouds threatening a downpour. The flight over had been cold and wet, and he and Grace were in a dark mood by the time they’d arrived. They’d been led through the Ops Center to the back tarmac, where Selfridge was golfing.
“Good of you to stop by. How’s it going out there? Our blue friends all packed up yet?” Jake watches as he swings, looking entirely unconcerned with the fate of the Na’vi. “See, I keep hooking it. It’s the damn pack. The low gravity and the high air density cancel out so-”
“You called us back to report. You wanna hear it or not?”
“Go ahead.”
“Jake is making incredible progress, years worth in just a few months. But we need more time.”
“Not what I was hoping to hear.”
“Parker, it’s their ancestral home. They’ve lived there since before human history began. You can spare them a few more weeks.”
“This thing is inevitable. What does it matter when it happens? I’m sorry, Doctor Augustine. You’re out of time.”
Selfridge walks back to the building, leaving Grace and Jake in the rain. Jake looks around at the metal and tarmac of the base, so human and so unnatural on Pandora. He took a deep breath and began to move back to the building to face Quaritch.
The Colonel kept him waiting in the armor bay for several minutes, his wet clothes sticking uncomfortably. He knew Quaritch wanted to make him squirm, leave him vulnerable to a guilt trip from a superior. He just felt numb.
“Haven’t gotten lost in the woods, have you? Your last report was more than two weeks ago. I’m starting to doubt your resolve. The way I see it, it’s time to terminate the mission.”
Jake tries to keep the alarm off his face.
“No, I can do this.”
“You already have. You give me good, usable intel. This ‘Tree of Souls’ place. Yeah, I got them by the balls with that when this turns into a shit fight. Which it will.”
Guilt was starting to gnaw at Jake, and he knew Grace would feel the same. They had underestimated his cruelty, his lack of empathy.
“By the way, you gonna get your legs back. Yeah. I got your corporate approval. It’s a done deal. Gonna have you on a shuttle tonight. I’m a man of my word.”
“I gotta finish this. There’s one more thing - a ceremony. It’s the final stage of becoming a man. If I do it, I’m one of them. They’ll trust me, and I can negotiate the terms of their relocation.”
“Well, then, you’d better get it done Corporal.”
Jake’s commute back to the Samson to return home was a blur. A few months ago, he would’ve been thrilled to get back on the shuttle, to go to Earth and get his legs and his life back. But the reality of that… six more years of cryo, during which every Omatikayan would be slaughtered. He’d return to a dying planet for a risky and painful surgery and months of recovery with no one by his side, no one to celebrate or help with the physical therapy. He’d have his legs, but he’d have left the best part of himself here. He thought of Neytiri and Tsu’tey and the kindness they’d shown him, of Eytukan’s growing approval of his place, of Ketxe and the other kids.
One more test - the Dream Hunt, and he’d be one of them. He’d have reached his goal, and he would fight alongside them. He’d die for them, if it came down to it, and he’d do so with pride.
Notes:
I hurt my own feelings a little bit writing this chapter. Sorry, but Jake really needed to deal with his brother's death and let his emotions out in a healthy way.
Also Na'vi think toxic masculinity is silly and that therapy is good.
Chapter 14
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Grace was not happy with the conversation with Quaritch, nor the fact that Jake was serious about the Dream Hunt. He’d been trying to avoid her the rest of the afternoon, but that was hard when the only place he could take his wheelchair was two shacks. He ended up hiding with Trudy for a while, both of them just stewing in the knowledge of what was coming. They had both served, and they had lost teammates and seen what happened to civilians.
Eventually he had to go back into the shack to get ready for the link. The weather was an ominous sign, lightning twisted by the magnetic fields. The test takes place at night, and Jake had spent the day chugging black coffee to make sure the link stayed secure.
“Jake, I can’t allow this. You’re just not strong enough.” She had been smoking excessively, and everyone in the shack looked exhausted and pale. Jake knew he looked the worst, thinner than ever.
“It’s the last door. I’m going through it.”
“Will you listen to me?” Grace grabs the handles of his wheelchair, stopping him and turning him to face her. “Sometimes the Na’vi themselves die in these vision quests. The venom takes you to the edge of death, and the psychoactive alkaloid in the worm - we have no idea what that’ll do in an avatar brain.”
Jake yanks his chair out of her hands, continuing to the links to where Norm is getting the unit prepped.
“Calibrating. Thirty seconds.”
Jake was so grateful for Norm, that big nerd. He was a good guy and a good friend, and he didn’t deserve Jake’s bullshit. Grace lets him pull himself onto the link bed, placing her hands on his shoulders and looking deep into his eyes.
“No matter what you prove out there, you are still in here. Right here.”
“I have to go all the way, become one of them-” Grace shakes him, and he can see how worried she is for him. How much she cares.
“Goddammit, Jake, you can never be one of them! Our life out there takes millions of dollars of machinery to sustain. You visit, and you leave! You’ve done so well kid, I am proud of you, but this won’t do what you want.” Her voice softens. “Jake, you can never truly be with them.”
Jake pauses, feeling very small. Grace was the only one who could call him out like this. She understood, but she was wrong. It wasn’t about earning a place by them. It was about earning the right to a good death, in a roundabout way.
“You know why I’m here, what Quaritch sent me to do.”
“What?” Norm looks up, startled, and Jake feels guilty again. They had kept it from him, wanting to protect him in some way.
“I was told to embed with the Omatikaya, to find out how to screw them out of their home. By deceit or force, he doesn’t care, he just wanted to know how to do it. I’m not that guy anymore, you know this. You helped me, you’ve been by my side this whole journey.”
“I know.”
“But if I tell Quaritch the truth, if I refuse to send information, he yanks me out. I will never see them again. We’ve tried to tell them the truth, but they won’t listen, and if they do they’ll blame me and throw me out, and that’s if they don’t cut my heart out and show it to me. I will have proven all of their fears right.”
“They won’t understand what you’ve done.” Norm looked like he finally understood, and Jake knew that he was on their side.
“They don’t even have a word for ‘lie.’ They had to learn it from us.” His throat is tight, his voice choked up. He feels desperately torn.
“I know. I taught it to them.”
“Grace, I’ve gotta go. They’re waiting.”
“Link is ready.” Norm looks at him and nods. Jake knows he’s gonna go find Trudy after this, try to help her.
Jake lies back in the unit, and Grace grabs the lid like she did the first day.
“You can’t carry this burden much longer.”
“It’s okay.” Jake smiles, and it doens’t feel natural. “Mo’at says an alien mind probably can’t survive the Dream Hunt anyway.” He didn’t know what to make of her tone when they had consulted her about his last trial. Mo’at certainly liked him more than Eytukan, accepting that Eywa chose him for something, but he was still a problem for her people. It hadn’t felt like she was telling him not to, just that she wasn’t responsible for the consequences of his actions. When he had said he wanted to try anyway, she almost seemed to approve.
He winks at Grace, then gives Norm a final nod. Grace closes the lid, watching as his link is established.
“Prep my link. I’m going in.” No way in hell she was gonna let him do this alone. He was a fool, but he was part of her strange little family now.
Neytiri was waiting for him, uncertain and a little worried. Uniltaron was the last trial because it was spiritually the most difficult, and could be physically dangerous. It would be a cosmic joke, to train him and get him through every other trial only to kill him tonight.
She took him back to the room where they had prepared for the iknimaya, where Tsu’tey was waiting. They did not speak, all afraid of what they might say. Jake sat still as they painted his body, swirls of white following the contours of muscle and bone like the flow of water.
His face was last. Tsu’tey sat back, watching them as Neytiri painted over his nose and cheeks, then a long line from forehead to chin. The final stroke was two fingers over his lips and chin, and her hands paused after, hovering over his throat like she wasn’t ready to be done. The look in her eyes… he hoped he lived long enough to actually hear her say it.
“When your spirit animal comes, you will know.”
She looks to Tsu’tey, who stands and gestures for them to follow him. Jake looked at the clenched line of his jaw, and wondered what he would see in Tsu’tey’s eyes.
Grace was waiting for him at the ramp to the lowest level of Hometree. Jake catches a glimpse of her, but they motion him forward. They walk down the spiral to the deepest part of the tree, down to the hollow above the roots. It is cool and slightly damp, and Jake tried to center himself. Mo’at was waiting in the circle of elders and hunters. Neytiri and Tsu’tey take their places on either side of her, and Jake kneels in the center. An elder is beating a drum, and Jake could feel the sound reverberate in his chest.
Mo’at begins chanting in a low voice, cleansing him with incense smoke. She pulls a glowing purple worm from a piece of wood, speaking a prayer. Jake opens his mouth and she places the worm on his tongue. He feels it twist, closing his mouth quickly and chewing it. It didn’t taste like much, but it made his tongue feel like it had been shocked with electricity.
Eytukan opens a clay jar, pulling out a black arachnoid and bringing it to Jake. He holds it against Jake’s neck, and it stings him. The pain is not surprising, but the warmth that spreads from the sting begins to overwhelm him. The circle is chanting, the beat steady on the drum. Jake smells incense and wet earth and the paint on his skin, and everything seems to warp around him.
It’s like a bad trip, an out of body experience mixed with a spiritual crisis. Jake looks around and sees glowing trees, taller than Hometree. The roots begin to spread, enveloping his body, connecting him to the forest. He vaguely feels his physical body fall over and curl in on itself.
Then he is on the edge of a mountain cliff, the ground below hidden by fog. Jake hears a screech and a great black shadow covers him, the X shape of the wings unmistakeable. This was not just a shadow, it was his Last, and Jake knows.
Then he is flying over Pandora, but it is decimated. The forest is burning, black and lifeless. The shadow he casts over the ashes is huge and winged, and Jake slams back into his body.
He gasps, pushing himself up onto his elbow. He tries to catch his breath, feeling like death warmed over. He couldn’t shake the image of the burning forest.
“It is done.”
Jake uses Mo’at’s voice as an anchor, pulling back into himself. He looks up to see the relief that floods Neytiri and Tsu’tey’s faces, the way his shoulders relax. The rest of the circle looks at him expectantly, but Eytukan speaks first.
“Did your spirit animal come?”
Jake looks to Mo’at, unsure of how to answer. He knew what he saw, but not what it meant. She comes closer, holding his face to look into his soul.
“Something has come. It will take time for the meaning to be clear. ”
Eytukan motions for Jake to stand, and he pushes himself up on shaking legs. They walk back up the spiral, Neytiri close by his side to keep him steady. The entire clan has gathered by the entrance, Grace waiting front and center. When he emerges, she smiles, tears gathering in her eyes.
“You are now a son of the Omatikaya. You are part of the People.”
The clan gathers around, the closest placing their hands on his chest and back, hands on hands until they are all connected like the roots of the trees. After a long moment they break apart, and Grace pulls Jake into a hug.
“You did it. Can’t believe you survived.”
“You’d miss me too much.”
She pulled back, noticing the way he was swaying.
“Alright, you look like shit. Sit, I’ll get some water and something to eat when you’re ready.”
Tsu’tey steps up from behind, one hand on his shoulder to guide him to a place to sit. They flank him, pressing their thighs together to keep him grounded. His mind is clearing, but he can still feel the venom. He watches the clan move around them, hears the voices talking about his success in the trial. They are celebrating a new member of the clan, music picking up and food being passed around. He lets time pass, barely noticing Grace return with water or the conversation Tsu’tey and Neytiri are having over his head. He leans more on Tsu’tey, letting the other warrior hold his weight for a bit.
“He survived. You were right, he is one of us.”
“I know you are proud, even if you pretend to be above it.” She looks down seeing that Jake’s pupils are still dilated and he’s a bit out of it.
“He has earned his place as a man. He can now choose someone.”
“I know. There are many fine women for him to choose.”
“He will choose you. And you will choose him.”
Neytiri turns to him in shock. She knew that she had not hidden her feelings well, but for Tsu’tey to say it so frankly…
“Yawne, I am not blind. I see the way you look at each other. We made a deal, trying to find the best of a tragic situation. I have loved you since you were born, but I am not the one you would ever choose, and you are not mine.”
“What about our duty?”
“We have followed tradition our entire lives. But those were the traditions of a different world, one without alien invaders or Dreamwalkers. He has changed things, changed us, and if we do not adapt we will lose ourselves. I will fight, for you to be my Tsahìk even if you are not my mate.”
Neytiri is quiet for a long moment.
“I cannot choose you, no. But I did choose to be by your side. I love you, my friend, and I See You.”
“I See You, Neytiri.”
They sit for a long moment, observing the clan around them and letting Jake recover. He comes back to the present when Tsu’tey nudges him.
“Come. You can remove the paint.”
“Oh good, it starts to itch after a while.”
“You are a baby.” Neytiri rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling.
They get him to his feet, and he finds himself much steadier than earlier. They nod to Eytukan and Mo’at as they walk past, walking out of Hometree to a nearby pool of water. Jake finally snaps out of the haze when he feels the cold water and he bends down to wash everything off. They watch him struggle to wash his back for several minutes, laughing quietly before Neytiri takes pity on him. Tsu’tey sits on a rock and watches them, how they move together. He is at peace with the moment, and with what is coming.
They take him back to the clan, to present him with the full gear of an Omatikaya warrior. In the cumberbund and knife belt around his chest, you could ignore the eyebrows and extra finger. He looked like he belonged. Neytiri said something to him, gesturing for Jake to wait for her outside before turning to Tsu’tey.
“You say that you have seen the way we look at each other. But when you look away, he follows. The choice we make tonight does not remove you from our lives. We need you.”
She places a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat under her palm. Then she smiles and leaves him to his thoughts. Tsu’tey lets them go, waiting until they are out of sight to walk up to a quiet branch. He thinks about her words, and the things he fears are true.
After an hour he hears a noise behind him.
“Who is it?”
“Saeyla. It’s only me.”
“What are you doing here? You should be below, celebrating.”
“I can celebrate here, with you.”
“You forget yourself. I am bethrothed to Neytiri.” He knew it was more complicated than that, but for now no one else needed to. They would figure it out in private, on their own time.
“I know this. Does she? Tsu’tey, Neytiri has left. She is with Jakesully now. Everyone sees this. Everyone but you.”
Does she truly think he is that stupid or ignorant that he would not notice those two? He tries to keep his temper under control, to protect Neytiri.
“You know nothing, girl. Leave.”
He hears her start to say something, so he repeats himself. She sniffles and turns, running away. He feels a bit guilty, but the girl was getting too bold. He had not believed Neytiri when she first told him of Saeyla’s feelings, but he soon realized she was right. He needed to stop it, to convince her to look elsewhere. He wasn’t what she wanted anyway.
Notes:
Dream Hunt time, and this is where everything starts to happen very quickly. Between this chapter and the end of the movie is 10 days, and the battle happens on day 4. So the next batch of chapters is gonna be a lot, I'm expecting to get most of it out Saturday.
Anyway, this is where we start to get into the relationship stuff. Tsu'tey and Neytiri are platonic partners, deeply committed but not interested in anything else. But they both took one look at Jake's stupid face and decided to risk everything. (A bit of a hyperbole, but it works).
Chapter 15
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Neytiri led Jake through the glowing forest. Jake was almost giddy, caught up in the beauty of the environment and the way the lights reflected on Neytiri’s skin. Their walk became a game of tag, with Neytiri having an obvious advantage but letting him catch up from time to time.
She slowed as they reached their destination - a grove of glowing willow trees. The tendrils reminded Jake of his tswin, though they only swayed in the light breeze. With every step the moss below them lit up. Jake would like to say that he’d never seen anything this beautiful, but then Neytiri turned and smiled at him. He followed her into the grove, lunging forward to tug on her tail just to see the look on her face. He had never felt this light, but that might be the lingering effects of the venom. Or the glow worm. Either way, he was happy, here in the trees with the most incredible woman he’d ever met. She walked deeper into the grove, reaching up to caress the strands.
“Come, come.” She laughed, grabbing his hand to pull him deeper into the grove.
“This is a place for prayers to be heard. And sometimes answered.” She connects her queue to a group of tendrils. “We call these trees Utraya Mokri. The Tree of Voices. The voices of our ancestors.”
Jake follows her lead, connecting his queue to some tendrils, hearing the faint overlapping voices of Omatikaya from the past. Jake sees the woodsprites from the first night float through the air, one landing briefly on his shoulder before drifting away. The little sprites, like the faint whispering in the air as the trees swayed, reminded him of how far he’d come since the first night.
“I can hear them.”
“They live, Jake, within Eywa. You are Omatikaya now. You may make your bow from the wood of Hometree.” She paused, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. “And you may choose a woman. We have many fine women.”
Neytiri took a few steps, reaching up to cradle an atokirina. Jake didn’t respond, so she decided to test the water.
“Ninat is the best singer.”
“But I don’t want Ninat.”
Neytiri couldn’t help but smile, trying to keep from looking over at Jake. He took a half step closer.
“Beyral is a good hunter.”
“Yeah, she is a good hunter.”
Neytiri looked up at him, suddenly worried that she had been wrong, but Jake was smiling softly at her. He was illuminated by the trees, strong and gentle and looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world.
“I’ve already chosen. But this woman must also choose me.”
Neytiri smiles, almost shy in her joy.
“She already has.”
He reaches out a hand to carefully cup her face, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone as he draws her closer. They kiss, and it feels like coming home, like this was where he was meant to be.
She pulls them down to kneel on the ground, their knees touching. She reaches behind her back to grab her tswin, pulling the long braid around. Jake follows, his hands shaking slightly in anticipation. He knew what this meant. Grace had given him the Na’vi version of a Safe Sex lecture when she realized he was serious about becoming one of them. He knew he still had a choice to stop before he made the commitment, knew that everything was balanced on a knife’s edge and could go wrong at any moment, but he wanted this. She had chosen him, even with the problems it would cause.
They lean in closer and connect their queues. It felt like lightning, like every part of himself was rewritten when it touched her. He could feel her heartbeat alongside his, her nerves and her joy. He had never imagined being this connected to another person.
They move in unison to kiss, needing to be as physcially close as they were emotionally. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her fully onto his lap. She was warm and solid in his arms, lean muscle and soft skin. He leans back onto the moss until she is perched above him, her hair falling down around their faces. If he died tomorrow, he would die happy having seen her like this.
When Jake was 14, a new kid moved to their building. His name was Mason, and he was a year older. They were both on the basketball team, and Jake found himself drawn to the other boy. Mason was strong and funny, and he made Jake feel alive. Mason was his first kiss, his first relationship, but they both knew it wouldn’t last. They stayed friends, agreeing to see each other when Jake went on leave. The last time Jake saw him was in a bar after his injury. Mason had taken one look at the wheelchair and pretended not to know him. That was one of those nights that Jake picked a fight, just to feel something.
After Mason was Alicia, who Jake dated his senior year. She was way smarter than Jake, but they had fun together. He knew he was leaving when he turned 18, and she had plans for college. He’s pretty sure she ended up in a good place, but he hadn’t checked.
Then there were the Marines, and the casual hooksups that reminded everyone they were alive and more than just expendable bodies. Maria and Charlie were in his squad. It wasn’t serious or exclusive, just a way to feel like a person. They served together for two years, during which Maria got him drunk enough to get his first tattoo.
Jake was shot during an ambush. Everything was chaos, and most of his squad was injured. Jake woke up without the use of his legs. They didn’t wake up at all, and he wasn’t able to leave for their funerals. He didn’t bother much after that. No use trying to find someone willing to date a cripple.
Neytiri was different. She was the first person he wanted a future with, the first he worked so hard to be worthy of. Whatever was happening between the two of them, whatever was happening with him and Tsu’tey, he cared. For the first time, he truly cared. He knew what it meant that they performed tsaheylu, and he also knew what it meant that Tsu’tey let them come here. Tonight everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be. They could deal with the consequences tomorrow.
Jake stared up at the luminescent tendrils, entranced by the way they moved in harmony with the beat of his own heart. Neytiri laid on his chest, one hand tracing the markings on his ribs. He runs his hand down her back, and she nuzzles closer before pushing herself up to look at his face. He cups her cheek and strokes over her glowing freckles and she smiles, pressing a kiss to his palm.
“I wish we could stay here forever. But you know that my real body is far away, and I will have to go back to it.”
“This body is real.” Neytiri presses two fingers to the center of his chest. “This spirit is real. When you are here with me, this is your real body. You have taught me that spirit is all that matters.”
“That works for me. You’d like this body better anyway.”
“One day, I would like to see your other body. I want to see the body that brought you to me.”
He wanted to argue, but she looked so sincere, and her eyes were so large and deep. She lays back down on his chest. She had taken her hair out of braids earlier, and when he ran his fingers through it, it was soft and smooth.
“I am with you now Jake. All of you. We are mated for life.”
“I know. No one else I’d rather be with.”
She hums, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist.
“What did you say to Tsu’tey before we left?”
“Ask him that yourself. He will want to talk to you anyway.”
“Is he gonna be mad, about this?”
“No. He knows. But we must plan for the future.”
“Okay. Tomorrow, then. Right now, I just wanna lay here with you.”
Notes:
Hello I have new chapters. I said I would get them out yesterday but my cousin is having a crisis and I have been a therapist and dog sitter for a few days. Anyway, this is a shorter chapter cause the next few are quite long.
Chapter 16
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When Jake ended the link that night, he had already decided not to tell Grace what he’d done. He knew what she would say, and they had other things to worry about. They’d talk to Tsu’tey first, then he’d tell Grace.
Waking up the next morning, he felt more like himself than he had in weeks. He would be returning to the glade, to Neytiri, who was kinda his wife now? That was a weird thought, but a good one.
Grace and Norm tried to stall him, insisting he needed to eat. He tried to rush, but he had no idea what he was returning to.
Neytiri had woken to the sound of engines and splintering trees. She jolted up, recognizing the sounds of the machines Sky People used to remove trees. She realized they were heading to the grove, to Utraya Mokri, and her heart pounded in her chest in panic. She leaned over her new mate, trying to shake him awake, but he was not there. Like every other morning she had observed him, he was empty, his heart beating but no soul to drive it. The branches were cracking, leaves and debris beginning to fall around them as she grabbed his arm to drag him out of the immediate path of danger. Her heart was breaking as the sacred trees were beginning to fall, but she had to save him. She screamed, desperate and terrified, and finally his eyes began to move and he woke up.
The first thing he saw was Neytiri’s face twisted in fear, then the sound of the dozers hit him. He lept into action, trying to get the operator to notice him and stop destroying the trees. The one heading for them briefly powered down, but continued. Whoever was driving the bulldozer, their orders were to keep moving, no matter who got in the way. Jake got Neytiri out of the path before leaping up on the side of the machine to get to the front. He knew that the dozers were remote operated, and without visuals they would stop. He smashed the cameras, gaining the attention of the footsoldiers in their mech suits.
He lept back down and ran, pulling Neytiri away from the path of destruction. They hid out of the way, and she began to wail, filled with a grief he would never understand. Without those trees, her people had lost a connection to their ancestors. Jake tried to comfort her, but he was furious. They were supposed to have more time, they were supposed to hear about this before they attacked a sacred sight. Selfridge had crossed a line, but Jake didn’t know if he could do anything about it.
Jake carefully led her away, back down the path they had taken the night before. He was sure that the clan already knew what had happened, but she needed to be with them, and he and Grace needed to speak to Eytukan. Neytiri was quiet, her grief transforming into anger. Her people were not prone to war, but they would not let this pass without repercussions. This was the latest in a long history of offenses, and to target their connection to Eywa in that way…
Hometree was buzzing, the warriors and hunters of the clan armed and gathering in the center to listen to Eytukan. Jake and Neytiri passed groups of people gathering supplies or corralling children into quieter areas, away from the war council. As they neared, they could hear the Olo’eyktan speak
“Tsu’tey will lead the war party.”
The warriors cheered, war cries filling the air. Grace shoved her way through the crowd, trying to be heard.
“Stop, please! This will only make it worse.”
“You do not speak here.” Tsu’tey respected Grace as a teacher, but she was not a warrior. She was not part of the clan, and it was her people who had caused such damage. “We will strike them in the heart!”
“Tsu’tey! Don’t do this.”
Tsu’tey turned to them, and Jake could tell that he was glad they were alive but his duty to the clan came first. He was chosen by Olo’eyktan, those orders came before any other loyalties.
“Listen, please -” Jake tried to speak, but he was interrupted by another warrior, who had taken notice that Neytiri was still holding his hand. Jake was shoved away from her, and the crowd cleared to let Tsu’tey through.
“The demon has mated with Neytiri!”
Neytiri moved in front of Jake, trying to catch Tsu’tey’s eyes. He was not surprised, but the grief and anger of the morning had clouded his judgement.
“Oh, shit.” Grace was already panicked, but honestly thought Jake could go one night without doing something monumentally stupid. Tsu’tey turned to Eytukan, furious and hurt and so confused.
“Olo’eyktan, everything is changing. Everything is being destroyed. These aliens will kill everything they touch, like poison.”
“Is this true?” Mo’at approached, pinning Neytiri under her intense gaze.
“We are mated before Eywa. It is done.”
“Neytiri, if you choose this path, you can never be Tsahìk. Your life will be wasted.” Mo’at voice is harsh, the loss of Utraya Mokri and the impending war wearing on her heart. Neytiri knew she was also grieving a potential future, having already lost a daughter who would be Tsahìk, but Neytiri was not her sister. She knew her mother loved her deeply, but her mother had not truly seen her since Sylwanin’s death. Jake saw her. Tsu’tey saw her. They had a plan, a way that the future could work, if they survived.
“I have chosen.”
Tsu’tey turns away, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. This was all too much.
“Tsu’tey, brother, please. Do not attack the Sky People. Many Omatikaya will die if you do.”
“I am not your brother.”
Tsu’tey’s temper flared, the eyes of the People and the emotions of the day setting off his worst impulses. He lunges toward Jake, not sure if he even wanted to fight him but needing to do something to gain control, but Eytukan grabs his arm.
One of the warriors sees the action and lunges at Jake, knife outstreached. Jake shoved them away and pulled his own knife, trying to get them all to listen.
“And I am not your enemy!” He throws down his knife, trying to prove he doens’t want to fight anyone. “The enemy is out there, and they are very powerful.”
Up in the mountains, Trudy pilots her Samson toward the shack. Quaritch rides to her left, glaring. She knew what the soldiers in the back were there for, and she knew that she stopped caring about this jackass’s orders weeks ago.
“Loveshack, this is Samson One Six inbound hot on your pos. I have Colonel Quaritch with me and-”
Quaritch cuts her off.
“Did I tell you to announce this?”
“Sorry sir, it’s procedure.” Technically, that was true. But it also gave Norm a heads up.
On the ground, Norm watches the Samson land and a group of armed soldiers climb out. They had run out of time.
“I can talk to them.”
“No more talk.”
The warrior lunges, but Jake was no stranger to a fight.
“I am Omatikaya. I am one of you. And I have a right to speak. I have something to say, to all of you. The words are like stones in my heart.”
Norm tries to get them to stop, but Quaritch is furious and relentless. Quartich shoves him aside, and the other soldiers take him to the ground. The Colonel slams the button on the nearest link, pulling Grace out.
In Hometree, Grace’s eyes roll back and she collapses to the ground. Neytiri leans over to check, recognizing that her spirit has been pulled out against her will. She looks up at Jake, and the look on his face says that he will be pulled out soon.
“Okay, look… I was sent here too-” And he also collapses. Tsu’tey leans over him, holding him up by his hair. He knows his anger is misplaced, but there was no one else here.
“You see? It is a demon in a false body.”
Neytiri leaps, pulling Tsu’tey away from Jake’s limp body. She crouches over him, hissing. Mo’at walks over, placing a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
“We must prepare for war. The Dreamwalkers must be moved, but they will not be hurt”
Neytiri hesitates, but nods and stands. Jake and Grace were lifted, their limp bodies carried away from the central space. Neytiri moved to follow, and Mo’at did not stop her. This was not the time for a deeper confrontation.
Jake wakes up abruptly, his head splitting. He shoves the lid open to find Quaritch scowling at him.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?”
“You crossed a line.”
He swings, and Jake goes down. He comes to on the flight back to Hell’s Gate, cuffed and aching. He’s leaning against Grace, who seems relieved that he’s awake. They are uncuffed when they land, then marched up to the Ops Center. The atmosphere on base was tense, preparing for further mining and aggression from the Na’vi.
The Ops Center is quiet when they enter, the security officers eyeing them with confusion and hostility. Quaritch pulls up the footage from the dozer, showing Grace and Norm what had happened in the grove.
“You let me down, son. So what, you find yourself some local tail and just completely forget what team you’re playing for?”
Grace steps forward, trying to reason with Selfridge. She had been on Pandora longer than he had, and they’d been playing this game of chess for years.
“Parker, there is time to salvage the situation. Parker -”
“Shut your fuckin’ hole!”
Quaritch’s voice was loud, but Grace wasn’t going to be intimidated. She got up in his face.
“Or what, Ranger Rick? You gonna shoot me?”
“I could do that.”
“You need to muzzle your dog.”
“Yeah, can we just take this down a couple of notches, please?” Selfridge steps in between them, gesturing for them to stand down. Grace turned, frustrated, and Jake spoke up.
“You say you wanna keep your people alive? You start by listening to her.”
“Those trees are sacred to the Omatikaya, in a way you can’t imagine.”
“You know what? You throw a stick around here, it’s gonna land on some sacred fern for Christ’s sake!” Selfridge scoffed, and his lack of respect for the Na’vi was clear. The Omatikaya and their traditions meant nothing to him, as long as they didn’t get in his way.
“I’m not talking about some kind of pagan voodoo here. I’m talking about something real, something measurable in the biology of the forest.”
“Which is what, exactly?”
Grace turned to Jake, distressed. “I can’t do this. How am I supposed to reduce years of work to a sound bite for the illiterate?”
“Just tell him what you know in your heart.”
Grace turned to Selfridge, pulling herself together. This was her entire life’s work, everything she had ever worked for and studied. She wrote an entire goddamn book to try and show Earth how incredible Pandora is.
“Alright, look - I don’t have the answers yet. I’m just now starting to even frame the questions. What we think we know is that there is some kind of electrochemical communication between the roots of the trees, like the synapses between neurons. And each tree had ten to the fourth connections to the trees around it. And there are ten to the twelfth trees on pandora.”
“Which is a lot, I’m guessing.”
“It’s more connections than the human brain. Get it? It’s a network. It’s a global network, and the Na’vi can access it. They can upload and download data - memories - at sites like the one you just destroyed.” Her voice gets higher, softer, filled with reverence. The connections on Pandora were so beautiful and mindblowing, far more than she would ever understand without becoming part of it. She and Jake had spent many evenings talking about tsaheylu, the way it felt to become part of the network. But Selfridge didn’t care. His interested mask fell away and he began to laugh.
“What the hell have you people been smoking out there? They’re just goddamn trees!”
“You need to wake up, Parker.”
“No, you need to wake up.”
“The wealth of this world isn’t in the ground. It’s all around us. The Na’vi know that, and they are fighting to defend it. If you want to share this world with them, you need to understand them.”
“I’d say we understand them just fine, thanks to Jake here.” Quaritch clicks on a video, turning the screen so everyone in the room can see. “Hey, Doc, come take a look.”
“The Omaticaya are not going to give up their home. They’re not gonna make a deal. For what? The destruction of their forest, the poisoning of their water, in exchange for lite beer and blue jeans? There is nothing we have that they want, because they already have everything they need. We are the monsters from space. Sending me out here to convince them was a waste of time. They’re never gonna leave Hometree.”
Jake watches the recording, dread growing in the pit of his stomach. He knew that video was a risk. It had been recorded late at night after a flight with Neytiri where he had seen the wound caused by mining on the surface of Pandora. He was angry and exhausted and tired of pretending to follow immoral orders. Grace stepped closer to him, one hand on his shoulder. He wondered if it was to ground him, or to keep her steady.
“So, since a deal can’t be made, I guess things get real simple. Jake, thanks. I’m getting all emotional. I might just give you a big kiss.”
“Parker, we have to talk, like rational people.”
“Well. I’d cherish that, but unfortunately you’re out of here on the next shuttle. All of you. I’m shutting down the Avatar program, effective now.”
Grace stared at him in horror, but he just turned and walked into his office. She huffed and stormed out, Jake and Norm following her back to the labs to deliver the news.
They sat and watched as the scientists began to pack up the equipment, talking in low voices about what was happening, what had happened earlier. Grace pulled a bottle of whiskey out of a cabinet and poured herself a glass.
“You know, they never even wanted us to succeed. They bulldozed a sacred site on purpose to trigger a response. Just fabricating this war to get what they want.”
“This is how it’s done.” He pulls out her book on the Na’vi, hitting it against the table to get her attention. “When people are sitting on shit that you want, you make them your enemy. Then you’re justified in taking it.”
Trudy comes running into the lab in her flight suit, trying to catch her breath. She ran to find them as soon as she heard her orders.
“Quaritch is rolling the gunships. He’s gonna hit Hometree.”
“When?”
“Right now.”
“My God.” Grace stands and starts running back to the Ops Center. They follow, but Jake knows that it won’t work. He can see the preparation outside, how much power they have. A soldier tries to stop her, but Grace forces her way through to Selfridge.
“Parker. Wait, stop. These are people you’re about to -”
“No. No, no, no, no. They’re fly bitten savages that live in a tree! All right? Look around! I don’t know about you, but I see a lot of trees! They can move!”
“There are families in there. There are children, babies. Are you gonna kill children?”
Grace’s voice was strained, terrified for her students and the innocents. Jake pushed closer, trying to reason with Selfridge.
“You don’t want that kind of blood on your hands. Believe me. Just let me try to talk them out. They trust me.”
Selfridge seems to consider for a moment, looking out the windows at the mobilization effort. He nods, turning and walking toward the door, and Jake and Grace hurry to keep pace. Jake spends the return to the labs trying to figure out what to say, but there isn’t time.
“Calibrate fast. We’re going in, right now.”
They climb into the link beds, Max and Norm rushing to get everything set up. Selfridge leans over Jake’s unit.
“Listen to me. You’ve got one hour. Unless you want your girlfriend in there when the axe comes down, you get them to evacuate. One hour.”
Jake and Grace’s avatars had been moved from the central gathering area, watched over by Neytiri as the rest of her clan began to plan for war. Tsu’tey had watched the bodies being moved, unable to shake the feeling that everything had been broken that morning. Part of him wanted to sit with Neytiri, to hope that Jake would wake and could fix this, but he knew better. Jake was one man, and the rest of his people were on the attack. Tsu’tey found himself outside of Hometree, trying to center himself in preparation for the war council.
“Eywa, give me victory over my enemies-”
He is interrupted by Mo’at. She does not know everyhting, but she is not blind. She has watched them, these last few months, and she knows why her daughter would choose the Dreamwalker and why Tsu’tey would allow it. She also knows that he is struggling.
“Tsu’tey, beware… you are angry.”
“And you are not, Mo’a?t” He knows she feels the loss of Utraya Mokri, and fears what may happen to all else they hold sacred.
“I am angry. But you are also proud. And vengeful.”
“I am proud… for the people.”
“No, for yourself. Remember, Tsu’tey, anger cost Sylwanin her life. Do not let it take yours as well.”
She walks closer, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“Come. Olo’eyktan needs you.”
He stands and follows her back into Hometree, to where Eytukan and the warriors are waiting. He takes his place beside him, looking around at the familiar faces. Many he trained alongside, and some he trained himself.
“Where is Neytiri? Even she must fight today?”
“Ka’ani, bring her.” Tsu’tey sends the young warrior away, knowing that Neytiri needed to be present.
“We must choose our battleground carefully. Where their sky-ships cannot come, but ikran fly freely.”
They are interrupted by a young man running down from the central area.
“Olo’eyktan! The demon is awake!”
Tsu’tey looks at Eytukan. The earlier separation did not seem voluntary, so if he has returned then it is with a message. He turns to see Neytiri running down with Jake.
“Ma Sempul, Ma Sa’nok!”
“Eytukan, I have something to say.”
“Listen.” Grace seems to plead with the clan leaders, hoping that their years of friendship meant something in this moment.
“Speak, Jakesully.”
“A great evil is upon us. The Sky People are coming to destroy Hometree.” Tsu’tey and Eytukan straighten in horror, and the crowd begins to murmur. He turns to Neytiri, knowing that he didn’t have the understanding yet to convey what needs to be said. “Look, tell them they’re gonna be here soon. You have to leave, or you’re gonna die.”
“Are you certain of this?”
Mo’at steps forward, just as she had the first day, and he knew this was the time for the truth. Grace steps closer, ready to back him up.
“Look, in the beginning I was sent here to learn your ways, so one day I could bring this message and that you would believe it.”
Neytiri steps away from him, and his heart clenches.
“What are you saying, Jake? You knew this would happen?”
“Yes. Look, it started as orders, and I didn’t agree but it was my duty to follow them, and then everything changed. Okay? I fell in love. I fell in love with the forest and with the Omatikaya people. And with you. And I have tried to protect you!” He tries to keep his tone sincere, to prove how much he cared and regretted his decisions.
“I trusted you!”
“Trust me now, please.”
“You will never be one of the People!”
“I shouldn’t have-”
Grace shoves forward, trying to project her voice over the crowd. “Mo’at, we tried to stop them! We tried to warn you, please! Listen to me, we tried to stop this.”
“Neytiri, please! I tried, I did everything I could to stop them.”
He reaches out and holds her arms, but she shoves him away, backing up to where Tsu’tey stood. Jake looks up at him, and he is heartbroken, furious and scared and yet… he was there. He heard Jake, that night.
“Bind them.”
“Leave now! You have to go. They’re coming!”
Grace continues to yell, trying to get the Omatikaya to listen. They are forced to the ground and their arms are bound behind their backs. Eytukan gives a war cry, and when the clan follows Jake knows he’s failed. He and Grace are dragged out of Hometree and tied to poles. Mo’at stands and observes them as the warriors rally, preparing for the coming attack. He meets her eyes, trying to get through to her, but she is not really looking at them. In that moment, they were nothing more than the representations of the people who threatened her home and her family.
Jake can hear the gunships appraching, the wind picking up. The forest around them begins to shake, animals running from the sound. He and Grace have been trying to plead with Mo’at, with anyone who comes near. The warriors had all gathered as the ships approached, with two holding knives to the Dreamwalker’s throats.
“Run to the forest! They’re coming!”
“They will destroy this place!”
“Neytiri, you must go now!”
The gunships come into view, and Jake yells as loud as he can. His voice is raw, but he knows what is coming.
“Run to the forest! Run!”
“Have no fear!”
Tsu’tey calls out to the warriors, steadying their resolve. He buries his own nerves, needing to be strong, to be a leader. Jake is still yelling behind him, and the fear in his voice is almost enough to break him.
“No! God damn it, run!”
Eytukan grabs Tsu’tey’s arm, yelling a command to attack on ikran. Tsu’tey and his group run off to grab their ikran, and Jake can’t breathe. The gunships fire, and gas begans to fill the area, burning their eyes and throats and choking the Na’vi. The Omatickya who had remained within Hometree began to run out, coughing and crying out. Eytukan orders the archers to open fire, but it does nothing against the massive ship except piss them off. The next rounds are explosives.
The massive structure of Hometree is up in flames. The tree had stood for longer than Jake could even conceive of, but it was burning. Eytukan orders everyone out into the forest, and the warriors run. Neytiri passes them, but she does not stop. Jake and Grace struggle but they are tied tight.
“We gotta move! He’s gonna blow the columns!”
“My God!”
Mo’at approaches holding a knife, her face stained with tears. She reaches out to Jake, clutching his arm. She holds the knife to his throat and he thinks that she may have finally given up on him.
“If you are one of us, help us.” And she cuts the rope, moving to cut Grace’s as well. They move quickly, trying to get stragglers into the forest. They run as the final round of missiles is fired and they are thrown to the ground, colliding with tree trunks. Jake feels a rib crunch as he hits the trunk, but he’s running on adrenaline. Jake stands quickly, grabbing Grace and Mo’at and pulling them to safety behind another fallen trunk. He tries to cover them both, praying that Neytiri and Tsu’tey are still alive.
When the firing stops, all is quiet for a moment. Jake looks up at the billowing smoke, and wonders if Hometree would survive, if maybe it would be stronger than human weapons, but then the columns crack with a noise Jake would never forget and the massive tree begins to topple. He yells for people to run, pulling Mo’at with him.
Hometree falls, thudding to the ground, and all Jake can hear is screaming and the pounding of his own heart. He sees the shadow of an ikran flying above, but debris is raining down and the people are terrified and confused. Mo’at is kneeling, sobbing and crying out to Eywa. He turns, and everywhere he looks there is another heartbroken face. Jake pulls Mo’at off the ground, pushing her to keep moving. He and Grace try to rally the people they can find, directing them to follow Mo’at to somewhere safe. Grace is gathering the children, speaking to them softly and wiping their tears, but there was no comfort to be found in this moment. When the area is cleared, he runs off to find Neytiri.
Neytiri stumbles through the wreckage of her home, searching for her father. There were so many bodies, injured and dead and grieving. She catches a glimpse of feathers and runs toward the fallen body. It is not until she is next to her father that she sees the shard of wood that had pierced his stomach. The wood of Hometree, the wood he had used to make his bow.
“Ma Sempul!”
Her father was the strongest person she had ever known. He was her hero as a child, calm and commanding and powerful. He loved her and her sister, had doted on them and made sure they had everything they could ever want. Her fondest memory was flying with him, held securely against his chest. He was supposed to be there forever, to see her grow and have a family of her own.
“Ma Sempul.” She sobbed, reaching for him.
“Ma’ite…” He coughs, weak. She tries to help him but knows that there is nothing, that he is dying. “Take.. my bow. Protect the People.”
He presses the bow into her hands and falls limp, his eyes closing. She watches him for a moment before screaming, clutching his bow to her chest. She didn’t know this kind of despair could exist, that she could lose so much in a single day.
“Neytiri!”
She could hear Jake, and knew he was approaching. She looked up, needing to see his face, but she felt empty. He was still the same man, but she was not the same. She could no longer ignore who he was. His loyalties would always be torn.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He tries to touch her, to comfort her, but the sight of his hands sets her off. This was his people, his war and his violence that cost her so much.
“Get away. Get away! Get away from here! Never come back!”
She leans back over her father, sobbing. Neytiri hears the footsteps walk away, and her heart breaks.
Jake staggers away from Neytiri, away from the body of Eytukan and the remains of Hometree. He wishes he could cry, could feel anger or grief, but he just feels broken. He just keeps walking, until he feels the familiar pull of the link ending. He wakes to screaming, noise and motion. He hears Grace yelling at Selfridge, the scientists arguing, but he can’t convince his muscles to move. He is aware that he is being lifted out of the link unit and thrown over someone’s shoulder, that they are taken out of the labs, but he doesn’t process any of it. He doesn’t feel real, or present, not until hours later.
When Neytiri had run out of tears, she lifted herself off of her father’s body and began to stagger through the forest to find her mother. She knew that someone would find her father, bring him with them to their most sacred place, their refuge. She clutches the bow as she walks, stumbling blindly until she runs into a surviving warrior. He takes her arm, leading her through the procession to Mo’at.
When Mo’at sees her daughter’s blank face and the bow in her hands, she knows. She wants to scream, to fall to the ground and wait for Eywa to take her as well, but she is still alive. Her daughter is still alive, and their people need them. She opens her arms, and her youngest falls against her. Just for one moment they can grieve together, then they must continue.
In the sky, Tsu’tey directs his remaining warriors. He keeps his voice strong, his expression stoic, and tries to hide that when Hometree fell, he fell with it.
“Takuk, Maru! Find the Tsahìk! The rest, with me!”
They circle the ruins, searching for any survivors. Tsu’tey had almost let himself hope that the Olo’eyktan had survived when he spotted feathers. He gestured to the others to land, and as they got closer he knew that they were too late. He climbs off of Ngam’i’a and kneels next to Eytukan, sending a prayer to Eywa to give him peace. His bow is missing, and Tsu’tey wonders if Neytiri knows, if she was here. He tries not to wonder if Jake knows.
He stands and turns to the warriors, and they kneel. This is the moment he was chosen for, that he had trained for his entire life, and all he wanted was to go back to the day before, when everything was easier.
“Get up. Help me.” Two of the warriors stand, moving to help him lift Eytukan’s body onto Ngam’i’a. “Tie him securely to the ikran.”
He takes a deep breath, climbing onto his ikran and steadying the body.
“You have done well. Let us hope Mo’at lives.”
“And Neytiri…?” Saeyla’s voice is quiet, but she looks up to meet his eyes.
“We can only hope.” He will not take her challenge, not at a time like this. Not when everything is broken and burning. He prompts Ngam’i’a to take off, flying toward the procession they had spotted earlier. He knew they were heading toward Vitraya Ramunong, and that Mo’at would be waiting for him.
When they land, Neytiri finds him first. She has stopped crying, but her face crumples when she sees that he has brought the body. He dismounts, gesturing to the others to carry the body before wrapping her in his arms, each of them clutching the other as tight as they can. She is here, and alive, and he thanks Eywa for giving him this.
“My father is dead. So many are dead.”
“I know. I know, yawne. I’m here. I will protect you.”
“Tsu’tey, everything is gone. Jake…” Tsu’tey tried to suppress the sudden fear that the Dreamwalker had died. “He is alive. He saved Mother, but I did not know. I sent him away.”
“If he is who we believed, he will return. For now, we have each other.”
They walk together to Mo’at, who has taken her place at the base of the tree. The warriors have laid her mate’s body in front of her.
“There is no death. Only change.” She gently traces his features, taking one last look at the man who had stood by her for so long. They would need to bury him that night, to lay him to rest and transfer the responsibility to Tsu’tey. She was still Tsahik, and her people needed her. She reaches down and unclasps his chest piece, pulling it off gently. When she stands, others come closer and lift Eytukan’s body to move him to the burial place.
Mo’at hands the chest piece to Tsu’tey, and she thinks of just how young he is. He was a few months younger than Sylwanin. She had held him then, and she knew that the Great Mother had plans for the innocent child in her arms. She never imagined she would be handing him the Olo’eyktan’s mantle from the body of her dead mate.
Tsu’tey pulls on the chest piece, and for a moment it feels like the weight of it will sink him into the ground.
“Olo’eyktan, will you address the people?”
“But… I have failed them..”
“No, like the forest after a wildfire, the bark becomes ash but not the spirit.”
Tsu’tey turns and walks further out, drawing the attention of the survivors. They had lost many, and the eyes on him were lost and scared and in need of guidance. He wasn’t ready, but he had no choice.
“Tomorrow, we face a new world. But for now, we bury our dead. Eytukan te Tskaha Kamun’itan, I see you.” The clan takes a moment of silence, sending their prayers for their fallen leader. “Come. Let us sing their songs.”
Notes:
Very long, sad chapter. This section of the movie always hits me, watching Hometree fall and seeing how much is destroyed. I'm a historian, the idea of losing so much history and culture breaks my heart.
I saw a comment asking how I would handle the reveal to the clan, I hope I did it justice. I don't think Tsu'tey would try to kill/challenge Jake because he knows about him and Neytiri and is okay with it, but also he's angry and not acting rationally. But I do like the way Jake has to defend himself and try to convince them, so random warriors it is.
Chapter 17
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Grace and Norm had been talking, trying to process what had happened, but after a while they fell silent. The soldiers had parked Jake in between them, and he had just been sitting there blankly, looking down at his legs. Grace sat on the edge of the bench, reaching out to hold his hand, but he barely responded. She watched him come back to himself slowly, as with each moment of awarenes he seemed to sag lower.
“What’s going on, brother? Long time no see.”
Grace turned when she heard Trudy’s voice. The pilot is pushing the metal meal cart, but Grace has learned to read her body language. Grace straightens, and Norm follows, curious. When they move Jake seems to wake up, sitting up in his wheelchair and turning to look at Trudy.
“Hey.”
“Personally, I don’t feel these tree-hugging traitors deserve steak.”
“They get steak? That’s bullshit. Let me see that.”
He bends down to look and she pulls out a gun, pressing the muzzle to the back of his neck.
“Yeah. You know what that is. Down. All the way down. Max!”
Max comes running in, grabbing the guard’s key card Trudy holds up as she zip ties his hands. The door begins to open when the elevator doors open and they can see another guard, but Trudy rushes forward to take him down. The first guard starts to get up, but Max clocks him with the coffee pot.
“That was unexpectedly satisfying.”
They run out of the cell, and Norm rushes to kiss Trudy.
“Baby, you rock.”
Jake grabs the second guard’s firearm. Trudy binds his arms and they pack into the elevator, Jake taking position in front of the doors.
“Thanks, guys. So, what do you say? Time for a revolution?”
“I’m free.” Grace laughs, ready to get the hell out and get back to the Na’vi.
They exit into a utility corridor, starting to job toward the hanger.
“Trudy, get your ship fired up.”
She nods and grabs Norm, putting Exopacks on in the airlock and running toward her Samson.
“Max. Stay here. I need someone on the inside I can trust.”
Max nods, and Jake grips his arm before sending him back to the labs. He and Grace grab Exopacks and move through the airlock, Jake taking point. They can see an armored trooper approaching the Samson, stopping Trudy and Norm.
“I need you to shut down and step out of the vehicle. Now!”
Jake rolls up behind him, raising his pistol.
“Take it nice and easy, troop. On the ground, face down. Hands behind your head.”
The trooper hesitates, but Grace yells.
“Do what he goddamn says!”
The trooper complies, and Norm jumps down to grab his guns, covering them while Grace gets Jake into the back bay and throws his chair in after. He quickly straps himself and his chair in, steadying Grace as she hops in herself.
“Go! Go! Go!”
Trudy rushes to get the Samson started, aware that an alarm has gone off. The Samson has just lifted off when bullets start flying through the air. Trudy banks, and Jake gets a glimpse of Quaritch firing at them. They climb out over the tree line, and Jake laughs.
“Oh, yeah baby!”
“Ah, crap.”
Jake turns when Grace speaks, and his whole body freezes. She’s holding a hand to her abdomen, but Jake can see the blood spreading. She looks up and meets his eyes, shocked and just starting to feel the pain.
“This is gonna ruin my whole day.”
“Hang on, Grace.” He unclips himself and moves closer, trying to judge the damage. He knows that a gunshot to the stomach is never good, but maybe they could stabilize her and get help.
“Everybody alright back there?”
“Grace is hit.”
“What?”
“Get the trauma kit!”
“Trauma kit!” Norm starts to search the cabin.
“Keep the pressure on, Grace.” Jake knows his voice is shaking, but Grace has gone pale. Trudy twists her head back to see what’s happening.
“Trauma kit’s forward, on the bulkhead.”
“Hang on, Grace.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. But we can fix this. Trudy, get us back to the shack!”
They get to the shack in record time, Norm climbing out quickly to get into his link. Trudy gets Jake and Grace out of the Samson and into the Shack, laying Grace on one of the link beds. Jake checks Grace’s wound, cursing when he sees that she’s bleeding through the bandages. He wraps her tighter, wincing when she makes a noise.
“I’m sorry, Grace. It’s gonna be okay.”
The shack creaks as Norm’s avatar climbs the side, working to attach the link unit section to the Samson. They lift back off the ground, turning to fly deeper into the mountains, Jake communicating through a walkie.
“Just keep going north. Get us deep in the mountains.”
“Copy that.”
Jake watches the clouds and cliffs pass by, illuminated by Polyphemus and the natural bioluminescence of the vines. Grace curls herself tighter, and Jake can see she’s going into shock. He wraps a blanket around her and prays they get there fast enough.
“Norm, you all good up there?”
“Yep. Still here.”
“Well, at least they can’t track us up here. Not this far into the Vortex.” Trudy’s voice is tense even through the radio.
“It’s strongest at the Tree of Souls, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Cause that’s where we’re going.”
Jake reaches back into the trauma kit to pull out morphine, trying to ease some of Grace’s pain.
“Ouch.”
“You big baby.” He sets the kit aside, brushing some hair off of Grace’s face. She is clammy and shaking. “I’m gonna get you some help, Grace.”
“I’m a scientist, remember? I don’t believe in fairy tales.”
“The People can help you. I know it.”
He had to believe it. He had felt Eywa, and had seen the people’s devotion to her every day of the last three months. Grace didn’t have to believe, but he knew that Mo’at would help.
Grace fades as they get closer to the Well of Souls, and she’s barely conscious when they land. Trudy comes in to take over her care. She turns to look at Jake, and they both know they’re running out of time. He holds Grace’s hand for a moment, then wheels over to his own link.
Trudy helps him in, and he knows that she’ll watch over Grace until he returns.
“What’s the plan here, Jake?”
“There is no plan.”
Norm turns and sets a hand on his shoulder.
“Tsu’tey is Olo’eyktan now. He’s not gonna let you near that place.”
“I gotta try.”
Norm nods, and Trudy walks back over to Grace as he settles and pulls the lid down.
Outcast. Betrayer. Alien. Jake knew what they thought of him, what he thought of himsel. He needed their help to save Grace, and they needed his to save their people. If he wanted to face them, he had to prove himself. He had to do something crazy.
He woke up on the ground, covered in ash. Everything was grey and hazy, the smoke blocking the sun, and his body felt cold and stiff. He climbs over a ridge to look down at the decimated forest, and he realizes it looks exactly like his vision. This was hell made real on Pandora. He didn’t know how he was gonna pull this off alone, but a shriek from above reminded him he wasn’t alone. Bob landed, leaning forward to nudge him.
“Hey, buddy. I’m so glad to see you. So much has gone wrong, and I need to fix it.”
He climbs onto Bob, trying not to drown in their shared grief and anger.
“There’s something we gotta do. You’re not gonna like it.”
He directed Bob away from Hometree, back up into the mountains where he had been chased by Toruk. What better way to earn his place than by becoming a legendary figure. If Jake Sully couldn’t save the Omaticaya, Toruk Makto could. It was a crazy plan, if you could even call it that, but there was nothing else he could do.
Toruk was the baddest cat in the sky. Nobody attacks him, so why would he ever be prepared for an attack, especially from above. If he got above Toruk on Bob, he could jump down and either make tsaheylu or die trying.
He spotted Toruk flying along the same ridge as earlier, scanning the forest below for prey. Jake directs Bob higher, until they are directly over Toruk’s back. He sends one last thought of gratitude to Bob, and he jumps.
Jake lands on his back, scrambling quickly up his neck to try and grab his antennae. Toruk screeches and dives, trying to throw him off, but Jake isn’t going down without a fight. He yells, pushing himself upward, and he grabs the antennae, connecting it quickly.
Toruk is not like anything else Jake had experienced. Toruk was powerful, born with the knowledge that he is the king of the sky, and that he fulfills a purpose on Pandora. Toruk also knows what it means for Jake to bond with him, and Jake feels the moment he is accepted. Toruk seems to ask him why, so he decides to tell him a story.
I used to have a brother. He looked just like me. We were twins. From the same egg. Like the same person, only different. He was the smart one. Books, science, math - he loved it all. He was always studying. I was the more outgoing type. One thing we both loved, though, was his book of stories - myths and legends about the great heroes of earth. My favorite was the story of Alexander the Great, but Tommy preferred Bellerophon. He was a hero who decided to go to the home of the Gods to challenge them, but he needs a ride. He hunts down Pegasus, the winged horse, who no one had ever tamed. But he does. I gotta admit, it didn’t end well for him, but the point was, together, they could do anything.
Tommy’s dead now. No more twins. It’s just me. Jake Sully. Marine from Earth, Omatikaya clan warrior. I came to you because we’re about to lose the whole planet. Your home. Mine. I don’t want that, and I don’t think you do either. I’m not asking for forever. I don’t even know what that means anymore. But for now, at least until our home is safe, partners?
Jake can feel Toruk processing what he’s asked. Toruk seems… almost grateful for Jake’s story, for giving him memories of Tommy and everything he’d fought for. Jake pushed through the bond his fear and his anger and everything he felt for Neytiri and Tsu’tey. Toruk screeched, and Jake knew that it was an agreement. He nudged them toward the Well of Souls, and Toruk shot forward.
The Omatikaya in the Well of Souls had finally managed to find some sort of equilibrium as night ended. They gathered close, singing and praying with Mo’at, songs of loss and yearning for safety. When a shadow fell over the people, they looked up to see the massive silhouette of Toruk approaching. The people began to scream, and Mo’at was struck with fear.
“The Last Shadow. Death has come to greet us.”
Tsu’tey stood, and when Toruk neared the ground he realized that the beast was not alone. There was a Na’vi on his back. Toruk Makto had returned to them, and Tsu’tey already knew who would dismount.
“No. There is no death. Only change.”
Toruk lands, and Jake slides off his back. Toruk stands calmly as Jake moves through the crowd, walking toward the great tree. He can feel the eyes of the people on him, their hands reaching out to touch him, but he is focused on Neytiri and Tsu’tey, the awe on their faces. He stops in front of them, and Neytiri reaches out to touch his chest.
“Toruk Makto.” She takes a shuddering breath and raises her voice, crying out to her people. “Toruk Makto!”
She moves closer, and he reaches out to hold her face. The last time he had seen her she was broken under her grief, and he can see how fragile she still was, but he knows he did the right thing. He brought her hope.
“I See you.”
“I See you.”
“I was afraid, Jake. For my people. I’m not anymore.”
He takes her hand and walks forward to where Mo’at and Tsu’tey stood. He focuses on the other man’s face. There is no time for all the things he wants to say to them, but he tries to convey it.
“ Tsu’tey, son of Ateyo, I stand before you ready to serve the Omatikaya people. You are Olo’eyktan, and you are a great warrior. I can’t do this without you.” He hoped that it was enough, that Tsu’tey understood the last words. Tsu’tey steps closer, placing his hand on Jake’s chest. He presses down slightly, and Jake knows he understands.
“Toruk Makto, I will fly with you.”
Jake nodded, smiling slightly, and turns to Mo’at. He doesn’t know what to make of her expression, but the only thing that matters is that she gives him a chance.
“My friend is dying. Grace is dying. I beg the help of the Great Mother.”
Mo’at’s eyes widen and she nods.
“Bring her here, Jakesully. I will try to save her.”
Jake nods. He looks to Tsu’tey, then Neytiri.
“We landed close by. I need to go get her.”
“I will come with you.”
Neytiri tightens her grip on his hand, and Tsu’tey steps aside. He hurries them back out of the well and into the forest, hoping that he made it in time. Norm was waiting for them outside of the shack, and when they came into view he banged on the side of the shack to alert Trudy.
“She’s still unconscious, but alive.”
“Thank you.”
Trudy exits carrying Grace, and Jake moves to take her. In this form Grace seems small in his arms, and he hates to see how quiet and weak she is. He and Neytiri start moving quickly back toward Mo’at. Neytiri keeps glancing at Grace in his arms.
“What happened?”
“She was shot while we escaped the base.”
“Escaped?”
“We disobeyed orders, broke the law. They had taken us prisoner. Trudy got us out. We have someone back at base who will help when the fighting starts, but… it’s bad, Neytiri. They are going to attack again.”
They made it back to the edge, and Neytiri directed him toward a group of healers.
“We need to prepare her for the ceremony.”
Jake carefully sets her down, letting Neytiri take over gently undressing Grace and wrapping her in glowing vines. Grace woke up slightly, smiling and reaching a hand up to touch Neytiri, but she was too weak.
“Rest, karyu. Mother will heal you.”
Jake leaned over to gently run a hand over Grace’s head, smiling as she focused on him. Neytiri begins to speak as she finishes preparing Grace.
“You are Toruk Makto, now. I know now that this is why you were chosen, but…”
“I couldn’t think of any other way to apologize, and prove myself. I am one of the People, I want to be here and fight alongside you. Neytiri, I’m yours. Being here, with you…” He looks around, leaning in closer. “With you, and Tsu’tey, that’s all I want. I want to protect you both, and I figured Toruk would give me that chance.”
“We should not have blamed you.”
“Yes, you should have. I didn’t do enough to warn you, to convince you to leave.”
“We would never have listened. Before now, I would never have believed you that Kelutral could fall. And you were not the one to destroy it. We were angry, because we thought you were still one of them. Now we see that you are not. I am yours, just as you are mine.” Neytiri looks down, finishing the wrapping. “She is ready. We must hurry.”
Jake lifts Grace back into his arms, carrying her carefully through the crowd. He sees that Norm has joined them, carrying Grace’s avatar.
“Look where we are, Grace.”
Grace looks up, her eyes focusing on the glowing tendrils of Vitraya Ramunong.
“I need to take some samples.”
Jake’s chest felt too tight to laugh, but he did smile at her, carefully placing her on the ground next to her avatar.
“The Great Mother may choose to save all that she is in this body.” Mo’at gestured to her avatar, and Jake felt hope rise in his chest. He leans over Grace’s body, carefully holding her.
“Is that possible?”
“She must pass through the eye of Eywa and return. But, Jakesully, she is very weak.”
“Hang on, Grace. They’re gonna fix you up.”
He takes her hand in his, and she is so small. She grips his hand weakly, already fading.
“I always held back. But you gave them your heart. I’m proud of you, Jake.”
Jake feels his throat tighten, tears gathering in his eyes. He thinks of Grace’s guidance the last few months, the way she took care of him and Norm. He understands why her students called her sa’nok.
“Help them. You do whatever it takes. You hear me?”
Her voice is faint but her eyes bore into him, blazing.
“I will. I promise.”
She relaxes slightly, letting the tendrils of the tree move over her. Mo’at is chanting, and Jake can see she’s entering some sort of a trance. The entire clan joins, chanting and swaying. Threads emerge from the roots and begin to spread over Grace’s human body, connecting her to the tree. Mo’at writhes, her eyes rolled back, and Grace gasps. Her eyes snap open, and she looks euphoric.
“Jake.”
“Grace.”
“I’m with her, Jake. She’s real.”
Her voice is peaceful, and Jake knows that this is what Grace had been waiting for, what she wanted to understand. She grips his hand tighter and grimaces in pain, and blood pools on her abdomen. She exhales, and goes still. Jake turns toward her avatar, but the roots that connected it are falling away, and there is no change. The chanting stops, and Mo’at comes over to kneel next to him.
“Grace! What’s happening? Did it work?”
“Her wounds were too great, there was not enough time. She is with Eywa now.”
Neytiri removes Grace’s mask, letting her body rest. Jake takes another look at Grace and stands slowly. He turns to Tsu’tey and sees his own despair mirrored.
“With your permission, I will speak now. You would honor me by translating.” Tsu’tey nods, and Jake faces the clan. He channels his pain and his fury and every memory he has of Grace’s love for these people into his voice. “The Sky People have sent us a message that they can take whatever they want and no one can stop them. Well, we will send them a message. You ride out as fast as the wind can carry you. You tell the other clans to come. You tell them Toruk Makto calls to them. And you fly now with me! My brothers! Sisters! And we will show the Sky People that they cannot take whatever they want, and that this, this is our land!”
Tsu’tey ends with a war-cry, and the clan responds, the sound echoing through the well. Jake grabs Neytiri’s hand and pulls her with him as he runs to Toruk, leading her to sit behind him on the great beast. Other hunters join him on their banshees, following as Toruk rises into the sky.
Tsu’tey watches them leave.
“Olo’eyktan? Why do we not follow them? They will leave us behind?”
“No. We will let them go. These are our people. The last of the Omatikaya. We will hunt for them. Protect them. Toruk Makto can raise the war cry. Only we can raise our people.”
Notes:
I really do love Grace so much, and she's still gonna influence the story and give Jake guidance.
I have one more long chapter written, then the battle happens. I should get some more out tonight or tomorrow, because I have loved writing this. I am so happy that people have been reading this story and enjoying it, it really means so much to me.
Also, not to stroke my own ego, but I do have a one shot about Jake and Toruk that handles it a little differently than this chapter, so if you're curious please check it out.
Chapter 18
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jake relied on Neytiri to direct him to the othe clans. He had only ever studied the Omatikaya, and he wished he could ask Grace for advice but she was gone. Neytiri sent the ikran riders out in every direction. They recruited the horse clans of the plains, the Tipani people of the jungle, and the Tayrangi people of the Eastern Sea. In total, they reached almost a dozen clans.
Jake doesn’t remember what he said to each of them. He just spoke from the heart, trying to convey how important this was and hoping that Neytiri’s translation and Toruk’s presence would be enough. One by one, the surrounding clans joined their cause. He watched as their warriors prepared, as they parted with their family to join the Omatikaya’s fight, and he wondered if he was leading them all to their deaths. But, if they didn’t fight now, the RDA would come for them anyway.
The ikran people were the last group they recruited, and they returned to the Well of Souls with dozens of ikran and their riders. When Jake landed, he knew that he had to prepare for the coming days, but first he had to say goodbye. He trusted that Mo’at had completed Grace’s last rites when he left, but there was something he needed to do. Norm found him, his eyes red-rimmed and tired, and led him to where Grace had been laid.
“We haven’t buried her avatar. Technically it’s still alive, and it just didn’t feel right. When this is over, we’ll take it back to base. Max will know what to do.”
Grace had been placed in a hollow not far from Eytukan. Jake paused to pay his respects to the former leader before sitting beside Grace. Her face was calm, the tension of pain taken away in death. She looked younger, the way she might have when she first arrived on Pandora.
“I’m sorry, Grace. I wasn’t fast enough to save you. But I will save the people. You’re one of them now, and we won’t forget you.”
Norm knelt next to him, a hand on his shoulder.
“All she ever wanted was to understand this place. Now she’s part of it, forever. I think she’s happy.”
“Yeah.” Jake leans down, brushing a hand over the flowers that had been placed on her body.
“The kids came to pay their respects. Some of the younger warriors too. Mo’at was here for ages, talking to both of them.”
“We’ve gotta fight soon. You know Quaritch is already planning his attack.” Jake turned to Norm. “You could stay here, with the healers. You don’t have to fight.”
“Yeah, I do. I’ve spent my entire life hiding behind books. I’ve never fought for anything, because I never had anything to fight for. These people, Grace loved them more than anything in the world. They’ve been kind to me, even though I haven’t trained like you. I can’t just stand by.”
“You’re a good man, Norm. I’m grateful to have you here. I need your help.”
“You’ve got me, and Trudy is gonna fight too. Max is organizing his people back at base. You’re not alone.”
“If you do this, they’re never gonna let you go back to Earth.”
“Honestly? I don’t want to. I can’t imagine never seeing a forest again.” Norm sat back, looking at Jake for a long moment. “You’re not leaving either.”
“No. I’m one of the People now. That means something, more than being human ever did. I can’t leave them.”
Norm nods. Jake claps a hand on his shoulder and stands, walking away from Grace’s grave and back toward the living. They needed him right now. Tsu’tey needed him to help plan their defense, and Neytiri would be with him. Jake focused on them, ignoring the mass of fear and sorrow in his chest. There would be time to grieve later, after the fighting was done.
Tsu’tey had been organizing the people in their absence. The well was slowly becoming crowded, with areas being designated for the ikran, for preparation of weapons, a makeshift infirmary being prepared, and areas for each of the warriors to prepare their bodies and pray before battle. They spread out into the surrounding forest, the most vulnerable among the clan being kept close to the tree with Mo’at.
He found Neytiri and Tsu’tey together, speaking quietly as she re-braided his hair in a quiet area away from the others. They looked up as he approached, and when they both smiled at him his chest hurt a little less.
“You both have done well. Many have joined us.”
“No one wants to say no to Toruk Makto, right?”
Jake settles down in next to them, close enough to press his knee to Tsu’tey’s thigh. He watches Neytiri’s hands as she twists his hair, adding bright feathers. She notices him watching curoiusly.
“I have told you that hair is important. There are styles we only wear during war. The act of preparing the body focuses the mind, and when the fighting is done the decorations are removed, signaling a time of peace.”
“We will help, with yours.” Tsu’tey reaches over, carefully running his hand over a braid by Jake’s ear. “This will be shaved, like mine. Then we will add beads, and feathers. Some were saved from Kelutral. The Olangi brought the rest with them, knowing what we have lost.”
“I am so sorry.”
“It is not your fault. My anger was… misplaced.”
“No, it wasn’t. We knew they were going to attack, we just thought we had more time. Grace-” His voice faltered, but he continued. “Grace had been trying to talk to Mo’at, but we didn’t know how to explain. I just… I wish I could have stopped it.”
“Why did they attack?” Neytiri’s voice was quiet, and she had focused her gaze on Tsu’tey’s hair so she didn’t have to meet his eyes.
“There’s a mineral, we call it unobtanium. It’s the thing that causes these mountains to float. They use it to conduct energy.” He sighs, leaning back to look up at the massive arches. “The planet I come from, it’s been destroyed. The mining areas, the base, that’s what my entire planet looks like. There are barely any trees left, the forests have all been cut down. We’re running out of resources. It’s why we came looking for other planets, why we settled here. There’s a massive deposit of the rock under, under Hometree. They destroyed your home so they could dig up a rock and send it back to Earth.”
“Was there anything we could have done?”
“No. The people in charge, they’re blinded by greed. They don’t care about the People, or the forest. They just want to take care of themselves.”
Tsu’tey reached out and took Jake’s hand. Jake startled at the touch, turning to look at the other man. He was not angry, at least not at Jake. He couldn’t imagine the world Jake was describing, what it must have meant to grow up in such a desolate place.
“I was scared you had died. I did not want to be. I wanted to hate you, for you to leave and never return, but I was scared.”
Jake tightened his grip, glancing up at Neytiri. She had finished her work, settling down to wrap her arms around Tsu’tey and tuck her head into his shoulder. She reached out a hand, and Jake shuffled closer, until the three of them were pressed together.
“I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve either of you.”
“That is not your choice. It’s ours. And we chose you.” Neytiri smiles at him, her tail flicking up to wrap around his leg. He can feel Tsu’tey gently stroking his hand, and when he looked the other man’s eyes showed no hesitation.
“I was so excited to wake up yesterday. We were gonna find you, make a plan for all of this. There’s so much I want to tell you.”
“I know. Did Neytiri tell you what I said, before you left?”
“No, just that I should talk to you about it.”
Neytiri hums, curling closer to both of them. She looks slightly amused.
“I told her that she should choose you. That I wanted her by my side, but she was not meant to be my mate. We were each made for a purpose, one I did not understand before. When Sylwanin died, I wondered if… if I would ever find peace.” He pauses, smiling. “This is my peace, this is the life I want. Here, with both of you.”
Jake moved slowly, waiting for Tsu’tey to stop him. He placed a hand on Tsu’tey’s face, tracing his high cheekbones.
“That first night, I thought you looked like the art of ancient warriors I used to see in books. I thought you were beautiful, and that you were going to kill me, but you’ve been so good to me. I See you, Tsu’tey.”
“I See you, Jake.”
Jake smiled, and everything felt right. Neytiri pressed a kiss to Tsu’tey shoulder before pulling away, pushing at Jake until his back was facing her. Tsu’tey laughed at her, reaching out to steady Jake. He kept one hand on his waist, the other moving to grab a small blade. There were a thousand things they needed to talk about, but not tonight. Tonight they would take care of him, prepare him for the battle to come. When they were done, they would have to leave this quiet oasis and face the people.
Jake had grown to enjoy getting his hair braided. It was a bit odd to have the sides of his head shaved with a stone blade, but Tsu’tey’s hands were steady. Jake focused on their breathing, and when he did not speak Neytiri began to sing quietly. It was a song she had learned as a child, one of struggle and survival. Tsu’tey joined, his voice a soft baritone, and Jake closed his eyes and let their voices wash over him.
When they were done, Neytiri’s hands fell to his shoulders. Tsu’tey ran his hand over the braids, and when Jake reached up to feel them their fingers touched. The new braids were heavier, longer, a physical reminder of what they were about to do.
“Come. We must speak with the warriors.”
Jake nodded and stood, squaring his shoulders. He smiled at them both before walking out into the main area, searching for Norm. He found the other avatar talking to some of the Olangi warriors, his hands gesturing wildly as he tried to explain the mech suits.
“Norm, hey. Can you get Trudy? I need her help explaining how to take down the ships.”
“Yeah, you got it.”
Jake looped around camp, looking at the war preparation. The ikran and pa’li are being painted and decorated with protective totems. Groups of artisans are making arrows, while others assist with the hair and body paint. The Omaticaya have been gifted many items of clothing and jewelry by the other clans, and Jake could see Neytiri picking up items as she moves through the camp herself. Omatikaya drummers maintain a steady beat, like a mighty call. Neytiri gestures for him to join her, handing over new armbands.
“We have gathered the warriors. They are ready to listen.”
“Trudy, our pilot, she’ll be here in a minute. She knows the ships better than I do.”
They move to the gathered ikran riders, where Tsu’tey is waiting. Jake keeps an eye out for Norm, spotting the fully clothed avatar before Trudy’s much smaller form. She doesn’t look intimidated, marching straight through the camp to get to Jake.
“Alright, how are we gonna do this?”
Jake is handed an animal skill and a charcoal stick. He and Trudy crouch down, Jake drawing as she directs. When they’re done, they set the drawing in the center of the group. Trudy starts to explain, and Jake translates, pointing at the drawing with the stick.
“Strike here and here.” He points toward the rotors. “Take these out and they go down.”
The warriors lean over eagerly, the drawing beginning to be passed around as the message is repeated. Trudy gestures, and he breaks away from the main group.
“You know our chances suck.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Going up against gunships with bows and arrows…”
“What’s your point?”
They stand in silence for a moment, looking around not at the assembled warriors but the innocents, the artisans and musicians and children who cannot fight.
“Right. We gotta do this.” She fist-bumps Jake before walking back to where her Samson had landed, but paused. “Hey, can I get some of that paint?”
Jake turns to look at the group painting the ikran.
“Yeah, you can use whatever you need. You’re one of us now.”
Trudy shook her head and smiled.
“Alright then. I’m gonna grab Norm, I need his height for this.”
She walked off to find him, and Jake turned to check on the gathered warriors. Seeing that Neytiri had it handled, he began to climb the side of the well to where Toruk had perched.
Jake stood on the edge with Toruk and watched as their riders returned with more reinforcements, more than 2,000 Na’vi gathered in the area to fight for their home. Hell’s Gate only had a few hundred personnel, but they had gunships and bombs. This would not be an easy fight. He waited up there until darkness began to spread, climbing down to eat. They sat close together, everyone packed into the main area. Mo’at began a prayer after they ate, but Jake slipped away. Norm and Trudy followed, finding a quiet place to set the avatars so they could regroup with Max.
The three of them took stock of the weapons in the shack as they connected the call. Jake checked the Na’vi-sized weapons they kept for protection of the avatars, running Norm through the basic procedure. When the call connected, it was clear that the lab was just as tense as the shack.
“I don’t know how secure this channel is.”
“Talk fast.”
“Jake, it’s crazy here. It’s full mobilization. They’re rigging the shuttle as a bomber. They’ve got these huge pallets of mine explosives. It’s for some kind of shock-and-awe campaign.”
“Fucking daisy-cutters!”
“Can you talk to Selfridge?”
“No, Quaritch has taken over. He’s rolling, and there’s no stopping him.”
“When?”
“0600 tomorrow.” Jake froze for a moment, wondering if they were ready. “I gotta go!”
Max ended the call abruptly, and they were left in the silence of the shack.
“We’re screwed!” Norm’s voice was resigned, and Trudy sighed.
“And I was hoping for some sort of tactical plan that didn’t involve martyrdom.”
“I have 11 clans out there. That’s over 2,000 warriors. Now, we know these mountains. We fly them. You fly them. They don’t. Their instruments won’t work up here. Missile tracking won’t work. They’ll have to fire a line of sight. If they bring the fight to us, then we have the home-field advantage.” He tries to convince Trudy, wondering if he even believed it himself. He had faith in the people, but he knew what they were up against.
“You know he’s gonna commit that bomber straight to the Tree of Souls.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“If they get to the Tree of Souls, it’s over. That’s their direct line to Eywa, their ancestors. It’ll destroy them.”
“Then I guess we better stop him.”
Jake sighs, rubbing his face in his hands. He feels unsteady, his hands are shaking slightly.
“You need to get some rack.”
“No time. I need to get back in and tell them. Gonna have to settle for coffee for a bit.”
Trudy looked skeptical but didn’t stop him, gathering the weapons for transport as Jake got back in the link unit. When he woke, he went straight to Tsu’tey to tell him what they had learned. The next hour was spent spreading the news and making a concrete plan of action.
Jake desperately wanted to sleep, but there was one more thing he had to do. One thing every warrior had done that day. He went to the tree to connect to Eywa. The Mother Tree was ancient and twisted, a living testament of Eywa’s strength. It was finally quiet at camp, as everyone else had settled into their camps on the edges of the Well and the forest. Darkness had fallen, but the area was illuminated in the purple light of the tree. Jake made his way to the tree slowly, kneeling and connecting his queue to a tendril. The connection felt warm, energizing.
“I’m probably just talking to a tree right now. But if you’re there, I need to give you a heads-up. If Grace is with you, look into her memories. See the world we come from. There’s no green there. They killed their Mother, and they’re gonna do the same here. More Sky People are gonna come. They’re gonna come like a rain that never ends. Unless we stop them. Look, you chose me for something. I will stand and fight. You know I will. But I need a little help here.”
Jake feels no response over the bond, but he hears Neytiri come up beside him. She places her hands on his shoulder.
“Our Great Mother does not take sides, Jake. She protects only the balance of life.”
He stands, and Neytiri puts a hand on his face. He leans into it, into her presence. Jake waits for a response from the tree, but it does not come.
“It was worth a try.”
He turns to Neytiri and holds her, leaning close to press their foreheads together. In a few hours they would have to fight. This was one last moment of peace before he had to exit the link and sleep in his own body.
Notes:
And we've reached the battle. This fic is way longer than I ever thought, when I published the last chapter I realized it hit 50,000 words. Wow.
So much more planned though. Something like 4 more chapters to the end of the movie and thus the first section, then onto the kids.
Chapter 19
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Waking up in the early morning, Jake expected to fear. He had seen battle before, he was a Marine after all, but this was so much more personal. Instead he just felt determined to survive. He sat up on the bunk, and Norm and Trudy followed, moving to get the links ready. Trudy sat at Grace’s desk, running her hands over a gifted necklace and a small pot of paint. Jake wheeled over, holding out a hand for the necklace. He tied it around her neck, looking at them both in the mirror as she began to apply war paint. He would need to leave soon, but he could almost hear Grace’s voice in his ear reminding him to take care of this body too. He took a few minutes to change clothes and shave, and they ate in silence.
Opening his eyes in the Well of Souls, Jake was aware that Neytiri and Tsu’tey had woken before him. They had all curled up together in their own area the night before, needing to be alone. He turned and met Tsu’tey’s eyes. He had been awake long enough to have finished his paint. Dressed in war paint and a mantle that looked like wings, he looked powerful. Neytiri was finishing her own paint, and when he sat up she passed him a container of paint. Tsu’tey carefully applied it, none of them speaking. There were no words. When Tsu’tey was nearly done, he carefully painted his own hand and pressed it to one side of Jake’s torso, and Neytiri placed hers on the other side. He held out his own hand, not sure if they would accept the marking with its extra fingers, but she carefully applied the paint and let him press his hand on her chest. He leaves a second, fainter mark on Tsu’tey’s chest.
Neytiri holds his face in her hand, looking into his eyes as though she wants to commit him to memory before kissing him. He tries not to feel like this would be the last. Tsu’tey stands to leave, but Jake calls out to him.
“Tsu’tey.” He stands and holds out his hand, pulling Tsu’tey closer. “I don’t know if we’re gonna survive this, and I don’t wanna die without telling you, just once.”
Jake leans forward slowly and kisses him. Tsu’tey wraps his arms around Jake’s back, holding him tight.
“I love you. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if we live, I never want to leave your side again. The three of us, we’re family. I chose you.”
Tsu’tey places a hand on Jake’s neck, tucking him under his chin.
“Nga yawne lu oer.”
Jake remained tucked against Tsu’tey for several minutes, Neytiri joining them in the embrace. None of them wanted to leave, but they had a job to do.
When they left their space, Jake found that camp had woken with them, preparing for the coming attack in eerie quiet. Jake found Norm and Trudy by her Samson. She handed over his weapons belt and gun, and he focused on the feeling of the metal in his hands. He had trained with Neytiri and Tsu’tey until he could shoot an arrow with the best of them, but this was the weapon he knew.
They separated, Norm heading for the ground assault crew and Trudy into the cockpit. Jake saw Neytiri and the warriors waiting for him, Tsu’tey speaking with Mo’at off to the side. They’d been given comm units by Norm the day before, and Jake runs through who he can call. Tsu’tey and Neytiri each have one, as do Norm and Trudy. Max is running interference at Hell’s Gate. It would have to be enough.
He knows that Tsu’tey spoke to the assembled warriors, gave some motivational speech. He knew he responded, but he didn’t hear any of it.
They took to the sky, and the bond with Toruk pulsed with anticipation. This was the fight they were meant for, after all. This was what Eywa had chosen him for. He just hoped she chose him to live after. The squadron of ikran filled the sky, winged creatures in shades of blue, green, and purple led by the fiery form of Toruk.
The ships come into view of the rider on watch, who calls out a warning. The massive Valkyrie shuttle was loaded with explosives, escorted by the Dragon Assault Ship and a squadron of Scorpion gunships. Surrounding this group were dozens of Samson transports. On the ground, the mech suits and troopers have been deployed.
Jake turns to Tsu’tey and then Neytiri, and both nod. He calls out, and the riders respond, falling into formation from their perches. Jake pushes forward, and they swarm the ships. The battle had begun.
“Tsu’tey, I’m gonna punch a hole. You follow me through.”
On the ground, The troopers pause as a war cry echoes through the trees. The ground shakes, and they brace themselves as more than 300 horsemen charge through the forest. Norm rides with them, armed with righteous fury and a weapon he barely knows how to use. The hunters raise their bows, and the humans get the order to fire. The opening line begins to shoot, and the Na’vi begin to fall, pa’li shot out from beneath them. The front ranks are decimated. Norm fires wildly, pushing himself forward until his mount is shot and he is thrown to the ground. He scrambles for cover, continuing to fire as the hunters behind them advance.
Overhead, hunters run through the trees, firing down on the soldiers. They fire for the targets Jake taught them - throat, legs, mask, but the soldiers return fire. Norm realizes that they’re outnumbered and begins to sprint back through the forest, shouting for the others to retreat.
“Jake! Jake! You copy? We’re falling back! We’re getting hammered!”
“Copy. Get out of there.”
Jake centers himself, directing Toruk toward the nearest ship. The ground defense was not going well, they had to destroy the bomber and send reinforcement. The others follow, slamming into gunships. Toruk heads for a Scorpion, grabbing the ship and wheeling in a circle, sending it careening into a cliff. Jake can barely hold on, but Toruk steadies, banking as the cliff face explodes. They dive, pursued by Scorpions. The world is a cacophony of explosions and screeches.
Tsu’tey dives, rushing past a ship and firing at the gunners. The ship falls and he rights himself, moving to the next. Around him ikran are falling from the sky, and the riders with them. There is so much destruction.
Neytiri flies through the battle, shooting at the pilots as she passes. A Scorpion pursues her and she dives, zig-zagging through the forest. The ship stays on her even as she twists around a waterfall. They fire a missile but she dives, the explosion above rocking her even as she stays on Seze. The gunner locks on her, but Toruk descends from above and slams into the ship, slashing at the engines before dropping it onto a rocky ledge.
Jake flies back up, trying to gauge the casualties. The Dragon came into view, targeting him immediately. The ship pursues him as he weaves through the mountains, missiles barely missing them. A Samson comes into view, but this one is decorated with Na’vi war paint. Trudy levels out and fires at the Dragon.
“You’re not the only one with a gun, bitch.”
The Dragon changes its target, firing at Trudy. Jake catches a glimpse of her Samson as she maneuvers away.
Neytiri weaves through the trees, pursued by another Samson. Trees explode around her as she twists through. She finally gets out of range, but her relief is short-lived as troopers on the ground open fire and her bond with Seze lights up in agony. They go crashing to the ground, Neytiri thrown off Seze’s back as she slams into a trunk. The breath is knocked out of her, but she scrambles up to check on Seze. Her beautiful, loyal ikran is splayed over a log, chirping in pain as she takes her last breaths. Neytiri cries out, but she cannot stay with the body. She retreats, trying to find cover as Na’vi around her fall. The forest is lit up with explosions, and she is surrounded by screaming and death.
The ships come into range of the Well of Souls, preparing for the bombing run. Tsu’tey swoops down, leaping off of Ngam’i’a and into the back of the bomber. He yells, shooting an arrow at the closest soldier. The next few he grabs and throws out the back, smacking others with a bow taller than their entire bodies. One soldier in the back manages to fire, hitting Tsu’tey in the shoulder and thigh and sending him plummeting out of the ship. He catches leaves and vines on the way down, slamming into the ground and laying dazed in pain.
Nearby, Norm and the others retreat, ampsuits firing at them from behind. Norm turns to fire and he’s hit, sending his body crashing to the ground. In the Shack, Norm shoves his way out of the link, collapsing to the floor. He clutches his chest, the phantom pain of the near fatal gunshot echoing through the link. He breathes raggedly, trying to pull himself together as he reels from the feeling of dying in one body.
He shoves himself off the floor. He needs to get back, to keep fighting. If they win this, he can find his avatar. Mask, comm unit, gun. He grabs what he needs and stumbles out of the Shack and into the forest.
Far above him the Dragon continues to fire at Trudy, debris from an explosion nearly taking out one of her rotors. Her windscreen is peppered with bullets and she reaches over to put on a mask.
“Rogue One is hit. I’m going in. Sorry, Jake.” She takes a deep breath, bringing the Samson around to go in. “Norm. I love you.”
Quaritch fires, hitting the tail of her Samson, and she goes down in flames. Jake watches in horror. In the forest below, Norm drops to his knees. Jake raises a hand to his comm, calling out to everyone.
“Tsu’tey! Do you read? Rogue One, you copy? Trudy!”
Tsu’tey is paralyzed in pain, unable to respond. Trudy plummets to the ground, rendered unconscious. Neytiri staggers through the burning wreckage of the forest, crouching as she hears an ampsuit approach. They are close, and she knocks an arrow.
“Ma Jake.”
“I read you.” Jake responds immediately, relieved that she at least is alive and responding. “Neytiri!”
“Seze’s dead. They are very close. They are many.” She tries to keep her voice steady, knowing this may be the last thing they say to each other. Jake is struck with fear.
“Do not attack. Do you read me, Neytiri? Do not attack! Fall back now. Get out of there! That’s an order! Neytiri!” Jake falls back on his military training, yelling into the comm and hoping she listens. She hears him, the desperation in his voice, but steels herself to leap out and fire. Her father told her to protect the People, whatever it takes. She takes a breath, but the soldiers behind her pause. She looks up, wondering why, when she feels the ground below her rumbling.
Before her, a wall of charging ‘angstik crashes out of the foliage, moving staight for the troops. Nantang follow, racing out of the underbrush and leaping onto the soldiers. Neytiri watches in awe as the forest fights back, and she knows in her heart that the Great Mother has sent them to fight for their home.
“Jake, Eywa has heard you.” Jake looks up, and hundreds of ikran converge on the battle, covering the sky. Even without a rider, they head straight for the ships. “Eywa has heard you!”
Her cry echoes in his ears. Toruk screeches, and they join the ikran in attacking the Dragon.
Neytiri watches as the Sky People scatter, the animals of the forest ignoring her. She hears a crunching and turns to see a palulukan emerging from the foliage, looking straight at her. She freezes, unsure, but the creature bows its head, lowering itself for her. She feels a pull and leaps onto her back, connecting her queue. Palulukan is fierce and angry and protective. This is their forest, the place she raises her young. Neytiri takes a breath and something inside her tells her where to go. They launch into the forest, running toward the Shack where she knew Jake’s body was.
They run, dodging the falling troopers. They see an ampsuit moving through the forest, and mutually agree to leap, slamming him to the ground. The palulukan snarls and rips through the suit and into the Sky Person below. They roar, and take off again.
In Hell’s Gate, Max leads a rebellion. The scientists run through the base as he yells into the comms.
“Rogue One, Jake, this is Max. We are in motion.”
They reach the labs, rushing in and barricading the doors. The avatar drivers run over to their links, the techs switching everything on in record time. Max checks that they’re linked and runs down another hallway toward the equipment bay.
Jake calls out and a formation of hunters regroups, falling in beside him as they dive at the lead shuttle. Jake lands on the back of the bomber, shooting at the gunners before tossing his gun away and pulling out grenades. He tosses one into a turbofan before leaping back onto Toruk as it explodes, sending the bomber spiraling. It crashes into the ground with an enormous explosion. The Well of Souls and the Na’vi within are safe, and Jake’s cry is echoed by Toruk.
Jake and Toruk drop toward the Dragon, knowing that if the lead ship went down the remaining would retreat. He slides off of Toruk, rolling into a run along the top of the ship, pulling two grenades from his battle-harness and yanking the pins with his teeth. The Dragon lurches and Jake is flung sideways, the grenades falling out of his hands. By sheer luck one lodges on a cowling and explodes, sending Jake sliding off the side. He catches himself on the edge of a weapons pod. A hatch blows open and Quaritch emerges, shooting at him. Jake throws a missile at the turbine before falling, watching the ship above him explode. He falls through the sky, catching himself on leaves as burning debris rained around him. He lands in a crouch, and he knows he has to head for the Shack.
In the Ops Center, techs and troopers crowd consoles as they try to make sense of the battle, listening to the radio as ships go silent. The techs scramble to order a retreat back to the landing zone. Quaritch’s transponder icon disappears, and the room erupts into chaos. The roar of an engine calls their attention to the window, and they see Max in the cab of an enormous slashcutter heading straight toward them. He flips Selfridge off and drives the blade through the window. The crew dives for cover, scrambling for their emergency masks as Avatars scramble through the opening, armed and furious. They take control of the Ops Center, and Selfridge lays on the ground frozen in shock.
Quaritch enters the clearing, heading for the Shack when Neytiri and the palulukan burst through the forest, launching into the air to tackle his ampsuit to the ground. They grapple, the palulukan screeching in his face and scratching at his armor. He fires, but Neytiri urges her mount to smash the cannon against a rock. They are slammed back, and Quaritch draws a knife. Neytiri leaps at him again, but he gets his arm up and stabs the palulukan. She screams and they are brought to the ground, Quaritch stabbing the creature in the heart. Neytiri is pinned under her bulk, unable to escape as Quaritch focuses on her. She hisses at him, unwilling to let this man see her fear.
“Give it up, Quaritch!”
Jake drops from the canopy, glorious and alive. Neytiri feels hope rise in her chest.
“It’s all over.”
“Nothing’s over while I’m breathing.”
“I kinda hoped you would say that.”
Quaritch surges and Jake leaps into action, grabbing the broken cannon and blocking his knife. He slams the cannon into the canopy of the suit before ducking away. He smashes one of the arms with the cannon, sending the knife flying. Quaritch grabs him with the other arm, sending him flying. Jake scrambles up and leaps, driving the cannon blade into the canopy. Quaritch pulls it out, throwing it towards him. Jake ducks, and the cannon collides with the Shack, cracking the glass.
“Come on!”
Quaritch ejects the canopy, glaring at Jake. “Hey Sully, how’s it feel to betray your own race.”
Jake leaned into every instinct he’d been taught to trust and hisses, baring his teeth at Quaritch.
“You think you’re one of them? Time to wake up.”
Quaritch turns and rushes the Shack, smashing a window and reaching in to destroy the first link. Jake leaps onto the ampsuit before he can get to the other, sending them careening backwards. He stabs at Quaritch but misses, and he is grabbed by his braid and thrown to the ground.
He can hear the gas alarm blaring, and he begins to feel dizzy. Through the link, his chest begins to burn. He wakes in the link, sucking in a desperate breath and forcing himself back into the avatar. Quaritch grabs him and he is lifted by his queue, agony pulsing through his head as he dangles from the bundle of nerves. Quaritch holds him aloft, pulling his knife out of the seat and holding it to Jake’s throat. Jake can feel the edge of the blade against his skin as he struggles, and he sends a desperate prayer. As if in answer, an arrow thuds into Quaritch’s chest.
In the Shack, Jake falls out of the link unit, pushing his wheelchair to the side and pulling himself toward the wall. He reaches for the emergency mask but it’s too high up, not meant to be accessible from the ground. His vision is blurring, everything fading on the edges. He manages to just catch it with his fingers when his breath runs out and it all goes black.
Neytiri had pulled herself out from under the palulukan, leaping to grab her bow and fire. The first arrow lands true and Jake falls to the ground. Her second hits the demon’s heart, and she crouches over her mate and watches as he dies.
“Jake? Jake!”
She shakes him but the body is limp, and she realizes he is not in this body. She becomes aware of the alarms blaring, and remembers Grace saying that Sky People could not breathe on Eywa’eveng. She runs to the shack, leaping in the open window to reach the figure she could see laying on the ground. She pulls him into her arms, shaking him.
“Jake! Ma Jake!”
He does not respond and she looks around, seeing the mask dangling from the wall. She grabs it and presses it to Jake’s face, hoping it will save him, and as fresh oxygen reaches him he regains consciousness. He jerks into awareness, reaching up to position the mask and turn the dial so he can take a full breath. The world comes into color again, and she is there. Larger than life, her war paint smudged. She is still the most beautiful woman in the world, and he reaches up to cradle her face. His hand is small and pale against her blue skin, and she reaches up to cover it with her own.
“I See you.”
“I See you.”
She shifts him in her arms, drawing him closer. They stay like that for a long moment, ignoring the blaring alarms.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, you got the mask on me in time. I’ll be okay.”
She leans down to press her forehead to the mask, and he wraps his arm around her neck. Her ears flick and she jerks her head up, curling around him protectively as she looks outside. Jake can’t see out the window, but she relaxes and calls out.
“Tsu’tey!”
Tsu’tey stumbles into the clearing, one hand clutching the wound in his shoulder. He takes in the fallen ampsuit and the blue body on the ground, rushing over to check. He can see that it is Jake, and that he is unconscious but alive. When Neytiri calls out, he turns to see her through the cracked window. He makes his way over slowly, and when he looks in the window he realizes that she is holding Jake’s Sky Person body. He painfully climbs through the window, his thigh collapsing under him so he falls against her. He leans against her shoulder and looks at Jake. It’s strange how familiar this small pink body is. Neytiri twists so that Tsu’tey is in front of her, Jake held in between them.
“You’re hurt.” Jake reaches over, trying to assess the damage. Tsu’tey is bleeding, but it doesn't look like anything important was hit.
“I will live.” Tsu’tey covers Jake’s hand with his own where it sits on his chest. He sways, tucking his head into Neytiri’s neck.
“Come on, you need some first aid. Get on the link.” Jake jerks his head toward the unit behind them, and Tsu’tey reluctantly stands and sits on the gel bed. Jake twists and reaches for his chair, pulling it closer. Neytiri is hesitant to let him go, but she lets him pull himself into the chair. “Neytiri, can you grab the red box at the other end?”
She nods, moving away as he settles himself against the link. Tsu’tey has laid down, but the unit is not meant for a Na’vi body so he’s a bit scrunched. He turns his head and watches Jake, reaching down to touch the sides of the chair.
“It’s a wheelchair. I can’t walk, so I use this.”
Tsu’tey’s hand moves to Jake’s leg, and he does not seem startled by how thin it is. His hand is gentle, and there is no pity on his face. Neytiri returned with the med kid, settling herself back on the ground by the head of the link unit, her legs leaning against Jake’s. Jake busies himself cleaning Tsu’tey’s wounds. He wouldn’t be able to remove the bullets here, he trusted Mo’at to do that, but they needed to be cleaned and wrapped. There wasn’t much he could do for the pain, but he was tempted to stab himself with the morphine. His chest still burned, and his head was pounding. It is quiet for several moments, then Neytiri speaks.
“We won.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think… I think we did.” Jake hadn’t expected to survive, not when he saw so many fall. He felt a laugh bubble up in his chest, and before he knew it all three of them were laughing, bent over and wrapped around each other. When he calmed he kept his head on Tsu’tey’s abdomen, Neytiri’s head settling on his lap. He reaches down to run his hand over her braids.
“What do we do now?” Jake could feel the rumble of Tsu’tey’s voice under his head, and he moved to look him in the eye.
“I can’t link here. It’s not safe with the mask. I need to get back to Hell’s Gate. Max has control, I can go in from there. Then we return to Mo’at.”
“Ngam’i’a is alive. I can fly you.”
Jake nods, and Tsu’tey pushes himself up.
“I will stay here and wait for you to wake.” Neytiri cradles his face for a moment, then moves so he can get past. He carefully pushes his wheelchair over the broken glass to get to the desk, grabbing a comm unit. Jake opens the airlock door, but Tsu’tey and Neytiri climb back out the window. He waits at the entrance as Tsu’tey calls out for his ikran. She is injured but Jake sees she can fly without issue, and Tsu’tey carefully lifts him and settles them both on her back. Tsu’tey holds himself closer to her body, tucking Jake’s legs against the saddle and keeping him anchored with an arm around his chest. They both check with Neytiri, who has perched next to the avatar. Seeing all is safe, they take to the sky.
Flying on an ikran as a human was a bit like being in the back of the Samson, with a lot less safety measures. But Tsu’tey’s arm is tight around him, and he isn't afraid. It should feel undignified, he had always hated when people had to physically move him, but Tsu’tey was a warrior. He knew what it meant to be injured and survive, to learn to keep fighting. They do not encounter any ships in the sky, but he can see ikran swooping about. Some of them have riders, searching for wounded. They turn toward Hell’s Gate, and Jake reaches a hand to his comm.
“Max, you read?”
“Max is busy but we read you, Jake.”
“The Shack is compromised. I’m on my way to Hell’s Gate with an ikran ride. I’m gonna need a wheelchair and a link unit waiting for me.”
“Copy. We can do that.”
“ETA 20 minutes.”
Below, Norm runs through the forest, realizing that the fighting had ended. There are Na’vi bodies everywhere, but he keeps going to where he thinks he fell. When he’s almost on the body he knows is his avatar, he spots a downed ship 200 yards away. He wants to ignore it, but the paint on the ship sends him running. The Samson is a wreck, still smoldering, but somehow the cockpit is mostly intact. He can see a body in the front and he smashes what’s left of the windscreen and climbs in. Trudy is slumped over, bleeding and bruised. He wants to cry, reaching out to touch her when he realizes that she is still breathing.
“Trudy! Oh, God!”
He unclips her, dragging her out of the cockpit and laying her on the ground. She has shrapnel wounds on her chest and legs and a nasty head wound, but she’s alive.
“Jake! Max! Can anybody read?”
“I’m here, Norm. Are you alright?”
“Trudy’s alive! I’ve got her, but it’s bad. We need medical evac, and I need someone who can get my avatar as well.”
“Hell’s Gate, you copy?”
“We hear you. We’re sending a pilot and an avatar to the mountains, but we’re gonna need a landmark.”
Norm looks around, desperate, and his gaze falls on the emergency box in the back of the Samson. He rushes over and grabs the box, thanking every deity he can think of that it still has what he needs.
“I’ve got an emergency flare. Radio when you get close and I’ll send it up.”
“Copy, Norm. They’re on the way.”
In the air, Jake sags against Tsu’tey, relief flooding his body. He knew it was selfish when so many had died, but he felt so damn lucky. They were worse for wear, but his family was okay.
A med tech was waiting for him with a wheelchair when they landed. Tsu’tey carefully helped him down, pressing their foreheads together before letting him go.
“I’ll see you back there, okay?”
Tsu’tey nods and climbs back on Ngam’i’a. Jake doesn't stay to watch him leave, wheeling back toward the base. They rushed to the lab, passing people running from room to room.
“We took over the Ops Center, but we’re still getting things locked down. We have the science and maintenance personnel on our side, but there are soldiers returning here. It’s a mess, but we’re making it work.”
Jake sees Max in the link room when he arrives, communicating with the avatars scattered around base.
“Jake! You alright?”
“Quaritch found the Shack. Broke the glass, but Neytiri got a mask on me.”
The med tech who had accompanied him cursed, running to grab a pulse ox. She protested when he headed for the link unit, looking to Max for help.
“I need to get back in the link.”
“Fine. But you need to be on oxygen and we’re monitoring your vitals the entire time.”
Jake leans back in the unit, letting the tech fit him with a nasal cannula. It wasn’t comfortable, but it would get him back to Neytiri. The lid closed, and he let his mind go blank.
Notes:
Okay so this one is a doozy. It's so hard to write battle scenes, you have no idea how often I just wanted to put [insert fight scene here] and move on, but we made it. I had to rewatch this part of the movie like a dozen times and it hurt each time.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure 18 chapters before they kiss counts as a slow burn. Pretty happy with how I've navigated this trio so far, I have plans for the future.
Trudy lives, because I love her. So does Tsu'tey, because fuck James Cameron for that one actually.
Some lovely reunions to come in the next chapter, as well as some other stuff I really wanted to add.
Chapter 20
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
He opened his eyes in the clearing, Neytiri leaning over him. It was odd to step into a body with a different set of aches and pains. He sat up, turning to see Toruk perched on the Shack.
“He came looking for you. He knew to wait.”
Jake stands and Toruk hops down, shuffling closer to nudge him. Jake runs his hands over Toruk’s jaw, walking around to reconnect their bond. Toruk is reveling in their victory, but he mourns for the destruction the battle caused. Jake leans against his neck, sharing a moment of comfort before scaling his body. Neytiri followed, settling behind him. They lift into the air and her breath catches, feeling the loss of Seze.
When they reach the Well of Souls, the People below cry out. Jake looks around at the aftermath of the battle, the dozens of wounded being tended to. He knows there are many more dead. There is a flurry of movement and Mo’at comes into view. She runs toward them and Neytiri meets her, the two women clutching each other in relief.
“My daughter. My beautiful daughter, the Great Mother brought you back to me.”
Neytiri shakes in her mother’s arms. Her mother is warm and familiar and safe, and Neytiri sinks into her. Mo’at turns to look at Jake, stretching one arm out to invite him closer. He approaches slowly, and when he gets close enough she places a hand on his cheek.
“Toruk Makto. Jakesully. You have saved us. Thank the Great Mother.”
She pulls him closer and he wraps his arms around both of them for just a moment. He thinks of Grace, and he knows that it was her that convinced Eywa to help them. Mo’at pulls back, looking over both of them anxiously.
“Are you injured?”
“No, Mother, but Seze is dead.”
“My sweet girl.” Mo’at presses a kiss to her daughter’s forehead.
Jake steps back, looking around. He hears an ikran screech, and the familiar form of Ngam’i’a lands beside Toruk. Tsu’tey slides off her back and nearly collapses, but Jake catches him. Mo’at sees his injuries her eyes widen, directing them toward the healers’ area. Jake keeps Tsu’tey steady as they walk, and the people they pass call out prayers to the Great Mother for bringing Toruk Makto and their Olo’eyktan back alive. Mo’at settles them in a private area, carefully unwrapping the dressings.
“Who did these?”
“I did, Tsahìk. I just wanted to keep them clean until he could get to you.”
She hums, looking over the wounds.
“The wounds missed the vital organs, thank Eywa. It will be painful, but you will heal.”
Tsu’tey hissed as she began to rub a salve over the wounds to numb the area. Jake knelt by his side.
“I’m gonna fly out and try to bring back anyone wounded. I’ll be back, okay?”
Tsu’tey nodded, and Jake headed out.
“Toruk Makto!”
Jake turned to see a group of people walking toward him. These were Na’vi who were too young or old to fight, or otherwise unable.
“Is it done? Have the Sky People been defeated?”
“Yes. They’re gone. We’re safe.”
The people around him began weeping, the news spreading through the area quickly.
“What can we do to help?”
“There are many wounded still out in the forest. I’m heading out now. If you go, stay in pairs and be careful. There are still areas on fire, and we don’t know if any Sky People are still out there.”
The group nodded, quickly mobilizing. Now that the forest was safe to traverse, everyone who could was heading out. Jake went back to Toruk, and they took to the sky, hunting for survivors anywhere in the mountains.
Tsu’tey could hear the moment the clan realized their victory, and people began to move to handle the aftermath. Mo’at had carefully extracted the bullet in his leg, but she seemed to hesitate on his shoulder.
“I fear that removing it may cause more harm. I will have to leave it.”
Tsu’tey trusted her judgment, letting her begin to stitch the wound. Neytiri had been instructed to help the others, and he watched her carefully clean a burn on one of the Olangi warriors. There was a commotion, but Tsu’tey couldn’t tell what was happening.
“Tsu’tey!”
Tsu’tey knew that voice, and he rose to kneel as Arvok burst out of the crowd, stumbling toward him. His brother had been with the ground assault, and it looked as though his leg had been wounded, but he was alive. Arvok launched himself at his brother and Tsu’tey caught him, ignoring the burst of pain to wrap his arms tightly around his baby brother. He rocked the, letting Arvok sob into his chest as tears filled his own eyes. Mo’at smiled at them, moving to help another to give them space.
“I thought you had died. So many ikran had fallen and I could not find you.”
“I am right here little brother. I am here, and I am not going anywhere.”
It took several minutes to calm him down, but eventually Arvok pulled away. Tsu’tey let his brother fuss over him, finishing the wrappings Mo’at had started. He looked over at Neytiri, at his brother and the shadow of Toruk returning and sent a prayer of thanks to the Great Mother.
Jake landed carefully, handing the two warriors he brought with him off to a waiting healer. He slid off himself, noticing that the people he had sent out were returning with their own wounded. Others staggered in of their own accord, some carried by ikran or limping pa’li.
Over the next two hours, all of the wounded were recovered. The dead were left where they were, as tomorrow would be the day to complete their rites. Jake moved through the crowd, checking on the wounded and running errands where needed. His head felt heavy, his ribs tender, but he had to keep moving.
He was speaking to one of the healers when he heard a high-pitched voice cry out.
“Jake!”
Jake turns to see a tiny body hurtling toward him. He dropped to his knees just as Ketxe collided with him, sobbing.
“I thought you were dead! But you’re not, and Momma says you’re Toruk Makto and you saved us but I was so scared!”
“Hey, kiddo, it’s okay. I’m alright. Shh. It’s okay.” He hadn’t even realized how scared he was for the children until he saw her. He didn’t know how many had died when Hometree fell, or how much loss this little girl had faced, but he was so relieved she was alive. He pulled back, holding her face in his hands.
“Were you hurt? Your family, are they okay?”
“Father was hurt, but we all made it here. They’re helping the warriors. I was supposed to stay with the other kids, but someone said you had returned and I needed to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, sweetheart, but you need to get back. They’re gonna be real scared if they can’t find you.”
She lunged back toward him, wrapping herself around his torso and refusing to let go. Jake turned to the healer and she pointed him in the direction of the other children. Jake stood and carried the little girl, reassured by her weight and her voice chattering in his ear. The caretakers were indeed worried about her disappearance, and he was able to hand her off with the promise to see her again the next day.
When he walked away from Ketxe he was hit with a wave of exhaustion, swaying on his feet, but one of the healers grabbed him. They led him back to Mo’at, and he was settled where Tsu’tey had been. Jake drifted for a bit, not quite enough to leave the link but enough to not feel the passage of time. It wasn’t until Tsu’tey sat next to him that he zoned back in.
“The wounded have been recovered. The animals have taken care of the Sky People. Thank you, for sending the People out.”
Jake hummed, rolling onto his side to lay his head on Tsu’tey’s thigh. Tsu’tey chuckled and began to pet his hair.
“Neytiri told me what the demon did. You will need to rest.”
“Things to do.”
“Not today, yawne. You have saved us, and now we must regroup and heal. Tomorrow we will handle the dead, and deal with the Sky People who remain. Rest.”
“If I fall asleep I have to go.”
“Then go. We will wait for you to return.”
From the base of the tree Mo’at leads the clan in a song, and their voices fill the well. Tsu’tey is still running his hands through Jake’s braids, and he feels so tired. Jake lets the song wash over him as he falls under.
Max was waiting for him when he left the link. Hell’s Gate had reached the same point as the Omatikaya - the wounded were accounted for, those hostile to the cause were confined to their quarters, and the avatars were running around the complex stabilizing problems and taking inventory. Jake wheeled toward the medical wing, but not before pulling one of the avatar drivers aside for a favor.
The doctor on staff stopped him before he reached Trudy’s room. She had come out of surgery, but she was in a medically induced coma. All they could do now was wait to see if she would survive the night.
Norm was sitting in the chair by her bed, holding her hand and staring at the monitor. Trudy was too quiet, too still. Jake pulled up on the other side of the bed.
“I didn’t think we’d all make it.” Norm’s voice was strained. He was barely keeping it together.
“We got lucky. Grace sent reinforcements.”
Norm turned to look at him. “You think?”
“Who else? You know she wouldn’t let death stop her from taking care of us.”
Norm nodded, and Jake could see tears gather in his eyes. He wheeled around to the other side, holding his arms out. Norm fell into him, sobbing.
“I’ve got you, brother. It’s gonna be okay. She’s strong. She’s gonna be okay.”
Jake let his own tears fall as he held his friend. It had been a really fucking long day, and they had lost so many. As far as he could tell, almost a third of the Omatikaya clan had been killed in the last three days. Almost the entire force of Olangi warriors were killed, including the Olo’eyktan Akwey, leaving the fate of their clan uncertain. Of the 2,000 warriors he had gathered, perhaps half remained. It was more than he expected, but some of their injuries were severe. None of them would ever be the same after this.
When Norm stopped crying Jake was able to convince him to eat something, but he wouldn’t leave Trudy’s bedside. One of the doctors brought in a cot, and Jake left Norm with the promise he would try and get some sleep.
Jake was only able to catch a few hours of sleep himself, jolted awake by dreams of the Valkyrie reaching the Tree of Souls. He quickly checked on Trudy, who had not improved but was still with them. Norm was sleeping on a cot next to the bed, still in the clothes from the day before. Jake dragged himself down to medical for a check up, managing to convince Max that he was good to go back in the link.
Jake woke to feel Neytiri wrapped around his back, one hand resting on his chest to feel his heartbeat. He smiled, and realized one of them must have taken off the old warpaint while he slept. Tsu’tey was already awake, quietly talking to a young warrior Jake recognized as his brother. Jake twisted to face Neytiri, and she slowly woke, pressing her face into his chest. Tsu’tey knelt beside them, settling his hand on Jake’s head.
“Did you rest?”
“Not well, but I’ll be fine. Everything alright?”
Tsu’tey sighed. “The wounded have been tended to, and the fires have been handled. Today we must gather the dead.”
Jake hummed, sitting up and pulling Neytiri with him. He knew she was awake and listening, just exhausted.
“I need to head to base. There are things to negotiate with the Sky People. I'll send some of the other Dreamwalkers this way to help with some of the wreckage. Some parts can be salvaged, and some of the engine components are toxic.”
“I will inform the People so they do not come to harm.” Tsu’tey paused. “What will be done with their dead?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. It would feel wrong to bury them, but we don’t have the equipment or the people to handle them all. I’ll talk to Max, but if it’s okay with you I think we should just leave them.”
“That may be best. I will speak with Mo’at.”
Neytiri finally decided to move. She leaned back, smiling at him softly.
“I must stay with my mother today, to help with the last rites.”
“I figured. I know both of you have responsibilities today, but I think I need someone with me for the negotiations, to represent the People. Is there anyone you trust?”
“There is an elder who particiated in the first talks with the Sky People. I can send him and his daughter. There are several warriors who would also fly with you, as a show of force.”
“Thank you. Max and the Dreamwalkers are great, but they don’t understand the forest or the needs of the Omaticaya. I want this done right.”
“If you need me, I still have this.” Tsu’tey gestured to the comm unit he still wore on his throat.
Jake nodded. Neytiri stood and began to put on her jewelry. Tsu’tey reached for the Olo’eyktan’s chestpiece, hesitating. Jake stood, carefully taking it from his hands and helping him put it on. It really was a beautiful piece, a projection of leadership and wisdom and the love of the People, and when it settled on him Tsu’tey straightened.
The Well of Souls was quiet that morning. Jake knew the People were relieved, but loss weighed heavily on them as they prepared for the day. Not all of the dead could be recovered, or even identified. For the other tribes, there may be no way to bring the dead home.
Neytiri led him to the elder, a serene man with a long scar down his cheek. His daughter had been one of the ikran riders who flew with Jake. She had been injured, burning debris had hit her shoulder and sent her to the ground, but she and her ikran survivied. Jake was still uncomfortable with the way people treated him as Toruk Makto, but they were kind and agreed to help him. Iktsua told Jake about the first meeting with Sky People as they ate, Yayve muttering insults towards the Sky People when he wasn’t paying attention.
The first groups headed out into the forest to care for the dead before Jake left for Hell’s Gate. There was no place to gather them all, so each was buried in the roots of the nearest tree. The mourners gathered the belongings they could find, the bows and knives and any jewelry that survived in the hopes of returning the items to the family. Neytiri went with her Mother, who was surprisingly at peace.
“Death is not the end. We may mourn them, and thank them for their sacrifice, but they are not gone. Their deaths saved the People, and their bodies will nourish the forest as it regrows. Their spirits are with the Great Mother now, and they are at peace.”
Neytiri wondered if she was really meant to be Tsahìk. She couldn’t imagine being truly comfortable with the burden Mo’at carried, nor did she understand how Mo’at saw the world. She was still so angry that it had to come to this, but she knew that her anger would fade over time.
The negotiations at Hell’s Gate were not going smoothly. The group had gathered outside for the sake of the Na’vi representatives. The ikran seemed to know that Hell’s Gate had been taken over, and wild ikran had perched next to the warriors’ mounts on the edges of the buildings glaring at the humans. Max had gathered the heads of each department, except for security of course. Jake didn’t like it, but Selfridge did have to be a part of the discussion. He had been allowed to contact Earth, and the RDA executives were furious. They had threatened to send reinforcements, but one of the techs had been compiling data on the atrocities committed against the Na’vi and was prepared to leak it to the press.
It took hours of arguing, but it was worked out that the remaining personnel would be taken up to the ISV Venture Star on the remaining Valkyrie. They would be put into cryo and sent back to Earth, with an agreement that the RDA would leave Pandora alone. Jake wasn’t sure how long the peace would last, but it was the best they could get.
As Selfridge was escorted back to his quarters, Max pulled Jake aside.
“Jake, a group of us were talking this morning. I went to talk to Norm, and he told me he wanted to stay here. Trudy’s too fragile to move anyway. And frankly, Norm isn’t the only one. I’ve dedicated years of my life to this place. I committed mutiny. I don’t think I can go back.”
Jake sighed. “Let me talk to Mo’at. She knows what you guys did for the Na’vi. With Hometree gone, everything has to change if we want to survive. How many are there?”
“There are about 20 avatar drivers. About two thirds of the science team want to stay, plus some maintenence workers, engineers, and we have three pilots who defected before the battle. All together, probably fifty of us.”
“And you think you could make it work, staying here for the forseeable future?”
“SecOps might have thought they were in charge, but the people who want to stay are the ones who kept this place running. We have supplies, Sarah estimates that we can just live off of those for the next 30 years. We have the garden as well, and if the Na’vi are willing to help we can set up a trade system. The avatars we sent earlier recovered a good bit of tech that we can use. It won’t be perfect, but we’re all willing to try.”
“Okay. I can talk to the clan. I can’t guarantee anything.”
“There’s one other problem.”
Max led Jake through the building. He had to crouch and move awkwardly, but whatever this was Max needed him to see it. Max brought him to the medical area on the security side of base. It was mostly empty, the few wounded soldiers who had returned had been treated and confined to their quarters. Max gestured Jake toward a curtained-off area at the end.
Jake carefully moved the curtains, and his breath caught. There was a baby on base. He was a tiny thing, probably only a few months old, with a head full of blond curls. Jake suddenly remembered a bit of gossip Trudy had shared with him that he hadn’t registered at the time.
“His mom was a pilot, Paz Soccoro. She went down in the battle. His dad…”
“Quaritch. His dad was Quaritch. Trudy said there were rumors about him and a pilot, and that she had a kid.”
Max nodded, sitting on a nearby bed. Jake crouched so he could get a better look at the kid. He snuffled in his sleep, small and sweet and entirely innocent. Just another orphan of the war. There were several of them at the Well, their parents lost to Hometree or the battle. None of them deserved this.
“He can’t leave. You can’t put a child in cryo.”
Jake reached out, and his hand could cover the child’s entire torso. He brushed his fingers over his downy-soft hair. Jake had always liked kids, even if he didn’t have much experience with them. His neighbor on Earth had a kid, a very curious eight-year old named Eli. He had never minded the wheelchair, thinking it was cool that Jake was a war hero injured in battle and begging him for stories. He’d be fourteen now, and he probably didn’t even remember Jake.
“What’s his name?”
“Miles Socorro.”
The kid moved a little bit, and Jake smiled at him. The baby opened his eyes, and Jake worried he would be startled by a very large Na’vi face leaning over him but he just smiled and grabbed Jake’s finger.
“Hey, Miles.”
Baby Miles started gumming at Jake’s finger. Max walked over, standing beside Jake’s shoulder.
“One of the med techs has experience with kids. She’s been taking care of him since the battle, but we need to figure out the long term.”
Miles released Jake’s finger, making grabbing motions in his direction. Jake, almost afraid of how small the kid was compared to his avatar, picked him up and held the baby to his chest. The kid snuggled closer, settling down immediately. For the first time, but certainly not the last, Jake wondered why Paz Socorro had decided to have a kid on a world he couldn’t survive on, a world where he would always be separate.
“He has no idea that he’s completely alone.”
“Jake-”
“I have an idea. But I need to talk to Mo’at, and it’ll take time.”
Jake set the baby back down in his crib, his heart clenching when Miles started to fuss.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ll come back to check on you soon.”
Jake spent the flight back to the Well of Souls thinking about Max’s request. His thoughts ran in circles, and at some point Toruk got annoyed and butted in. Toruk gave his impression of the Sky People - the noise and vibration of their machines, the destruction of the land, pollution in the water, the explosions of the battle. But he also reminded Jake that those people were dead or contained. Toruk had flown with Trudy, had seen through Jake’s eyes as Norm and the others fought on their side. Toruk valued the natural order, and in nature you protect your own.
When they landed on the edge of the well, Jake could see the efforts that had been made to stablize the community and try to find a new normal. It would take a very long time to recover, but the People were strong. Jake knew he should find Mo’at, but the earlier negotiations had left him exhausted and annoyed.
The children of the clan had been kept away from the wounded in a sequestered clearing. The older children knew what had happened the day before, and they had all experienced the trauma of Hometree falling, but the adults were doing their best to keep them distracted. The caretakers greeted Jake with reverence, but Ketxe barreling into his legs and nearly sending him to the ground convinced the other kids it was okay to treat him the same as before. He found himself sitting on the ground surrounded by children demanding stories. He lost track of the time he spent with them, but at some point he looked up to see Neytiri had returned and apparently came looking for him.
“I am afraid I must take Toruk Makto with me now, but he will return tomorrow.”
The children protested but let him go. Jake extracted himself from the circle and followed Neytiri, who started to giggle when they were out of earshot of the children.
“I knew I would find you with them.”
“Hey, they’re good company.”
She grew serious as they walked past a group of wounded Tipani warriors.
“I know today must have been… incredibly difficult. Are you okay?”
“There were so many to bury. But it was good to lay them to rest. How was negotiations?”
“Long and painful. But I think we have a plan. I just need to talk to Mo’at and Tsu’tey.”
“They are waiting by the Mother Tree.”
Jake felt more nervous approaching Mo’at about Max’s request than he had fighting. He still wasn’t sure where they stood. She respected Toruk Makto, but Jake was more complicated. They still hadn’t had time to talk about the fact that he married her daughter without permission when she was promised to Tsu’tey, but that was a problem for later.
Mo’at and Tsu’tey were sitting at the base of the tree, deep in conversation with the Ikeyni, leader of the Tayrangi. She had been a fierce fighter, and Jake was glad to see she survived. She looked up as they approached.
“Toruk Makto.”
“Olo’eykte.” Jake turned and bowed his head at the others, mindful of the magnitude of the conversation that was about to happen. “Tsahìk. Olo’eyktan.”
“You have returned with news?”
“Yes, Tsahìk. The Sky People have fully surrendered. We have spoken to leadership on Earth, and it has been arranged for a ship to take the Sky People off planet, with an agreement to cease operations. No more ships will come here, as long as they keep their word.”
“I am glad to hear that. I apologize, but I must speak with my people about our journey home.” Ikeyni acknowledged each of them as she departed. Tsu’tey moved to stand, but Mo’at held out her hand.
“There is something else you wish to say, Jakesully.”
“Yes, Mo’at. I have received a request. The Sky People will depart in two days, but… some of the Sky People ask permission to stay. I wasn’t sure whether to ask at all, but the ones who wanted to stay fought on our side. They’re the ones who took over the base at the risk of their own lives. They’re scientists, like Grace, and they mean no harm. And my friend, Trudy, is far too injured to be moved.” Jake decided not to mention the kid just yet.
Mo’at was silent for a long moment.
“Do you trust them?”
“Yes. They have no intention of causing any harm. They just want to continue their studies and work with the clan. They’re good people, and there’s nothing on Earth for them.”
Mo’at hummed, considering. Tsu’tey seemed conflicted.
“Tsu’tey? You’re Olo’eyktan, this is your decision to make.”
“I am… hesitant to allow any Sky People to stay. I know many had hoped this would be the end of their presence here. But, you are right. These people have fought bravely, and I am inclined to trust your judgment.”
“What would happen if we refused?” Mo’at’s voice was pensive. She looked down at the roots of the tree, running a hand over one of them.
“Well, the majority of the Sky People would leave on the first ship. Trudy can’t be moved, and Norm won’t leave her. A doctor and a few support staff would also need to stay. They could be sent back once she recovered.”
“And what will you do?”
The words struck Jake. In all of this he had almost forgotten that he wasn’t really here with them, his real body back in a link unit at Hell’s Gate.
“I’m staying. No matter what. I am Omatikaya now, Earth means nothing to me. I don’t know how it would work, but I could find a way to stay here alone.”
Mo’at stood, walking in a circle and appraising him the way she had the first day.
“You wish to stay with us permanently?”
“Yes. I’d do anything. This is my home now.”
“It can be arranged.” She returned to her spot. “Graceaugustine was not strong enough, but you are. If Eywa wills it, this body can be made yours, forever.”
Neytiri reached over and clutched his arm, but Jake barely felt it. Hope had risen in his chest, choking him with emotion.
“You’re sure? You would do that?”
“You have more than proven yourself to me. You belong with our people.”
“Thank you.” Jake was breathless, trying to keep himself together. Tsu’tey shifted to grab his hand, and Jake saw Mo’at catch the movement but she chose not to comment.
“The Sky People you have chosen may stay, conditionally. I will speak to Iktsua, and he will arrange a treaty. As for your ceremony, we must first send the other clans home and make decisions for our own people.”
“Thank you, Mo’at. Truly. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.” He stood, but before he could leave he had a thought. “Actually, it’s a good thing you need time. I know what day I want to do it.”
Mo’at raised a brow but nodded. “We will discuss this later.”
Jake and Neytiri took their leave, heading toward a group of hunters. Tsu’tey watched them, waiting for Mo’at to break the silence.
“When the Sky People first arrived, I dreamed of Toruk. I knew it was a warning, but the Great Mother is not always clear. I have watched the Sky People for many years as they brought destruction and death. When the Great Mother chose Jakesully, I could never have imagined what would come.”
Tsu’tey remained quiet.
“I grieve for all we have lost, but we must now look to the future. My mate was wise when he chose you, and I will continue to serve the People, but as Olo’eyktan you must choose your mate and future Tsahìk. For the sake of the clan.”
“Do you trust my judgment?”
“Yes. I do.”
“I choose Neytiri.”
Mo’at frowned. “She has chosen a mate. By tradition, she cannot be Tsahìk.”
“I have been raised on tradition. I have followed it my entire life, believing in the wisdom of our ancestors. But they lived in a world untouched by Sky People. Kelutral has fallen, and with it the way of life we knew. We must adapt, or we cannot survive.” He looks back out over the People. “When I was younger you told me about the leaders of the Ni’awve clan. You told me that they were blessed to find another that they loved. Sylwanin was the only one I would ever mate with, but that does not mean I will be alone. Neytiri is my choice. Jakesully is my choice. They make me stronger, a better leader for the People. I do not seek your permission, but I would value your approval.”
“All I have ever wanted for my daughter is happiness. I know that she agreed to take her sister’s place out of a sense of duty. I cannot say that I expected for her to put her position in question by mating with the Dreamwalker, but I see now. She saw your faith in her. She knew that her place was by your side, as your tsakarem but not as your mate. If you are happy, then you have my blessing.”
“Thank you, Mo’at.”
“The clan may never understand your choice, but it is yours to make.”
“I know. It does not seem to bother them. They are strong, and we trust each other. It is…helpful that he is Toruk Makto. Harder to argue he does not have a place.”
“Indeed. He has proven himself.”
“Do you believe the ceremony will work, that he can truly be made one of us?”
“He has survived every other trial. His heart is with the Omaticaya. It will work, but there is something you all must understand - when the ceremony ends, his former body will die.”
Tsu’tey did not respond. He thought of the person he had seen in the Shack, the body that had survived so much and brought Jake to them. Jake may be ready to leave that behind, but… Tsu’tey needed to talk to Neytiri.
Notes:
Hello, this update took longer than I thought. It's been a long few days, but I finally managed to get some progress. I also crocheted a sweater.
Anyway, it looks like five more chapters to reach the end of the movie, then we get to continue on with the Sully family. I am keeping this all in one fic for now, though I may split it when I get to the Way of Water.The big thing I want to put here is that in this fic, Spider is an official Sully. I think he's a great character, and he's just a kid. He deserves to be loved and cared for, so that's how I'm writing it.
Chapter 21
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jake didn’t get to talk to Mo’at that evening. He had been recruited to help with the other clans’ preparations, including discussions with the Olangi. They had sent every warrior they had, and with their Olo’eyktan gone and so few remaining their clan was in jeopardy. Eventually it was decided to offer the survivors a place in the Omatikaya, who had also suffered great losses. The two clans could combine and find a way to preserve both cultures. A group of Olangi and Omatikaya warriors were sent back to the plains to share both the news of the battle and the offer of support.
Then Max had called about a problem on base. Once it was dealt with, Jake had decided not to go back into the link, instead sitting with Trudy to give Norm some time to take care of himself. He told her everything that had happened after she went down, all the things they were trying to figure out. After a while, Jake had only one problem left that he needed help with, and he hoped that just saying it out loud in Trudy’s presence would give him an idea.
“I don’t know what to do about the kid. Honestly Trudy, you should’ve put more emphasis on that bit of gossip. There’s an entire baby on the base, and now we have no idea what to do. Paz is gone, most of the humans are leaving, and I’m pretty sure the earliest we wanna try and get a mask on him and let him outside is in a few years. I just… I have this feeling, Trudy. I know who his father is, but he’s just a kid. The whole “sins of the father” thing shouldn’t damn him. I want to help him, but Mo’at has offered to make me one of the People permanently. It’s not easy to fly back and forth between the mountains and base, and someone would need to take care of him when I couldn’t.”
“We can do that.” Jake startled, not realizing Norm had returned while he was talking. Norm sat back in his chair by Trudy’s bed, taking her hand. “All of us here, that is. It might be complicated - the people who want to stay have no ties or reason to return to Earth, and that includes kids, but you know that old saying. It takes a village to raise a child, and we can all pitch in to take care of him.”
“He’s Quaritch’s son. I might be able to look past that, but he has hurt the Omatikaya so much. I don’t even know if I’d be allowed to…” Jake trailed off, shaking his head.
“You really like the kid, huh?”
“I don’t know why, I just got this feeling when I saw him.”
“Were you in the avatar?” Jake nodded, confused why it was relevant. “Na’vi have a pretty strong instinct for adoption. Grace wrote about it, and she told me it was part of the reason she liked the kids so much. When a kid needs extra support or loses their parents, another member of the clan is chosen to take care of them. Your brain is still partly human, so it probably saw that baby and the instinct got confused.”
“So my subconscious wants me to adopt the kid?”
“Instincts are weird, man. You’ve been dealing with way more of them than any other avatar. Have you talked to Neytiri about this?”
“No.” Jake leaned back, rubbing his face. “I’m worried about how she’s gonna react. Quaritch has caused so much harm to her family, and it’s not like we ever talked about our relationship, much less kids.”
“Yeah, probably should’ve done that before you mated with her.” Jake smiled, glad Norm was feeling enough like himself to tease. “It’s gonna be okay, Jake. All of us are gonna figure this new world out.”
They sat quietly for a minute, watching Trudy. She had a bit more color today, her breathing was easier, but she still hadn’t woken up.
“Actually, I might have an idea about one of your problems. Max and I were talking earlier about where the Omatikaya are gonna settle. They can’t stay in the Mountains, not long term, and they’re not ready to choose another Hometree. What if they settled in that grove of larger trees that are starting to fuse together? It’s not Hometree, but it can support the smaller size of the tribe and the surrounding forest is healthy, plus it’s really close to base so we can continue to communicate and help each other.”
“You’re sure the area is healthy that close to base?”
“I asked one of the environmental scientists. Soil is clean, so is the water, and if we stop all mining operations and some of the larger polluting forces here then the area will be perfect.”
Jake’s mind was runnging a thousand miles an hour considering the scenario. He knew the trees, they loomed above the rest of the area but not nearly a mature Hometree. You could walk there from the base, and it was close enough to the former site of Hometree that they could adapt their lifestyle. He had some worries about the Omatikaya choosing a new Hometree that could become a target for the RDA if they returned, and this seemed like a compromise they could live with.
“I need to go talk to Max. Thanks, Norm!” Jake shouted behind him as he left, suddenly hopeful.
The conversation with Max was encouraging. He had suggested a few things to take back to the Omatikaya, and Jake went to sleep with a plan. Unfortunately, it took several hours the next day to finally find time to talk to Mo’at.
Mo’at looked quite amused when he was able to make his way over to her and Tsu’tey. With Tsu’tey fulfilling the duties of Olo’eyktan the People had begun to look to Jake for help with minor problems, which she didn’t see ending any time soon. He looked a bit frazzled but he remained polite with her, respecting her position both as Tsahìk and his mother-in-law.
“How are preparations among the Sky People?”
“Good. We have all the issues sorted out and everyone should be cleared by medical later. Max and the others are very grateful to be allowed to stay. They’re making plans to adapt the base.”
“And your friend, Trudy?”
“Still hasn’t woken up, but she’s improving.”
“She will heal, with time. The Great Mother seems to have chosen some of the Sky People for her favor.”
Jake hoped that was true, that Eywa would care for the humans who stayed, including little Miles. He was born here after all, in many ways he was one of Eywa’s children.
“I was talking to Max about the future. I know that we cannot remain here, and that many had hoped to find a new Hometree one day, but I don’t know how long the RDA will stay away. If they return, any new Hometree will become a target. I think it’s a better idea to stay in smaller trees or on the ground.”
“Do you have a location in mind?” Jake was grateful that Tsu’tey seemed to be considering the idea.
“Norm mentioned a grove of trees near Hell’s Gate. They checked the area and it’s safe and clean. It’s close enough to the base for the communities to support each other.”
Tsu’tey turned to Mo’at, wanting her input.
“Do you think there is any other solution?”
Mo’st hummed. “I am hesistant to agree, but we need a place to make new roots. The clan needs stability to recover. But I would like to see the area myself.”
Tsu’tey nodded. “I think it may be best to find a new home, even if it is temporary. With the other Sky People leaving, it will not cause harm to remain near the base.”
“I will gather some of the People to consider the area tomorrow.”
“The Sky People are leaving in the morning, then I can join you.”
“Thank you, Jakesully. There is much work to be done.”
Jake hesitated, not sure if he wanted to talk with Tsu’tey there. Mo’at seemed to know what he was thinking, dismissing Tsu’tey. Jake watched Tsu’tey as he walked toward a group of weavers, noticing that he wasn’t putting his full weight on his injured leg. He projected confidence and strength, but he was still healing. Jake knew that hovering would just irritate him, but between Neytiri and himself they could take some of the burdens of leadership.
“Have you considered the transfer ceremony?
“Yes, Mo’at. I am ready, but I have a request for when.” She looked at him attentively, and Jake hoped his idea wasn’t silly. “This is a kinda a second birth, right? Well, what better day than the day I was actually born?”
Mo’at raised a brow, smiling slightly. “Which day would this be?”
“Four days from now. I know that Na’vi don’t really celebrate birthdays, but it’s important to Sky People. It’ll be the first birthday since my brother died, so why not have a birthday and a funeral.” Jake knew his tone was dry and a little sarcastic, but Mo’at didn’t seem to mind. She nodded, leaning back.
“You had a brother?”
“Yeah, Tommy. We were identical twins” Jake didn’t know the Na’vi word for either of those concepts, so he tried to explain. “We started as one egg, then split, so we looked exactly alike. He was supposed to come here, but he was killed.”
“I am sorry for your loss, Jakesully. Twins are very rare among the People. Many believe that they are signs of great change, and they are highly respected. The last set of twins in the Omaticaya was many years ago. It seems you were always meant for great things, Toruk Makto. I will prepare for the ceremony to happen in four days.”
“Thank you. Um, there is one other thing that I’m confused about. One of the Sky People had a child. He’s still a baby, and his parents died in the battle. I didn’t mention him earlier, I didn’t want to force you to allow the Sky People to remain, but he can’t leave. He wouldn’t survive the journey back to Earth.”
“What will be done with the child?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask about. Max took me to meet him, and… I don’t know. I just got this feeling looking at him. I talked to Norm and he told me that the Omatikaya have a tradition of adopting orphans into families?”
“Normspellman has studied our culture well. Yes, when a child has lost their parents they are cared for by others.” Mo’at leaned closer, examining Jake. “The feeling, describe it to me.”
“It feels like…” Jake struggled to articulate it, bringing a hand up to press against his heart. “It feels like I know him, somehow. Like he’s already important to me.”
“Tell me, Jakesully, how did you know to find Toruk?”
“I knew I needed to prove myself, to do something that showed I wanted to protect the People, and I thought of the story Neytiri told me about the last Toruk Makto. It felt like the right thing to do.”
“My daughter has done well to teach you to trust your instincts, but she has neglected one thing. Most will go their entire lives without hearing a call from Eywa, but some are her privileged chosen. She chose you as Toruk Makto, and she has chosen to guide you in your journey. She has given you a call to protect the child.”
“There’s something else you need to know.” Jake hesitated, looking at the creases that lined Mo’at’s face from stress. “His father was in charge of the Sky People soldiers. He’s the one who destroyed Hometree.”
“You fear that the child will have the same hatred in his soul?”
“No. He’s an innocent kid, he just needs to be shown how beautiful the forest is and I know he won’t turn out anything like his father. I just don’t know what to do. You say I’m called to take care of him, but sooner or later everyone will find out who he is. I don’t want him to grow up hated by his peers. And… I don’t know what to tell Neytiri.”
“I love my daughter deeply, but I regret that in my grief I allowed anger to grow in her. In the entire clan. I allowed fear of the Sky People to become hatred. We must all learn to change. You have suggested that we live alongside the Sky People and the Dreamwalkers, to teach them our ways and learn from them in turn. The boy will grow up in a more peaceful world, and we can only hope that the People find it in their hearts to accept him. I cannot tell you what to do, except to say that you must trust your heart. My daughter trusts you, and she will find love for the child if you choose this path.”
“I never thought about having kids on Earth. I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance. But I want to build an actual life here, to truly live among the People and have a family.”
Mo’at reached out to hold his face, and he thought again of his mother, and Grace.
“Our children are a blessing from the Great Mother, given to those she believes will care for them best. If she has chosen this child for you, then he is part of this family.” Mo’at’s voice was low and fond, and her eyes were so gentle. Jake looked at her, really looked at her. She had lost so much, yet she welcomed him into her family, allowed him to be with her daughter and to hopefully create a future together.
“I am glad they chose you, Jakesully.” Jake must have looked a little startled because she laughed. “Neytiri may be my daughter, but I have also known Tsu’tey since he was born. He cannot lie to me. I admit I am still unsure, but they have made it clear that this is the life they want. I will not lose my family to my own fear.”
Jake raised a hand to cover hers, letting her gather herself for a moment.
“Thank you, Mo’at, for everything.”
She smiles, removing her hand and leaning back.
“When you are ready, speak to my daughter. If all goes well, I should like to meet the child.”
“He’s a cute kid. He’s a lot smaller than Na’vi babies though. It won’t be easy for him to grow up here, but he’s got a lot of people willing to help him.”
“If he was born here, he is a child of Eywa. She will provide for him.”
Jake spots Neytiri weaving her way through the people. She came up to where they sat at the base of the tree, kneeling to kiss her mother on the cheek.
“Mother. Jake, the children have asked for you.”
Jake chuckled, pushing himself off the ground. He bowed his head at Mo’at before taking Neytiri’s hand and heading back toward the children’s clearing.
“What were you speaking to Mother about?”
“We wanted to plan the transfer ceremony.” He smiled at her, bright and confident. “In four days, this becomes my permanent body.”
Neytiri smiled back, hiding her nervousness. She knew he was strong, but she couldn’t shake the memory of Grace’s ceremony failing. She didn’t want to ruin Jake’s good mood, so she would have to find Tsu’tey later.
Notes:
This chapter touches on Spider more, because again, I love the kid.
Also, this is the chapter where I started to hold a grudge for James Cameron. Sometimes he gives us a thousand unimportant details, then he neglects huge areas of information. I am in charge here, so I just started making executive decisions about the timeline and Na'vi biology. I think it's deeply funny if August 24th is Jake's actual birthday, so it is now.
Chapter 22
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Valkryie was set to depart with the RDA personnel just after noon. Jake had gathered a group of warriors to monitor the event, each of them armed and painted. It was a show of force, a reminder that the people of Pandora would fight back. They split into two groups, the pa’li riders instructed to examine the surrounding area and check for possible issues. The ikrans perched on the buildings again, content to take back the land. The gates had been opened to the forest, and Max planned to remove sections to allow for easier movement.
Jake wasn’t sure what he was supposed to feel as he watched the humans file into the Valkyrie. Max and Norm were checking off the list as people departed. The humans are sullen, glaring at the ground. Neytiri stood with him as he watched, the shadow of Toruk falling over them from his perch on the roof.
Selfridge looks up to meet Jake’s eyes as he approaches the ship, and he is nothing like the man who had approved the attack on Hometree. He almost seemed guilty, the weight of his actions over the last decade having finally hit him. Jake waited to feel vindicated, to feel triumphant, but he could only think of how many personnel he saw in the base the first day. How many had been killed on both sides, just to line the pockets of the RDA executives?
When the ship departed, the other warriors headed into the forest to meet Mo’at at the new possible site, escorted by a few of the Dreamwalkers. Norm and Max headed back in to check on Trudy and continue working on inventory. Neytiri waited for him to move, watching as he stared at the spot where the ship had been.
“Ma Jake?”
“Sorry, I was lost in thought. You should head with the others to the new site. There’s something I have to do first.”
Neytiri nodded, looking him over. He seemed alright, if a bit introspective. She leaned up to kiss him before walking in the direction of the others. Jake watched her go, waiting until she was out of sight to call Toruk down. He climbed onto the great beast, and Toruk seemed to know what was happening.
It’s a quiet flight to the section of the mountains where Jake first saw Toruk. He looks down over the land, at the sections of forest that were burnt or broken in the fight. He knew it was worth it, but it wasn’t fair. None of this was right.
As they landed, Jake thought of what would have happened if Tommy had stayed late at the lab that night, if he hadn’t gone down that alley and been shot. He would’ve gone into cryo, leaving Jake alone on Earth. Jake probably would’ve just continued to wallow his way to liver failure, or maybe he would have pulled himself together and found a new career. Tommy would arrive on Pandora, but he wouldn’t be stupid or bored enough to wander off like Jake did. The Omatikaya would have continued to ignore the Dreamwalkers. Grace would never have seen her kids again. The RDA would still attack Hometree, and most of the clan would have been killed without Toruk Makto and the other clans in the battle. Tommy would have never stood for it, but what could he do? If he tried anything, he would have been killed himself.
Toruk shrieked, pulling Jake out of his thoughts. No use in dwelling on ‘what ifs.’ Tommy was gone, and Jake was here. This was his life now.
Jake carefully removed the leather work that had been added to Toruk, delaying the moment he had to dismount. Toruk felt his hesitation, hunkering down on the cliff so they could both sit and look over the landscape. Jake let himself drift, blurring at the edges until he and Toruk were one being. They breathed in the warm air, and the faint smell of smoke and machinery was a harsh reminder of what they had endured.
Jake sighed, slipping off of Toruk’s back but not disconnecting the bond.
“It’s time to go. We did what we needed to, now you get to be free again.”
Toruk chirped, leaning into Jake. Jake thought of his dream hunt vision and the story he told Toruk during their first ride, and he decided to give one more memory.
The last time Jake had actually seen his brother was a month before his injury. He had been given a week of leave, and Tommy had a few days off from Avatar training. They spent an entire day wandering around the city and telling each other stupid jokes, ending up in the dinosaur gallery of the natural history museum. They had sat on a bench, two grown adults surrounded by tour groups of children, and looked up at the massive skeletons. Tommy had started quietly comparing them to creatures on Pandora he was studying, and Jake had tried not to ruin his good mood. It felt like they were constantly meeting at a crossroads and departing again, and Jake wondered how long the gap would be this time. Would he even get to see Tommy again before he left for Pandora, or would the next time they see each other be when they had spent a lifetime apart.
Tommy had noticed, of course. He had always known Jake best.
“You know, you could always get transferred to the RDA’s Security Operations. Then you could join me on Pandora.”
“You’re the one who wants to leave the planet, Tommy. I’m fine where I am. But I’ll wait for you to get back, and you better bring me back something cool.”
They had both laughed and gone back to joking about what creatures would win in a fight, the pterodactlyl or the banshees on Pandora. When they said goodbye that night, it didn’t feel like forever. It wasn’t supposed to be forever. Jake put all of his emotions into the bond, the grief and longing for his brother, and his pride in what he and Toruk had done in his memory. Life wasn’t easy or fair, but they were both built to survive.
With that thought Jake disconnected the bond and stepped back to give Toruk space to move. Toruk shook out his wings, looking at Jake for a long moment before taking off. Jake watched as he climbed higher into the sky, disappearing from view around one of the floating rocks. After a few quiet minutes, a sound caught his attention. Bob, his wonderful loyal ikran, landed next to him.
“Hey, buddy. It’s good to see you. Just you and me now, alright?”
Bob chirped, gently headbutting Jake. Jake resolved that Bob would get every treat he ever wanted from here on out, just for sticking by Jake through this whole thing. When he connected the bond, Bob seemed to agree with that thought. He wasn’t angry at Jake, but he was still expecting Jake to make it up to him.
Before they went back to base to meet with the others, Jake had something he wanted to do. He directed Bob toward the Well of Souls first, landing by the now broken Shack. He carefully crawled inside, minding the broken glass as he grabbed what he was looking for. They hadn’t really packed before separating the two units, each of them just throwing some clothes in their duffle and moving. Jake grabbed all four bags, moving around the Shack to add any items that had been removed. He carefully grabbed the photos from Grace’s desk to her bag, as well as her books and some of her supplies. For whatever reason, he knew he had to save this stuff. Hers and his, even though he wouldn’t need any of it in a few days. He had a feeling he’d want them someday. Anything else usable went into Norm’s bag.
When he was finished, he loaded the bags onto Bob. He flew them to Site 26, where the living unit was still sitting. Once again Jake carefully squeezed into the unit. It was a mess, clothing and supplies tossed everywhere in their haste to get Grace help. He took his time, making sure to grab every personal item he could find. He took the photos down from the fridge, hesitating. He was fine keeping most of them with Grace’s stuff for the future, but there was one photo of Neytiri and her sister, Tsu’tey smiling at them in the background. It wasn’t the best photo of any of them, likely taken by a younger child, but… He tucked it into the front pocket of his own duffle, frowning when he found something already in there. He pulled the piece of paper out, and his heart hurt.
He had forgotten that at the last moment before leaving his apartment he had tucked a photo into his bag. It was one of the few photos Jake had ever saved from their childhood. He and Tommy must have been nine or ten in the photo. That was the summer that They had lost different teeth and everyone could tell them apart, which they hated. Their mom had managed to stop them before they pulled out the other’s matching tooth. The boys in the photo were so happy, beaming at their mother behind the camera. It was one of the few really good days he could remember with their mom, and he had never been able to get rid of the photo. It had come with him to Venezuela, so of course he had taken it to Pandora. He carefully tucked the photo back into his bag with the other.
The rest of the process was easy, at least until he got to Norm’s stash of books. He had expected two photos to be the end of his painful reminders today, but apparently the universe wanted to hurt him. When he lifted one of the books on xenoanthropology a photo fell out. Jake had picked it up to tuck it back in with Norm’s things, but his eyes caught on his own face. Or rather, on Tommy’s face. The photo must have been taken just a few months before he died. It was a group photo of the avatar trainees and the amnio tanks with their baby avatars. Jake couldn’t bring himself to put it with Norm’s things.
When he was done in the shack, Jake tied the bags to Bob and they headed out. They flew back toward Hell’s Gate to meet the others looking at the possible village site. Jake dropped the bags off at the base first, asking one of the avatars to take them inside and showing her which two were Norm and Trudy’s. She promised to take it to them, leaving the others in the link room for Jake later.
When they arrived at the village site, Jake was deeply grateful no one asked about Toruk. Neytiri had just smiled and held out a treat for Bob, who took it from her happily and then nuzzled his big head against her. Jake sent a vague feeling of betrayal down the bond, prompting Bob to turn and give him a deeply unimpressed look. He got down from the ikran, sending him out into the forest to do what he pleased before taking Neytiri’s hand.
When Jake exited the link that evening, the bags were waiting for him. He slung Grace’s bag over the back of his wheelchair, holding the other in his lap as he headed for the medical wing. Norm was still in Trudy’s room, flipping through his books from the Shack.
“Jake, hey. Thanks for this. I’d forgotten we left everthing in the Shack.”
“Yeah, no problem. I figured you guys would want your clothes and stuff if you’re gonna be staying here. How’s she doing?”
“A lot better. Her brain wave pattern has been improving, they think she’ll wake up in the next few days.”
“That’s great, Norm.” Jake wheeled over, stopping by the other side of Trudy’s bed. He pulled the photos out of his bag. “I found some photos while I was grabbing everything.”
“Yeah?”
“I forgot I shoved this one in there before we left Earth.” Jake turned the photo to show Norm, who laughed.
“Oh my God, that’s you and Tommy. Holy shit, you look so little!”
“We were like ten, it’s not that little.”
“That’s crazy. You have to show Neytiri that one. You grab the photos from the school?”
“Yeah, I’m keeping one for myself. Grace wouldn’t mind. Speaking of, I found this in one of your books.”
Jake handed over the second photo, watching Norm’s face soften.
“We had decided to take a photo to celebrate our first successful links. It was a really good day.”
“He called me that evening. Told me about it. He was so excited.”
Norm looked up at Jake, handing the photo back.
“Keep it. I don’t even remember why I brought it.”
“Thanks.” Jake tucked the photo back with the others, setting the bag on the ground to be able to take Trudy’s hand. “You know, he told me a lot about training, but he definitely left out the embarrassing stuff. You got any good stories?”
Norm launched into a story about a particularly bad incident while learning Na’vi, sending them both into fits of laughter. They sat there for hours sharing stories, and Jake felt like himself again. Letting go of Toruk wasn’t easy, but it was the only way to move on. He had a future to look forward to now, he had partners and friends and people who relied on him.
An idea had started to form in Jake’s mind as they talked, and when they were both kicked out of the room to get some food and sleep he had made up his mind. He just needed some help.
Four days after the battle, Jake woke up with a mission. The elders had tentatively agreed to the new site near Hell’s Gate, but preparations wouldn’t be made for another few days. They needed more of the wounded to recover before the clan could make the journey. So, everyone was left to their own devices, to gather, work, hunt, or simply rest. Hell’s Gate was also quiet, with no major projects occurring. Jake was able to recruit two of the pilots and most of the avatars for his project, though Norm’s was still healing so he couldn’t join.
The idea had first come to Jake when he was flying over the area on Toruk. There were large swathes of forest that had been burned when Hometree fell, but it was not completely decimated. Much of the massive tree still remained, and maybe there were items inside that had survived as well. The crew of avatars armed themselves with bags and masks for the ash, and they headed out with Jake on his ikran to the site.
Jake knew it was going to be a long, solemn day. So much had been lost, and he knew anything he recovered wouldn’t make up for the destruction, but he had to try. None of the Omatikaya were emotionally ready to return, but Jake and the avatars could detach themselves from the broken tree and the bodies that were still present. Jake asked two of the avatars, who he knew had studied Omatikaya rituals with Grace, to begin to move the bodies. The rest of them headed into the tree.
When Jake found a small bracelet made with rocks from the river, he knew he made the right decision. Over the next several hours, they were able to recover a small collection of clothing, jewelry, and some children’s toys. One group dedicated themselves to finding weapons and tools, another looking for the healer’s area. The most precious item was recovered by one of the biologists. The Omaticaya recorded their history on a massive woven tapestry in the center of Hometree. Much of it had been burned, but Morgan had managed to find some pieces.
Jake made his way through the wreckage, carefully shifting debris. As he made his way further into the tree, he came across the skull of Toruk, cushed under a section of the central spiral. For a reason he couldn’t explain, he knelt and grabbed one of the broken teeth, tucking it into a pouch at his waist.
By late afternoon, Jake knew that they had found everything they would be able to save. When the last bodies had been carefully buried, they packed everything into the ships and headed toward the Well of Souls. Jake took the lead, landing first and calling Tsu’tey and Mo’at over to explain. They both noticed the ships as they approached him.
“Has something happened?”
“Not exactly. I had an idea, and the other Dreamwalkers agreed to help.” Jake turned to Mo’at, stretching out an arm to show her the bracelet he had first found. “We went back to Hometree. We couldn’t save much, but we were able to find some things. And we moved the dead, as best we could.”
Mo’at took the bracelet from his hand, her own shaking as she brushed the ashes off the braided leather. She was silent, holding back tears. The ships had caught the attention of the rest of the clan, many of whom had started to gather. One of the weavers gasped and ran over to Mo’at.
“This is my daughter’s. Where…” She trailed off as Mo’at handed her the bracelet. The woman began to weep, comforted by Mo’at.
The two ships landed on the edge of the well, the avatars beginning to climb out and start passing the bags and crates over to Jake. Many of them had never actually interacted with the Omatikaya, but they ignored the confusion and worry on everyone’s faces. Jake took one of the crates he knew contained the weaving, setting it in front of Mo’at and gesturing for her to open it. The crowd had been muttering as the Dreamwalkers approached, but everyone fell silent as Mo’at opened the crate and pulled out one of the pieces.
“Morgan found what was left of the mother loom. I’m sorry, this is all we could recover.”
“I thought this was lost.” Mo’at’s voice was quiet, choked with emotion. “This is a gift we cannot repay.”
The avatars began passing out the bags, the entire clan gathering to sort through the items. Jake watched as people began to find items they thought destroyed, his chest heavy. Tsu’tey placed a hand on Jake’s shoulder, smiling. Neytiri made her way over, settling against his other side.
“Sorry I didn’t send any warning, I just… I didn’t want to get your hopes up if I couldn’t find anything.”
“Don’t apologize. This is more than we could have ever asked for.”
They stayed tucked together for several minutes as the bags were distributed, the other Dreamwalkers being integratred into the gathering by the curious children.
Notes:
So in my mind, ikran are just big cat dinosaurs. I like the idea that they are affectionate but also deeply petty.
The second section was originally another chapter, but it was too short so I smushed them together. I will have more out tomorrow, the next chapter is just giving me some trouble.
Chapter 23
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jake had noticed Neytiri and Tsu’tey acting strangely the evening before, but with so much happening to prepare for his ceremony and the clan’s move back to the forest he just ignored it. They both had a long list of responsibilities, and if they needed him, he would be there. The Olangi would return tomorrow with the rest of their clan, and there was a meeting of the new permanent inhabitants of Hell’s Gate to make plans for the next few months.
Max was waiting for him when he exited the link. He was smiling widely, chatting with one of the techs as Jake got himself settled into his wheelchair.
“Jake, you’re gonna want to head over to medical. We’ve had a good day here.”
He wasn’t sure what he should expect to find in the medical wing, but the sight of Trudy awake and propped up was better than he could have hoped for. She had a lot of healing left to do, her head injury causing some issues with speech and fine motor control, but she was going to be okay. Max and two of the pilots arrived with food, everyone cramming into the room to tell her all about the last few days.
Jake kept an eye on Norm as they talked. He looked like a massive weight had been lifted off of him. This is what Jake had fought for, protecting his people and giving them a chance for a better life. When both Norm and Trudy started to fade he ushered the others out of the room. She’d be okay, and they all needed to get a real night’s sleep.
Unfortunately, Jake did not sleep well. He was once again jolted awake from a dream, but all he could remember was fire. Jake dragged himself through his morning routine, grabbing a cup of coffee and a protein bar before heading to the SecOps wing. One of these days they were gonna have to move the kid to a better location, but as long as he was safe it was pretty low on their list of priorities. Baby Miles was sleeping deeply, completely oblivious to everything happening in the world around him. He was going to spend his entire life in a world they could have never imagined just a few weeks ago, and he wouldn’t be able to see it for years. He would never be able to go outside without a mask.
Part of Jake wondered if he should just walk away from the kid, leave him to be raised by humans and kept apart from the Na’vi as much as possible. But how could he? Miles was going to want to leave the base one day, and he would need someone in the Omatikaya he can trust. Jake could be there for him, could show him how to survive and give him a place to belong on Pandora. There was also the vindictive little voice in the back of Jake’s head that tended to be the cause of most of his impulsive decisions telling him that it would be the best kind of karma to raise Quaritch’s child to be so much better than he ever could be.
Jake could hear the rest of the base start to wake up, realizing it was time to get back in the link. A few of the other avatar drivers were already in the lab, preparing for some environmental testing and land surveys. He laid down in the link bed, recognizing that this was the last time he would have to use this machine. The gel bed had become so familiar over the last three months he almost couldn’t imagine never doing this again.
Neytiri and Tsu’tey were already awake and waiting for him to join them. Jake could tell that they hadn’t slept well either. He sat up, reaching out a hand to pull Neytiri closer.
“What do you have planned for the day?”
“A hunt has been organized to prepare for the arrival of the Olangi.”
“I can help, but I won’t be able to stay long. There’s a meeting at Hell’s Gate this afternoon, and I don’t think I’ll get to the link again before the ceremony.”
They shared a look Jake couldn’t quite figure out, Tsu’tey nodding and passing her a basket. She ran a hand over one of Jake’s braids, smiling.
“We will remove these decorations now that the fight is over. It is time to start fresh.”
She nudges his shoulder until he turns, giving her access to the elaborate war braids. Jake watched as Tsu’tey worked his way through his own braids, the basket filling with feathers and strands of beads. Jake stretched out an arm to touch the shaved side of Tsu’tey’s head, tracing one of the darker markings.
“I think I’m gonna grow my hair out again. It suits you, but I wanna try something else.”
Tsu’tey hummed, leaning his head into Jake’s hand.
“Oh, I just remembered - Trudy woke up yesterday. We’re all a lot more relaxed now that she’s okay, and the meeting today is gonna cover everything that needs to be done to make the base a permanent living space.”
“That is good to hear. My mother says that all of the wounded are stable, and we will be ready to move after your ceremony.”
She finished with his hair, pressing a kiss to his shoulder as they watched Tsu’tey.
He really was beautiful, long and lean and regal, and Jake knew he was so lucky.
When they emerged, Neytiri was sent to join the hunt. Tsu’tey was assisting with organizing the clan’s supplies, and Jake followed him around to help with manual labor. It was an easy morning, and Jake felt disappointed when Max’s voice came through the comm to call him back to base mid-afternoon. Tsu’tey followed Jake back to their little area, kneeling next to him as he laid down. Tsu’tey ran a hand over his hair, and Jake let himself fade back into the link.
Making plans for Hell’s Gate ended up taking far longer than Jake thought. They had to go over inventory and logistics, as well as making sure they could work with the Na’vi. Jake wanted to escape, but he knew that he would be the one relaying the majority of messages between the two communities. Besides, part of the plans concerned Miles and what he would need to grow up healthy on Pandora. By the time they had decided to break for food, Jake just wanted to take a nap. He was heading for the medical wing to hide in Trudy’s room when Max came jogging up to him.
“Did you invite Neytiri and Tsu’tey for something?”
“No? Why?”
“They just landed in the avatar complex.”
“What? Oh God, what happened now?”
Jake rushed through the building, his heart pounding in his chest. Everything had been fine earlier, and they had someone monitoring the comms. He grabbed an exopack, pushing through the airlock to find Neytiri and Tsu’tey standing in the courtyard, Ngam’i’a perched on the avatar bunk room. He scanned their faces, but they looked calm.
“Has something happened? Are you alright?”
They both looked confused, dropping into a crouch as he approached.
“We are fine, ma Jake.”
“Then don’t get me wrong, but what are you doing here? You didn’t say anything this morning.”
Tsu’tey looked sheepish, and Neytiri was avoiding eye contact.
“We had not planned this. I thought we would be fine waiting, but we wanted to see you, this part of you, before the ceremony.”
Jake softened, smiling at his partners. It was sweet, how much they cared. “I am happy to see you, but a little warning would be nice.”
“Sorry. We just…” Tsu’tey sighed, reaching out to hold Jake’s head in his hand. “Mo’at reminded us that this body will die after the ceremony, and…”
“We aren’t ready to let it go. We have one night left with this body.”
Jake nodded, placing one hand on Tsu’tey’s wrist.
“I’m guessing you don’t want to stay out here with the avatars. Give me a sec, I need to ask Max something.” Jake moved back toward the door, where Max was waiting.
“Everything alright?”
“Yeah. Apparently they just wanted to visit. Do we have spare Na’vi masks for the rest of the complex?”
Max seemed to figure out what was happening. “We should have some in the lab. I know you’ve been using a basic bunk, but the executive suite that was supposed to belong to Grace has never been used. It’ll be a bit easier for them to navigate, and it’s not far from the lab.”
“Thanks, Max.” Jake gestured for his partners to come closer, realizing something. “Hey, Max, is the entire base going to think something inapprpriate is happening?”
“Honestly, I'm pretty sure the wheelchair keeps most people from thinking about it. But they’ll definitely joke about it at breakfast tomorrow.”
“I can handle that.”
Max greets them, leading the group through the doors. This part of the lab was designed for the avatars, but they seemed deeply uncomfortable. Jake knew they had never been in such an enclosed space, and even he thought the labs were overly clinical and intimidating. Max grabs two of the avatar masks, but neither of the Na’vi take one. Jake takes them from Max, gesturing for him to leave.
“Look, right now we’re in a space designed for the Dreamwalkers, so the air is fine for you but I need a mask. But I’m going to take you to another area where I can breathe. That air won’t kill you, but every few minutes you need to breathe from these or you’ll feel sick. Okay?”
They looked hesitant, but took the masks. He led them through the lab, trying not to laugh at the suspicious looks they gave the equipment. Jake had been through the building in his avatar, so he knew that it was possible to walk around but it was awkward. He was glad to take the mask off when they left the lab, making sure they took a few breaths from their masks before moving on to the residential area. Max must have cleared out the wing, because they didn’t encounter anyone on their way.
He’d been offered Grace’s larger suite when they returned, but the cramped bunks were more familiar. It was a much nicer room, and Jake knew Max had suggested it for the larger bed and living space, and he could tell that Neytiri and Tsu’tey appreciated the increased mobility. Tsu’tey settled on the floor, but Neytiri began poking about the room.
“Is this how all Sky People live?”
“Pretty much. Some people have bigger homes, but my apartment was about this size.”
Jake had been watching Neytiri, but a hand on his arm brought his attention back to Tsu’tey. He was examining Jake’s hands, tracing the scars on his knuckles and the callouses he built up as a Marine.
“What are you thinking?”
Tsu’tey hummed, still looking at Jake’s hands. “It is strange, how familiar parts of you are in this body.”
Neytiri has finished looking around, crouching down by Jake’s side to look at the chair.
“It is still you, but so different. There was not time to truly see you after the battle, and this is the last chance.”
“I know. I get it, so just tell me what you need from me. I’m right here.”
She reached out to place a hand on his side. Tsu’tey moved his hand to Jake’s head, rubbing his thumb against Jake’s jawline. Neither of them spoke, but Jake saw Neytiri glance toward the bed.
“Okay. Come on, it’s easier to all be on the same level.”
Jake pulled himself onto the bed, pushing his chair to the side and arranging his legs. Neytiri climbed around him, settling her back against the wall and reaching out a hand for him. He scooted back on the bed, minding his legs as Tsu’tey took his other side. He imagined he should feel small or insecure bracketed between the two, but he knew them. He knew why they were there. They were warm and strong against him, and he didn’t remember the last time he felt this loved.
Neytiri was touching his hair, curious about the color. She’d noticed it in the Shack, how different it was from his Dreamwalker. Jake could see her blink a little too slowly, her movements slow, and he reached for the mask by their feet, holding it to her face. Behind him, Tsu’tey also took a deep breath before returning to running a hand over his arm. Neytiri brought her hand to his cheek, her forehead creasing as she felt something by his jaw.
“Sorry, I didn’t shave today. It’s facial hair, like my eyebrows. Sky People have hair over most of their body. Most of us find it odd that the Na’vi don’t have any.”
Neytiri began to investigate him more closely, wanting to know as much as she could about this form before he left it behind. They had both taken off their larger pieces before flying, to be as close to him as they could, and she was reminded that the Sky People wore so much clothing for no reason. She pulled at his sleeve, creasing her brow until he sighed and sat up slightly to remove the fabric. He tossed the shirt off to the side and laid back against Tsu’tey, and she could see that he wasn’t lying about the body hair. He actually had hair on his chest and arms, and the musculature underneath was different than she had seen among the Na’vi. Compared to the body she was used to, his torso was shorter and broader.
Jake let himself relax into Tsu’tey’s hold, smiling at Neytiri as she began to touch his chest. Tsu’tey nuzzled into the side of his head, his breath slow and steady against Jake’s back. One of the things Jake had grown to love most about the Na’vi is their lack of hangups about physical, non-sexual intimacy. Skin contact was normal and healthy, and Jake hadn’t realized how touch starved he was before coming to Pandora. Neytiri began to shift them, tapping against Jake’s leg.
“Yeah, those are gonna stay on. Sorry.” He loved and trusted them, but he avoided thinking about how his legs looked as much as possible. Neytiri held eye contact, and he was barely able to feel the pressure of her hand on his leg. After a minute he sighed and adjusted their position so he could pull the loose pants off. Tsu’tey reached out to help, but Jake moved his hand away. “Let me do it. I’ve gotta be careful with how I move things, to keep from pressing on nerves or blood vessels.”
Jake began to pull the pants down over his hips, Tsu’tey’s hand on his back keeping him steady. He could feel when Tsu’tey registered the scar tissue from the scar, leaning back to get a better look. Jake let him look as he removed his pants, leaving his underwear on. His legs were paler than the rest of his body, and they were so thin. He leaned back, lifting his legs so they settled more comfortably between their bodies. Jake closed his eyes and tried to relax as he felt Neytiri gently touch his thigh.
“How much can you feel?” Tsu’tey’s voice was a low rumble in his ear.
“I have some feeling through my hips, but I can’t feel anything in my legs.” On the days when he wasn’t wallowing in his own misery, Jake knew that he had gotten somewhat lucky. The bullet had hit high enough to allow him to keep some dignity and function, and the original prognosis for spinal surgery had been good. He opened his eyes to look at Neytiri, sort of amused by the size difference between her hand and his legs. She moved closer, tucking her head against his neck. She leaves one hand on his calf, completely unbothered by his injury. Tsu’tey’s arm was firm around his chest, keeping a hand over Jake’s heart.
They stayed like that for quite some time, Jake occasionally poking one of them to remind them about the mask. He knew they’d have to leave at some point, but he didn’t want this moment of peace to end. He really hadn’t thought about what it meant to go through with the transfer. It was easy to hate this broken, useless body. Those feelings had been drilled into his head over two years of judgment and rejection. Society only cared about you as long as you were contributing, and a soldier who couldn’t walk had no place. He had become bitter and angry, and he focused those emotions on his body rather than the people around him. Being in the avatar only made that harder. That body could walk, it was strong and capable and it was the body that let him be with Neytiri and Tsu’tey. Grace had been right, he’d used it as an excuse to stop taking care of his human body.
Tomorrow he will be giving up this body. It would be worth it, in the end, but it was still the end of a part of his life. His partners were here so they could mourn, and he would need to as well. Neytiri and Tsu’tey reluctantly left after night had fallen. Jake laid on the bed alone, just thinking.
Notes:
No idea why this one took me so long to write, but it's time to post it and move on.
Chapter 24
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
On their 22nd birthday, Tommy had called. He called every week, listening to the phone ring and ring until Jake’s voicemail prompted him to leave a message. On that day, for a reason Jake couldn’t articulate, he picked up the phone.
“Jake! Hey! Happy Birthday, big brother.” Tommy was laughing, his voice light and happy. Jake could hear a lot of background noise, likely a bar Tommy’s friends had dragged him to. Jake wasn’t in a bar. He had stayed in his apartment, staring at the wall and brooding, as Tommy would say.
“Happy Birthday, Tommy.”
Neither of them knew what to say. It had been over a year since Jake’s injury and their last actual conversation, and tonight wasn’t the right time for any of it.
“Listen, the other Avatar trainees dragged me out here for a trivia night thing. I’ve gotta get back, but I’ll call again soon, okay?”
Jake didn’t respond, choked by grief and self-hatred and a deep longing to be out there with Tommy, normal and healthy and enjoying the time before he left the planet.
“I love you, Jake.”
“Love you too, Tommy.” And Jake hung up. He spent the rest of the evening staring at the photo he had taken with him on every mission. Two little boys with identical faces, smiling.
Tommy died a month before their 23rd birthday. When Jake had gone into cryo he hadn’t thought about how it would feel to reach that day alone.
Before he had left his apartment, Jake had indulged in one moment of sentimentality. Their possessions were limited on the transport, but they were allowed to bring a hard drive of files from home, if they chose. The morning he left, Jake had downloaded the voicemails Tommy had left him for the past two years onto the drive and tucked it into his bag, forgetting all about it when he arrived on Pandora.
The afternoon of Jake’s 23rd birthday he sat at a computer, staring at the files on his drive. He wasn’t sure he was ready to listen to them again, but every part of him was grateful that he had saved the files. On impulse, Jake added his video logs to the drive, as well as some of Grace and Norm’s logs. He had come over to the desk to record his last log, at least for official capacity, but there was more he wanted to keep saved somewhere for the future.
He wasn’t even sure who he intended to listen to these videos, but it felt right to click on the camera and start a far more personal log of the last two weeks. He poured his heart out, talking about Neytiri and Tsu’tey, how much he loved them and what it meant to be chosen by them. He spoke about his rites of passage, of the destruction of the Tree of Voices and Kelutral, the actions of the RDA and the pain they caused. He talked about Toruk and the Battle and everything he could think of since.
“So that’s where I’m at. The aliens have gone back to their dying world. A few have been chosen to stay, including Norm and Trudy. I’m grateful for that. I don’t know how I could do this without them. Neytiri says that the time of great sorrow is ending. We’ve made all these plans for the new world, but I don’t know what will happen. Toruk Makto is no longer needed, so I let him go. It’s just me now, and I don’t know what I’m doing. I barely know who I am. I was Tommy’s brother, but he’s gone. I’m an Omatikaya warrior, but I’ve only been learning for a few months. There is so much more, and so much has been taken. The only thing I’m really certain of is Neytiri and Tsu’tey.
I guess I just wanted this to be my last confession as a human. Don’t even know who’s gonna see this, but it felt right to save this last moment of being a human. Whatever happens tonight, everything’s gonna change.” Jake sighed, leaning back. “Well, I’ve got to go. Can’t be late to my own party. It’s my birthday, after all. This is Jake Sully signing off.”
Jake ended the recording, saving it to his drive. After a moment’s hesitation he deleted the file from the main database. That video was just for him. He was about to leave, but he had a thought.
Jake scrolled through the personnel logs, finding the name he was looking for. Paz Socorro had recorded the normal flight logs, but she also had a folder labeled “Miles.” Jake clicked on the first video in the folder, and smiled when he realized it was what he had hoped to find. He saved the folder to his drive before leaving the room. The drive was tucked into a box with his other human belongings. He and Neytiri hadn’t talked about kids, but there was a chance that one day, he’d have someone to show these things to. He would definitely share them with baby Miles, at the very least.
Jake looked around the quarters he’d been using. He’d packed away everything, except for the basic supplies kept in every room. He moved closer to the mirror, studying his face. This was the last time he’d see this body, at least while he was in it. He had cleaned himself up that morning, running through his routine for the last time. It was strange to be doing something for the last time. He knew that Mo’at was confident he was going to survive, but today felt like a birthday and a funeral at the same time. He didn’t care much about his body, much happier and more comfortable in his avatar, but at the same time… This was the body that started out as one with Tommy. This body had protected him, had survived war. Tommy hadn’t gotten a funeral. It felt like he was burying them both tonight, like this body would carry both of them into the earth.
Norm was waiting for him by the ship. His avatar was still recovering, but Norm wasn’t going to miss his friend’s rebirth ceremony. It wasn’t every day that someone gets transferred into the avatar body with the blessing of a deity.
They didn’t talk on the way over. There really wasn’t anything to say, so they just sat in a companionable silence. Neytiri and Tsu’tey were waiting when they arrived at the edge of the well. Norm greeted them both before leaving to find some of the Olangi he had become friends with. Jake pulled himself over to the edge of the Samson. They hadn’t bothered to bring his wheelchair, and he was struggling with not being able to do this on his own. Neytiri came closer and knelt so that they were almost at equal eye level. She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Tsu’tey put a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to move aside. He seemed more grounded after their conversation, more comfortable with the ceremony.
“We must prepare this body. Mo’at has arranged a private space.”
Jake nodded, moving his arms to let Tsu’tey carefully lift him. It really should feel infantalizing, especially with the height difference, but Tsu’tey does not pity him or think him lesser. His hold is firm, and Jake lets himself lean into the body that’s holding him. Neytiri leads them to a secluded clearing, where a few baskets were waiting. Neytiri sits down in the center, and Jake is set down next to her. She lets him lean on her side for balance, running one hand through his short hair. Tsu’tey settles in front of him.
Jake had been present for Grace’s preparations. He knew that they would need to remove everything but the exopack and wash him before wrapping him in vines. Neither of them seemed ready to begin, so Jake took the first step by unclipping the filter pack from his waist and leaning over to remove his socks. He hadn’t bothered with shoes earlier, they were just one more thing to have Norm bring back to base.
His movement seemed to spur Neytiri into action. She grabbed a bowl of water as he removed his shirt, beginning to wash his back and shoulders. Tsu’tey took his hands, running the soft cloth over his arms. Neytiri finished his back, one hand tracing the scar on his lower back. Tsu’tey was carefully swiping the cloth across his chest, not quite making eye contact. Jake reached out, leaning so his mask was pressed against Tsu’tey’s forehead. He grabbed Neytiri’s hand with the other arm, pulling her in closer. She tucked her head against his neck, trying to keep her breathing steady.
“I’m going to be okay. I need you to know that. I’m not leaving you. This just means I get to stay with you, forever.”
Jake kept his voice quiet but insistent. Neytiri nodded against his shoulder and they both pulled back to let him pull the rest of his clothes off. He’d always found the motions to take off his pants deeply undignified, but he found no shame in nudity. They handle him like he’s something precious, wrapping his body in soft vines.
Neytiri is the one to carry him out to the Tree of Souls. The entire clan had gathered in rings around the tree, connected to the roots. Tsu’tey had already carried his avatar to the base of the tree where Mo’at was waiting. He sat by the avatar’s legs, and Jake kept his eyes focused on Tsu’tey’s as he was carried through the crowd.
Neytiri set him down gently on the ground, head to head with his avatar. Mo’at began to chant, as as the clan joined her the sound filled the well. Jake could feel it in his chest as tendrils began to reach for him. It felt a bit like the link, his mind being pulled away from his body, but there was more to it, something older and all-encompassing. He let the voices fade, falling into the feeling.
Neytiri leans over Jake’s body as the tendrils slowly cover him, connecting him to the tree. She could see the moment his soul moved from his body, the pale form going still and silent. She pulls the mask from his face, gently pressing a kiss to each of his eyes. She moves over to perch above the other body, Tsu’tey putting a hand on her back as they both lean closer. There was a long moment where the body remained vacant, but then he seemed to come back to himself. His eyes open, and all of the fear in her body leaves.
Jake opens his eyes to see Neytiri, illuminated by the glow of the tree. He smiles, and his body feels like his own. There was always some part of him that knew he was in the link, but that feeling was gone. Every part of this body was fully his. He can hear the clan cheer, disconnecting from the tree to begin the celebration, but he didn’t pay any attention to that. His focus was on Neytiri perched above him and Tsu’tey by his side. Neytiri moved off of his legs, and Jake turned to look at his former body. He had just felt the size difference, but his human body looked so small. It looked like Tommy.
They had already chosen a place to lay the body. Tsu’tey carried the body, Neytiri supporting Jake. Jake could see how hard it was for Tsu’tey to let the body go, placing it in the hollow in the roots. Jake and Neytiri knelt next to him, looking at the body.
Jake hadn’t cried the day he found out Tommy had been killed. He wouldn’t cry tonight, but not for the same reason. This was a different kind of funeral, because it wasn’t a goodbye. Jake was leaving behind a body, but not the identity or history that came with it.
He turned to Tsu’tey, pulling the other man against his side. Neytiri draped herself over his back, reaching one hand arround to press against his chest. Jake didn’t know how long they sat there, but he knew they both needed it.
After some time, he spotted Mo’at out of the corner of his eye. He nudged both of them to sit up, inviting Mo’at closer. She was carrying a basket, and when she reached them Jake could see it was filled with flowers. Mo’at placed the flowers over the body, reciting a prayer she had said far too many times in the last week.
“Do you grieve for this body, Jakesully?”
“No. That body brought me to where I needed to be. This is my future now.”
Mo’at hummed, laying one last flower on the body.
“I presume my daughter has told you about song cords.”
“Yes, she has.” Jake cocked his head, curious, as Mo’at reached into the basket and pulled out a small length of leather.
“It is tradition for parents to begin a child’s cord when they are born. But this is not a traditional situation.” Mo’at reached for Jake’s hand, curling his fingers around the cord. “You have been reborn as one of us. It is your right to make a cord, to create a record of your life.”
Jake nodded, holding the cord tighter in his fist and trying to hold back tears. He knew that the items on song cords indicated significant moments, and he tried to think of what he would begin his song with. He looked down at the flowers surrounding the body, and thought of the first Omaticaya funeral he witnessed.
Jake reached up, pulling a braid over his shoulder and untying one of the beads at the end. He brought the trinket forward, showing Mo’at the rock he had picked up in the forest that day, the two colors swirled together like the yin-yang symbol he’d seen on Earth.
“It reminded me of my brother. Feels like a good place to start the record. I wouldn’t be here without him, and I don’t want to forget his place in my life.”
Mo’at smiled, taking the cord and the rock from him and expertly tying them together. Jake knew there were other moments he had to add, beads for his iknimaya and the fall of Hometree. He thought of the Toruk tooth that was still with his belongings, knowing it was meant to record his time as Toruk Makto. There was only one way to start his cord, but now he got to experience everything that would come to be added. Mo’at handed the cord back and he tied it to his tewng.
Mo’at stood and placed a hand on her daughter’s head before walking back to the celebration. Tsu’tey took a deep breath before speaking.
“Would you like to join the others?”
“I will. There’s just something I have to do first. You two should go, I’ll join you in a bit.”
Neytiri looked hesitant, but she nodded and kissed his cheek. Tsu’tey raised a hand to Jake’s face, holding him for a moment before standing. Jake watched them go, Neytiri taking Tsu’tey’s arm and leaning close to talk to him.
He grabbed his queue and stretched out an arm to grab one of the tendrils. He had just been with her, but there wasn’t time to talk.
“Thank you, Great Mother. To give me this body… You’ve given me a future, a chance to be happy. Mo’at says you have chosen me for something. I promised you I would fight, and I will continue to do everything I can for the People.”
The bond seemed to pulse, and to Jake it almost felt like the way Grace laughed. He smiled, thinking of what she would say to all of this.
“I know Grace is happy with you. She belongs there, watching over us.” Jake looked down at his cord. “My brother would have loved this. He was so good, so bright. I know that he died far from here, and that there’s no way you would have ever known him, but I want you to. I want you to know who he was, ‘cause he’s the reason I’m here.”
Jake took a shaky breath, trying to relax and let his mind go calm. He thought of the photos and the voicemails, pushing every memory he had of his brother through the bond. He had no idea if this would work, but he knew that Eywa was listening, just as she had the last time he spoke to her. He lingered on one of his earliest memories of Tommy. They had hated being separated as children, and whenever one of them had a nightmare they would curl up on the same bed, hiding under the covers and whispering stories about what they were going to do when they were older. The world was easy when they were that young, before they knew who the real monsters were.
Jake let the memory fade, the tendrils near him swaying. He disconnected the bond, the grief he still carried in his chest lightened. He stood and turned away from the tree and the body at its roots, walking toward his new life. He had people waiting for him. It was his birthday, after all.
Notes:
And we have finally reached the end of the first movie. I truly can't believe that this story is over 50,000 words, and I have so much more to write. Thank you all so much for reading, I'll have more in a few days.
Chapter 25
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When Jake woke the first morning in his new body, he was warm and comfortable. He was lying on his back, Neytiri’s head on his chest and Tsu’tey’s tucked into his neck. She had taken her hair out of its braids for his ceremony, the long strands hiding everything but the tip of her ear, twitching in her sleep. He could feel Tsu’tey’s slow breathing, his tail curled around Jake’s leg. Jake breathed in, and did the thing he thought about every morning - he wiggled his toes. And this time, they moved. This was his body, really his, and it was the body that had fought for his people and allowed him to be with the two he loves.
Jake had never been very good at sleeping in. He had always been a light sleeper, and the military didn’t help that. Normally he would just get up and find something to do, but he didn’t want to disturb them. He knew last night was hard for his partners, as was the last week. Jake turned his head to rest his cheek on Tsu’tey’s braids, the other man tightening his arms around Jake’s waist. Jake shifted the arm on Neytiri’s side to trace the line of her back.
Everything was quiet and still this early in the morning. There were always a few early risers beginning to prepare for the day, and the forest woke with the sun, but he could just lay there in peace and think. There were a thousand things to do in the next few weeks, between moving and setting up a new village and helping the humans adjust to their new lives. Part of Jake wanted to panic, to hide from everything and everyone who needed him. That was the part of him that didn’t think he’d survive the battle, and almost preferred it that way. He’d go out in a blaze of glory, protecting the people and leaving a good legacy. Surviving was messy, it only left room for failure and disappointment and the chance that the two beautiful people curled around him would see who he really was one day. And it wasn’t just them, it was the entire clan and everyone at Hell’s Gate. It was baby Miles, who was so young and alone, who needed a parent to care for him. Honestly, who was he to be that person? Who would ever trust him with a kid? All Jake had ever been good at was fighting, and that wasn’t what the kid deserved. He could leave Miles with Norm and Trudy, or anyone else at base. He could keep his distance, make sure the kid only ever knew him as one of the Omaticaya, but… He didn’t want to. It was selfish and stupid, but he wanted this. All of this. He wanted to have his partners by his side, to be loved by them and grow a family. They had all faced so much pain and loss, and he wouldn’t be one more thing that they’d have to mourn. Not again, not after last night.
Jake wasn’t sure how long he just laid there thinking, but he was pulled back into the present when Tsu’tey shifted, stretching and moving his hand from Jake’s waist. He pulled away just far enough to sit up and blink at Jake, who smiled. He’d never woken up before Tsu’tey with the whole link situation, so he’d never seen how soft and vulnerable he looked first thing in the morning.
“Morning, handsome.” Jake kept his voice pitched low and quiet, trying not to laugh when Tsu’tey just grumbled and tucked his head back against Jake’s neck.
Jake hummed, one hand reaching to move the braids out of Tsu’tey’s face. From their position Jake could just see his ear and the edge of his jawline, which he ran his fingers over. Tsu’tey grumbled something else before relaxing and pressing a kiss to Jake’s neck. This time Jake did laugh lightly, jostling Neytiri. She blinked awake slowly as Jake brushed the hair off of her face as well. She’d have to re-do her braids before they got started with the day, but he liked it like this. She took a deep breath and stretched slowly, moving to prop herself up on his chest. He kept his hand on her face, his thumb moving over her cheek.
“Hi, beautiful.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, still not quite awake. He smiled wider, moving his hand to the back of her neck to tug her closer and kiss her forehead. She huffed, kissing his cheek before pulling back.
“It is early.” Jake nodded, feeling Tsu’tey start to move at Neytiri’s voice. “How long have you been awake?”
“A bit. Just been thinking. It’s nice, when everything’s quiet like this.”
Neytiri nodded, still in the fuzzy, half-awake state where everything feels a bit like a dream. Her boys had fallen asleep before her the night before, tired after the emotions of the ceremony. She had stayed awake, watching Jake. She had spent many mornings waiting for him to join her, his body still and empty until the moment he was suddenly just there, but it wasn’t like that anymore. He had actually slept last night, still there with her even if he wasn’t awake. His forehead had creased and tail moved as he dreamed, and she could feel that he hadn’t left. It was easier to fall asleep after that, her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat, slow and strong and steady.
He looked more like himself this morning, more settled in his body. She wanted to ask what he had been thinking about all morning, but it wasn’t important. They had their entire lives to look forward to, he would come to her if he needed. Or, he would go to Tsu’tey, who was reluctantly beginning to face the day. It amused her to see him like this, lazy and a little childish, the way she remembered him before everything had gone wrong. Sometimes she forgot how young he was, especially when he took to leadership so easily. Jake was good for him, and together they would make sure Tsu’tey didn’t crumble under the weight of his responsibilities.
Neytiri stays quiet as they get ready for the day, Tsu’tey helping with her hair as he and Jake talk about the plans for the village. There was something easy about the way they fit together, the cadence of their voices washing over her as she pulls her hair back from her face. Jake seems to be in a good mood, laughing at something Tsu’tey said as he tries to put on an armband. She reaches out, tying the leather around his strong arms. For a moment she thinks of a smaller, paler arm with dark ink in the spot the armband occupies, but that body is at rest.
When they left their sleeping area, Neytiri could see that the clan was beginning to wake and prepare for the long day ahead. Moving the clan and the belongings they had left could not be done in a day, not with the injured, so half of the clan was heading out after the morning meal to begin building the new village. It would be an adjustment to no longer live in one central tree, but they all agreed that the grove of trees could be adapted for hammocks and suspended family areas, with the healers and artisans working from structures on the ground. Neytiri had been assigned to help her mother and the healers. Tsu’tey was in charge of the entire proceedings, she likely wouldn’t see him for the rest of the day. And Jake had been recruited for any manual labor, as had the other uninjured warriors. He had barely finished eating before being dragged away to assist with packing.
Mo’at was quiet as she tied her baskets to a pa’li. Neytiri kept an eye on her mother as she moved through the group preparing for the trip. Her mother had a peace to her that Neytiri had always envied, and the ability to accept what was happening around her and trust in the future. For a woman who had lost so much, she was remarkably hopeful, and Neytiri tried to conjure that energy within herself.
The trek up to Vitraya Ramunong had not exactly been quiet, but it had been solemn. Neytiri could still hear the wailing, the crackling of the burning forest and the way the children choked on the smoke. Their return was heralded with a bright, warm day and a calm forest, the older warriors beginning an old chant to keep pace ahead of where Neytiri walked with her mother. Ikran screeched as they flew above the procession, taking the first round of supplies to the new site. Neytiri longed to fly, but her heart was not ready to replace Seze. She would know when it was time.
The next week was filled with endless projects to complete, and Jake was exhausted. He had been helping with every new structure in the village, barely getting a moment to eat before he was called for again. When he wasn’t given a task by the adults, the children asked for him, or he would get a message from Hell’s Gate. The only time he had seen his partners in days was the few minutes before and after sleep. As Olo’eyktan and tsakarem, they were just as busy, if not more so, so Jake didn’t complain. He did everything he could to take some of Tsu’tey’s burdens, and to maintain the fragile peace between the Omatikaya and the humans. On the third night he dreamed that Tsu’tey had fallen in battle and he had to take over as Olo’eyktan, and when he woke he thanked every deity he could think of for the world they lived in. He was a military grunt, much happier supporting a commander than being in the position himself. So he lifted logs and stretched leather and hung hammocks, and when he could he checked on his partners.
After a week, the village was functional and the entire clan had moved in. They had even started the construction of the new mother loom. Jake could finally take a break, and as much as he wanted to just lay around doing nothing he felt called to visit Trudy and check on baby Miles. He found the little one first, awake and chewing on the ear of a stuffed toy. The kid had been moved into one of the bunk rooms, now adapted into a nursery, choosing one near the avatar wing so Jake could move through easier. Miles babbled when he maneuvered into the room, making grabbing motions at Jake. He lifted the baby easily, settling him against his chest as he sat against a wall. Jake let himself fully relax, smiling at the baby as he grabbed the beads around Jake’s neck. The kid seemed particularly fascinated by a river stone on one of the necklaces, and Jake was so amused by his baby noises that he didn’t hear someone else come in until she spoke.
“Smile, Jake.”
Jake looked up to see Trudy aiming a camera at them, managing a confused smile before the photo was taken. Trudy looked at the photo and laughed, leaning on her crutch. Norm had tried to insist she use a wheelchair until her balance recovered, but he quickly realized that she would not listen to him.
“Found this in some of the science equipment. Figured you’d want some photos to show the little man when he gets older.”
“It’s good to see you up and about, Trudy. How are you feeling?”
“Eh, I’ve been better. But they finally let me out of the medical wing. Heard you were coming over to see the kid, so I thought I’d stop by.”
She sat down on the bunk, currently just used as storage for some stuffed animals and blankets. She winced as she moved, but she really did look stronger. Miles made a noise, falling forward so his head was nestled by Jake’s neck. He could feel the soft curls against his chin.
“He really is a cute kid. Hard to imagine Quaritch was ever anything like this.”
Jake grimaced at the mental image of the hardass colonel as a baby. He probably came out of the womb in fatigues, a scowl firmly on his face. Miles might have his name, but Jake knew the kid was nothing like his father.
“You been adjusting to living on base permanently?”
“I guess. The physical stuff’s easy, I’ve been here a few years and know how things work. It’s the mental stuff, the fact that we can’t ever leave. Don’t get me wrong, Earth is a disaster and I don’t wanna imagine what we would face if we did return home, but… It was nice to know that it was an option.” Trudy sighed, her gaze trained on the baby currently trying to eat one of Jake’s braids. “How’s the new village?"
“Getting there. The major structures are all up, and people are settling into their new living spaces. Nice thing about being in a relationship with the clan leader is that we got to pick our own space.” They had chosen a particularly nice spot, and Jake had spent the evenings working on the coverings for their suspended living area. “But the Omaticaya are kinda in the same boat as you. They lost the only place they ever knew as home, and nothing can replace that. We’re just going one day at a time.”
“Norm has been driving himself crazy trying to help you guys, but his avatar hasn't recovered yet. I keep forgetting it’s only been two weeks.”
“Feels like a lifetime, especially with-” Jake gestured to his body, trying not to jostle Miles. “Every morning I move my toes, just to remind myself that this is my body. I don’t know if it’ll ever feel completely real.”
“I’m really happy for you.” Trudy smiled, reaching for the camera to snap another photo of Miles. “Definitely didn’t expect any of this when you arrived, but I think we’re in a good place.”
“You and Norm doing good?”
“Yeah.” Trudy blushed a bit, and Jake could see every bit of how young she was. “He’s good to me, you know? And now we have all the time in the world.”
“Any wedding bells in the future? Maybe some new friends for Miles?”
Trudy laughed, shaking her head at him. “Nah. Weddings are an Earth problem, we’re good to just be what we are. And no kids for me dude, I’m happy to be an aunt. What about you and your lovely wife?”
Jake tried not to blush as Trudy teased, shifting the baby to a more comfortable position.
“We haven’t really talked about it. I haven’t even told her about Miles, it’s been too crazy. In the future, maybe. I know that they both like kids, and always planned for them. Not sure if she wants kids with me though.”
“Dude, she mated with you against her parents’ wishes and trusted you with her entire clan. Pretty sure she’d be happy to have kids with you.”
“You’re right. Sorry, it’s just been so much lately and we haven’t really talked about all of it. Mo’at knows about the three of us, but I don’t know how we’re gonna handle the clan and how many traditions they broke for me. Being Toruk Makto can only excuse so much, and I don’t want to hurt them.”
Trudy pushed herself off the bunk, ignoring the crutch in favor of limping over to where Jake sat. She grabbed the arm he offered, letting him take her weight as she lowered herself to the ground. When she was down she leaned against him, offering her hand to the baby.
“Two weeks ago we turned our entire worlds upside down. We defied our commanding officers, our employers. You’ve only been here for three months, and now you have a new body and two partners. I crashed my ship thinking I was going to die, now I have to live with the consequences. This isn’t going to be easy, Jake. I’m doing better because of Norm, because I trust him. You should talk to them about this, face this united. I saw how much they love you. I mean, they came here to a place they hate just to see you before the ceremony.”
Jake wrapped an arm around her, leaning down to rest his head on hers. They sat and watched as Miles lost interest in her hand and went back to one of Jake’s braids.
“I miss Grace. I don’t know how I’m gonna do this without her.”
Trudy nodded. “I keep thinking of things to ask her, then I remember. I went to see her avatar in the lab, but I couldn’t stay. It doesn’t feel right, knowing what happened.”
“They want to use it for science, and that’s what she would have wanted. But I haven’t been to see it. If I want to talk to her, I’ll talk to a tree.”
“Does that really work? Do you think she can hear it?”
“Yeah. I do. I think she was there, protecting us.”
Trudy took a deep breath, blinking away tears. “Then, can you tell her I say hi? And tell her that I’m okay, and I miss her.”
“I can do that.” Jake’s throat felt tight. He was finally starting to grieve his brother and his former life in a healthy way, but he hadn’t gotten there with Grace. That wound was still too raw.
“You know, I mean it when I say I like being an aunt. Norm talked to me about the kid. We can help take care of him, when you can’t be here. I knew Paz, we were friends. I know this is what she’d want for him.”
“Thank you, Trudy. I really appreciate you and Norm. I’ll talk to Neytiri and Tsu’tey about him soon, and we can make a plan.”
“One day at a time, Jake. We’ll figure it out.”
Notes:
I am back, and it's time to move on to the domestic bliss after the war. Trudy and Norm are absolutely the best aunt and uncle, and baby Spider is a sweetheart. I'm a little nervous to write about the kids, but I have so many ideas.
Chapter 26
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A little over two weeks after the battle, everything seems to have stabilized. Jake had finished the basic structure of their living space, and slowly they were accumulating decorations and accessories. Neytiri’s current project was a new stand for her father’s bow, and Tsu’tey had been repairing his ikran’s saddle. Jake would visit Hell’s Gate every other day for a few hours, and every evening they would sit together in their home and work on their individual projects. It felt good, but Jake knew that the quiet wouldn’t last.
When Neytiri was tasked with leaving the forest to visit the clans who assisted with the battle and check on their recovery, Jake knew something would go wrong. He figured he was gonna screw up without her supervision, but he couldn’t go with her. Tsu’tey needed his support, and with the clan so fragile he knew he had to stay. Besides, the clans would trust Neytiri, talk to her honestly. Without Toruk, Jake would seem like an outsider.
She left on a quiet morning, heading out on pa’li with a few others after kissing him goodbye. Four days without her meant four days of trying to keep himself occupied and out of trouble, so Jake decided to gather materials in the forest for a project with the kids. He was almost immediately interrupted with a radio call from Norm.
“Jake, you copy?”
“I’m here, what’s up?”
“The grinders at Hell’s Gate are stopped again. Hale and her crew, they.. It’s just a huge mess. You need to get back here.”
“I’m on my way. Don’t let anyone kill each other until I get there.”
Katherine Hale was one of the few remaining humans, and the only one left who could run a mine and keep the power on. Jake liked her, honestly, and she seemed to respect the Na’vi. He had managed to negotiate a new site to mine for unobtanium, just enough to keep things running. The Omatikaya knew there would be some incidental damage to the forest, but he had hoped they could at least get the mine running before something went wrong.
Jake moved to the site on pa’li, hoping that he wasn’t too late. He realizes he made it just in time when he sees each side aiming at the other, arrows already in the wheels of the dozer. Jake thought back to the first day he arrived, those arrows being the first sign of the natives.
“Alright, that’s enough! Lower your weapons! Everyone just dial it back a notch.”
Ka’ani responded first, the other warriors following his lead. Hale’s team hesitated.
“I mean it, McCosker! Put them down.”
The man huffed in annoyance, but he lowered his gun. Hale stepped forward.
“Jake?”
“What the hell is this, Katherine? What happened to being delicate?”
“It’s not as bad as it looks. We’re just having a misunderstanding.”
“Is that true, Ka’ani.” The young warrior was loyal to Tsu’tey above all else, but he seemed to have accepted Jake as the second in command.
“No, it is not. I understand the Sky People perfectly.”
“The grinders are starving, Jake. I’m holding Hell’s Gate together with duct tape and a prayer. We’re out of everything, including time. We need to open up a new mine. This is a good spot. I did my due diligence and got the sign-off from the Omatikaya. Until something changed their minds.”
Jake sighed. “What’s wrong with the RDA’s old mine? I’ve seen that hole, it’s massive.”
“Have you seen it lately? When you kicked those bastards off the planet, they smashed their toys on the way out. Besides, a pit that size needs a full crew to run it. I have ten guys to cover all my shifts. We need something manageable and closer to home.”
“Alright, look. I hear what you’re saying. I’ll get you what you need. But the Omatikaya have been through hell and we need to be sensitive-”
Jake is cut off by McCosker, who he had been hesitant to allow to stay. He hadn’t fought against the Na’vi, but he was quick-tempered and rude and unwilling to compromise with their beliefs.
“They ain’t the only ones taking it up the tailpipe. This is us being sensitive.”
Jake held in his anger, turning back to Hale.
“Those toys the RDA smashed, can you strip those for materials?”
“Sure, I guess so. That buys us a few more days, maybe. But it’s not a solution.”
“That’s fine, a few days is what I need to get this sorted. For now. Call a Samson for pickup and leave the dozer here.”
“Thanks, Jake.”
Hale nodded, gathering her crew to call for a lift. Jake motioned for the warriors to come closer, reaching out a hand to Ka’ani’s shoulder.
“We talked about this, Ka’ani. These Sky People aren’t the same as the others. They may not understand Eywa’s will, but they stayed behind because they care about this place, and they want a free and safe home.”
“We understand, Toruk Makto. But this is our world, we are your people now, and we will do what we must to protect it.”
“I know. Just let me handle this.”
Tsu’tey did not fear the burden of leadership. He had known this would be his to bear since he was a child, and more than a decade of training had left him prepared. What he did not expect was everything else that had happened to bring him to this point. Mo’at knew what was happening, as did a few of the warriors. He had told his brother about the arrangement with Neytiri and Jake, trying to rekindle their relationship after the battle. His brother was a good man, and he had been under their mother’s judgment for too long.
And there was the issue he was currently avoiding. His mother, and the section of the clan she represented that felt Jake had stolen something from him, and if they knew the truth would accuse him of manipulating Tsu’tey and Neytiri. The day would come soon that they would have to speak about the situation publicly, but he wasn’t ready yet. He hoped that Arvok would be able to warn him before Artsut went on the warpath.
Tsu’tey walks through the new village, checking on the progress of the new school, which will mimic Graceaugustine’s. Some of the Dreamwalkers she had trained had offered to start lessons again, to strengthen the bond between the two groups, and Mo’at had agreed to it. As much as Tsu’tey wanted to work with the remaining Sky People, he worried that their presence would only cause more problems in these early days of recovery. As he nears the medic’s tent, he sees Yeyongo and her child, who had been burned during the aftermath of the battle. Tsu’tey approaches, seeing that Jake has returned from the forest and is standing by Mo’at. Two of the Sky People medics are trying to help the child, but his mother is refusing.
“Tsahìk, is there a problem?”
Mo’at doesn’t respond, trying to talk to the distraught mother.
“Please, Yeyongo, they only want to help your child! I promise no harm.”
The female medic tries to speak to her, but Jake cuts her off, letting Mo’at handle the situation. Tsu’tey stands back, but his mother pushing past the Tsahik to get to Yeyongo prompts him to move forward.
“You do not have to accept the devil’s medicine. Here, let me-”
“Not now, mother. Mo’at will handle this.” His mother scoffed but stepped back, letting Mo’at speak again.
“Do you trust me, child?”
“Yes, but I am afraid, Mo’at.”
“Courage is not the absence of fear, it is acting in the face of it.” Mo’at kept her voice low and steady as the medic approached, spraying an antiseptic numbing cream on the child’s wounds. The child relaxed, finally free of pain, and his mother weeps.
Mo’at steps back, letting the Sky People handle wrapping the wounds. Jake walks back to her side as they approach Tsu’tey.
“Thank you, Mo’at. We couldn’t do this without you.”
“The burden of leadership is on Tsu’tey, with you by his side. Leave the healing to me.”
“I am grateful for both of you. I rely on your strength to bolster mine.”
Jake crouched next to one of the injured, checking that she is well. “I don’t feel very strong right now. I knew what I signed up for, what to expect of a battle. The kids don’t deserve this. I feel like they’re suffering because of me.”
Tsu’tey placed a hand on his shoulder, lacking the words to reassure his partner. He would find them later, for now Mo’at would be their voice of reason.
“If not for you, no one would have made it out of Hometree alive. Now we work together with the Sky People, and we are better for it. This is Eywa’s will.”
Artsut’s angry voice interrupts the conversation.
“You do not follow Eywa. You spit in her face! You expect us to trust you? After you led the Sky People right to us? Hometree would still be standing if not for you.”
“Artsut-” Mo’at voice is harsh, trying to stop the healer’s tirade, but Artsut refused to back down.
“No! You are equally guilty, Mo’at. It was your daughter who smuggled this Dreamwalker into our home. And now you allow him to corrupt my son. He is a danger to Tsu’tey, to his role as Olo’eyktan.”
“Enough, mother. You are upsetting everyone here. This is not the time or the place for this.”
“Her river of hatred for me flows back years. That is what this is really about.” Tsu’tey knew this. He had spent many hours as a child listening to his mother rant about the Tsahìk, about how Mo’at was not listening to the will of Eywa.
“Mother, I fought beside Jakesully. I have chosen to listen to his advice, to rely on his help with our neighbors. He has not corrupted me, and I will not allow you to insult Neytiri.”
Artsut hissed, turning her back on him.
“One day, my son, you will come to see reason. This Dreamwalker has no place in the clan or in your life.”
Tsu’tey watched her walk away, struggling to keep calm. The clan needed him to be a leader, and yelling at his mother in public was not a good example to set. He would speak to her later, when Jake made his regular visit to Hell’s Gate. Tsu’tey wasn’t thrilled he went so often, but those were also his people, his friends. He would learn to live with it.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I’ve heard worse, and honestly we both knew your mother wasn’t happy with this. I guess we can’t put it off much longer.”
Tsu’tey hummed, leaning slightly against Jake’s side. He looked around the healing area, noticing his brother waiting to speak with him.
“We will discuss this later. I need to speak with Arvok, he will know more.”
Jake nodded, watching Tsu’tey walk over to the young man. Amy called him over to translate for another patient, and he had to turn away from their conversation.
“Arvok, what is wrong?”
“Sorry, brother. I did not know she would do that. I spoke with Father earlier, they are angry at Jakesully. They believe he is harming you, and want to find a way to remove him from the clan. I told them I did not want to help, and they agreed to wait, but you need to be prepared.”
“Thank you for telling me. Is there anything else?”
“I had told Father that I admired how well Jakesully fought, and he suggested that I ask him to teach me. He gave me a new hunting knife to practice with. I am unsure what his motives are, but some of the other warriors would also like to learn.”
“I am sure Jake would enjoy that. Just be careful, and make sure no one gets carried away. We train to first blood, not to harm each other.”
They ended up finding time to train later that day. Arvok had gathered a group of young warriors, including Ka’ani and Saeyla. Tsu’tey sat off to the side to observe, a bit nervous about allowing people to fight Jake, especially Saeyla. She had tried to talk to him after the battle, but it had been late evening and Jake and Neytiri were pressed against his sides, trying to convince him to go to bed. The look on her face… Tsu’tey knew she had feelings for him, and that his attempts to push her away or convince her to look elsewhere had not worked. Saeyla was among those who had heard of their arrangement, likely from Ka’ani, and Tsu’tey worried she would try to push the issue.
Tsu’tey tried to ignore his reservations. There was no time to think about it that day, not when the attack came so quickly after, but he had seen how well Jake fought, the ease with which he moved around his attacker. It would be good to see him in a lower-stakes situation. Training was done to first blood, in accordance with their tradition of ritual combat, and many young warriors had thin scars on their arms or chest from the fights. Tsu’tey had just one scar, as he had won every other fight. Watching Jake easily beat the first warrior, he wondered who would win if they fought.
Jake fought instinctively, like he trusted his body to know what to do before his mind caught up. He is confident and eager, moving fluidly. When the fight was over, he spoke to the warrior, pointing out what he had done wrong and reassuring him. It was good to see that he would be a good teacher one day.
Arvok was the third person to fight. Tsu’tey saw Saeyla whisper something to him before he stepped into the ring, but he didn’t think anything of it. Arvok seemed excited, clearly emboldened by the way Jake had treated the first two warriors. There was no shame in losing a fight like this, only a chance to learn, and the others were going to admire him for suggesting this in the first place.
Jake watches Arvok carefully as they circle each other. Arvok strikes first, but Jake dodges easily and blocks his next strike, kicking the younger man in the back. Arvok tries again, but Jake catches his arm and cuts his arm, leaving a thin line of blood. At the sight of blood they both step back, Jake grinning and complimenting Arvok. Tsu’tey is proud of his brother, how well he fought and how he accepted his loss with grace. He is growing into a fine warrior.
They linger for a moment, chatting, before Saeyla pushes through and grabs Arvok’s knife, demanding that she go next. Arvok seems confused, but he steps back. Tsu’tey sits up a bit straighter, not liking the look on her face.
The fight starts like the others, but Saeyla grows more aggressive than he had ever seen her fight. Perhaps the stress of the battle was getting to her, and she was using this opportunity to vent frustration. He would have to speak to her later, these fights were not the time to allow your anger to get the better of you. Good warriors have been hurt that way. Jake is forced to move faster, dodge more, as she swings at him, but he is still the better fighter. He ducks under her arm and slices up, a thin line appearing on her rib, before stepping back quickly.
Jake breathes deeply, catching his breath. He loves this kind of training, his blood pumping and muscles burning. He felt energized, genuinely enjoying showing the warriors how he learned to fight. Saeyla panted, her hair obscuring her face as she bent over slightly. She seemed a bit erratic, but Jake had seen some Marines get that way after a big battle. She’d cool down after a while. He turns away from her, catching Tsu’tey’s eye and grinning. That was the best part of this, the way Tsu’tey watched. Jake had felt like an idiot for so much of the training process, but he really was good at this. Jake took a step, intending to grab some water before showing Arvok how to correct his stance, when Saeyla called out.
“You, demon!”
He turned to see her knife hurtling towards him. There was no time to think, and he instinctively caught it by the blade, the sharp edge digging into his palm.
“Hey, woah. No need for that.”
Jake looked back down at his hand. Blood began to drip down his arm, and he felt… fuzzy? A wave of cold washed over him, and he went numb.
Tsu’tey had stood when Saeyla shouted, watching as Jake caught the knife. He quickly turned to find Mo’at, who often hovered near these fights to ensure no one got hurt. He found her moving toward the fight, concerned by the noise, and he pushed through the warriors just in time to see Jake’s eyes roll back as he collapsed to the ground.
Tsu’tey lunges forward catching Jake, crying out for Mo’at. Jake’s skin is cold and clammy, and he shakes and gasps for breath in his arms before going still. Mo’at rushes over, her eyes wide in fear.
“He has been poisoned.”
Tsu’tey jerks his head up in shock, turning to Arvok and Saeyla. Her face is difficult to read, but Arvok is trembling, scared and confused.
“It was my knife. The poison was on my knife.” Arvok gasped, looking out at the crowd. “Father, Mother, what have you done?”
Tsu’tey finds his parents standing outside of the circle, looking almost pleased. He clutches Jake tighter to his chest, curling over him protectively. The body in his arms is still and cold, and he tries not to choke on the fear rising in his throat.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Artsut steps forward, glaring. “The demon has infected you. He has infected this clan, stolen your intended. With the pretender dead, we can move the clan back into Eywa’s light.”
“Did you do this?” Tsu’tey’s voice is edged with danger and grief, and he snarls at his parents.
“I merely gave your brother the blade, I did not not know he would poison it.”
Arvok stumbles back, staring at the dagger in horror before turning and sprinting away. Tsu’tey gestures to one of the warriors to follow him, knowing in his heart that this was not his brother’s doing, not with the look in his mother’s eye and Saeyla’s insistence on using the blade.
“Your reign of ignorance and betrayal is over, Mo’at. You are not fit to lead this clan.”
“After all that the People have suffered, after losing everything we have cherished. As we bury our dead and struggle to make ourselves whole again, you choose now to settle old scores?”
“It was your lack of foresight that allowed the Sky People to turn our history to ash.”
Ka’ani steps in between the women, trying to prevent violence.
“Enough. None of us are seeing clearly in this moment of chaos. Your grievances will be heard-”
“No! Let her speak.” One of the women in the crowd speaks up, and Tsu’tey knows she had raised concerns about Eytukan’s leadership before his death. Another voice calls out in agreement, and Tsu’tey realizes they have already run out of time to deal with their issues. Ka’ani continues to reason with Artsut when Jake gasps for breath, his back arching in pain, and Tsu’tey’s chest fills with hope.
“He still breathes. He is alive. We must take him to Vitraya Ramunong, to save him!”
Tsu’tey lifts Jake’s body into his arms, just as he had only days before for his ceremony. Ka’ani rushes over to help support the body.
“Do not dare! The poison will infect the tree and everything around it. If he was truly chosen by Eywa, then let him save himself.”
Tsu’tey feels his fury boil over, unable to hold his tongue as Jake gasped weakly in his arms.
“He is Toruk Makto. He saved us all, fought for us. He was chosen, and he will be saved now.”
Mo’at nodded, rushing them through the crowd as he called for Ngam’i’a. His beautiful ikran descended from the sky, screeching as she sees the limp form he is carrying. Ka’ani calls for his mount, helping Tsu’tey lift Jake up before pulling Mo’at onto his ikran. Tsu’tey adjusts Jake, pressing the body to his chest before taking to the sky, raising a hand to the comm unit he still wears to inform the Sky People what has happened. He can hear the panic in Norm’s voice as he calls for a pilot.
They had made this journey a dozen times in the days before and after the battle, and Tsu’tey had hoped to not see the tree for many months, or at least under better circumstances. He laid Jake at the base of the tree, just as they had the last time, and he could not shake the memory of Grace’s death from his mind. Some of clan had followed them on ikran or pa’li, crowding around the tree in support. Tsu’tey knelt by Jake, brushing a hand over his braids as they waited for the Sky People. He tried not to look at his parents, afraid of what his reaction would be.
Three small forms made their way through the crowd, Norm rushing over to check on Jake. Tsu’tey liked him. He had chosen to fight, and Jake considered him a brother. It was reassuring that they had come so quickly to his aid. The woman who had negotiated the mine came closer, addressing Mo’at.
“Why are we here?”
“Please, you may be the only ones who can save him. The poison coursing through his veins is lethal to Na’vi, but somehow it has not yet claimed Jakesully’s life.”
Norm spoke up, looking at the results on his tablet as he scanned Jake. “Might be the human DNA in his avatar. I mean, he’s 100% Na'vi, just not physically.”
Tsu’tey thanked the Great Mother, perhaps for the first time, that Jake had Sky People traits even in this body. His extra fingers were odd, but they have saved his life.
“Okay, I get that. But why call us?”
“There is an antidote. However, it resides in a place the Na’vi cannot go.”
“What are you doing? This is forbidden!” Ateyo tries to stop Mo’at, but Tsu’tey snarls at him.
“It is the only way. The antidote derives from a plant that grows only inside of a cave. Its opening is too narrow but for the smallest Na’vi child. The descent is perilous, and there are dangerous creatures inside.”
“Mo’at, stop. This place is sacred. We cannot allow these humans to trample around inside. Let us find a young one who is able to-”
“I will not risk a child’s life.” Mo’at cuts Ka’ani off, her voice firm. Tsu’tey agrees, knowing that the clan is too vulnerable to ask a child to attempt this when the Sky People are armed and capable.
“But you’ll throw ours away for it?” This comes from the Sky Person Tsu’tey does not like, and he knows that Jake agrees with him.
Ka’ani stands, trying to stop this. “If you undertake this, you destroy any goodwill we have built between our people.”
Tsu’tey opens his mouth to speak, but Norm gets there first.
“That won’t matter. If Jake dies, any hope of peace dies with him.”
“This is a farce, you cannot-”
“Ka’ani, stop. If the Tsahìk allows it, then they will go. We cannot allow one of our own to die in this way. Take them to the entrance, now.”
Ka’ani hesitates but agrees, gesturing for the Sky People to follow him. Tsu’tey turns to his parents.
“If you find Arvok, tell him to come here. Otherwise, I do not wish to see you.”
He looks back down at Jake, whose skin is pale and gray. He still trembles, barely breathing, and Tsu’tey begins to pray. He does not see the tendril emerging from the roots and covering Jake just as they did before.
Notes:
So this chapter and the next are a reinterpretation of one of the Avatar comics, the Next Shadow. I had to change things because Tsu'tey is alive, but I think it's an interesting plot to include.
Chapter 27
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jake remembers blood and his vision going dark, but he is surprised to wake up in a burning wasteland. He sits up, only to find that he is in his human body, albeit one that can still walk. He sees the forest around him burning, the cracking of the wood impossibly loud as smoke fills his lungs.
“No! I didn’t mean-”
The smoke takes the form of massive skulls grinning down at him as blue bodies begin to fall from the burning limbs, the bodies of men, women, and children contorting in the air.
“I can’t - I should’ve said something sooner! I could’ve stopped this.”
“But you didn’t.” Jake suddenly sees that the log in front of him is actually a box, and the body of his brother sits up, wreathed in flames. “Sooner or later, everyone you love ends up here.”
Neytiri appears next to him, her hollow eyes filled with glowing embers. “This is who you are, and who you will always be.”
“I expected better from you.” Tsu’tey stands behind him, larger than life and filled with rage. Jake knew this was the consequences of his arrogance, of everything he had ever done wrong. This is what he deserved, to burn just as so many others had. The ground beneath him crumbles, and he finds himself falling.
Why hadn’t he spoken up sooner, or tried harder to warn them. He had been selfish and greedy, wanting a body that wasn’t his, a life that wasn’t his. He wanted Neytiri, a life with her, and he wanted Tsu’tey, but in doing so he had taken everything from both of them. They would have been happy without him, the clan would have been unified. They would be so much better off without him. He had ruined so much, upended so many lives. Miles was an orphan of war, dozens of soldiers had been killed lightyears away from their families, and now those who remained struggled to keep the power on just to survive on a hostile planet. Jake looked around, seeing the silent forms of the dead staring at him from the fire.
“You're just a soldier playing house, son. Fooling yourself that you could be someone better!”
A massive form loomed over Jake, two arrows sticking out of his chest. Quaritch was just as angry as Jake remembered, his eyes hollow and his hair aflame.
“How can you keep the peace when all you know is destruction, much less try to take my son from me? Pathetic!”
Quaritch kicks, and Jake goes flying. He lands painfully at the feet of the Na’vi who had surrounded them. He may have saved the Omatikaya from the Sky People, but he knew that they needed to be saved from him. He was going to lead them to ruin. He deserved this punishment.
“No, Jakesully, you do not.”
The powerful, calm voice of Neytiri’s father snaps Jake out of it. Eytukan stands before him in full regalia, looking down at Jake without judgment.
“Eytukan, can you help me? I think my soul is sick.” Jake feels the tears running down his cheeks, the hollow, ringing pain in his chest.
“Only your body is poisoned, but you are not your body. These shells are temporary. Our sparks come from Eywa and they return to her, rejoining all those who came before.”
Eytukan steps forward, reaching out a hand to help Jake to his feet.
“My daughter chose you. You did not trick her into loving you. Just as Eywa chose you to become one of us. Not just to lead us in battle, but to join in our cycle.”
“Can you forgive me? For all of this?” The forest was still burning around them, trees falling and animals fleeing.
“You ask the wrong question. Can you forgive yourself?”
And Jake sees himself coming through the flames, only he is a giant. The spirit reaches for him, his hand as large as Jake’s entire body, and Jake closes his eyes. He feels himself being lifted, but he does not feel fear. None of this was his fault. He made mistakes, he was imperfect, but he had done his best to help the people he loved. He was not to blame for the actions of the RDA, but he is responsible for the choices he makes going forward. He would not be alone.
He felt himself settle into his body, the fire around the dying down as the forest seemed to spring back to life. Eytukan was smiling at him, proud. He turned and walked through the forest, and Jake followed.
“The poison is the work of Artsut. She has long held a grudge against my mate, and I am afraid that choosing her son as my successor only fed her delusions. I did not see what she was doing to her younger son, the damage she was inflicting. You must speak to Tsu’tey, find a way to help Arvok become his own man. And you must find mercy for their parents.”
“How do I help Tsu’tey lead? I feel like I’m drowning.”
“You are pulled between two worlds, your identity in question every day. You carry a heavy weight. Our lives are fleeting, we can only do our best with the time we have before slipping away and allowing the next generation to make their own mistakes. There will be pain to come, Jakesully.”
“I’m not afraid of pain.”
“Maybe not. But you are afraid to stare into the dark places in your own heart. To be whole, you must do so. Accept your flaws, find strength in them.”
Jake looks out and sees that they have made their way to where Mo’at is watching over his body, preparing to give him the antidote. Tsu’tey is leaning over him, supporting his head. His face is lined with pain, and his hands shake where they rest on his neck.
“They need your strength. They do not give up on you, so you must not give up on yourself.”
“I’ll try to live up to the faith you have in me.”
“You already have. Now you must return, to my daughter and the man I chose as my son. Take care of them, Dreamwalker.”
Jake feels the sensation of falling, before suddenly he is back in his body, jolting awake as he struggles to take a full breath. Mo’at is leaning over him, her face filled with relief, and Tsu’tey’s hands are on his back, supporting him as he sits up and coughs.
“Jake!” Norm calls out, moving closer, but Jake turns to the side and coughs up black gunk. It’s disgusting, but Tsu’tey holds his hair back and keeps a firm hand on his chest.
Tsu’tey holds Jake as he slumps back, his breathing still strained. Color is returning to his cheeks, and his skin is no longer cold. He turns to his parents, who are staring at Jake in shock.
“Bind them both. They will face justice.”
“Wait.” Jake’s voice is weak, but he pushes himself to stand. “I hold no grudge against them. They were only doing what they thought was best.”
“Yawne, they tried to kill you. They must face punishment.” Tsu’tey no longer cared if anyone could hear. He had spent the last two hours holding his beloved’s body as he slowly died, to hell with their opinions.
“And they will. There will be consequences, but there can also be mercy.”
“Keep your charity, demon! We regret nothing.”
“Do not speak, Mother. You have done enough.” Tsu’tey can see his brother on the edge of the crowd, and his heart breaks. “They cannot remain here.”
“‘Tey, are you sure? They’re your parents.”
“I am sure. Exile is my decision.” He turns to Mo’at who nods.
“What about me?” Arvok has moved closer, his shoulders pulled tight as he tries to take up less space. He looks so young.
“Brother, you were a victim in this scheme. If you wish, you may stay, or go with them. Our parents do not define you. You are a good man.”
“I wish to stay.”
Tsu’tey nodded, then looked to the warriors holding his parents. They released their bonds, pushing them forward to begin their exile. Artsut does not look back, but Ateyo takes a long moment to look at his sons. Tsu’tey tries not to react, but he isn’t sure what shows on his face.
When they are out of sight, Jake sways and almost falls before Tsu’tey catches him.
“Come, you need to rest. The poison has caused damage even with the antidote, and you will need time to heal.”
“I really thought we were past the hard part.”
“Difficult times will always come, my love. But we will face them together.”
“Trust me, I’m not going anywhere. Not if I can help it at least.”
Tsu’tey hummed, holding him tighter as they walked toward Ngam’i’a. He managed to get the other man up onto his ikran before he succumbed to sleep, once again supporting a limp body on the flight. Tsu’tey carefully carried him into their dwelling when they returned to the village, taking a moment to send a rider to inform Neytiri of what had happened before moving back to his side. Jake had curled on his side, mumbling in his sleep. Though it was barely evening, Tsu'tey laid down with him, needing the reassurance of his heartbeat and the way his chest moved as he breathed.
Neytiri returned early the next day. Tsu’tey had woken with the sun, gathering some food for Jake when he woke. He was still weak, but he seemed like himself. He wouldn’t talk about what he had seen when he approached the Eye of Eywa, only that he had been shown something he needed to see. Tsu’tey was hesitant to leave his side, placing Mo’at in charge for the day to keep an eye on his partner. After all they had been through, he could not handle another near death scenario. He felt as if Jake would disappear if he turned away, so he kept the other man in his sights as they waited for their third. Jake had insisted they wait in the forest, away from the clan, stating that he could only handle so much attention before he went mad. The forest was calm, the leaves swaying in the breeze as Jake leaned against him.
They both sat up as the sound of pa’li hooves approached, Neytiri bursting into view and throwing herself off of her mount.
“Jake! I returned the moment I heard!” She rushed forward, wrapping Jake in a tight hug. She tucked his head against her chest, reaching out to snag Tsu’tey’s chest piece and pull him into the embrace.
“Are you alright, beloved?”
“It was just a scratch.” He pulled back to show her the wound on his hand. She gave him a look, and Tsu’tey spoke up.
“He has been given the antidote. Mo’at says he will be fine in a few days.”
“I mean it, I’m fine. I’m not going anywhere. Can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“Skxawng. Do not joke. You have scared us far too much lately.”
“I know. I’m sorry, love. I promise, it’ll be quiet from now on.”
Notes:
The art of Jake's nightmare is genuinely really cool, even if I dislike the comics. I just don't think the characters look like themselves in the comics, their faces are all wrong and they don't look their age. Anyway, Jake is alive and he got some free therapy with his poisoning. Dealing with the clan is coming next, then babies.
Chapter 28
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tsu’tey left Neytiri to fuss over Jake, knowing he had to speak to Saeyla. He had not seen her since she threw the knife, but he knew she would not have left. She was not a coward, but it seemed she had been manipulated by his mother. He wondered how many his mother had spread her lies to, who among the clan doubted his or Mo’at’s leadership. He should have known better than to hope for an easy time after the battle.
Ka’ani seemed to know what he needed, leading him to one of the tents where Saeyla was waiting, watched over by a few warriors. She looked nervous, but not guilty, and did not meet his eye when he entered. Tsu’tey dismissed the warriors, but Ka’ani hovered by the entrance.
“We need to discuss what happened.”
“Yes, Olo’eyktan.” She kept her head down, her voice quiet.
“Did my mother tell you to use the knife?”
“Yes. She said that if Arvok failed, I was to use his knife.”
“Did she tell you about the poison?”
“No, Olo’eyktan. She only said that he needed to be defeated, to show the clan that he was weak.”
“Did you throw the knife with the intent to kill?”
She hesitated, and Tsu’tey sighed and lowered himself to the ground.
“Saeyla, I am your teacher and your leader. I ask for the truth - did you intend to kill Jakesully?”
“I don’t know.” She looked up at him, and there were tears in her eyes. “I was so angry, and I wanted to hurt him, but I don’t know how far I would have gone.”
Tsu’tey nodded, sitting in silence as she pulled herself together. He had known what her answer would be, but it hurt to hear that someone he had trained for years could harbor such feelings.
“I know you came to speak to me after the battle. What did you wish to say?”
“There was no time to speak to you after Neytiri mated with the Dreamwalker. We were preparing to fight, and so much happened. I found you after the battle because I wanted to see how you were doing, how you felt about Neytiri.”
“And why would you ask me that?”
“I think you know that answer, Olo’eyktan.”
“Why did you leave before speaking to me?”
“You know that as well. I thought I would find you… alone. Perhaps not heartbroken, but with Neytiri bonded to another you could be open to a new choice. But they were there with you, both of them, and you all seemed….” Saeyla trailed off, not sure how much she wanted to say out loud.
“I assume you talked to Ka’ani, after.”
“Yes. He told me what he had seen, how you spoke of them. I did not understand. I still don’t.”
“If you had come to me, I would have explained. I am not blind, Saeyla. I saw how you looked at me. I know what you wanted, when you came to me after the Dream Hunt. I have tried to be gentle, but I would have been honest.” She nodded, trying not to cry. “Did you go to my mother, or did she find you?”
“She came to me. Asked me why I was upset, so I told her what I had learned. She said that the Dreamwalker was dangerous, that he had corrupted you and Neytiri. She said that his blood could not be allowed to continue, that you must mate and have heirs so his children would never inherit Neytiri’s role.”
“And she said you were the best choice.”
“Yes. She said I am strong, and that our children would be great warriors. With the Dreamwalker shown to be a danger, she would take over as Tsahìk until another could be chosen.”
“She was using you, Saeyla. Just as she used my brother, and as she has tried to use me. She has been jealous of Mo’at since they were young, and she felt this was her chance to take power. You should have known better.”
“I know. I know, but it has all been too much. We have lost so much, and I just wanted…” She bit her lip, looking away. His heart broke a bit, for all that she had lost, for everything she had kept locked tight inside with no one to confide in. His mother had always been good at sensing vulnerability.
“I wish you would have come to me. I have been so proud of you, of your progress. I know that you are strong, and capable, and I hope you know that I care deeply about you. I never intended to hurt you.” He sighed, leaning forward to meet her eyes. “My parents have been exiled. They will cause no more harm to the clan. Arvok has chosen to leave the path of the warrior, to focus on finding where his talents lie without their influence. You must face a punishment for throwing the knife, but I will allow you to choose.”
“Thank you, Olo’eyktan. I wish to stay a warrior, but I will accept any punishment you choose.”
“We have many wounded, and there is still much to do. I will place you under Ka’ani’s guidance, and he will choose your tasks for some time. When he feels you are ready, then we may discuss your final rituals.”
She nodded, brushing the tears off of her cheeks. He waits, letting her gather herself to leave the tent and face the clan.
“I have one other question, Tsu’tey, but you do not need to answer.” He hummed, and she made eye contact. “Why him? Why did you both choose him?”
“You are not the first to ask me or Neytiri that, and you will not be the last. I do not know her answer, but mine is complicated. I hated him, at first. Hated what he stood for, the people he came from. I had allowed myself to grow bitter after Sylwanin died. The first few days, I thought he would never amount to anything but a threat. But Neytiri convinved me to look at him, to really See him, and as I trained him I saw who he was. Who he is. He is reckless and foolish and he has made selfish decisions, but he is a good man. I have seen the way he treats the children and the elders, how he cared for Graceaugustine and for every warrior who fought beside him. I chose him, because he made me remember who Sylwanin wanted me to be.”
Saeyla was quiet for a moment, digesting the information.
“I don’t think I will ever understand, but I will respect your decision.”
“That is all I ask. Jake is not angry at you, he holds no grudge, but it would be best to aplogize.”
“Of course, Olo’eyktan.”
Tsu’tey stood and let her leave the tent, giving himself a moment to think. Saeyla was not alone in her questions, including the problem of succession. If they were anyone else in the clan, they would have the time and privacy to figure these things out, but they were not. He went to go find his partners, leaving Ka’ani to handle the arrangements for patrol.
Neytiri had dragged Jake back to their dwelling, insisting that he rest. He was protesting when Tsu’tey returned, but the assertion that he was completely fine was undercut by the way he was still swaying when he stood. Neytiri spotted Tsu’tey first, her tail flicking in exasperation.
“Tell him that he nearly died yesterday, and he must rest.”
“Neytiri is right, yawne. Mo’at has said that you still need to heal, and there is nothing happening today more important than your health.”
Jake wanted to keep arguing, sick of being coddled, but he knew how scared they were of losing him. They had already buried him once, and the only reason he survived the poison was the little bit of human that was left in the avatars.
“Fine. At least give me something to do in here, doing nothing will drive me crazy.”
Neytiri nodded, grabbing some supplies for new garments as Tsu’tey got Jake down onto the mat. Jake slumped slightly, more tired than he had thought, and leaned against the other man.
“Did you talk to Saeyla?”
“Yes. My mother told her to hurt you, but she did not know about the poison.”
“I figured. She’s not the type to use poison anyway. Is she going to be okay?”
“Ka’ani will be handling her punishment, and she will be fine with time.”
“That’s good.”
Jake shifted, trying not to disturb any part of Tsu’tey’s chest piece. It was strange to see him wearing it in their home, as he used it like a physical reminder of his responsibility when out with the clan. In their space, he was free to remove it and just be himself. Jake figured it meant he wouldn’t be staying long. As much as he wanted to keep him from leaving, this was just how it was going to work being in a relationship with the clan leader. He looked down at where their legs were pressed together, carefully tracing around the new scar on Tsu’tey’s thigh from the bullet wound.
“Does this still hurt?”
“Not really. I am mostly healed.”
“You still limp, in the mornings. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I can handle myself.”
Neytiri crouched beside them, poking his shoulder near his other new scar.
“We are your family. We care about you. You don’t have to handle this by yourself, and you can’t stop us from helping you.”
Jake straightens up and sits back, blinking slowly as he tries to focus. They were probably right that he should rest, but it didn’t feel fair to sleep in the middle of the day when everyone else was being productive. He knows Neytiri is watching him closely, ready to force him to take a nap, so he took a deep breath and shook himself awake.
“I know that you have to deal with more scrutiny than we do. Something’s bothering you, and I want to help.”
Tsu’tey raised a hand to Jake’s face, letting him nuzzle into his palm. He focused on the feeling of warm skin and his bright eyes, focused and free of pain. It would take time to shake the image of his still, pale body ravaged by poison from his mind.
“Saeyla asked why we chose you. And she is not alone in her questions. I had hoped for more time, but my mother’s actions have shown that the clan needs to know what our plans are.”
Neytiri’s tail twitched and she started grumbling under her breath, sifting through her baskets aggressively. Jake tried not to smile. It was cute how frustrated she was, but he understood why. They had both spent their entire lives bearing the expectations of the clan, and he was the first thing they had chosen for themselves. Now everyone wants to chime in with an opinion or try to change their minds.
“I’m sorry about all of this.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“I’m the one making this harder for both of you.” Neytiri started to say something, but he held his hand up to stop her. “I know I’m being an idiot, but I can see how much this bothers both of you. Tsu’tey, you literally exiled your own parents yesterday.”
“They had not acted like my parents in many years. And they hurt you, yawne. They tried to take you from us, because they were blinded by anger and tradition.”
Neytiri had taken his hand, looking out of the entrance to their home at the other dwellings. She takes a deep breath before speaking.
“Our home has changed so much. Our way of life has changed, and we have lost so many. The clan has no say in our decisions, but they deserve peace of mind.”
Jake nods, thinking. “Okay. What are the big problems, the things that the clan needs to know?”
“The main issue is succession.” Tsu’tey sighed. “They want to know that you will not challenge my position, as you are the mate of the tsakarem. The other concern is children. By right, a child of Neytiri could inherit the position of tsakarem. Unless I mate and have my own children, then your eldest would become my intended heir. Of course, I could choose another as successor, but you could challenge that decision.”
“Okay, just so we’re on the same page-'' Neytiri's eye twitches every time he poorly translated an Earth phrase into Na’vi, but he powered on. “We figured our relationship out less than three weeks ago, but the entire clan wants to know our detailed plans for future children, who we haven’t even discussed having yet.”
“Essentially.”
“Great. Okay, well the first thing is easy. No way in hell I’m going to challenge you. I’m not meant to be a clan leader, all I want to do is support you and your leadership. As for kids, they’d be raised by all three of us. You two would be the ones to decide their position, that’s not my place.”
Tsu’tey looked at Neytiri, waiting for her to speak.
“Our plan for several years now has been that our children would be taught about our roles, and that they may choose when they are old enough. I see no reason that has to change.”
“Do you think… What happens if they have Dreamwalker traits, Sky People traits?”
It was one of the things Jake had started to think about with Miles, and how hard it would be for him to become part of the clan. Jake had no idea how Avatar genetics worked, as there had never been an opportunity for an Avatar to have a child. Neytiri looked up at him, fierce and already protective over their hypothetical child.
“They would be ours, and we would allow no harm to come to them.”
“I know that. But we can’t stop them from being judged, or excluded.”
“You are right.” Tsu’tey cut in, keeping his voice soft and reassuring. “All we can do is handle this first set of concerns, and when Eywa chooses to give us a child we will deal with the rest. If we agree on these plans, we must find a way to communicate them with the People.”
“I might have an idea for that. I figure that just announcing it would be a bit much, so we need a sublter method. We should just let people continue to gossip.” Tsu’tey and Neytiri each raised a brow, confused. “Look, we just have to find a couple of people we trust, give them the right information and permission to share it. I guarantee the word will spread in a few days.”
Neytiri hummed, considering. “The People have already been talking about us. It’s not a bad idea to use that to spread the truth.”
“I think some of the younger warriors would be helpful. And I’d like to talk to Tsyo, Ketxe’s mother.” Tsyo had figured out their situation fairly quickly, and had approached him one day while he was helping the kids. There were less than a dozen relationships like theirs, and they had become a tight-knit community. She had taken Jake under her wing a bit, and he knew that her and the rest of their group would be the most helpful.
“If you both feel this is best, then that is what we will do. I trust your judgment.”
They smiled at him, but Tsu’tey could see that Neytiri was frustrated. She had always disliked the weight of tradition and expectations, and it had only become harder for her after Sylwanin’s death. This was not the type of conflict she had ever wanted to deal with, everyone else speculating about her reproductive future. It was invasive and uncomfortable, and he wished he could shield her from it.
“I must go speak with the hunters. I will see you both at the evening meal.”
He raised the hand Neytiri was still holding to press a kiss to her knuckles before standing. Part of him wanted to stay with them, to remove his chest piece and relax, but he had duties. There would come a time when the clan was settled enough to not need him at every moment, but things were still too fragile.
Neytiri watched him leave, noticing that he was limping slightly. A pang of guilt hit her for not noticing. She’d been too focused on helping her mother, forgetting that he had been injured in the battle. At least Jake had been helping Tsu’tey when she couldn’t.
Jake himself looked exhausted. An outsider might not have been able to tell he nearly died the day before, but she could see that something was wrong. She had only made it to their neighboring forest tribe when a messenger had come with the news of the poisoning. She had been filled with panic until the second message reached her with news of Jake’s survival, and then came the guilt and anger. She should have been there to protect him, but she would never have expected her own people to try to harm him.
She wished she had her mother’s faith in the Great Mother, but with every new trial she just felt more confused. All she wants is a few quiet days, and that doesn't feel unreasonable.
“Are you going to try and see the other clans again?”
Jake’s voice pulls her out of her thoughts, and she realizes that he has started to sort through the baskets to find the material he wanted.
“Yes. I will leave again in a few days. The visits are important.”
“I’m okay, you know. You don’t have to delay the trip because of me.”
“My mind knows that you are safe, but my heart needs time. I will remain for a few days.”
“Okay.” Jake is quiet for a moment, his gaze focused on the fibers in his hands. “I’m sorry about all of this, I know there’s a lot of pressure on you right now.”
“Why do you apologize for things that you did not cause?”
“I kinda did cause this.”
“No, you did not. All of this has happened because others inserted themselves into our lives, and our choices, and you cannot control that. I am not upset with you, and I do not blame you.”
“Sometimes I worry that all of this conflict is going to get to you, and one day you’ll wake up and feel regret.”
Neytiri scoffed. “Skxawng. I made my choice, and I will not regret this. I will not regret you, or the life we will build. Let others judge, I will not be made to feel ashamed.”
“I really do love you.” Jake smiled, and when the light filtered through the woven nets above them he looked beautiful. She fought a smile, turning back to her work as she spoke.
“You were right, earlier, that we have not had time to discuss the future, or children. Is that not something you want?” She tried to keep her voice light, but there was a small pit of fear in her stomach.
“Honestly, I didn’t ever consider having kids on Earth. The planet was dying, and with my injury I wouldn’t be able to provide for a family.” He could see her ears press back against her head as she avoided looking at him. “But that was before. Before I came here, before I met you. I want that future with you.”
Neytiri relaxed, shifting so that her knee pressed against his thigh. Children had always been an obligation to her, something that would happen in the distant future for the good of the clan. In choosing Jake, she also chose a different path for herself and her potential children. They felt more real now, something she truly wanted to experience rather than something expected of her. When Eywa decided they were ready for a child, the three of them would be ready. Until then, they would have to handle the clan.
Notes:
I have returned after a much longer break than I anticipated. Apologies, but stuff came up and then my wifi stopped working. Anyway, I have about 20 pages to edit and post over the next few days.
Chapter Text
Jake had insisted on eating the evening meal with the entire clan, even as his exhaustion grew throughout the afternoon. He thought it would be best to make a public appearance, to show that he was strong and that they were standing by Tsu’tey’s side. It would also be nice to see Mo’at, who was going to give up and stop saving his life one of these days. He needed to stop causing her stress.
Mo’at was relieved to see him up and moving, gesturing for them to join her. The central meeting space was becoming familiar and safe, and during mealtimes conversation filled the air. Sound travelled differently in the clearing than in Hometree, but it was still beautiful. Jake sat near his mother in law, thinking about the dream he had as he was dying. Something told him she already knew what he had seen.
He hadn’t felt very hungry, but he did eat a bit to appease Neytiri. He sat quietly, listening to the hum of voices around him. He didn’t realize he had zoned out until a small body slammed into him, bony limbs poking him as Ketxe settled into his lap.
“Hey, Ketxe.”
“Hi, Jake! Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah kiddo, I’m okay.”
Her mother Tsyo hurried over, apologizing.
“It’s alright, I don’t mind. I haven’t been able to see the kids in a few days, and she’s no bother.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.” Tsyo smiled, sitting next to Jake at his request.
“I was actually going to find you tomorrow to talk about something.” Tsyo tilted her head, absentmindedly handing some food to Ketxe. “What happened yesterday showed us that the clan has concerns about the future, and as much as I’d like privacy there are things that need to be made public.”
Tsyo nodded, looking out at the assembled group.
“I assume that this is about your relationship?”
“Yes. Tsu’tey says that the big concerns are about succession and children. We talked about it, and I have a favor to ask you.” Tsyo nodded, and Jake leaned closer to seem like he was telling her a secret. “I think that the best way to spread information is having a few people on our side contribute the truth to the gossip going around. I was thinking that you and some of the others in our, uh, community, can help.”
Tsyo leaned back, grinning sharply. “If it would help you, I’d be happy to spread rumors. What do you want people to hear?”
“Neytiri is staying on as tsakarem, and Tsu’tey has chosen not to take a mate. I won’t be challenging his role as Olo’eyktan. Any children Neytiri and I have will be raised by all three of us, and they can choose to become the next tsakarem or olo’eytakan.”
“I will talk to the weavers first, they will spread the information easily. Also, Ketxe could hear all of that, so I assume many of the children will hear about it.”
Ketxe smiled, happily munching on a grilled root. Jake had heard enough about the rest of the clan from the girl to know she absolutely would tell the other kids, but that she was pretty good at keeping her information true and not exaggerating.
“Thank you, Tsyo. There’s just been so much going on, and this would be one less thing for Tsu’tey to worry about.”
“You are good for him. I am glad you three have each other.”
“I’m lucky to have them.”
Jake turned his head to check on Neytiri, seeing Tsu’tey finally approaching.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Hmm? Yeah, just tired. I’ll be completely fine by the morning.”
“What happened yesterday, with the poison, I was shocked. There are many of us who are grateful you survived.”
“I know, and I appreciate that. I don’t know what compelled them to go that far, but I know that the clan has been through a lot and I’m a good person to blame.”
“No, Jakesully. You are one of us, and this was not your fault. Eywa sent you to us for a reason. You have a long future with us, with your family.”
Jake smiled, hugging Ketxe tighter to his chest. She laughed, wiggling free to clamber into her mother’s lap. Tsyo stood, lifting her daughter.
“My partners and I are here for you if you need us.”
Jake nodded, and they walked through the crowd to where Neyara and Aawaye were waiting. He thought of the way Neytiri had smiled when he talked about having a child, about baby Miles in Hell’s Gate and the possibility that Avatars may not even be able to have children. It was all too much to think about when he was half-awake in public, so he shoved the thoughts out of his head and turned to Neytiri. She was talking to her mother, but Jake couldn’t focus enough to translate the words, choosing just to listen to the cadence of her voice. He must have zoned out for some time, because the next thing he knew, Neytiri was pulling him to his feet and leading him back to their dwelling. He fell asleep as soon as she got him into their hammock, and he did not dream.
Gossip turned out to be pretty effective, as Tsu’tey had to deal with far less scrutiny in the weeks after. In fact, everything was quiet and easy for several weeks. Neytiri completed her trip to the other clans, reporting that they were all recovering. The Omatikaya organized hunts, composed songs about the battle, incorporated Olangi traditions into their everyday life, and learned to live with the Sky People. Hale was able to get the smaller mine up and running, under the watchful eye of Ka’ani.
Jake was grateful that nothing particularly interesting happened after he nearly died. He was able to fall into a routine, helping Tsu’tey with his duties and spending time learning more about the Omatikaya tradition and history. He had been sort of adopted by a group of older women in the clan, who realized he only had a few months of training that focused on the physical aspects of Na’vi life, not the spiritual. Neytiri was deeply amused, but Jake was grateful for their help.
Every other day or so he was able to leave the village and visit Hell’s Gate, where Trudy was making a steady recovery and Miles was becoming more of his own person with each visit. He was fascinated with Jake’s braids, though he had found out from Tsyo that most Na’vi babies did the same thing. Jake found that he was only truly relaxed in two places - the hammock in their dwelling, with his partners curled around him, and in the nursery, talking quietly to the baby and listening to him respond with little noises. Trudy often came to find him during his visits, leading him on a walk around the complex so she could work on physical therapy and Miles could look at some new areas. Norm would join them when they took a break, updating Jake on how everyone was adjusting and his avatar’s progress. During one such break, Jake got some good news about a favor he had asked right after the battle.
Jake brough Miles with them to the lab, not quite ready to put him back in his room. The xenobotany section of the laboratories was a mess, except for the desk Grace always used. They had left that as it was, and the pack of cigarettes on top of the textbooks made Jake smile. The reason for his visit was clear when he walked in, sitting under sun lamps in one corner. He had asked one of the xenobotanists to travel to the bulldozed site of the Tree of Voices, just to see if anything had survived. The original trees were dead, but she had taken samples of the stumps, roots, and branches to try and propagate them in the lab, and seven of the samples had actually started to grow. Jake could see the little sprouts, tiny pink buds glowing like the tendrils of the adult trees.
“They look pretty good, huh?” Malina leaned over, smiling. “I wasn’t sure if they would like the light, but they’ve been pretty happy so far. I think they’re ready to be taken to the Omaticaya.”
“Really? That’s great, thank you so much.”
“Don’t worry about it, we’ve learned so much about these trees. Plus, none of us wanted that grove destroyed. This is the least we could do.”
“Trust me, this means more than you think.”
“I’ll get them packed up for transport.”
Malina walked away to grab containers, leaving Jake to lean closer to the sprouts. Miles made a sound, reaching a hand out toward the nearest one. Jake made sure he couldn’t actually grab it, watching as the sapling seemed to sway toward them.
He handed the baby off to Trudy, taking the crate containing the saplings. Miles tried to grab him, fussing, but Trudy shushed him and left the room. Jake’s heart hurt, but he would come back soon. He needed to get these to Mo’at.
It wasn’t a long walk between Hell’s Gate and the new Omatikaya village, but the crate was awkward to carry. He was very careful, trying not to damage any of the fragile little plants, so he walked slowly, thinking. It had been two months since the battle, and he almost couldn’t remember what life was life before.
No one reacted when he walked into the village carrying a crate, probably assuming they were medical supplies. Jake headed toward the healer’s area to look for Mo’at, but he found Neytiri first. She looked at the box skeptically, but seemed to accept that he brought something from the Sky People.
“Hey, love. Do you know where your mother is?”
“She is with a group of children. Why?”
“I have a gift for her.” Jake grinned, heading in the direction Neytiri had indicated. She followed, curious.
“Should I be worried about this gift?”
“Nope. It’s a good thing, and it’s not even really for Mo’at. She just knows what to do with it.”
He smiled at Neytiri, whose eyes were narrowed in suspicion. He was being a bit cryptic, but he figured it was easier to just show the saplings. Mo’at was sitting in the central space with a group of older children, seemingly talking about the plants used for healing and self care. She looked up as they approached, clearing a space for him to set the box down.
“Jakesully. What have you brought from the tawtute’ì’awn?”
She used a term Jake had just started to hear in the last few weeks, calling them the Sky People Who Stayed. He liked that term, as did most of the avatar drivers. It gave them just a bit of separation from the RDA and everything they had done to the Na’vi.
“I have a gift for you. I asked one of the Dreamwalkers who studies plants to help me after the battle.”
He opened the crate, sitting back so she could look in. Mo’at went quiet, her eyes wide, as she reached into the box to touch the nearest sapling.
“She went to the grove of the Tree of Voices. The mature trees had been destroyed, but they were able to grow some cuttings. It was time for them to leave the lab, to be cared for by the People.”
“I saw the site. I thought the trees had been lost.”
Neytiri and the children crowded around the box, the kids speaking over each other when they saw the glowing buds. Mo’at carefully lifted one out, holding it gently in cupped hands. She shushed the children, and they all listened carefully.
“Can you hear them, Jakesully?” He focused, and somewhere underneath the sound of his own heartbeat he could hear whispering. “Our ancestors were never truly gone, but without the trees we lost a site of connection. Your scientists have given us their voices back.”
Neytiri wrapped herself around his arm, beaming. The children had drawn the attention of others, who had started to approach to see what was in the crate. Jake nodded to Mo’at, trusting her to handle the saplings’ care, before leaving the cluster. He had already seen the little trees, it was time for others to see them. Neytiri left with him, still clutching his arm.
“You are very kind, my love. You care for our People.”
“I’m just trying to do my part. It was mostly the botanists, I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life.”
“Modesty does not suit you when it is self-depricating. You have done well, and I See you.”
“I love you too. I think things are finally looking up, and we can focus on just living.”
Neytiri hums, sliding her hand down to intertwine their fingers. She had never seen the sacred trees that small, but they were beautiful and would grow strong under her mother’s care. It would not replace all that had been lost, but she loved how hard Jake tried to care for all of them, how much he respected Mo’at and her role in the clan. She had spent the last two years resenting the burden that was placed on her after Sylwanin’s death, angry that she could be forced to mate with someone she did not choose in that way. She loved Tsu’tey deeply, but the life they were heading toward before Jake arrived would not have made either of them happy. She could never have imagined what would happen after she brought that stupid, clumsy Dreamwalker back to her home, the kind of warrior and man he would choose to be. She would spend the rest of her life thanking the Great Mother for stopping her hand before she shot that arrow.
Chapter 30
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jake had an odd relationship with dreams. He rarely remembered good dreams, waking with a vague impression or odd feeling. Tommy had been the dreamer, filling Jake in on his fantastic visions over breakfast every morning. The few dreams he could remember came from after he was shot. He would dream that he was flying high above the ground, free and in complete control, and it would make waking all the harder. But his nightmares… those he did remember.
He’d never bothered to talk to anyone about his nightmares. He knew part of it was PTSD, but it wasn’t like he could afford a therapist on VA benefits. Besides, he could handle them. He’d learned how to function on less sleep, how to shake the horrible images from his head just enough to be productive. They had gotten better for a few months before Pandora, but returned with a vengeance after the fall of Hometree. Jake considered himself lucky that Neytiri and Tsu’tey were fairly deep sleepers, and when the nightmares jolt him awake he doesn’t disturb them. He was grateful that while the trauma of Hometree and the Battle weighed on his partners, they seemed to be able to sleep without issues. They deserved that measure of peace, at least.
Maybe that meant that he didn’t deserve to sleep. It seemed only fair that all the harm he had caused would haunt him at night, when everything was quiet and still. Almost every night since the battle, Jake dreamed of fire. He had hoped that his vision after being poisoned would alleviate the nightmares, but they just changed in form. Instead of fire, he dreamed of losing the people he loves. He dreamed that he had been too late to save Neytiri from Quaritch, that Tsu’tey’s wounds in the battle had been fatal. Trudy, Norm, Mo’at, even baby Miles, all dead and always his fault. In his worst dreams he saw Tommy, not furious and burning like his vision but silent, disappointed.
Some days it felt like Mo’at knew what he had dreamed of. There was an understanding in her eyes, and her sympathy just made him hurt more. He didn’t deserve her kindness. He had done everything he could to make it up to her, to give her small bits of the home she had lost because of him, but it would never be enough. All he could do was to keep being useful, to do what was asked of him and to care for Neytiri. He wouldn’t burden Mo’at with his fears.
More than anything, he wanted to talk to Grace. He had tried after he was poisoned, finding a time when his partners were distracted to go to the Tree of Souls. But she didn’t come, or at least he couldn’t see her. He had felt her presence before, knew that she was part of the network of Pandora, but she hadn’t come.
All this to say that Jake was used to waking up choked with grief, forcing those emotions down before his partners woke. It meant he was all the more confused when he had a good dream for the first time in weeks. He dreamed of Grace, the version of Grace if she had survived as one of the Na’vi, tall and a little more human than him but alive and joyous. Grace was surrounded by children Jake did not recognize. They were talking, but he couldn’t hear the words, overwhelmed by the sounds of the forest and the way Grace lit up when one of the children made her laugh. He caught a glimpse of blonde hair and pink skin, and for a moment he almost thought one of the children had five fingers, but he woke up before he could get a better look.
He had absolutely no idea what to do with that dream. Honestly, it was probably just that the talk of babies and the future had gotten to him, and he had spent a lot of time with Miles the day before. Or maybe he was just losing it. Either way, it was best to forget about the dream altogether.
But then he had the dream again, or at least a version of the dream. He was walking behind Grace, and she was holding hands with a Na’vi child. There was a weight on his back, like when Kexte demanded to be carried around, and he could hear little footsteps behind him. The dream kept coming, though Grace faded from them after a few days. It wasn’t every night, but he had never had dreams like this before. Like usual, he kept his dreams from his partners, but one morning he simply couldn’t shake the feeling of a tiny hand in his. He laid there, staring at the woven net above them and thinking, and his expression must have been odd because Neytiri seemed concerned when she woke.
“Ma Jake, is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Just… had a weird dream.”
Tsu’tey hummed, sitting up and blinking away the last tinges of sleep. He could feel their eyes on him, but he didn’t move. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something.
“If the dream concerns you, you should talk to my mother. Some dreams are signs from Eywa.”
“It’s fine. I don’t need to bother her.”
He wasn’t quite sure what look Neytiri was wearing, but he could almost feel her disapproval. If he had looked, he would have seen that she was worried. To Neytiri, one of the great joys of peace time was discovering more about her mate, developing their relationship with each other and those around them. She and Tsu’tey had the privilege of knowing each other their entire lives, understanding each other on a fundamental level. Jake was new, and he was so much more than she had thought when they first met. She had delighted in watching him grow into the best version of herself, but she had also seen how he was struggling.
She was still haunted by the sound of her home crashing to the ground, by her father’s dying breath and her bond with Seze being ripped from her. That pain would always be a part of her, but she was healing the worst of her wounds. Jake seemed to be ignoring his pain even as it grew worse. She knew that he had trouble sleeping, that he felt responsible for everyone around him and pushed his own needs aside. Neytiri wondered if it was a flaw inherent to Sky People, if in their distance from Eywa they simply didn’t understand how to accept change. Perhaps it was just Jake, if the way he talked about losing his brother was any indication. Some days he was so in touch with his emotions, empathetic and gentle and open, and then he would turn around and act stupid. It seemed like today would be one of those days.
Whatever he had been dreaming about, it had been bothering him for days. Neytiri wanted to push, to remind him that Mo’at was growing to quite like him and knew more about interpreting dreams than anyone else in the clan, but if he was going to try and keep things from her then she would let him. He would break eventually, and then she would help. When she met his eyes, she knew Tsu’tey agreed.
Jake tried to pull himself together for the rest of the morning, going through his routine on autopilot. He did his chores, helped the clan with a new structure, even held conversations, but his mind wasn’t really present. He snapped back into place in the lab, looking down at Grace’s avatar floating in an amniotank. He had no clue how he’d ended up here, or why his subconscious thought it was a good idea, but here he was. And there she was, but not really there - blank and empty, a husk of the person she was, and Jake wasn’t sure if he wanted to cry or break something. In the end, he just stood there, listening to the machinery and the low buzz of conversation in the next room.
His presence in Hell’s Gate wouldn’t go unnoticed, so he wasn’t surprised when Trudy came to find him. He didn’t expect her to be carrying the baby. She transferred him easily, letting Jake wrap himself around Miles as though he could shield him from the world. He let Miles grab one of his fingers, trying to remember what he felt in the dream. He was sure that Miles had been in the dream somewhere, but he wasn’t the one holding Jake’s hand.
Trudy tried to talk to him, but Jake didn’t have it in him to respond. He was aware that Miles was making small noises, gumming at his finger. He could feel the weight of the baby in his arms and the way his feet kicked out when Jake adjusted him. Nothing else felt real, just Jake and the baby and the shell Grace had left behind.
When he dreamed of a clear, cool stream and the splashing of little bodies, one so clearly not Na’vi but just as comfortable in the forest, Jake knew that he had to talk to Mo’at, if for no other reason than to find a medicine that would let him sleep. Neytiri must have warned her that he was coming, as he found her alone with the saplings of the spirit trees. They had been planted in a clearing on the outskirts of the village, and Mo’at had set up a tent for their caretaker and those who wish to commune with Eywa. He sat cross-legged in front of her, waiting as she finished a prayer song.
“Do you know how I was chosen to be the next Tsahìk?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I was chosen for my dreams.” Mo’at did not look at him, keeping her gaze on the saplings as they leaned toward her fingers. “Since I was a small child, I had strange, vivid dreams. My predecessor realized that these dreams were gifts from the Great Mother, glimpses of those she held in her embrace. Some of these dreams have been warnings.”
Mo’at looks up, and Jake feels like she is flaying him open to see the most vulnerable parts of his psyche.
“When the Sky People arrived, I dreamed of fire, and Toruk. That was many years ago now, and I do not know what Eywa hoped I would do with the warning. But I listen to my dreams. So, Jakesully, what do you dream of?”
“I saw Grace.” Jake’s voice felt hollow, the words forced out of his throat. “She was with a group of children, and they were laughing. Each dream changes, I’ve stopped seeing Grace, but the kids are always there. I can’t see them clearly, but they’re Na’vi, except…”
Jake trailed off, and Mo’at nodded, knowing that he must mean Miles.
“What do you think the dreams mean?”
“Fuck if I know.” She raised a brow at his tone, and he backed down. “Sorry, Mo’at. I’m just tired of omens, and I can’t function like this. I don’t know what they could mean, but if it involves Grace… I know that there were children who died when Hometree fell. If that’s who I dream of, if Grace is watching over them, is something going to happen to Miles?”
Mo’at hummed, closing her eyes and listening to the forest. The poor man in front of her was exhausted and scared, and she wondered why Eywa had chosen him for such vague messages. He would do much better if she just shouted in his ear.
“I have another idea, but I must think on it. Do not fret, Eywa cares for her children. She would not give you more than you can bear.”
“Okay. I’ll try. Thank you, Mo’at, I know you have more important things than my dreams.”
Mo’at clicked her tongue, a noise Jake had come to recognize from Neytiri as exasperated but fond.
“As Tsahìk I have a duty to the clan, but I am also a mother. You are dear to my daughter, and to my chosen son. That makes this important to me.”
Jake smiled, letting himself relax a bit. Mo’at was still the same scary dragon lady from months ago, but he saw now that she walked the line between Eywa and the Na’vi, carrying the hopes and fears of her people. If she wasn’t worried about the dreams, he didn’t have to be.
Neytiri hadn’t been surprised when she was summoned by her mother later that morning. Jake had been… off the night before, distant, and when he left their home without comment she knew he was finally consulting the Tsahìk.
Mo’at was waiting in the main healer’s tent, preparing bundles of herbs for drying. The smell was so familiar, and Neytiri thought of long afternoons spent tying the bundles with her mother and sister, listening to stories. She sat next to her mother, reaching for some of the leaves and twine as her mother spoke.
“That boy needs to learn to trust in others, and to allow them to help him. He was so anxious, unsettled.”
“I have tried to tell him, but he is stubborn. I blame the Sky People and their foolishness. Eywa knows how they raised him to think.”
“I had wondered if Eywa would let him be after the war, but it seems she likes her chosen warrior. He must come to me if he has more dreams.”
Neytiri paused, rubbing her thumb over the pale, fuzzy surface of one of the leaves.
“What did he dream of?”
Mo’at did not answer, reaching for a new bundle.
“Have you dreamed lately, my daughter?”
“Yes, mother.” Neytiri dreamed often, but she knew that wasn’t what her mother meant. There were simple dreams that were the product of a sleeping mind, and there were dreams that left one feeling disoriented in some way. “I dreamed that I was teaching someone archery, but it was not a memory of Jake. Whoever I was teaching, I was proud of them. When I turned to look, all I could see was my first bow, the one Sylwanin and Tsu’tey made when I was finally old enough to learn.”
Mo’at smiled, thinking of that bow and how proud her eldest was of the painted animals on the sides. She pulled a basket closer, handing a clay jar to her daughter.
“Smell this. Tell me what you think.”
Neytiri lifted the pot to her face, the aroma making her wrinkle her nose. It was almost sour, like the unripe berries children often ate without realizing. She took another breath, recognizing something earthy and cool. When she shared this with her mother, Mo’at just nodded and handed her a small bowl.
“Drink.”
Neytiri did, beginning to question what her mother was trying to discover. The drink was sweet, with a horrible aftertaste. She made a face, but Mo’at just took the bowl from her.
“How have you been feeling, my daughter?”
“I am well, Mother. My wounds have healed, my family is safe, and I am strong.”
“Is that all?”
Neytiri thought harder. “I have been tired recently. Not enough to worry me.”
Mo’at reached for her, maneuvering her until she was laying on her back. She began to poke about, looking for some sign.
“Mother, what is this about? What was in his dream?”
Mo’at paused her palpitations, resting her hands on Neytiri’s abdomen.
“Your mate has dreamed of that which you had not yet realized, though there is more to the dream I have not yet resolved.” Neytiri was still confused, and growing a bit scared.
“Mother?”
“My sweet girl. My beautiful daughter. Eywa has given you a gift.” Mo’at helped her sit up, moving Neytiri’s hand so it rested over her lower stomach. “I did not imagine it would happen so quickly, but Eywa does seem to enjoy testing your mate. Congratulations, my daughter, you are with child.”
Neytiri’s mind went blank as she processed the words, pressing her hand tighter against her abdomen. It could be her racing imagination, but she could almost feel a small bump.
“Are you sure?” It was a stupid question to ask, as Neytiri had never questioned her mother’s knowledge before, but she had to hear it again.
“I am. By my estimate, you are due in the fourth month of the next year.”
For a reason she couldn’t explain, Neytiri felt herself tearing up. Mo’at pulled her into a hug, rocking them gently as Neytiri cried. She was overwhelmed, filled with a desire to run away, to take to the sky on Seze and fly until she felt like herself again. But Seze was gone. Her father was gone, the man who had raised her and loved her more than anything would never see his grandchild. She loved Jake, and she trusted him and Tsu’tey. Deep in her heart she knew that they would be amazing fathers, that they would be happy as a family. She was happy. She had always wanted children, but…
She had wanted more time. How much would this change, just when they had achieved a new normal? How would the clan see her children? They had accepted Jake, but there had never been a child like theirs. Her joy and her fears swirled in her chest, and Neytiri once again questioned the Great Mother’s sense of timing.
She tried to focus on the feeling of her mother’s embrace, the vibration of her chest as she sang. It was an old lullaby Mo’at had sung to her and Sylwanin, one she had dreamed of singing to her own children. And in a few months, she could.
Oh, Eywa, they were going to have a baby in a few months. She was going to have to tell Jake and Tsu’tey. There were plans to be made, preparations.
Mo’at waited until she had calmed down, running her hands through Neytiri’s braids. Neytiri takes a shaky breath, trying to match the steady, strong heartbeat beneath her head. When she speaks, her voice is small.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
“Our Great Mother believes that you are. My girl, you are not doing this alone. I am here, and your boys will be by your side.”
Neytiri stayed with her mother for the rest of the day, not quite ready to leave the tent and face the outside world. They worked in a comfortable silence, letting Neytiri think about how she was going to tell her mate. She wasn’t sure what he had ended up doing after speaking to her mother, but he seemed to find ways to keep busy. He also spent a great deal of time with the tawtute’ì’awn, but Neytiri could not find it in herself to be upset about that. Jake had introduced her to the Sky People who remained on base, and though they did not have his heart she could see that they wanted to learn. She quite liked Trudy and Norm, and he seemed to seek their company as she sought Tsu’tey’s. They would likely be a part of their child’s life.
It was an odd thought, her child being cared for by Sky People and Dreamwalkers, but she knew Jake was right. The child would have his blood, his heritage, and there would be those among her clan who would not treat them fairly. She would not keep her child from the people Jake considered family, as uncomfortable as it may make her at times.
Neytiri didn’t go to the evening meal. Her mother had been handing her small bits of food throughout the day when she was too distracted to protest, and she just wanted to go back to the quiet of her dwelling. It would never be Hometree, but it was theirs. Her father’s bow rested in a place of honor, as did a piece of Seze’s harness. There was a box of Sky People supplies sitting next to baskets of leather and natural materials they had gathered. Tsu’tey had left a half-finished project from the night before, when Jake had dragged him away for a swim. It wasn’t hard to imagine adding a child to their little home.
She laid on her side in their hammock, one hand over the barely-there bump that she honestly hadn’t noticed. It did make sense, now that she had calmed down. There had been small changes, but she hadn’t connected them to the idea of pregnancy. She’d been so sure it would be many months before Eywa would consider them ready for a child, but it seems that they were meant to grow with their child.
Her child would not be the first born after the battle, but they would be the firstborn of the Olo’eyktan and tsakarem, the child of Toruk Makto. They would be born into peace, into their new way of life. She grieved for those who would not know her child in life, but she knew that they were with the Great Mother, watching over her.
Jake had noticed Neytiri’s absence at the evening meal, but Mo’at had assured him that she was fine. Mo’at had little else to say about his dreams, telling him that the answers would come with time. He isn’t good at letting things go, but Mo’at seemed completely at ease with the entire situation, almost amused. Jake ate quickly, wrapping up some extra food to bring to Neytiri.
She turned over to face him when he entered, smiling softly. He could see her tail moving lazily behind her as she reached for him. He took her hand, kneeling next to the hammock.
“Hi, beautiful. I brought you some food, just in case.”
She pulls his hand closer to her, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.
“You are good to me.”
“You alright? I didn’t see you today, and it’s not like you to miss the meal.”
Neytiri hummed, sliding fluidly out of the hammock to perch on his lap. He is warm and solid underneath her, and he wraps his arms around her back to keep her stable. She studies his face for a moment, his cheekbones and strong jawline, the smaller eyes and hair on his brows that marked him as different. She tried to imagine him as a child, those handsome features softened and rounded. Of course, their child could end up with her features, but part of her hoped they would carry some piece of their father.
“What’re you thinking?”
She hummed again, running her hands through his hair. He had been growing the sides back out, and the hair in that area is still short and fuzzy. It makes him look younger, less like the warrior who led them in battle. His ears flick as she runs her fingertip over the edges.
“My mother asked to see me after she spoke with you. She had a thought about your dreams.”
“Yeah? What did she say?”
“She said that the Great Mother has given us a gift.” Jake tilts his head, confused, and she grabs his hand, placing it on her abdomen. “We are going to have a child.”
Jake… honestly felt like his brain was rebooting. He was pretty sure that Grace was laughing at him from the afterlife. I mean, really, Eywa had been sending him deeply confusing dreams for weeks instead of just telling Mo’at, who was actually good at interpreting these messages. They were going to have a baby.
Jake snapped out of it, hugging Neytiri as tight as he could. The beads of her top were digging into his chest, but she was laughing as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She was able to pull back after a moment, holding his face in her hands.
“We’re gonna have a baby.”
She nods, her thumbs sweeping over his cheekbones as he smiles.
“How are you feeling? I know we hadn’t planned on this yet.”
“Part of me is scared that we are not ready. But I am happy.”
He pulls her in for a kiss, but they’re both smiling too much. He put their foreheads together, gently pressing his nose against hers.
“I love you so much, and I am so, so happy about the baby. I don’t think anyone is ever really ready for a kid, but we’ve got this. I do have one stupid question. Your mother did specify that there’s only one baby, right? Cause we do not need another omen.”
Neytiri gave a deeply inelegant snort, reassuring her mate that there was indeed only one baby. She wrapped her arms back around his shoulders, letting him tuck his head into her neck. He kept one hand between them, caressing the tiny curve of her stomach. That’s how Tsu’tey found them, curled around each other on the floor next to their hammock. He had waited after Jake left the meal, wanting to give them some time together. They all had very little time to themselves, much less in pairs, and if something was bothering Neytiri he wanted to give her time with her mate.
They both turned to smile at him when he walked in, each reaching out a hand to call him over. Neytiri was beaming, blushing high on her cheeks, and when he knelt next to them she pulled at his arm until he was pressed against them. She twisted so her back was against Jake’s chest, his arm anchoring her around her waist. Jake nuzzled against him, pressing their cheeks together as Neytiri pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“What has gotten into the two of you?”
Jake snorted, dropping his forehead against Tsu’tey’s shoulder. Neytiri smiled, looking at her dearest friend for a long moment. In another lifetime, she would have carried his children, but she was so grateful that he could still be here, to be a father to her child.
“My mother gave me some news.”
“Did she? Are you alright?”
“I am more than alright. I am happy. I am joyous, and anxious, and I am excited for the future.” Tsu’tey was still confused, but his face softened. She grabbed his hand, placing it just below Jake’s on her stomach. Between them, the entirety of her bump was covered. “I am pregnant.”
She watched as he processed the words, his eyes lighting up as a smile spread across his face. He pressed their foreheads together, trying to find the words to express how he was feeling, but he had never needed words with Neytiri. She knew him better than anyone else in the world, so she knew what this meant to him, what it meant for the little family they were building.
After a while Jake untangled them, complaining about his legs going numb. She watched her boys prepare for sleep, focusing on Jake’s hands as he unclasped Tsu’tey chest piece, the way they moved around each other in their home. Jake was always touching one of them, a hand or his tail brushing against the nearest limb without thinking. She had realized early in their training that he was a very physical person, and seeing his original body showed her why - he had been so separated from contact with others, struggling with the memory of a childhood attached at the hip to his brother and the hatred he felt for his own body. He responded so well to gentle touches, though the first few weeks she was far more likely to just smack at him.
She sat on the edge of the hammock, waiting for him to lay down so she could curl her body around his. Tsu’tey joined them, taking his place on Jake’s other side. They had never really talked about the arrangement, but it felt right to keep him bracketed between them. He had a habit of keeping his hands moving until he fell asleep, brushing against her back or arm. His hand would slow as he drew closer to sleep, until it finally came to rest. That night, he did not dream.
Notes:
It's time for Neteyam! I'm both excited and nervous about this section. It's hard to write children, but luckily the Sully children are all weird little menaces.
I have been reading some excellent tumblr posts lately about the Sully family in between the wars, and it's just reminded me that Jake Sully is a clown. He is a fool, just a silly man, and I love it. He's basically gonna be a stay at home dad with four kids under four. Like Neytiri and Tsu'tey have things to do, they have responsibilities, and Jake just wanders about with at least two kids attached to him at all times, completely winging this whole parenting thing.
Chapter 31
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Neytiri had decided not to tell the clan, waiting until it was obvious and unavoidable. Her partners knew, as did her mother, and that was all she cared about. The longer she could hold off on the clan knowing, the less time she would be watched by the clan. They would all have an opinion, or advice, or word of judgement that she was having children with a Dreamwalker and that child would be her and Tsu’tey’s heir. She’d had enough of that kind of attitude after her sister and Tsu’tey were promised to each other and discussion had started about her future mate.
Instead, she asked Tsu’tey to fly her to Vitraya Ramunong. She could see in his eyes that he understood, dropping her off in the well and giving her privacy. He would return later to speak to the dead himself. This was her news to share first.
The few times she had spoken to her sister in the last few years, she had returned to a memory from after her sister’s iknimaya, when she had taken Neytiri on a flight up into the mountains after the eclipse. They had sat on the edge of a cliff, the world below them illuminated.
This time, there was another Neytiri wished to see. The memory she called on was much earlier, before her sister’s responsibilities had created a divide between them. Their father had taken them into the forest, sharing stories of his youth and the generations of their family that had cared for the clan. When she had grown tired he had lifted her into his arms, letting them rest by a pond filled with brightly colored schools of small fish. Sylwanin had wandered into the water, laughing as she tried to catch one.
Neytiri connected to the tree, opening her eyes to see herself standing in the water, the little fish darting between her legs. There was a small girl in front of her, the beads on the ends of her braids clinking as she tried to grab a fish. Neytiri blinked, and the child was replaced with the woman her sister had become, and when she turned Eytukan was watching them from a large rock on the bank. He had worn his full regalia more often than not in the last few years of his life, but when she was a child he had been more relaxed, wearing only a necklace gifted to him by Mo’at. He reached out a hand, smiling, and she fell into his arms, breathing in the familiar smell of leather and bow oil. A second pair of arms wrapped around her, Sylwanin’s head coming to rest against her shoulder blade.
“It is good to see you, my daughter.”
“Sempul. Tsmuke. I’ve missed you.”
Sylwanin laughed. “We haven’t gone anywhere, dear sister. We will always be right her when you need us.”
“I know. But I miss you still.”
“My sweet girl, what is on your mind?”
“There is something I wish to tell you.” Neytiri pulls away from both of them, stepping back to look at both of them clearly. “I am expecting a child.”
Sylwanin beamed, pulling her into a tight hug.
“Oh, I am so happy for you dear sister. You will be such a good mother.” She moved, letting Eytukan hug her again. “Is Tsu’tey excited to be a father? I know that was something he always wanted.”
“Yes, but…” Neytiri hesitated, but Sylwanin just smiled.
“I know, Neytiri. Your mate does not realize it, but he speaks to Eywa often, and we hear him.”
Neytiri should not be surprised by this. Eywa had chosen Jake from the moment he came within her reach, and she seemed unwilling to let him go. Of course she would keep a connection open with him, and of course her sweet, silly mate had been talking to her family. She sat on the bank, sharing stories of the last few months with her sister and father. When her voice began to falter, she knew it was time to go home.
“I will come back, later, to introduce you.”
“We will be here, my girl.”
Neytiri took a few steps back, trying to accept that she had to end the connection. Sylwanin climbed out of the water, perching next to their father on the rock. Eyktukan looked at her with pride, at peace with the knowledge that his daughter would have a future and a family. She turns away, ready to end the connection when Sylwanin calls out.
“Neytiri! Tell that mate of yours that I appreciate his stories. It is good to know that he will take care of my Tsu’tey.”
And Neytiri opens her eyes to see the glowing tendrils of Vitraya Ramunong. There are tears on her cheeks, but the grief that she carried with her everyday had become easier to bear.
When Neytiri and Tsu’tey left for their trip to the mountains, Jake headed for Hell’s Gate. He would talk to Mo’at in a few days, just to make sure everything was going well with Neytiri’s pregnancy and to figure out what he should do to support her, but he needed to think first.
He had spent most of the last month wondering how he was going to tell his partners about Miles, but not he wasn’t even sure he could. Not that he was going to continue to hide him away, but… maybe it was time to consider having someone else raise the kid. It would hurt, but if Jake stepped away now the kid would never know. Being his parent was going to be complicated enough when he thought he had time to adjust, to wait until he was old enough to wear a modified exopack and get to go outside, to experience Pandora. At least then they would have been able to make plans, to talk things out at their own pace and decide how much contact he was going to have with the clan.
With a baby on the way, they didn’t have that luxury. Jake knew that Neytiri’s first priority would always be her child, and she was still wary of the Sky People. His mind was running in circles, and honestly he just needed to talk to someone.
He found Norm and Trudy in the hanger bay, Trudy elbow-deep in the engine of a Samson. Her own ship had been mostly destroyed, but Norm had salvaged a few pieces for her. She’s been assigned one of the ships that hadn’t been taken to the battle and had been slowly customizing it. The first thing she did was paint the sides again, so she would be recognized by the clan when she was allowed to fly.
“Hey, Jake.”
“How’s it going with the new parts?”
Jake settled on the ground next to Norm, who was sitting on a crate reading through lab results. Trudy leaned back from the engine, grinning as she adjusted her mask.
“Well she’s not my baby, but she’ll do. I’m cleared for flight, so I should be up in the air in a few days.”
“That’s great, Trudy. Anything else interesting happening here?” He directed the question at Norm, who was glaring at his screen. Norm just grumbled in response, causing Trudy to laugh and come over to them. She leaned against him, flicking the back of his head to get his attention.
“Ignore him, one of the scanners is acting weird and they’ve been trying to recalibrate it all morning. All avatars are grounded until they get it working and he wanted to go out and take some samples. Other than that, we’re all good here. The kid has a check up today and needs a few shots, so you may want to stick around for that.”
“Yeah, I’d forgotten about that. I don’t have anywhere else to be today.”
Trudy had been steadily poking Norm as they talked, until he finally sighed and set the tablet down to join the conversation. He had been avoiding getting a haircut, the longer strands kept out of his eyes by a bandana made of Olangi fabric. The warriors admired Norm for fighting alongside them, and had been waiting for his avatar to recover so he could come to the village. They had no contact with Sky People before the battle, and a few of the younger members were eager to learn English, but only if Norm was the teacher.
“What are your partners up to?”
“They wanted to go to the Tree of Souls. It’s something they need to do together, just the two of them, so I decided to come here.”
“Well, we’re always glad to see you.” Trudy was giving him an odd look, and Jake wondered what she was seeing on his face. She’d always been good at reading him, not as good as Grace but with more tact. He cleared his throat, looking away.
“I might head inside to see the kid.”
Trudy nodded, putting away a few tools. “I’ll join you in a few. I want to get this valve replaced before I take a break.”
“I’ll come in with you, Jake. I need to check with Max that these numbers are right.”
Ducking his way through the corridors had become second nature, and everyone on base had gotten used to the sight. They’d started leaving masks for him at various entrances, just so he could come visit the kid whenever he pleased. Something about the mask waiting for him by the door made his chest feel tight, guilt clawing at him for even considering walking away from the kid, but how could he ask his partners to accept this situation the way he had?
Miles was awake and playing with a stuffed bunny one of the techs had made him when they arrived. He quite enjoyed laying on his stomach, and Yuko was pretty sure he was going to start crawling soon. Jake knew he should trust her judgement, as she had earned money for grad school as a nanny, but he wasn’t quite ready for the kid to be mobile. He was wiggly enough when he had no choice but to stay in one place. Jake stretched out next to the kid, running a hand over his wild head of curls. He wondered if Miles would keep them as he grew up, trying to imagine a teenager with a head full of blond curls, but all he could see was the baby who giggled when Jake tapped his nose.
Trudy and Norm joined him in the nursery while Jake was changing the baby’s diaper. It was a strange experience, not only because tiny babies created unbelievable messes but also because of how small he was compared to Jake, how worried he was about accidentally hurting the kid. He knew it was silly, Yuko had monitored the first few times he did this and said he was doing everything right, but even his chubby little baby legs felt so small compared to Na’vi hands. They were quiet as he finished, lifting the baby to blow a raspberry on his stomach. Miles giggled, chewing on his own fist as Jake settled him against his chest. When he turned, Trudy was giving him the same look as earlier.
“Okay, Jake, you know we love you and appreciate your visits, but something’s up with you. Spill.”
“I just… got some news yesterday and I need to think.”
“Okay, we can help. What news?”
Jake sat on the floor, putting himself more on level with Trudy and Norm where they sat on the bunk.
“Neytiri’s pregnant.”
Norm blinked, processing, but Trudy started beaming immediately.
“Oh my god, Jake, that's amazing! Congratulations. I mean, damn, dude, you guys move fast.”
Jake laughed, shaking his head. “It’s a bit more complicated than that, but yeah. We’re really excited, but it’s a huge shock. We weren’t expecting to think about all of this for like another year.
“Holy crap.” Norm seemed to find his voice again, laughing. “We weren’t even sure the avatars could reproduce, not that there was anything to indicate they couldn’t, but holy crap. You’re gonna want to keep this away from the biologists, they’re gonna have a field day when they hear about an avatar/Na’vi hybrid pregnancy.”
“Yeah, definitely not gonna let that happen. Neytiri is okay with the medical team helping the injured, but she is not gonna let any equipment near her or the baby.”
“When is she due?” Trudy had never wanted her own kids, but she loved her big family back on Earth. New babies were always exciting, especially when it was Jake who was now going to have to figure out how to be a dad.
“Five months, so something like the end of April I think. It’s weird trying to follow the Earth calendar here, but I kinda wanna keep track of their birthday.” He’d committed Miles’ birthday to memory - May 16 - and he trusted that Trudy would remind him when the days came close. Na’vi didn’t celebrate the exact day one was born, preferring other milestones, but Jake wanted to keep just a few elements of Earth with him in his parenting.
Norm seemed to be trying to figure something out in his head, muttering under his breath before laughing. “Hey, Jake, do you happen to know anything about Na’vi pregnancy?”
“Nope. Not exactly something anyone has covered so far.”
“Yeah, that’s because none of us thought this would ever happen. Anyway, Na’vi pregnancies last for eight months, so if she got pregnant three months ago…” Norm trailed off, trying not to laugh as Jake groaned and dropped his head into his hand.
“What am I missing?” Trudy was amused, nudging Jake with her foot. His response was muffled.
“Three months ago was my uniltaron, when I joined the clan. That’s the night Neytiri and I, uh, well that’s the night we got together.”
Trudy seemed to read between the lines, her laughter echoing around the room as Jake blushed. “Shit, dude, you guys ended up with a baby on the first try? Oh God, Grace would be laughing her ass off right now.”
“It’s not like we thought this would happen! The Na’vi don’t get pregnant until they’re considered ready by Eywa, but apparently she likes to make my life more difficult.”
Trudy and Norm are still laughing at him, and the sound sets the baby off, his little laugh making his curls bounce. When they had calmed down, Jake could see Trudy was still examining his expression.
“Okay, so we’re happy about this, but something is still bothering you.” Jake hesitates, looking down at Miles, and Trudy makes a noise. “This isn’t about the new baby, it’s about Miles.”
“Yeah. I thought… I thought I would have more time, that I could introduce him to them slowly and give them time to get used to the idea. I don’t know what to do now. How am I supposed to ask her to take care of her worst enemy’s child when she has a baby of her own to think about?”
“What do you want to do?”
“I-I don’t-” Jake cut himself off, trying to keep his voice calm.
“Well then, let’s play this out.” Trudy leaned forward, looking down as she spoke. “You have two choices, right? You tell them, or you don’t. If you tell them, it could go well and Miles officially becomes yours. Every other scenario, eventually you’re going to have to give him up. Are you prepared to do that?”
“No.” Jake hated how his voice broke on the word, but it was honest. He had considered it earlier, but holding the kid in his arms he couldn’t imagine not being in his life.
“Jake, you know that we’re on your side, no matter what you choose. We already plan to be there for Miles, and that won’t change if you decide you need to step away. He’d be okay with all of us on base, and he won’t have to know anything about this.”
Trudy reaches out, taking Jake’s hand as Norm speaks. He can’t quite meet her eyes, looking at their hands instead.
“Norm’s right. I’m happy to help take care of the kid, so are most of the people here. The problem here isn’t what’s best for the kid, it’s what’s best for both of you. Would you be able to live with yourself if you walked away from him?”
“He’s alone because of me. I hated Quartich, he needed to die, but now the kid’s an orphan. Because of my war, he will never know his mother, and he’s going to be stuck on a planet he can’t really survive on whether I take care of him or not. He should have someone with him who understands being torn between two worlds.” Jake paused, nuzzling against Miles. The baby cooed, his head thunking against Jake’s collarbone. “I don’t fully understand Eywa. I may never understand her. But the signs she’s been sending, the answers I get from Mo’at… he feels like my kid. He could be our kid, part of our family. I want that.”
“Then that’s your answer, right? You have to trust your gut, and just talk to them. They’re good people, I think they can look past his biological father and just see a kid who needs a family.”
“You don’t have to do it today, but you should tell them before your other kid is born.”
“Yeah, I know. I need to think about it, but you’re probably right. It’s just all been too much. I mean, I just turned twenty-three and my entire life and everything I thought was going to happen has been turned upside down. I’m on another planet, in an alien body, and now there’s a baby involved. I keep thinking I’m gonna wake up and find out all of this was a hallucination or something.”
“Luckily for you, this is totally real. It’s bonkers, but real. You’re actually blue and nine feet tall, and you’re gonna have a kid with your amazing partners. And you better bring that baby to come visit me, cause we’re family and we want to be there for you.”
Jake gave a small smile, tightening his hold on her hand. Norm checked the time, clearing his throat and standing.
“I’m glad you talked to us about this. Take the time you need to figure this out, and let us know if you need anything. For now though, we need to take the kid for his medical check.”
That night, laying in their hammock with his partners curled up against him, Jake wondered if he was being selfish. He was self-aware enough to know that he made a lot of dumb decisions, and at the end of the day he would always prioritize himself and his family over the idea of the greater good. It happened with the recent battle - even if it would have been deeply wrong, almost unconscionable, to destroy the Na’vi, Earth was dying. There were billions of people on the planet, his people on his home planet, that needed resources, and the RDA soldiers fought for them. He chose the Na’vi, and maybe it was for the right reasons or maybe he just didn’t have anyone on Earth to change his mind. Either way, he made his choice. He committed to a life with the Omatikaya and all that would entail, including raising a family with his partners. They were both so strong and capable that he tended to forget that he was older than both of them, and now they were the clan leaders and role models and soon-to-be parents. The last thing he should be doing was considering making their lives more complicated, but…
Miles had been in his dreams. Jake had figured out that Eywa must have been trying to tell him something about Neytiri’s pregnancy. One of those little figures must have been his kid, but Miles was there too. If Mo’at was right, then Eywa still had plans for him. She was sending him signs, and she wanted Jake to care for Miles.
Maybe it didn’t matter if Jake was selfish. Miles deserved a parent who cared, who would take a risk to make sure he was loved and protected. Jake thought Paz was selfish, flying off into battle and leaving her three month old son behind. Everyone who remained on Pandora had been brave enough to fight back against the orders, to believe that it was wrong to commit mass murder, and no matter what Jake thought of Paz as a person or a mother she had made that choice to support Quaritch. All she had to do was not get into her ship, or to turn around and defect like Trudy did. If she had, Miles would have his Mom.
Jake couldn’t be another person who walked away from him. The kid was gonna have enough trauma as is when he was old enough to know who his biological parents were. He would tell them, Tsu’tey and Neytiri. He could handle their anger, their questions and resentment and grief, because he knew that at the end of the day, they would See Miles the way he did.
Notes:
A little bit of angst about adopting Spider, just because there's no way around it. These are three very traumatized, very young people trying to figure out how to be parents. Reminder that Neytiri is 19 when Neteyam is born, which is crazy. She's had a lot happen to her and it's gonna take her a minute to decide that Spider is her kid, but she will.
Chapter 32
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The only people in the clan they had chosen to tell about the pregnancy were Mo’at and Arvok, as they were family. Everyone else, Neytiri was simply going to wait until it was obvious. That led to Jake placing little bets in his head on who would figure it out first, and if they would keep it to themselves or spread it through the clan. He figured the healers would be able to tell soon, but they were pretty good about keeping things amongst themselves. But if one of the weavers figured it out? The entire clan would know within a few hours.
The thing he hadn’t expected was that the grandmothers of the clan would somehow know within just a few days, and that they would decide that Jake was going to be an absolutely helpless father if they didn’t whip him into shape. He’d been having a completely normal day, helping one of the woodworkers with a project when Yitxu had grabbed his arm, called a quick explanation, and dragged him away.
Yitxu was one of the members of Tsyo’s little support group, and she had taken a liking to Jake immediately. He was pretty sure it was out of pity, like he was a sad little stray that had wandered in and she wanted to take care of him, but she was kind and patient and had a wicked sense of humor. Her partners had died a long time ago, and she had dedicated her life to helping others like her. She had confessed to him once that as much as she missed them, she was almost happy that they had died before the Sky People came. It would have broken her mate’s heart to see what the Sky People had done to the forest. He had planned on asking her for help once the clan knew about the baby, but he didn’t think she would get there first and kidnap him.
She led him to a tent on the edge of the village. There were several aspects of the village that reminded him humans were more similar to the Na’vi than they thought, and this knitting circle of little old ladies was one of them. Not that they were all strictly knitting, or even all women, but it was close enough. There were about a dozen people in the tent, each working on their own project and chatting. One of the women, Eseu, had a baby laying in a wrap against her chest. They seemed to know Yitxu would be bringing him, working to clear a space for him to sit next to Eseu and her granddaughter when they entered. Yitxu settled into the circle across from him, her eyes bright and amused.
“It seems that Eywa has blessed you and your mate, Toruk Makto.”
“I- yes, she has. We just found out a few days ago.” The man next to Yitxu raised a brow, and Jake tried to explain. “With everything else going on, we didn’t even think of the possibility. Neytiri didn’t think it would happen so quickly.”
“Our Great Mother knows far more than we do, and her timeline rarely makes sense to us. That is why we brought you here. It is good to see young people building a family, but you are very young, and we thought you may have questions.”
Txur cut in, her voice low and raspy. It reminded Jake of his own grandmother, though it had been over a decade since he’d heard her voice.
“Neytiri has her mother to help, and Tsu’tey is Olo’eyktan. He has many duties, and it would not be proper to take him for these lessons. But you, Jakesully, you are very new to our way of life, and in this time of great change we thought you may appreciate our help.”
“I do. I really do. This wasn’t exactly covered in my training, and I am so far out of my depth.”
“It’s alright. Most new parents are, and that is what grandparents are for. You may ask any questions.”
“Honestly, just assume I know nothing about any of this. It’ll be easier.”
Eseu hummed, and when Jake turned to look at her she had pulled the baby out of the prrsmung and was holding her out in his direction, pushing her into his arms when he didn’t react immediately. Jake took her, carefully shuffling her around so she wouldn’t fuss. She was a bit bigger than Miles, and he had to be careful with her tail, but it wasn’t too different. Jake turned to the grandmother, wide-eyed and confused.
“Um, why am I holding your granddaughter?”
She laughed, reaching over to tuck the baby’s tail under his arm.
“You said you knew nothing, so I wanted to see. Clearly you do know some things.”
“And what if I dropped her?” He knew his voice was a bit higher than normal, but he had no idea how else to respond.
“I knew you would not.”
She left it at that, content to let Jake hold the baby as she went back to her work. Yitxu started speaking again, clearly suppressing laughter. Jake realized that his tail had frozen behind him like a startled cat, and he was sure his expression was hilarious.
“Her name is Zeya. Don’t be afraid, children are stronger than they look. What do you wish to learn about today?”
He tried to relax, letting Zeya settle herself against his chest. He feels her grab one of his braids and begin to gnaw at the bead on the end.
“Can we start with the basics of pregnancy? How can I support Neytiri right now?”
The man next to Yitxu smiles, and Jake feels like he passed a test he didn’t even know he was taking.
The grandparents were a lot, but they quickly became Jake’s most valuable source of advice and reassurance. He came to see them every few days, working on supplies for the baby and listening to stories about their children and grandchildren. It was deeply reassuring to hear all the ways that they had screwed up and still managed to be good parents. Awewenge was the quietest of the group, and for the first few weeks Jake honestly thought she didn’t like him, until he realized that the project she had been working so intently on as they all talked was a toy Toruk, as a gift for the baby. He may have cried a little when she gifted it to him, but Neytiri had also cried so he didn’t feel too embarrassed.
Three weeks after they learned about the baby, seemingly overnight, Neytiri’s bump became much more visible. It would be immediately obvious to anyone who saw her, as they discovered when she went to grab food that morning. She held her head high, but Jake could see that the whispers and attention was getting to her, so after they ate he grabbed her hand and took her to see the grandparents. They welcomed her warmly, pulling her into the circle and beginning to talk about their own children. They had apparently been making other gifts for Neytiri and the baby, as a pile was slowly forming in her lap as they spoke. Her eyes were wide, and Jake knew she was trying not to cry.
The first baby born after the battle joined the clan the next week, diverting some of the attention away from Neytiri. Things became a little easier after that, especially because Jake could be openly affectionate now. He had taken to finding her throughout the day just to check on her and touch the baby bump. Whenever she seemed a bit too irritated for that, he ended up hovering around Tsu’tey, much to the other man’s amusement.
Look, Jake knew he was being a bit paranoid. A wee bit overprotective, one might say. Neytiri would say he was being a pain in her ass. The worst and only argument Jake and Neytiri had during her pregnancy came from a simple miscommunication.
Neytiri wanted to hunt. She knew her own body and her own capability, and the fatigue had passed, leaving her itching for something to do. Normally she would go out flying when she felt like that, but with Seze gone a hunt was the next best thing. Jake wasn’t actually an idiot, at least not all the time, and he knew that she was fine to go out, but he’d had a horrible nightmare the night before and between the lingering fear and his own general paranoia he put his foot in his mouth, implying that she shouldn’t be doing such things in her state.
She had snarled at him, saying that under no circumstances could he ever control what she wanted to do, and had stalked out of their dwelling with her bow. Tsu’tey had come back to their home to inform Jake his help was needed with some of the younger warriors, arriving just in time for Neytiri to blow past him muttering insults under her breath. Jake was still inside, rubbing his forehead as he swore quietly.
“I assume this has to do with Neytiri hunting?”
Jake sighed. “Yeah. I said something stupid and pissed her off.”
“She will forgive you.” Tsu’tey walked closer, getting a better look at Jake. He looked tired, and his hands were shaking. “She appreciates how much you care about her and the baby. But this fear you carry with you, we don’t understand it. You need to talk to us, yawne.”
Jake nodded, leaning forward to rest his forehead against the side of Tsu’tey’s neck. The other man hummed, wrapping his arms around Jake’s back.
“There’s a gathering tonight. We’re working on some things for the new school. If you can bring Neytiri there, I’ll tell you everything.”
The gathering was a rather odd group, as Tsyo and Yitxu had brought their groups together after realizing both were trying to help Jake prepare for the baby. They had met a few times, working on large woven pieces for the school as they chatted. He now had multiple perspectives, both generational and from families like his, that understood the social difficulties that would come. Ketxe and a few of the other children joined them, painting pieces of leather and wood to decorate the space.
Jake wasn’t sure if Tsu’tey would be able to convince Neytiri to come that evening. She had grown more patient with him, but she was still the same person who trained him, and pregnancy hormones only made her less inclined to deal with his bullshit.
Neytiri’s anger had worn off about an hour into the hunt. She had seen on his face that he regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth, but it wasn’t just about the comment earlier. There had been an undercurrent of fear in his interactions with her for days, a sort of agitation in the way he touched her. She had thought it was sweet, at first, but whatever had gotten into his head was going to drive them both insane. Whatever it was, Neytiri was sure he hadn’t mentioned it to his group of grandparents yet, or they would have set him straight.
Tsu’tey was waiting for her when she returned with a kill, but he did not take it from her. He held his hand out for her bow instead, and she appreciated him so much. It was clear how excited he was for the baby, but he knew her well enough to respect her decisions. He was protecting her in his own way, shielding her from the clan’s opinions and giving her time to learn from her mother or go on hunts.
Tsu’tey was quiet as they passed off the yerik and headed back to their dwelling, waiting for her to speak.
“He is an idiot.”
“Yes, but we both knew that when we chose him.”
“He has been worse lately. He has some stupid idea in his head that is making him paranoid.”
“He wants to apologize, and explain. Not now, but tonight during a gathering.”
“Is he scared to face me alone?”
Tsu’tey laughed softly, pulling her against his side. She relaxed a bit, feeling the baby move in reaction to the sound. It was a deeply strange feeling, being aware of the baby moving inside of her, but it made everything feel more real. She was having a baby, and they were healthy and strong. Her mother had once told her that she did not truly understand Eywa until she became a mother herself, and Neytiri was finally beginning to understand. Part of her had questioned why Eywa had interfered in the battle, but the first time she felt her child move she realized that if they were ever in danger, she would burn down the world to protect them.
By the time they were walking to the tent where Jake was waiting, Neytiri was completely calm. It was hard to be frustrated with him when every part of their home showed how much he loved them, and Tsu’tey was right. They both knew who he was when they chose him, and it made sense that fatherhood would bring out his overprotective tendencies. When they entered the tent he looked up and smiled sheepishly, and she felt an answering smile tug at her lips. She sat next to him, leading against his side as Tsu’tey took the other.
“How was your hunt, Neytiri?” Fewr handed her a bowl of berries that Jake had mentioned she’d been craving. Neytiri smiled, wrapping her tail around Jake’s waist as she answered.
“My hunt went well, though I am still learning the paths in this area.”
“We are all adjusting to this new place. My son was complaining to me about how hard it was to find a new grove of pamtseowll, but soon we will all know this part of the forest just as we knew our old home.”
Jake brushed a hand over her side, the touch barely ghosting over the side of the bump, but the baby seemed to recognize him anyway. He didn’t talk for several minutes, listening to the hum of overlapping voices. When Yitxu met his eye and gave him a look, he cleared his throat and waited for the tent to quiet down.
“So, something happened earlier and I realized I’ve never talked about my parents to anyone here. I don’t talk about them much, and I didn’t think I needed to until I realized how it was affecting my behavior.” He turned to Tsu’tey, who nodded encouragingly. “I think we can all agree I’ve been a bit overprotective, but I just don’t know how this all works. I don’t know how dangerous this might be.”
“Why would it be dangerous?”
“I mean, it is on Earth.” That statement was met with over a dozen confused looks, so he tried to find the best way to explain it. “Earth is… a mess. It’s a dying planet. There are no trees left on Earth, no clean spaces. The ground is polluted, the water, even the air. In a lot of areas there are less kids being born, and more kids are born sick. My mom…”
Jake trailed off, thinking for a moment. Tsu’tey had a hand on his thigh next to where Neytiri’s tail had wrapped around him, and he focused on the feeling of their skin against his.
“Uh, my mom was pretty small. You’ve all met Trudy, right?” The people around him nodded, as Trudy had taken to visiting the village a few times with Norm. The kids thought it was hilarious that she was their size. “My mom was actually a bit shorter than her. My brother and I, we were twins. Twin pregnancies are hard enough, especially with her size, but she also had bad lungs from the pollution where she grew up. It was a really rough pregnancy.”
Jake tried not to let his voice break, powering on. “We were born premature, but we were lucky. Our lungs were developed enough, and we were able to catch up on other milestones with time. I knew some people in school who’s families weren’t so lucky. Even so, it took my mom a long time for her health to recover.” Jake could still remember the very specific sound of his mother’s breathing, the slight wheeze to it in the colder months. Both he and Tommy had some issues with respiratory illnesses when they were kids, and Jake didn’t even want to try and explain the concept of medical debt.
“I’m not a scientist. I didn’t study any of this, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to worry about so I’m just worried about everything. I have really, really appreciated the help, and I know I’ve been a bit annoying.”
Neytiri bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions under control. Jake wasn’t looking at any of them, focusing on the project in his lap she now recognized as a baby carrier. He’d been coming here and working on a sling for their baby, all the while carrying this fear with him.
Txur was the one who finally responded, calm and unbothered. “I have been alive for ninety-two years. In that time, we have never lost a mother to pregnancy or birth. Our bodies were given to us by Eywa with the knowledge of what needs to be done, and our Tsahìk have cared for each of us with the knowledge of many generations. I cannot imagine living in the world of the Sky People, with all of the problems you have told us about and many more I am sure we have no conception of. But you do not need to think like them anymore.”
“Twenty-three years is a lot of time to just forget, but I am trying.”
“That is what we are here for, to answer your questions and remind you that you are one of us now.”
Jake nodded, still looking down at his lap. He hooked his pinky around one of Tsu’tey’s fingers, trying to internalize what they were saying. Logically he knew all of this, everyone had been very nonchalant about the health aspect of pregnancy and there was no mention of any potential issues, but he had seen the photos of himself and Tommy when they were first born. He also remembered the way Trudy had talked about Miles, how shocked everyone on base was that Paz had been able to keep her pregnancy quiet and healthy and have an uncomplicated birth. Tsu’tey’s voice startled him out of his thoughts.
“You don’t talk about your father much.”
“He died when I was ten, and I didn’t see him much before that. He had to work a lot, so did my mom, so most of the time it was just me and Tommy.”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
“It was a long time ago, and a lot has happened since. Mom died a few years ago, then Tommy. It’s just weird to think that I’m the only Sully left.” Jake looked over to Neytiri, and his eyes caught on her bump. “Well, I was the only Sully left. I guess I’m not anymore.”
She smiled at him as he brushed the back of his hand against the curve of her stomach. Across the circle Zeya began to fuss in her sling, her little tail wiggling free and starting to whip about. Her grandmother checked on her, seeing that she was just unsettled for no reason, and began to pass her around the circle. Neytiri watched as she was carefully handed off until she got to Jake, who took her easily. Zeya settled down immediately, grabbing one of his braids in her little fist. Yitxu noticed her confused expression, leaning in to explain.
“None of us know why, but he is very good at calming her. We all hope it will work on your own child.”
She had never actually seen him hold a baby before. He spent a lot of time with the children of the clan, including some of the toddlers, but babies were carried by their parents or grandparents the majority of their first two years. It was more attractive than she’d like to admit, the ease with which he held her and made sure she was comfortable, and when Tsu’tey leaned in to smile at the baby and brush a hand over her hair she knew that she and their child were very lucky. But if Jake tried to tell her she couldn’t do something again, she was going to hit him.
Notes:
All of this is just stuff I love to write about, and some extrapolation of the little bits of canon we have. It just makes sense to me that members of the clan who love Neytiri and Tsu'tey would take one look at Jake and decide he needs all the help he can get. It really does take a village, and I want to balance the Sully family having that village while also feeling a divide with the majority of the clan.
That's all for tonight, I will have the chapters with Neteyam and Kiri up tomorrow.
Chapter Text
Jake knew that he couldn’t avoid telling Neytiri and Tsu’tey about Miles much longer, but he had no idea how to bring it up or get them to come to the base with him. He was still working on a plan when they got a message from Hell’s Gate.
It should have been a quiet day. Neytiri was six months pregnant, and they were having a bit of a lazy day. She was curled up in their hammock, resting and watching as Tsu’tey fixed Jake’s hair. He had gotten better at doing other people’s braids, but he was hopeless with his own, and it seemed to be one of their ways of bonding.
The sound of the radio startled her, the baby kicking when she sat up. She always forgot that Jake kept the radio both in their home and on, just in case of a problem at Hell’s Gate.
“Jake, you copy?”
“Yeah, I’m here. What’s happening?”
“Too hard to explain over comms. You need to come here, and, uh, you should bring Neytiri and Tsu’tey.”
Neytiri had no idea what was happening, but Jake looked deeply worried. The base was only a few minutes walk, but his tail was whipping behind him the entire time, even when Tsu’tey put a hand on his back to reassure him.
Jake tried to slow his breathing as they approached the base, spotting Norm waiting for them. Norm had a very strange look on his face, but he didn’t say anything. He led them through the avatar wing toward the lab, and part of Jake was relieved that they were staying in the avatar area, which meant this wasn’t about Miles.
Max was waiting in the amnio room where Grace’s avatar was being kept. Jake had only been in the room a few times, but he knew that there was more equipment in there than normal. There were multiple screens monitoring the avatar’s vitals, and Max didn’t seem happy with what they were showing.
The machines and the still form of Grace’s avatar made Neytiri and Tsu’tey nervous, and they seemed hesitant to leave the vicinity of the doorway. Jake ventured further in, waiting for Max to explain.
“So, you know how we were having issues with one of our scanners?”
“Yeah, Trudy said you figured out what the problem was.”
“We did, but we realized the problem had been going on for longer than we thought so we did a physical on all of the avatars, including Grace’s. Everyone else came back normal, but we got a really weird reading on Grace’s so we ran a few more tests.”
Max sighed, sitting heavily in one of the chairs. Jake knelt to get on level with both Max and the avatar, but his partners remained standing. Neytiri’s eyes were wide, worried, and Tsu’tey’s gaze was trained on the avatar’s face. He realized abruptly that Tsu’tey had been there when Grace was buried, and this was the first time he was seeing the avatar since.
“Max, what did you find?”
Norm was the one to answer, but it took Jake a moment to comprehend the response.
“The avatar is pregnant.”
Neytiri’s hand dropped to her own stomach, and all three of them turned to look at Norm in shock.
“I didn’t believe it myself, but we ran every test we could think of then ran them twice. Here.” Norm holds out a tablet, and when Jake takes it he sees a blurry scan he recognizes as a sonogram. Circled in red was a little blob, and Jake couldn’t move.
“Yeah. The problem is, it’s been over six months since she died and we just now noticed. I don’t know if it's because this is an avatar, or something we did, but the pregnancy is progressing slower than a typical Na’vi.”
“When did this happen?”
“We have no idea. Grace didn’t mention it before she died, and the records from the last few links don’t show any indications. As far as we can tell, this happened almost immediately before, but with the slower gestation it’s really hard to tell.”
Jake didn’t know what to say. He just kept looking at the scan, and after a moment Neytiri crept forward to look at the tablet herself. She had never seen anything like it before, but she instinctively knew that this was a scan of the baby.
“Okay. Fuck, okay, uh, what are we going to do?”
Norm shook his head, exhaling slowly. “I mean, that’s why we brought you guys here. Our first thought was termination, but-” Everyone in the room winced, and Norm nodded. “Yeah, none of us liked that. We’ve been talking about this all morning, every single biologist in this damn base has chimed in with an opinion. Between them and the med-techs, we think it’s possible to continue the pregnancy to term, with a healthy baby.”
“What will happen to the child?” Tsu’tey speaks for the first time since entering the room, and Jake notices that he’s moved into the room to get a closer look at the avatar. He also notices that there’s a very slight bump, like Neytiri’s when they first realized, and his throat feels tight.
“Well, uh-” Norm shoots Jake a look, and he realizes why they wanted all three of them here instead of just calling Jake as the human/Na’vi liaison.
“They’re asking if we want to take the baby.”
“Yeah, we are. The kid is gonna be Na’vi, they need Na’vi parents to care for them, and Grace was our family.”
Neytiri looks at him for a long moment before moving closer to the amnio tank, placing one hand on the glass. Her other is still on her bump, where she was rubbing gentle circles to soothe her baby.
“The child is Graceaugstine’s?”
“Yes.”
Neytiri wishes that she could reach out and actually touch Grace’s body, so that all of this would feel real. It shouldn’t be possible, not with everything she knew of Grace and of the workings of Eywa, but stranger things had happened. Eywa had granted Jake his body, and had given them a child. She had given Grace a child, or at least given them a tiny piece of Grace to care for.
“We will take the child.” Neytiri almost thinks it was her who answered, but it was Tsu’tey. His relationship with Grace was complicated, but he had cared deeply for her. They had all grieved for her, though his grief was quieter. Jake looks up from the scan, holding eye contact with Max for a long moment.
“Are you sure about all of this? That you can keep them both stable?”
“I think that this is the most complicated medical issue that we have ever dealt with or will ever deal with. Frankly, we weren’t sure if you were gonna be able to have a kid, and having an avatar as the mother is a whole different issue. Add to the fact that we have no idea who the father is or if there will be any genetic issues, and I can’t guarantee a healthy baby. All I can do is trust the judgment of our medical team, and say that we think we can pull this off.”
Jake… wasn’t entirely sure there was a father. It was a completely insane thought, one that he never would have dreamed of even a few months ago, but he knew Grace. She would have told him, at the very least. He had confided in her about his relationship multiple times, she knew everything about his life, and not once did she even hint at a partner of her own. In fact, she said the exact opposite. He thought back to something Tommy had told him about studying - how some female creatures can reproduce with themselves. The pregnancy had to have started right before she died, and the only thing that had happened to the avatar at that point was connecting to the Tree of Souls in a ceremony that had never been attempted on an avatar before. He’d have to ask Mo’at about it, but for now he shoved the thought out of his head.
“How long do we have?”
Norm shrugged, which was terribly unhelpful. “Med team says with the rate of development, probably another three to four months.”
“Okay. We’re gonna do this, for Grace.”
“Alright. We’ll tell the team. You guys take your time in here, we’ll give you some privacy.”
Jake turned his focus to his partners as Max and Norm left, the beeping of the machines loud in the quiet room. Neytiri was still studying the avatar, but Tsu’tey turned to look at him. Jake opened his mouth, not even sure what he was going to say, but then he had a thought. Three to four months, meaning their baby would be about two months old when this one was born. They’d just agreed to raise another baby. Not that he was regretting the decision, but he was going to tell them about Miles this week. Sitting there staring at Grace’s avatar, he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer.
“There’s something else we need to talk about.” His voice sounded off even to his own ears, but it needed to be done. They both turned to look as he stood. “Stay here, I’ll be back in a minute.”
Jake was pretty sure they tried to say something, but he turned and walked out of the room. He could find his way to Miles’ room from anywhere in the complex but this point, which was helpful. Jake felt like he was on autopilot, his body doing one thing while his mind was in a completely different space. This wasn’t how he imagined this moment, but how in the hell was he supposed to anticipate that Grace’s avatar would be pregnant?
Yuko was in the room with Miles when he entered. Jake had no idea what he said to her, but she handed the baby over and didn’t protest when he left the room. Miles was a familiar weight in his arms, even though the kid seemed to grow every time Jake saw him. At nine months old he had just started to crawl, and they had been making a plan for baby-proofing the entire base before the news about Grace’s avatar. Miles was babbling as they walked, his hands occupied with the necklace Jake forgot to take off in his hurry.
Tsu’tey and Neytiri stood when he entered the room, but froze when they saw what he was holding. Jake sat, shifting Miles to his lap as he tried to explain.
“One of the pilots had a baby about a week before I got here. She died in the battle. So did his father. The journey back to Earth is really long, so they put you into an artificial sleep to preserve resources, but you can’t do that to a baby. Sending him to Earth would have killed him, so he had to stay.”
“Why have you brought this child to us?”
Jake hesitated, and Neytiri seemed to pick up on the more important question.
“Ma Jake, why have you not shown us this child until now?”
Jake took a deep breath, looking up to meet her eyes when he responded.
“The man who destroyed Hometree, who led the attack and almost killed both of us - this is his son.”
Neytiri stepped back, wrapping an arm around her stomach protectively, and Jake’s heart broke a little bit. Tsu’tey didn’t move. He just looked at Miles, and Jake couldn’t quite get a read on his expression.
“He’s just a kid. He’s completely innocent, even if his father is a monster.”
“You do not know that. You have no idea what he will grow up to be.” Neytiri hissed, and Jake felt his ears flatten as he pulled Miles tighter against his chest. Tsu’tey moved closer, still looking intently at the baby.
“Yawne, why are you showing us this child?”
“Because I- because he feels-” Jake struggled with the words, Neytiri’s glare making him nervous to say the wrong thing. “Because the first time I saw him, I felt like I knew him, like I was meant to know him. He’s a baby, and he’s all alone, but he was born here. He’s a child of Eywa, not Earth, and the people here won’t ever really understand that.”
“He belongs with his own kind.”
“I know that, but Neytiri, he doesn’t have his own kind here. You’re not allowed to have kids while you’re working here. His mother broke the rules to have him, and there are no other kids on base. It’s been a mess trying to find supplies to take care of him, and no one here was prepared to raise a kid.”
“What do you see in this child?”
Tsu’tey’s voice is mild, not happy with the situation but considering what Jake is saying. He clings on to that, trying to be as truthful as possible.
“He’s… Tey, he’s such a sweet kid. He’s so curious about everything, and he’s just started to crawl so everyone is panicking about what he can get into. He laughs at everything, and he loves being held.”
Neytiri is still glaring, but she approaches. Tsu’tey, his beautiful, wonderful partner who has been so badly hurt by the Sky People but still found it in his heart to try and find peace with them, reached out a hand to the baby. Miles giggled, grabbing one of his fingers with both hands. Tsu’tey smiled, and it was tiny but it was there.
“What would you have us do?”
“I don’t know. I mean, he can’t even leave base yet, and I know you guys don’t like coming here. We have time before we make any decisions. I want to take care of him, to be his family, but if you said the word I would walk away. You both, and our baby are so important to me, I can’t lose you.”
“He is the demon’s child.”
“Tiri, I’m not a good person. I have killed a lot of people, I’ve followed bad orders and done awful things. I spied on the clan for weeks before I reconsidered, it’s because of me that your home was destroyed. But you were able to See something in me, to try and bring out the best in me, and I have been working to live up to that faith every day. All I ask is that you try and See him for who he is, not who his father was.”
Neytiri’s jaw clenches, but she joins them on the floor. Miles turns his attention to her, beaming and holding his arms out to be held. Jake almost stopped him, but Neytiri reached out and lifted the child from his arms. Jake had tried to imagine it before, but there was nothing quite like the real sight of Neytiri holding the human child. His hair stood out so brightly against her skin, and he settled into her arms like he was meant to be there.
“What is his name?”
“Miles. His name is Miles.”
She repeated the name, feeling the way it sat on her tongue. She did not pay much attention to how the Sky People looked, and when she had seen the demon he was scarred and twisted with hate. But this child, he was bright and golden and warm, and something about his eyes almost reminded her of Jake’s eyes in his old body, the one she had barely known before they laid it to rest. The child’s eyes were a different color, but they carried the same kind of eagerness. It was so easy to ignore that part of his life, to pretend that the body he lived in and had given her a child in was always his, but he had an entire life before her.
“He should know the forest. If he is a child of Eywa, he needs to see her and all that she contains.”
Jake smiled, and she knew that she was making the right choice. The child may have her enemy’s blood, but he would never know the hatred that plagued his father. She would not allow it.
“They’re working on a mask. When he can reliably walk, they’ll fit him for one and he can come visit the village.”
Jake felt Tsu’tey put a hand on his cheek, turning him to look into his eyes.
“My love, you have carried so many burdens. You must talk to us about these things.”
“I know, Tey. I’m sorry, I promise I’m trying. I wanted to tell you when things had settled, but then-” Jake gestured to Neytiri, who had placed Miles in her lap. He was touching her stomach, fascinated by the tiny movements of the baby. “It felt selfish to even think about it, after that, so I just kept the visits to myself.”
“Why today?”
“Because I don’t know what’s going to happen later today, much less tomorrow. Every time I turn around something crazy has happened, and I just needed to get this over with. We already agreed to one extra kid, why not keep collecting them?”
“Graceaugustine was our teacher, and our friend, but I know you cared for her deeply before she died. A child is… unexpected. Do you know who, or when?”
“No. She would have told me, I know it. She never would have tried the transfer if she had even a single thought that she could be pregnant. I have a theory, I think, but I don’t even know if I want to say it out loud. It’s not important anyway. The baby is Grace’s, and they’ll become ours.”
“That will be two infants, and possibly a third when he is able to join us. Are we sure that we can handle this?”
“Mo’at already knows about Miles.” Neytiri gives him a look, but he ignores it. “She’s willing to help in any way she can. We have your brother, Trudy and Norm here on base, and there are people in the clan who want to be there for us. We’re not doing this alone, and I don’t know, it feels right for us. After everything that’s happened, I’m kinda used to chaos.”
Tsu’tey nods, using the hand on his cheek to pull him in for a hug. Jake falls into his chest, trying to process everything that’s happened since the call just over an hour before. He only gets a minute to think before Miles decides that he’s done with Neytiri and wants back over to Jake. He starts nodding off in Jake’s arms as they talk quietly about how to explain all of this to Mo’at, and what in the hell they’re going to tell the clan about the mysterious Na’vi baby they’re gonna bring back to the village in a few months. Jake suggests they just say they found them in the woods, but that gets shot down quickly. If Mo’at explains all of it as part of the will of Eywa, the clan should be able to accept it.
They insist on coming with him when he goes to put Miles back in his room. Jake is grateful that they don’t pass anyone in the halls, as Neytiri is swearing under her breath as she crouches through doorways. He knows it’s harder with the baby, but it’s really cute how her ears flick in frustration as she glares at the ceiling.
She doesn’t look any happier when they do reach his room, poking about at the few things they had managed to gather for Miles. She lingers on the little stuffed rabbit, tucking it into his arms when Jake gets him down. The room is empty, almost cold, and it lacks all the things that they have been gathering for their own child. If she spends the next week working on Na’vi-style gifts for Miles, Jake doesn’t mention it. He just takes the bundle the next time he goes to base, and the room feels a bit warmer when he leaves.
The strange sort of routine he developed after the war becomes more complicated with the impending additions to the family. He spends the mornings helping Tsu’tey with his duties, then assisting anyone in the clan who needs an extra set of hands. His afternoons are split between finishing the preparations for the baby with the grandparents, as they now need extra of several items in anticipation of Grace’s child, and Hell’s Gate. Grace’s avatar is being carefully monitored, and Jake feels his anxiety rise between each visit until he hears the baby’s heartbeat on one of the monitors. After he checks on Grace, he spends time with Miles, who has quickly become a tiny little menace that will try to put anything not nailed down into his mouth. Jake is kinda grateful for the practice, knowing he’s just a bit ahead of his partners in this whole parenting thing. That is, unless Na’vi babies are completely different from human ones and he ends up with no idea what he’s doing.
The evenings are the only quiet time they have to just be together, the three of them. It’s the only time Jake lets himself relax, when they’re both next to him and safe and he can feel the baby kicking against his hand. The first few months after they found out he had only talked to the baby in his head, but at some point all three of them had just started having full conversations with the baby. Neytiri pretended that she found it annoying, but Jake knew she talked to the baby as much as they did. She had also started claiming that she knew what the baby would be, insisting that her mother’s intuition knew they were having a boy. Jake believed her, but he didn’t believe that she knew Grace was going to have a girl. He’d be happy if that was true, but there was no way “mother’s intuition” extended to babies not currently inside of the mother.
He mostly lost track of the weeks after, just going through his routine and waiting for the baby to arrive and interrupt it. A week before Mo’at estimated Neytiri was due, Jake entered Hell’s Gate to find a very frazzled looking Norm.
“Oh thank God, we need your height. Come on.”
Jake followed, confused. It had been a few days since he’d been able to come to base due to a visit by another clan, but he was pretty sure the place had not been this baby-proofed when he last saw it. Norm led him to one of the labs, pointing up at a cabinet.
“He’s up there. Can you get him down?”
Jake looked up, and sure enough Miles was sitting on top of the cabinet, giggling his little head off. He had to be eight feet off the ground, but he looked completely content to be up there. Trudy came running into the room, relaxing when she saw Miles safe in Jake’s arms.
It turned out that Miles had decided to mostly bypass walking and go straight to climbing. They’d been so worried about locking down everything he could reach that they forgot to consider that he was apparently born with the knowledge needed to scale furniture. He was also on a clothing strike, which they blamed on Jake. Jake tried to argue that most kids didn’t want to wear pants, but Trudy was quick to point out that Miles would only wear the loincloth Neytiri had made for him, so it was definitely Jake’s fault.
They had gone to one of the break rooms, where there was no dangerous equipment and between the three of them they should be able to keep an eye on him. Jake set Miles on the ground, and he seemed fine to sit and play with a wooden palulukan that Jake had brought him, but then Jake looked away for ten seconds to answer a question and the kid had disappeared. Before Jake had even realized what happened, Miles was on the top of a shelving unit, still holding the toy.
This particular shelf had clearly never been cleaned, as the kid was covered in dust when they got him down. Trudy tried to clean him off, and Jake could see that she was slowly losing her mind trying to understand his impulse to sit in tall places.
“Look at you, you little rascal. You’re a mess! What were you doing up there, huh? Trying to find your web, you little spider?”
For some reason, the nickname stuck. Miles had apparently decided that being called a spider was hilarious, and after a few days he refused to respond to anything else. Calling him Spider was easier, somehow. Most of the base preferred not being reminded of Quaritch any time they tried to talk about the kid, and it matched the wild spirit of the kid far better. Neytiri had laughed when Jake told her about it later, and when the baby kicked she declared that they liked it better too. So, Spider became the name of their first adopted child.
Chapter 34
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Neytiri went into labor mid-morning on April 22, 2155. Jake checked the date later, tucking it next to Miles’ May 16 in his mind. She had been mentioning some back pain the night before, and Mo’at had assured them that it was normal and meant the baby was coming soon. Jake had spent the entire pregnancy a nervous wreck, but Tsu’tey had been their rock. He had been completely calm and rational, tempering both of their worst impulses and mediating when they got too far into their own heads. Of course, this meant that when Neytiri announced the baby was coming they did a complete 180. Jake felt completely composed for the first time in five months, and Tsu’tey started pacing. It seemed to amuse Mo’at, who just said that Eytukan had done the same thing.
He had spent the last two weeks badgering the grandparents for information about labor, to which they kept repeating that there would be pain, but Neytiri just had to trust her own body. Neytiri had thought that was sound advice, but in the moment she swore it was complete bullshit. How was she supposed to trust her body when it felt like it was trying to turn inside out? It wasn’t the pain that got to her, but the anticipation. She had spent months imagining the child inside of her, and now she would actually get to meet them, but part of her wanted them to stay safe inside of her forever.
She delivered her son in the late afternoon, and his first cry was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. Mo’at placed him in her arms, and he was perfect. Her boys crowded around her, and when Tsu’tey tucked his head against her neck she knew he was crying. Jake didn’t cry. He just stared at his son, his perfect little baby, and wrapped his arms around both of his partners. Tsu’tey was the first to move, carefully pulling her queue over her shoulder so she could connect to her son. Whatever version of herself she had been that morning was gone, rewritten at the touch of her firstborn’s mind. He was going to be so much like his father, brave and strong and determined, but there was no denying that he was her son. Tsu’tey would say later that he was the spitting image of the little shadow that followed him and Sylwanin around when they were children, but his voice would be so fond she wouldn’t protest the childhood joke.
“Neteyam. His name is Neteyam.”
She carefully handed him over to Jake, watching the way his eyes lit up the first time he held his son. She leaned back against Tsu’tey’s arms, exhausted but so filled with joy.
“Hi Neteyam. I’m your Daddy. And you have the most amazing sa’nok in the entire world. The three of us - me, sa’nok and sempul, we love you more than anything else. My baby boy.”
“You didn’t ask his full name.” Jake looked up, tilting his head to the side, and she had never been more in love with him than in that moment, with their son in his arms.
“I’ll bite. What’s his full name, love?”
“Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk’itan.”
Jake finally felt the tears he was waiting for come. His partners smiled and pulled him closer, the three of them curled around their son, their Neteyam Sully. Jake almost wanted to pinch himself just to make sure all of it was real, but he’d never had a good enough imagination for any of this. There was a reason his ikran’s name was Bob, and that Neytiri and Tsu’tey were in charge of picking their children’s names.
Jake was the last to fall asleep that night. Neytiri had crashed as soon as they all climbed into the hammock, setting Neteyam on Jake’s chest and curling her own body around his arm. Tsu’tey took his place on Jake’s other side, his head tucked into Jake’s neck and one hand resting on his chest next to their son. Jake waited until their breathing had evened out completely to whisper to Neteyam. Their son was the perfect little Na’vi baby, eight tiny fingers and toes and a head full of wispy black hair. He might be a bit biased, well a lot biased because Neteyam really did look so much like his mother, but Jake was pretty sure they had the cutest baby in the entire clan.
“I don’t know what it means to be a good Dad, but I promise you I’m gonna do my best. You are so lucky, Neteyam. You already have so many people who love you, and we all fought for you to grow up in peace. This is your world, kid, we’re just taking care of it for you. You and your siblings. You’ll meet Spider soon, and he’s gonna look a bit different than you but he has the same heart. Your other sibling will be born soon, your momma thinks it’s gonna be a sister.”
Neteyam snuffled in his sleep, and Jake tried not to start crying again. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the baby on his chest and the soft breaths of his partners. He shifted his arm to intertwine his fingers with Tsu’tey’s on his chest, and Neteyam’s tiny hand latched itself onto his pinky.
Jake was grateful for every bit of good karma they built up to deserve a baby like Neteyam. He had actually been a bit worried the first few days that Neteyam didn’t cry much, but Mo’at assured them that he was healthy and happy. She adored her grandson, glowing with pride when she came to check on Neytiri.
The entire clan had heard about the birth by the time they returned to their dwelling, but the official naming ceremony came when Neteyam was two days old. They had discussed the ceremony a few weeks prior when Neytiri realized it was their first opportunity to display their intentions to the clan. Tsu’tey was claiming Neteyam as both his son and heir, so he would carry him to the clearing they had designated for ceremonies, but Jake would be the one to introduce him to the clan. They hadn’t protested when he invited Norm and Trudy to the ceremony, even if Neytiri was a bit hesitant. It felt like another reminder that her culture was changing around her, but how could she say that any member of her child’s family was not allowed to attend his naming?
It was a little easier to accept when she saw how excited they were to meet the baby, and when Trudy immediately went to check on how Neytiri was doing. Neytiri assured her that she was recovering well, but maybe that wasn’t quite the right explanation. A year ago Neytiri was grieving the loss of her sister, angry with the Sky People but missing Grace and the school in some secret part of her heart. Now she was introducing her son to her People in their new home, and his father was one of the Sky People she thought she hated so much.
And when her mate lifted their son into the sky, his little legs kicking out, and announced his name, a good strong name that marked him as the child of their clan, she felt whole. Her People echoed his name, and if her People included Sky People they were still hers. Tsu’tey pressed a kiss to her temple, holding her hand a bit tighter as Jake lowered Neteyam. After the ceremony, they started Neteyam’s songcord, as well as adding a bead to each of their cords. Neteyam was the only one who wasn’t crying during this, which seemed to amuse him.
The birth of a child to the Olo’eytkan always warranted a feast. They took any opportunity they could to celebrate since the battle, and that evening was particularly rowdy. The new parents did not drink, but many of the warriors did. Most of the clan ventured over to where Neytiri was sitting to coo over Neteyam, and Jake had been cornered by most of the grandparents. When a familiar song started, Jake’s face lit up. He made his way over to them, convincing Neytiri to hand Neteyam over to Tsu’tey and come dance. Tsu’tey held their son, trying to keep him from putting the feathers on his chest piece into his mouth as they watched the dancers. He had sat and watched them during the last feast, trying to convince himself that he would be happy if they mated and left him to his own life. They had been beautiful then, a little drunk and clumsy and hesitant in the way they looked at each other, but that was nothing compared to the way they looked at their son’s naming feast. Happiness was pouring out of every part of them, and they moved together like one being. Tsu’tey watched as Jake said something and Neytiri threw her head back in laughter, and he knew he wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the world. Neteyam’s first communion with Eywa would be in a few months, and he hoped Sylwanin would be there to greet him. He hoped that she was proud of them, that she was happy with the life he had chosen.
Jake and Neytiri suddenly turned to Tsu’tey, and the combined force of their smiles was like looking directly at the sun. They can over, and Jake held his hand out.
“Mo’at can take the baby. Come dance with us.”
He knew he should say no. He was Olo’eyktan, he had to project strength and power, and their relationship was still strange to many in the clan, but… he didn’t have to be Olo’eyktan tonight. They were celebrating their child, and they were both so lovely as the eclipse began to settle over the village and their tanhi started to glow. He handed Neyetam over to his grandmother, trying not to blush at the look she was giving him, and took Jake’s hand.
Jake continued to visit Hell’s Gate every few days. Spider was a bright, curious child, but he was also determined to climb every piece of equipment on base. They had quickly realized that baby-proofing didn’t work, so instead someone was assigned to Spider Watching Duty in whatever room he was in. It didn’t often work, but they were doing their best. Neytiri brought Neteyam with her when he was a few weeks old, though she did not stay long. The equipment made her anxious, and when she was sure all was well with Grace’s child she went to sit out in the gardens. Jake came out to join her after an hour, and she could see he was thinking about something. She generally didn’t like when he got that look on his face, but she was willing to listen.
“Spider’s birthday is in a few days. I know the Na’vi don’t really celebrate the day you’re born but it’s important to Sky People. We have something planned here on base, and I was hoping I could introduce him to Neteyam.” Her eye twitched and he sighed, pulling her closer so she was settled in his lap, Neteyam pressed between them. “Love, I know this kind of thing is hard for you. But I need you to trust me. You and Tsu’tey are gonna be the ones to pass along Omatikaya culture and history, but our kids have Sky People heritage. I want them to know that part of themselves.”
After a moment, she nodded. She would allow him to teach the children some of the good parts of their heritage, but she would remain distant from it. Already Jake had begun to use both English and Na’vi when speaking to Neteyam, but for now she and Tsu’tey would use only their native language. It was almost strange to hear him speak English in their home, as she was so used to his heavily accented Na’vi. He was smoother in English, hesitated less. and Neteyam seemed to like the sound of his voice.
She accompanied him to visit Spider for his birthday. Maybe it was that her maternal instinct was in overdrive since Neteyam was born, or maybe it was Jake’s face when the child called him Dada, but Neytiri finally saw what Jake had seen since the beginning. Spider may have been born of the Sky People, but he was their son. He was a child of Eywa, and she had chosen him for their family. The last bit of resistance in her would crumble a few weeks later, when Spider called her Mama for the first time.
She settled in a corner, lifting Neteyam out of his sling and waiting for Jake to place Spider in her lap. Sky People were so much smaller than Na’vi, and Neteyam would quickly grow taller than Spider, but for now she could arrange them so that Spider was holding the baby. She expected him to grow bored quickly, but he just sat there, petting Neteyam’s head and talking to him. It was mostly babbling, but he looked so excited.
Neytiri knew Jake was watching them, but she didn’t know that he had taken one of the cameras from Trudy. He only took a few before he moved to join them, but they became some of his favorites. Both Spider and Neteyam hated the photos when they were older, but that was half of the fun of baby pictures.
When they didn’t return to the village in time for the evening meal, Tsu’tey went looking for them. He wasn’t sure what he expected when he got to Hell’s Gate, but Jake trapped under the sleeping forms of Neytiri and Spider was not it. Spider had started to get sleepy as the gathering wound down, and Neytiri had curled up next to Jake to hold him for a bit while she napped. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation from having a newborn had gotten to her and she had nodded off as well, and Jake didn’t have the heart to wake either of them. Tsu’tey was trying not to smirk at Jake as he knelt in front of them.
“Don’t give me that look.”
Jake tried to keep his voice low, but Neytiri’s ear twitched. Tsu’tey was still giving him a look, tender and fond, and Jake wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve this much happiness.
“She seems more comfortable with Spider.”
Jake nodded, looking down at where Spider had sprawled across both of their laps, clutching Neytiri’s hand.
“What about you? How are you feeling about all of this?”
“It took me some time, to process.” He reached out a hand to caress Spider’s soft curls, the baby’s face scrunching up for a second before smoothing back out. “I know what you see in him, but I was hesitant to allow myself to accept it. So I went to speak to Sylwanin. She was so angry before she died, arguing with her father about his refusal to fight back. I tried to talk her out of it. I wanted the Sky People gone, I wanted our home back under our control, but I knew it was dangerous to go out alone. She believed that Grace could protect us, that the Great Mother would see that what we were doing was right. When she died, I cut myself off from any chance of forgiving the Sky People, and I stopped listening to the Great Mother.”
Tsu’tey leaned against the wall, the cold metal in sharp contrast to the places where he was pressed against Jake’s skin. Jake was quiet, listening intently and without judgment.
“With each part of my life that changes, I feel as though I am leaving her behind. I was scared that in allowing this child into our family, I would be betraying everyone who has been killed and everyone who I am responsible for now.”
“What did Sylwanin say when you told her that?”
“She laughed. She reminded me that the only reason any of us survived is because Eywa brought us a Sky Person with the heart of the People to protect us. She said that the child was innocent, and he deserved a chance to be loved. This isn’t the life I anticipated living, but it is the life I chose. I chose you, my love, and I want to choose him.”
“It’s not going to be easy for them - between our family, your position in the clan, and their heritage, they’re always going to be different.”
“We cannot control others. All we can do is raise our children to be just and kind, and to know that we will always be there.”
“I didn’t think it was possible to love anyone this much.” Jake adjusted Neytiri, brushing his hand over Neteyam’s head. “You are both so much better than me, and I can’t be the one to screw this up. I don’t think I can forgive myself if something happens to any of them.”
Tsu’tey pressed his face against the side of Jake’s head, trying not to smile. His hair had grown in enough to braid back, and to Tsu’tey it was a visual reminder of how far they had come since the night they prepared for battle. Jake’s ear flicked as he spoke.
“You are very stupid sometimes.”
Jake pulled back, his forehead creasing, but Tsu’tey continued.
“You do not see yourself as we see you, but our children will. They will see that their father is brave and resilient, that he gave up everything to be here with them. Spider will know that you fought for him to have a place among us, even if there are members of the clan who do not agree.” Tsu’tey lifted Spider, resting the kid against his shoulder as he stood. “Come. It is time to return home.”
Jake nudged Neytiri’s shoulder until she sat up, blinking slowly. Neteyam fussed in his sling, but he settled down on their walk to Spider’s room. Jake paused on their way out of the building, ducking into the amnio lab to check on Grace’s avatar before they left. He took a moment to pray to Eywa for the child’s health, and to send thanks for the final gift from Grace.
Notes:
So we've got Neteyam, finally! Spider is adopted, Kiri is coming in like the next chapter, we've got some emotional vulnerability, all good things.
Just a side note about Neteyam - as an eldest child myself, I love him so much. A large part me writing this fic was seeing someone mention how good of a mentor Tsu'tey would have been for Neteyam, as well as my own frustration over how James Cameron uses character death to further the plot without really considering those character to be people within the story. Lo'ak can grow as a person without you killing his brother, James. Stop killing siblings, James.
I love all the Sully kids, I can't wait to write them as real characters and not just babies.
Chapter Text
In early June, it was decided that the baby had developed enough to be delivered. On June 5, another date Jake tucked away, they made the journey to Hell’s Gate to prepare for their new child. The amnio fluid was toxic to humans, so Tsu’tey and Neytiri were the ones to lift the avatar out of her tank. They cleaned the body, quietly singing a prayer to the Great Mother as Jake discussed the final plans with the medical team.
Tsu’tey and Neytiri did not stay for the operation. They had become more comfortable with short visits to the lab, but they could not bear to see the still body of their teacher cut open in that sterile, cold room. Jake stayed by Grace’s head, trying not to think about what was happening on the other side of the curtain. He held her hand, talking to her quietly about her former students and the construction of the new school. Jake thought of Grace, of her kindness and her snark and the look in her eyes when she was taken through the Eye of Eywa, and a cry rang out. One of the techs rounded the curtain and placed a squirming blue form in his arms, and Jake looked down at his daughter for the first time.
She was incredible, just a bit smaller than Neteyam but louder, more insistent. Jake bushed a finger over her round cheek, holding back tears when he realized that the tiny blue hand that grabbed him had five fingers. This baby was her mother’s double, or at least what Jake imagined Grace had looked like so long ago. She would never replace Grace, and he didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on her from day one, but she would carry Grace’s legacy.
The most important part of caring for a Na’vi newborn was contact, both physical and mental. Jake held his daughter to his chest with one arm, carefully reaching around to grab his queue. Neytiri had described the feeling of connecting with Neteyam, but words didn’t do it justice. Touching her mind felt like the first night in the forest, when the world around him had started to glow like the stars in the sky. He sent a prayer of thanks to Eywa and to Grace, and his daughter’s nose crinkled.
His partners were waiting for them in the garden. Tsu’tey was holding Neteyam, and Jake could hear both of them singing to him as he got closer. Neytiri spotted him first, her voice cutting off as she smiled. She could barely see the baby cradled in her mate’s arms, just a little tail wrapped around his wrist and a shock of black hair visible until he lowered himself to the ground next to them. The baby shifted, her little hand waving in the air, and when Neytiri reached out to hold it she felt this child claim a place in her heart.
“You were right. We have a daughter.”
Neytiri beamed, taking the baby from Jake’s arms to rest against her chest.
“Kiri. Her name is Kiri te Suli Kireysi’ite.”
Tsu’tey moved closer, leaning so that the babies were pressed against each other. Neteyam wiggled, unsure of what was happening, but Kiri grabbed his tail in one of her hands and he settled. Neytiri and Tsu’tey finally got a good look at her hands, and realized - she had five fingers. Their sweet girl, their beautiful gift from someone they loved dearly, she was her mother’s daughter. Jake had been worried this would disappoint his partners, but he couldn’t be further from the truth. They loved every part of him, and that meant not only accepting but hoping that their children would inherit his traits. This was their daughter, and it didn’t matter what anyone else would think of her.
They sat in the garden for a time, swapping the babies around so each parent could hold Kiri. She was content to be passed around, but Neteyam began to fuss, only settling in Jake’s hold. They had a feeling that a new sibling might make things more complicated, as Neteyam had their full attention for the last two months and would now have to share. At least they currently outnumbered the babies, or at least were evenly matched when Spider was around. Still, it would be more work on Neytiri for the next few months.
Tsu’tey carried Kiri on their journey back to the village. Neteyam had fallen asleep tucked into the sling Jake wore, one hand clutching Jake’s necklace. Neytiri wrapped her arms around Tsu’tey’s, their heads leaned in close to talk to Kiri as they walked.
Jake had spent a lot of time wondering what Grace would think about his life. He hoped she would be proud, that she would approve of the choices he had made. She would have loved them, Neteyam and Spider, and he liked to think that she’d be happy Kiri would be raised in a large family. He watched the way his partners’ tails twisted around each other as they walked, the late afternoon light reflecting on the beads in their hair, and Neteyam snuffled in his sleep and tried to burrow himself closer to Jake.
Mo’at was waiting for them at the village. She had been Grace’s friend for a very long time, and the news of Grace’s avatar being pregnant had been warmly received. Tsu’tey handed Kiri over easily, introducing her to her grandmother, and Mo’at smiled in a way Jake hadn’t seen before. Mo’at rocked Kiri, humming as she examined the baby.
“This child has been blessed by Eywa. She will make a fine Tsahìk one day, if she chooses.”
Mo’at looked up, making eye contact with Jake, and he knew that she believed his theory. They had been discussing the possibility for the last few weeks, but both had wanted to wait and have Kiri meet the Tsahìk first. There was something special about this child, though it may just be that Eywa chose to preserve her when she took Grace. Mo’at had found a certain humor in Eywa’s plan for Jake, and the circumstances of Kiri’s conception seemed to be another instance of the Great Mother choosing the path of greatest resistance for this family. Whatever the Great Mother intended, Mo’at was grateful that her family was not only safe but growing. She was still waiting to meet the Sky Child and learn what the Great Mother had in store for him.
When it came time to make Kiri’s songcord, Neytiri pulled out two sets of leather and beads. Jake had been confused until he saw the bright yellow bead she had chosen to begin the second cord. If Spider was their child, he was Na’vi, and all Na’vi children were given a songcord by their parents. His was a little late, but it would be his for the rest of his life. Jake chose a bead to represent Kiri on his cord, and if his partners noticed that he had already added Spider they didn’t say anything. Neytiri began to sing, composing the section of her song dedicated to their daughter, and Jake traced over each of the beads on his cord.
One for his brother. His introduction to Pandora, his iknimaya. A bead for the Dream Hunt, and mating with Neytiri. A bead for Hometree, and a bead for Grace. Tsu’tey, The Battle, his rebirth, their new home. And three beads for their children. It was more than he could ever have imagined his life would be, and while his cord would never look like Neytiri’s or Tsu’tey’s it was starting to look respectable.
Chapter 36
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The first two months with Neteyam as the perfect newborn, quiet and well-behaved and able to sleep for several hours at a time, turned out to be a fluke. From the first night with Kiri, both children seemed to make it their mission to give their parents as little sleep as possible. Tsu’tey was incredibly grateful that they had chosen a private area for their dwelling so the wailing didn’t disturb anyone else, but he didn’t think it was a good look for the Olo’eyktan to be falling asleep at council meetings. Neytiri got to the point where she was starting to nod off during feedings, which would shift the baby and set them off again. Jake, the lightest sleeper in the family, had taken most of the night shift work, staying up with Neytiri during feedings and taking walks around the silent village when Kiri simply couldn’t settle down. By the end of the first month with two babies, he wasn’t entirely sure he had ever known the meaning of tired before becoming a parent. On the days when Neytiri started to fall asleep standing up or Tsu’tey would trail off in the middle of a sentence, blinking slowly as he tried to get his brain back online, Jake wished he could go back and apologize to his mother for everything he and Tommy had put her through.
Their routine during the day was easier. Tsu’tey and Neytiri were deeply devoted parents, but they both had responsibilities. Neytiri in particular had been determined to get back to her role as a warrior and to continue training with her mother. Jake, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to take a break. He was proud that he was a warrior, and he continued to train and learn new skills, but he didn’t feel the same need to be active as his partners. The years of fighting and injury had caught up to him, and he needed time to figure out who he was going to be. He continued his routine, just wearing two babies and with considerably more nap breaks. Neteyam preferred to be wrapped against his chest, pressed close to hear his father’s heartbeat, and Kiri liked to be on Jake’s back, her head on his shoulder so she could look out at the world.
Na’vi babies are exclusively breastfed for the first four months, so every few hours Jake would simply appear wherever Neytiri was working to hand off one or both babies. Some days he would stay, leaning against her and chatting with whoever was near. If she was in the Tsahìk’s tent with her mother, he would just lay down flat on the ground and take a power nap until Mo’at decided he needed to get up and do something useful. The first time she woke him up, he saw in his mother-in-law’s eyes that this was her small bit of payback for the worry he had caused her in the past.
Jake tended to leave the babies with Tsu’tey when he went to visit Spider. Spider adored Neteyam and Kiri, but his visits had to be shorter if he brought them. Neytiri had quickly grown frustrated with how long it was taking the scientists to build Spider a mask and let him join them in the village. When threats of violence didn’t work, she realized that she could bribe them with some non-invasive tests on Neteyam and Kiri to study hybrid development. She stood in the corner hissing the entire time they did the scans, but Jake was pretty sure most of the xenobiologists would fist fight a palulukan to get that data.
They were able to bring Spider to the village for the first time in July. They had to be careful, and even with his mask he wasn’t supposed to stay out too long, but the look on Spider’s face when he first saw the forest made everything worth it. He’d gone completely still, his eyes widening as he tried to process this entire new world he had never seen before. Jake had taken the scenic route back to the village, trying to show the kid as much of their home as he could.
Jake knew what kind of reception Spider was going to get with the clan. He’d seen the ways some of the people had looked at Kiri, even though she had been claimed by the Olo’eyktan and endorsed by the Tsahìk. They could accept her as Na’vi in the way they had accepted Jake, but Spider was human. Jake tried to shield Spider as they walked through the village, hoping that he wouldn’t notice the stares of people who had never seen a child of the Sky People. He passed Tsyo and Neyara, who lit up at the sight of the child. He’d be sure to introduce them later, but Mo’at was waiting for them.
It had been nearly a year since he told Mo’at about Spider, and she had been patiently looking forward to meeting him. She had spent the morning praying in the spirit tree grove, listening for a sign from the Great Mother. She could feel the moment that the child was allowed outside, the energy of the forest rising to greet him. The little spirit trees seemed to know when they were approaching, swaying gently toward the sound of footsteps.
Neytiri had described the child to her, but it was very different to see him in person. It was amazing that one so small had caused so much fuss. Jake paused at the edge of the clearing, setting Spider down. The boy seemed hesitant, hiding behind Jake’s leg and clutching at his tail.
“Hello, little Spider.”
Spider peeked his head around, his big brown eyes filled with curiosity. Mo’at smiled, gesturing for them to come closer. Jake moved forward, Spider following closely behind. He reached up to adjust his mask, but Jake carefully moved his hand away. Jake knelt, pulling Spider forward so he was perched in Jake’s lap.
There were always atokirina in the spirit tree grove, but they tended to just float about. A few began to drift down toward them, and Jake reached out a hand. One of the seeds landed on his palm, the tendrils moving like the ebb and flow of waves. Jake moved the hand back toward his body slowly, the atokirina following until he could show the spirit to Spider. Jake carefully transferred the atokirina to Spider’s cupped hands, and he giggled. More spirits settled around them, perching on Spider’s mask and Jake’s shoulder.
After a long moment the atokirina floated away, and Jake could see Mo’at smiling at both of them. She moved closer, examining Spider. The boy seemed more at ease, but still shy.
“It’s okay, baby. This is your grandmother.”
Spider leaned out a little farther, his eye catching on Mo’at’s elaborate necklaces.
“Would you like to hear a story, little one?”
Spider nodded, and when Mo’at held out her hands he ventured out from Jake’s lap. She started to tell a story her own children had loved, letting her voice continue as her mind drifted. Eywa had claimed this child as clearly as she had claimed Jakesully. It would not be easy for him, but perhaps that was why Eywa had chosen to give her daughter children so early. They would be able to grow up together, and even if they had no one else they would have each other. Her daughters had been so close as children, inseparable from Tsu’tey. There were days where Mo’at would get lost in her memories, longing for the early days when the world was easier and her mate and children would be waiting for her in Kelutral, but she had been Tsahìk for over three decades. She had learned to accept change, and to leave the past firmly where it is. The world was very different now, but the sun still rose and the People still survived, and this child would find his place.
Neteyam and Kiri had their first communion with Eywa when they were five and three months old. The entire clan attended the ceremony, as well as some of Hell’s Gate. The humans and avatars didn’t fully understand the ceremony, but they knew better than to refuse an invitation. Besides, it was an excuse to see the babies.
Trudy had kept Spider up in the cockpit with her, just so the kid didn’t try and wiggle out of his harness. She could tell he was going to love flying, and she knew that even if the kid could never get an ikran she was going to show him the wonders of flying over Pandora.
Neytiri held her son up to the tree, her mother assisting with the connection, and she wondered what he was seeing when his eyes widened. Next to Neteyam, Kiri giggled in her father’s hold, her tail swaying behind her. They were far too young to ever remember this moment, but it marked their entry into the network of memories that connected Eywa’eveng.
When they disconnected the babies, the clan began to move through the well, some setting up food and music while others connected to the tree themselves. Trudy had settled off to the side, trying to be mindful of both her size and Spider’s in the crowd. He was fidgeting in her hold, bored and unsure of what to do without his parents when Tsu’tey appeared. Trudy handed off Spider easily, watching as Tsu’tey lifted the toddler up to his shoulder and carried him back to where Kiri and Neteyam had been connected. Jake and Neytiri had been preoccupied with planning the ceremony, but Tsu’tey had found himself worrying about Spider. Without a kuru, he could never connect with the Great Mother. He had seen the spirit tree reach out to Grace and Jake’s Sky People bodies during their ceremony, but the connection was only to transfer their souls. He had no idea what would happen if Spider ever tried to connect, but for now the child was content to reach up and gently grab the tendrils, fascinated by the way the bioluminescence seemed to beat like a heart.
Notes:
It is wild to think that the Sullys had three children within two years, four because I'm adding Spider. Truly, just so many babies.
I want to explore the idea that every member of the Sully family has been touched by Eywa in some way, and they're all just a little weird because of it. Obviously Kiri has the most connection, but Spider and Jake are definitely some of Eywa's favorites and it amuses Mo'at to no end.
Chapter 37
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When both babies were mostly weaned and Neytiri had more freedom to roam, she began to get restless. They were safe and stable, and she had mourned for all she had lost. She wanted to fly again.
When a group of young warriors was deemed eligible for their iknimaya, Neytiri decided to join them. She announced it the night before as they were preparing for sleep. Tsu’tey was unsurprised, but she could see Jake suppressing the urge to worry. He had relaxed a bit since Neteyam and Kiri started to sleep better, but his earlier anxieties hadn’t gone away. Tsu’tey had said they needed to give him time, and she was trying, but it was deeply irritating when her mate fussed over everyone else while pretending he didn’t have his own problems. At least his attention was mostly diverted to the children and he was no longer hovering around her.
Neytiri had claimed Seze when she was fifteen. Sylwanin had helped prepare her that morning, and they had joked about one of the boys who tried to impress her in training and had failed miserably. They had tried to be careful, but Sylwanin was laughing so hard she smudged the paint on Neytiri’s face. Neither Sylwanin or Tsu’tey joined her for the journey, but they promised to be waiting in the mountains for their first flight together.
She wasn’t scared of failure. She knew she was ready, and she knew her ikran was waiting. When she saw Seze, she had felt the connection, the innate knowledge that this ikran shared her spirit. They were meant to fly together for life, bonded until death. Losing Seze was losing a part of herself, and her new ikran would never replace that.
The second time around, it was Tsu’tey’s careful hands that applied her paint. He did not speak, but she could hear Jake talking to Kiri behind her, and Neteyam was making little noises from her lap. She didn’t think much on the trip up to the ikran roost. It was easier not to dwell on the past, to just feel the rocks beneath her feet and the way the air thinned as they approached their destination. Her companions were young, young enough that they could not fight during the battle, and they included one brave Olangi warrior who had thrown himself into learning the Omatikaya ways. She had not trained them, but they knew her. She was daughter of the former chief, an accomplished warrior and teacher of Toruk Makto. They looked to her for guidance throughout the journey, and she knew that she had to go first to show them how it was done.
There were fewer ikran in the rookery, as their numbers were also recovering after the battle. For a moment she wondered if there even was an ikran waiting for her, but then a beautiful female with bright teal and orange wings turned and hissed, and she knew that she had been waiting for Neytiri to be ready.
When they launched off of the edge of the cliff, the ikran was not shy or hesitant. She was joyous in flight, daring and bold. Their bond was not the same as Seze’s, but they seemed to understand each other. This ikran had fought that day, driven by the call of Eywa, and she had fought for freedom. This was their home, and they owned the skies.
Neytiri had broken away from the group of young warriors, content that their teacher had them under control. As she dove through the floating mountains she decided on a name. Seze had been named for the blue flowers her sister favored, but Neytiri had always preferred the twisting lilies that grew near bodies of water. Minheyu seemed to like her name, her screech echoing off of the rocks, and Neytiri should have been surprised when they were answered with a very familiar call, but part of her had been waiting for him. There was no one else in the clan who called their ikran like that, and no one else who would come to surprise her. She urged Minheyu to swoop down around a rock formation and there he was, like their first flight together. Her wonderful mate grinned, and all she could do was throw her head back and laugh as their ikran began to twist around each other, playfully snapping.
Neytiri took her time after they landed in the village hours later. She inspected Minheyu, got her measured for a saddle and fitted her antennae with leather straps. When she turned to grab some treats Jake was there, leaning against his ikran and smiling. She had always liked the way he looked in his riding gear, but the effect was ruined when Bob snorted and bumped his head into Jake’s back, bowling him over.
“Really, dude? Was that actually necessary?”
Neytiri tried not to laugh as she gave Minheyu some fish. Jake continued to complain as he got off the ground, trying to get Bob into a headlock while the ikran resisted. She lost her battle with laughter when Bob gained the upper hand, throwing Jake off of his neck and onto Neytiri. Jake twisted so he was the one to hit the ground, ignoring the way Neytiri’s ikran shireked indignantly as Bob began to preen in victory. Neytiri’s forehead was resting against his chest, her body shaking as she giggled. It had become one of his favorite sounds, especially because Neteyam had the same laugh as his mother.
Neytiri lifted her head, her hair windswept and cheeks flushed, and Jake felt like falling in love with her all over again.
“Thank you, my love.”
Jake knew she was talking about their flight today. He hadn’t really thought it through, just dropping the babies off with Tsu’tey and calling Bob a bit after she had left. Part of the reason his iknimaya was so important was that first flight with her, and he didn’t want her to be alone on a day like this.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just happened to want to fly today. Pure coincidence that you were up there.”
She gave him a look, loving and a little exasperated, and pulled them off the ground. Jake remembered her warning about not looking in Seze’s eyes, but this new ikran decided to stare directly at him, like she was daring him to walk away without giving her more treats. Jake gave her a few more fish, trying to ignore the way Bob started nosing at him for his own treats.
Notes:
This is just a short, cute thing about Neytiri getting her second ikran. I love the ikran, to me they're just large cat lizards and that's amazing.
I'm putting this here on the off chance some of y'all read this, but I've had a few ideas I may work on alongside this one. I kinda want to do a His Dark Materials/daemon AU, cause I like reading those and I want some Jake and Tommy angst. I also like the idea of a Na'vi shapeshifter AU, but I can't decided what I want them to be. I was thinking ikran first for the Omatikaya, but that would be more difficult to work into the plot, so maybe palulukan to further the cat comparison. As for the Metkayina, do I go with ilu or tsurak or just make up a similiar creature. IDK, will think about it and maybe get some stuff written over my break this week.
Chapter 38
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
They’d developed a system for what Jake called date nights before Neteyam was born. There were times when they just needed time in pairs. Neytiri missed her conversations with Tsu’tey, and he was careful to give them time as mates. Some days she just wanted time to herself or with the children and told them to leave for a few hours, to swim or hunt or whatever else her boys would get up to when she wasn’t there. Flying became her favorite date night activity with her mate. They did group flights, and planned to take the children flying when they were a little older, but date night was special. It was just the two of them and the stars, the world quiet and glowing.
Now, they maybe should have considered what happened the last time they were left without supervision. But with three young children and a long list of duties it just kinda slipped her mind. Her children were growing strong, beginning to crawl and start making more sounds. Spider was a sweet child, gentle with his siblings and endlessly enthralled by the forest, and his favorite thing was being carried around on someone’s shoulders.
So she didn’t think much of it when she tired more easily. Neteyam and Kiri had settled into a better sleep routine but they still had bad nights, and it just meant that she could curl up with them for their afternoon nap. And if her appetite changed a bit that was completely normal, and no one else seemed to notice any changes.
Tsu’tey was the first to think of it. He was always the most observant, and he’d been keeping a close eye on Kiri after she had a difficult week with teething. Their daughter was quite insistent on being held by Neytiri, but she seemed confused about something. He didn’t really register the first time she sat in Neytiri’s lap and pressed her hands against her mother’s stomach, but after the third or fourth day the thought began to creep into his head. When Jake had another of the strange dreams he’d had before Neteyam, Tsu’tey had walked Neytiri over to her mother’s tent.
Mo’at had been completely unsurprised to see them. Tsu’tey had stayed by the entrance, watching the realization spread over Neytiri’s face as her mother began the exam. Neytiri didn’t cry when her mother confirmed that she was once again pregnant. She had cried the first time, overwhelmed and a little scared, but had hoped she’d be more prepared if they were to have another child. Two adopted children and a little more than a year later, she was not more prepared. Yes, they had figured out most of the big hurdles of parenting and had a routine and set dynamic, but once again the Great Mother had a very strange sense of timing.
Honestly, she felt more like laughing. Of course they were having another child. Nothing has ever been easy or simple, why not try to raise four children under three? It was the look on Jake’s face when they told him the news, somewhere between terrified and excited, that broke her. She laughed so hard she finally started crying, and her boys were wrapped around her, supporting her as she tried to catch her breath. Her actions seemed to confuse the babies, who fussed until they were pulled into the embrace. She pressed a kiss to both of their heads, wishing that Spider could be there with them. She would have to put more pressure on the scientists to make him a mask for sleeping before their next child arrived.
Somehow Jake was the most relaxed about the new baby, once the news fully settled into his brain and he’d confirmed it was just one baby. They had a bit longer to prepare this time, and honestly he was pretty sure they were killing it as parents. Another kid meant they would have to shift things around a bit, but at some point he had learned to accept the insanity that was his life. Still, he did find a time to sit in the spirit tree grove and complain, on the off chance that Eywa was listening.
They had once again decided not to tell the clan. It was easier to keep it within the family, and it gave Neytiri more privacy. This pregnancy was harder on her, with more aches and fatigue. The baby refused to settle, moving at all hours of the night. She blamed this behavior entirely on Jake, and he knew better than to protest. They only seemed to settle when being talked to, soothed by the sound of their fathers’ voices. The baby’s movements amused Neteyam and Spider, but Kiri quickly lost interest. Neteyam liked to sleep curled around the growing bump, like he was holding his little sibling.
Jake had realized that their current hammock was simply not going to work with a new addition to the family. Re-doing their sleeping area and making a family hammock, a swaynivi, led to an entire home renovation project, which Neytiri only tolerated because it kept Jake from hovering around her for a few weeks. By the time the project was completed, the worst of her symptoms had passed, and she had begun to show enough that the clan knew. Jake had to endure some good-natured teasing, as no one wanted to bother the Olo’eyktan or risk Neytiri’s anger. He didn’t mind too much, it was kinda ridiculous how many children they had managed to accumulate in two years.
They had all learned to lean into the chaos as they got closer to Neytiri’s due date. They didn’t do much for the children’s birthdays, but Jake made sure to get them gifts and add a bead to their cords. It felt like they were all growing up too fast, like they just turned around one day and suddenly their children could walk and talk.
Tsu’tey seemed to be having the hardest time with it. Jake had tried to get him to open up, but it was Neytiri who finally convinced him to talk about it. It was the day after Kiri’s first birthday, and she had told Jake to go to Hell’s Gate for a few hours to give them some time alone. Jake had taken Neteyam and Kiri with him, and Neytiri saw something in Tsu’tey’s eyes when they left. He stayed quiet, so she started to talk. She let her voice fill the space between them, talking about anything she could think of until he was ready. She had paused during a story about one of the new apprentice healers when he spoke.
“What do you remember of your father?”
“I remember many things. I remember his voice and his hands. He taught me how to hunt, how to hold my bow and track prey.” Her voice is soft, wistful. “He used to take me flying, when I was very young. Just the two of us, when my sister was in lessons with my mother. It was the first time I really felt free.”
Tsu’tey was looking down, twisting his songcord through his fingers. Neytiri had never seen him look so lost.
“Why do you ask about my father?”
When he doesn’t answer she shifts closer, taking his hand and holding it against her heart. She can feel the beads of his cord pressing against her skin. He takes a deep breath, and when he speaks his voice is quiet, hesitant.
“I am scared that it is not possible to be both a good father and a good Olo’eyktan. I feel that I have not done enough for you, have not been there enough for the children.”
As difficult as it was for Neytiri to hear those words, the worst part was the final two words. The children, not our children, like he was afraid to claim his place in their lives.
“What has made you feel this way? I know that we have all had to adjust to the idea of another child, but you seemed to be doing well.”
“Every day I attend meetings and make decisions and do my duty to care for the clan, and every evening when I return it feels as though I have missed a lifetime. I watch you and Jake with them, and I ask myself why I am here. In another life, you would have been happy without me.”
Neytiri clutched his hand tighter, trying not to cry. The baby kicked as though they felt her turmoil.
“Look at me. Please, my dearest love, look at me.” He glanced up, and her heart broke when she saw the tears in his eyes. “You are here because we love you, and we chose you. We made you a place with us, in our hearts. And perhaps we would be happy, in another life, but in this one I cannot imagine living without you. If you died, you would take a piece of me with you. I made a promise to you, a promise to be your confidant and your friend and your Tsahik, and choosing Jake does not mean I will ever love you any less.”
He nodded, his shoulders trembling as he tried to keep his emotions under control, and she tugged on his arm until he came to rest against her. She hummed, rocking both of them slightly.
“My father was a complicated man. He carried a great burden, and as I grew up I watched the way he struggled to keep us all safe with the advance of the Sky People. There were many days where I did not see him, weeks at a time when we only spoke at meals. But you are not my father. You live in a different world, and your burdens are not the same. I don’t have the words to tell you what you mean to me. You are my constant, my shelter. There are parts of me that only you will ever understand.”
She moved the hand she still held against her heart down to her stomach, where the baby was still fidgeting. They seemed to still at the touch, relaxing as she started to run her fingers through Tsu’tey’s braids. She would have to redo them soon. He was perfectly capable of handling his own hair, but it was an act of devotion, a way to reconnect that she had been neglecting as of late.
“This child knows your voice. They listen when you speak, I can feel it. Our other children know your touch, your heartbeat. I have seen Neteyam cry and cry until he is held by you, and our daughter will only sleep if she is next to you. Our Spider, he trusts you completely. This family would be incomplete without you. We are here for you, me and Jake, and we want to take this fear from you. Let us carry it, carry you, just as you care for us.”
When Jake returned he found them curled up in bed, pressed against each other as they talked quietly. Their body language had been off earlier, and he was more than happy to give them time together to try and sort things out. It seemed like she had gotten him to talk, but he was still tense, uncertain.
Tsu’tey hadn’t protested when Neytiri had moved them to their sleeping platform. He didn’t know what words would come out if he tried to speak, so he just stayed quiet and tried to calm his mind. Logically he knew everything Neytiri said was true, and had known it before she even spoke it aloud, but he could not convince his heart to believe it. Lately there had been a weight on his chest, and some days he was fine but others… his scars hurt, and he was so tired, and doubt had crept into his mind.
He didn’t move when Jake and the children returned. You could always hear them long before you saw them, Kiri’s cheerful babble and Jake’s footsteps more familiar than his own heartbeat. He tucked his head against Neytiri’s neck, and she must have given Jake a look because he approached slowly, carefully passing the children over so they could burrow down in between Tsu’tey and Neytiri. Tsu’tey waited for Jake to say something, but he just climbed onto the platform and wrapped himself around Tsu’tey’s back, tangling their legs and tails together as they cradled their children.
When the children had settled and started to drift off, Jake hooked his chin over Tsu’tey’s shoulder to nuzzle against his cheek, talking quietly.
“Spider was asking for you. I told him that he could see you the next time he visited the village.”
Tsu’tey didn’t respond. He just kept running his hand over Neteyam’s hair, following the rhythm of Jake’s thumb on his chest. Neytiri shifted, pressing a kiss to Tsu’tey’s temple.
“My love, you should talk to him.”
Jake tensed slightly, the end of his tail tapping a steady beat against Neytiri’s thigh.
“Why did you choose me? Why did you choose this life?”
“Going right for the hard questions. Okay, uh, I guess I’ve never actually thought about it. I’ve been just kinda winging it since I got here. But… I didn’t think much about the future before. I didn’t have much of a future to think about, and when Tommy died I just wanted to come here, do my job, and try and figure it all out again when I was back on Earth. The first time I saw you, both of you, I thought you were beautiful and terrifying. Grace told me to keep my head down and just try to learn, so I did. I knew what you thought of me, what you would think of me if I told you everything, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t look. You taught me to See, so that’s what I did.”
Jake paused, Tsu’tey’s heartbeat just a bit too fast under his palm. He and Neytiri gathered him just a bit closer, like they could keep him from falling apart.
“I asked Grace about how relationships work among the Na’vi. I tried to just seem like it was a normal question, but she saw through me. She told me that this would never work, at least not the way I wanted. You both had responsibilities, and I could never really be a part of your lives. This life we have, the life we built, is one of the only things I’ve ever wanted enough to fight for. Because I See you. I know that you are an excellent teacher and clan leader, that you would have done anything to protect Neytiri and keep the clan safe. I know that you gave me a chance, even after all that had been taken from you, after all I did. I know that you were kinder and more patient with me than I ever deserved.”
Jake tried to focus on every point of connection, the heartbeat under his hand and the feeling of Tsu’tey taking shaking breaths in his arms.
“You wanna know why I chose you? Because I am a selfish bastard, and I couldn’t imagine my life without you. If I were a better person I would have stepped back, never let you touch me or speak to me kindly. I would have fought, because I love this forest and these people, but I would have gone back to Earth and left you both to be happy together. But I just couldn’t do that. I love you, and this family and this life and everything we have endured together has only made me love you more. You have made me better, and I’m gonna spend the rest of our lives trying to live up to that.”
Neytiri makes a small noise, and Jake can tell that Tsu’tey has started crying between them. There are tears in his own eyes, his throat tightening as he spoke, so he just ducked down to press gentle kisses against Tsu’tey’s neck and jaw. Kiri wiggled, unhappy with how tightly she was being pressed against her brother, but settled when she was able to nestle against Tsu’tey’s shoulder.
When they had all stopped crying, their breaths evening out as evening fell over the village, Jake tried to shift back to give them all a bit more space. He was stopped by the way Tsu’tey clutched his hand against his chest.
“Hey, it’s alright. I’m not going anywhere. I just want to see you.”
Jake waited until the grip on his hand eased to shift up to his elbow to look at both his partners. He moved the hand that had been on Tsu’tey’s chest to trace his face, the sharp lines of his jaw and cheekbones, the soft curves of his lips and ears. There was a notch in his right ear that Jake had always loved. Neytiri had confided that it was an old childhood injury from a stupid fight, but Sylwanin had liked how it made him look more like a warrior.
If they weren’t both flushed and tear-stained he would have taken more time to just admire his partners. They were both incredibly beautiful. There was an elegance to all Na’vi, with their long limbs and graceful features, but there was no one quite like these two. They were warriors, fierce and powerful and self-assured, but they were so much more than that. He knew Neytiri was shy, hesitant to show her true self around new people, and sometimes he could tell that Tsu’tey had never really gotten to be a child. Falling in love with them had been easy, the hard part had been trying not to.
“You wanna tell me what got into your head?”
Tsu’tey hadn’t quite made eye contact yet, but he was leaning into Jake’s touch. Neytiri huffed and answered.
“He feels he is not able to be both Olo’eyktan and part of this family. He thinks we would be happier without him.”
“Neytiri!” His ears pressed back against his head as he hissed at her.
“You were taking too long, and he needs to know.” She nudged her nose against his cheek to soften her words, and he sighed.
“I’m sure she already told you, but that isn’t true. We love you, and we want to support you, and I have no idea how we’d do this without you. But we’ve gotta be more honest with each other. Trust me, I’m not the best at it, but we’re about to be outnumbered.”
Tsu’tey smiled slightly, and Jake counted it as a victory. There were a thousand other things they needed to talk about, but tonight they just needed to be together. Getting ready for sleep was quiet and slightly awkward, as none of them actually wanted to leave the platform. They moved around each other, trying not to wake either baby as they took off accessories and shifted places. Jake had tried to keep Tsu’tey in the middle, but he was quickly manhandled into their usual sleeping position.
Jake woke first the next morning. He hadn’t slept particularly well, disturbed by dreams about the battle. He spent a few minutes caressing Neytiri’s stomach, feeling the baby kick against his hand. They had taken to referring to this one as exclusively his child, and he had a feeling that would continue even after they were born. Neteyam was so much like his mother, they were bound to get a kid just like him. He carefully moved off of the sleeping platform, trying not to disturb his still-sleeping family, but Neteyam began to fuss. Jake picked up his son, realizing how much he had grown recently. He stepped out of their home with a mission, Neteyam content to come along for the ride.
They’d all been a bit tightly wound for the last few weeks, and they hadn’t taken the time to check in with each other and talk. Last night proved that they needed some time together with no responsibilities or pressure, and Jake was determined to make that happen. It was very early in the morning, but Jake knew Mo’at would be awake and able to help.
Once he had made arrangements with his mother-in-law, Jake gathered some food and supplies for the day. He had been so focused on making sure the kids had what they needed, he hadn’t realized they had run out of their own self care items. Jake grabbed his partners’ favorites, giving Neteyam a piece of fruit to gnaw at while he completed his other errands. They were both gonna be a mess by the end, but it was a good excuse to take the family to the river.
Neytiri and Tsu’tey were still asleep when he returned. They had moved closer to fill the gap he left, Kiri laying in the middle chewing on one of Neytiri’s braids. Jake took a few moments to organize his supplies for the day before climbing back onto the swaynivi, taking the braid out of Kiri’s mouth and pulling her on his lap with Neteyam. He told them a story as they waited for the others to wake, handing them small pieces of fruit to keep them occupied.
Neytiri stirred first, blinking slowly into awareness when Neteyam giggled. She dragged herself upward to lean against Jake’s side, running a hand over Neteyam’s head in greeting. Kiri had been trying to feed her pieces of fruit to Jake, but turned her attention to her mother. Neytiri tried not to laugh as a small, sticky hand insistently pushed a piece of fruit at her lips, playfully biting at her daughter’s hand to get her to laugh. Jake pressed a kiss to her head, brushing his hand over her stomach. The baby was strangely calm, but she knew it wouldn’t last.
Tsu’tey could feel the mid-morning sun on his face when he woke, but it took a few minutes for his awareness to return enough to comprehend what that meant. His eyes flew open and he tried to sit up, but a hand on his chest pressed him back down.
“Easy, love. It’s okay.”
Jake leaned over him, smiling softly. He let Tsu’tey sit up more slowly, placing Kiri on the mat between them so she could greet him. She beamed, crawling forward to lean against Tsu’tey’s side as he rubbed the last bit of sleep out of his eyes.
“It is late. Why did you let me sleep?”
“Because you needed it. You need a break, so you’re taking the day off. We all are. I already talked to Mo’at, she can handle any issues that come up.”
Neytiri settled against Jake’s back, smiling at Tsu’tey from over his shoulder. Neteyam was still in Jake’s lap, leaving sticky handprints on their arms.
“I do not need-”
“Yes, you do. So, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re gonna go get Spider, and all of us are going to go to the river. We’re gonna get these two washed off, and take a day with just us. Okay?”
Tsu’tey nodded, picking Kiri up as he slid off of the swaynivi. Neytiri took Neteyam, singing to him as they dressed for the day. Jake tucked everything they would need into bags, just smiling at his partner’s confused faces. Kiri tried to escape her father’s arms the entire walk to base, but she quieted when she saw Spider. Spider had been up and wreaking havoc in the lab for several hours, so the scientists were quite happy to give him over for the day. Jake perched the toddler on his shoulders during the short trip to the river, trying not to wince when he pulled on his braids. He’d been transitioning his hair to a lower-maintenance style in preparation for the new baby, and it seems to fascinate Spider. Kiri had lost interest when he took out most of the beads, but he did leave a few small braids to decorate with symbols of his status.
It was always interesting trying to get three small children washed up, but they found that sitting with them in the shallow water and letting them splash around generally got the job done. Jake washed himself off quickly and began to set up a picnic, letting his partners play with the kids. Tsu’tey was already more relaxed, laughing with Neytiri about something she had heard from her mother. Jake let him be for a bit, keeping the conversation light for a few hours. When Neteyam settled in for a nap, Kiri and Spider still splashing in the water with Neytiri, Jake brought up what they had talked about the night before.
“I’m sorry that you’ve been struggling and I didn’t notice.”
“It is not your fault. Neytiri has told me for many years that I am not good with emotions.”
Neytiri looked over at them, giving Tsu’tey a look. Jake laughed lightly, pulling his hand out of Neteyam’s grasp and moving to sit behind Tsu’tey. He began to undo his braids, running his fingers over the shaved sections of his head.
“I know it probably doesn’t feel like it right now, but one day you’ll see how important you are to the kids. Blood doesn’t matter that much, you know? Kiri and Spider are ours, no matter what. Neteyam and the new baby, they’re as much yours as mine.”
“I know. I did not think it would bother me.”
“Emotions aren’t logical. I’m gonna keep apologizing for things that weren’t my fault, because I feel responsible. You’re allowed to feel this way, as long as you let us know so we can help.”
Tsu’tey reached back, grabbing Jake’s right hand. He pulled it closer, tracing the scar on his palm.
“My parents did this to you, because they did not trust me to know my own heart. They spent my entire life placing expectations on me. How do I know I will not do the same to our children?”
“You don’t. Every parent screws up, and their kids try not to make the same mistake and end up making new ones. My parents worked so much. Most of my life it was just me and Tommy, and I’ve just been doing the best I can with what I was given. I trust you to tell me when I’m doing something wrong, so trust me and Neytiri to keep an eye on you.”
Tsu’tey nodded, pressing a kiss against the scar before letting the hand go. Jake returned to his task, delaying the moment he would have to let Neytiri take over. He really did love when either of them had their hair out of braids, something about the loose strands made them look younger. Neytiri noticed that he was stalling, lifting Kiri and moving back to the mat. Spider followed, a little unsteady on the mossy ground. She handed Kiri over to Jake, nudging him over to where Neteyam was napping.
Neytiri had been helping Tsu’tey with his hair for years. The process was familiar, her hands moving without needing focus. They often sat and worked in easy silence, and today was no different. There were enough sounds around them, the water and the trees and their children holding a conversation only they understood as Jake tried to participate. Neytiri was grateful that the child she was growing seemed to respect the need for a restful day, but she was sure they would go back to kicking as soon as she tried to sleep that night. They needed one quiet day, and then they could continue on as normal until the doubt crept in again and they needed another break. Hopefully this peace would last until their newest child was born.
Notes:
Just one for tonight, but it is a longer chapter. I just wanted to examine this dynamic a bit more, and get some of the emotional things settled as I move into talking about the kids more. Don't worry, the adults are still gonna be characters with emotional development, but the next several chapters are just gonna be the Sully kids being tiny menaces as they grow up.
Also I am working on a few new shorter fics, trying to decide if Tsu-tey Lives AU is just gonna be my thing no matter what, cause he deserved better.
Chapter 39
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The last weeks of Neytiri’s pregnancy were fairly easy. They were all a bit more prepared this time, and the focus became making sure the older kids were okay with the changes happening. They had instituted more specific bonding times, with each parent taking each child for a time as well as the adults taking time for themselves. Trudy and Mo’at became their biggest help, but Jake did feel a bit guilty about how often they asked for babysitting. Trudy had just laughed at him, and Mo’at didn’t dignify that with a response. These were her grandchildren, if he didn’t ask for babysitting she was going to take them anyway. Besides, she could see that it was helping Tsu’tey.
With everything going on, they had lost track of the time they had left and were taken by surprise when Neytiri went into labor. Neteyam and Kiri were left with Norm and Trudy, which they had both protested. As much as they loved their aunt and uncle, they had entered a phase where they only wanted Neytiri, and Jake knew the new baby was going to be an interesting addition. They had finally made it to the point where both of them would sleep through the night, but Jake had a feeling the baby’s feedings would wake at least Neteyam up.
As uncomfortable as the pregnancy was, the birth of their fourth child was easy. Both Tsu’tey and Jake were completely at ease, and Neytiri did not labor long. Still, it was a relief to hear the baby’s first cry. When Mo’at handed Neytiri her second-born, she took one look at the child and handed him over to Jake. He was deeply confused, until he too looked at their son’s face.
Neytiri would never forget the moment Jake saw Neteyam for the first time, nor when Tsu’tey met Neteyam and Kiri. She could hardly imagine her own expression, seeing the perfect new being that they were bringing into their family. But there was nothing compared to her mate seeing their second-born, and realizing that the baby boy had tiny little eyebrows like his father, and that the hand that reached up matched the one it grabbed. Jake had gone completely still, and the eyes that had widened in wonder filled with tears. Tsu’tey hummed, supporting Neytiri to lean closer and hear the words he managed to whisper.
“He looks like me.”
“I told you. This one is all you.”
Jake laughed, trying to stop crying as the baby blinked up at him, furrowing his little eyebrows. He had never found the words to explain, even to his partners, what it felt like to grow up with an identical twin. There had always been someone who shared his face, his voice, his laugh, and they understood each other in a way most siblings would never be able to. It had broken Jake’s heart a little bit when Tommy started getting moved up grades and put in different classes, and when he had finally left home for college several years early Jake had locked himself in their room and refused to speak to their mother for days. He had known that this was what was best for Tommy, but before that point they had spent maybe a week apart. Suddenly Jake is fifteen and his brother is in an entirely different state and the apartment is too quiet, too empty.
But Tommy was still alive, and that was enough. He had never once considered that Tommy would die first, that Jake would be left alone. Seeing the avatar for the first time felt wrong, so much like the body he had just seen burned but so different. Two years later Jake still found himself startled by his reflection from time to time, like he was still wearing his brother’s face on a body that felt like Jake’s. He’d accepted that this was the last piece of Tommy he had, especially when Neteyam had been born with so many of Neytiri’s traits. He took comfort in Neteyam’s smile and his chin, and it would be enough. Then he held his second-born for the first time, and there was someone else in the world who looked like him, who looked like Tommy.
Neytiri was smiling, leaning close to caress the baby’s cheek. Tsu’tey was gently brushing away Jake’s tears, their foreheads pressed together as they all looked at the baby.
“What are we gonna name him?”
Neytiri had several names in mind, but looking at her son she knew they needed a name that reflected Jake in some way. There was a name she had liked from the stories about Toruk Makto.
“Lo’ak. His name is Lo’ak.”
Jake grinned, carefully handing Lo’ak back as Tsu’tey assisted with her kuru. He was smaller than his brother, and completely calm in her arms. With their first connection she knew that the resemblance to his father was more than skin deep. Lo’ak was Jake without the years of trauma and Sky People nonsense, but he also had the same inquisitive nature as Neteyam. In Lo’ak she found the same desire for freedom that drove her to the sky, and she could hardly wait until he was old enough to take on flights.
Jake hadn’t thought to check the date earlier. He trusted that Trudy would tell him when he went to collect Neteyam and Kiri. They were all waiting in the break room, the kids playing with toy ikran.
“Did they behave for you?”
“Of course. We love having them here.” Trudy smiled, leaning forward expectantly. “So, how’d it go?”
“It’s a boy. Lo’ak. He and Neytiri are doing great.”
“Aw, that’s amazing. Poor Kiri is completely outnumbered.”
Kiri looked up at the sound of her name, finally noticing that Jake had returned. She toddled over, holding her arms out. Jake lifted her, tucking his face into her hair for a moment. Neteyam wandered over, tugging at Jake’s tail for attention. Jake settled him on his other side, watching as Trudy got herself and Spider masked up. They wanted Spider to see the new baby, so Trudy would escort him there and back.
Neteyam wiggled out of Jake’s arms as soon as they got to the village, taking Spider’s hand as they walked toward their home. Most of the clan had become accustomed to Spider and Trudy, or at least had learned not to react when Jake was around. It was an incredibly cute sight, Neteyam holding on to his brother for support as they walked, Spider talking to him about a new toy they were going to give the baby as a gift. Jake tried not to laugh when Trudy pulled out a tablet and started taking photos of the boys, especially when she turned to get a shot of him carrying Kiri.
Tsu’tey was waiting to help the boys up into their dwelling. He’d gotten Neytiri and Lo’ak settled on the swaynivi, Lo’ak mostly asleep in his mother’s arms. Jake passed Kiri over to Tsu’tey, watching from the entrance with Trudy as he placed all three kids on the platform to meet the baby. They tried to keep quiet, but his kids had not mastered the art of whispering yet. Trudy snapped another photo before holding the tablet out to Jake.
“Take it. I got it all set up for you.”
“Thank you, Trudy.”
“I’m gonna go chill outside for a bit. I’ll be back to get Spider before it gets dark.” Trudy gave one last look at the kids before turning to leave. “By the way, you should check the date.”
She grinned and walked away, ignoring Jake’s confusion. He climbed onto the platform to join his family, noticing that Kiri was petting her little brother’s hair. Spider crawled into his lap when he settled, looking at the tablet he was still holding. Jake pressed a kiss to his head and turned on the tablet to see the date.
“Oh.”
Neytiri turned, raising a brow.
“What is it?”
“I just didn’t realize what day it was.”
The two year anniversary of the battle had been marked with a trip to the Vitraya Ramunong, but Neytiri had been too heavily pregnant to make the trip. The kids had refused to go without her, so Jake and Tsu’tey didn’t stay long. He hadn’t been counting the days since, so the date took him by surprise. August 23.
“Do you know what tomorrow is?”
Neytiri shook her head. Tsu’tey looked over, tilting his head. Neither of them put much stock in anniversaries or dates, as the Omatikaya didn’t keep that kind of calendar. It was strange enough to mark the day of the battle, but with so many lives lost it felt appropriate.
“Tomorrow marks two years since the transfer ceremony.”
Two years in this body, two years since Eywa gave him the greatest gift he could ask for. It also meant that tomorrow, Jake would be twenty five. It was another milestone his brother would never reach, but the grief didn’t hurt as bad. Tommy would be so proud of what Jake had built, the family he had made.
Jake looked at the tablet again, realizing what Trudy had meant about getting it set up for him. She had transferred all of his files, as well as the photos she’d been taking. He clicked through for a bit, noticing that she had apparently been taking sneaky, unflattering photos of them while they were living in the shack. Jake didn’t mind as much when he saw how many photos of Grace he would be able to share with Kiri when she was old enough. He shifted closer to his partners, holding the tablet out so they could see.
He’d chosen the photo of himself and Tommy, the only one left. He hadn’t looked at it since the day of the ceremony, but it felt different now. He had kids of his own, and looking at the photo he wondered what they would look like at that age.
“Is that you?”
Tsu’tey leaned in, the whole family crowded around the screen. Spider was staring at the tablet, not quite connecting the boy in the picture with the Na’vi man holding him.
“Yeah, me and Tommy when we were about ten. I’m the one on the right.”
“You look so small.”
Neytiri’s voice was soft, full of wonder. They had only ever seen him as a grown adult, and she had a difficult time imagining him younger. She had mostly based her ideas on Spider, softening her memories of Jake in his Sky Person body. Seeing the photo, she found herself trying to imagine Spider older instead. The boys in the photo had the same lanky limbs and awkward air as Na’vi children, without all of the features she had become used to seeing on children. She looked down at Lo’ak, wondering how much he would grow to look like the boys in the photo. Her chest felt tight when she took in his features again, how closely he resembled his father. She loved Neteyam, her little shadow, and with every day Kiri looked more like Grace, but this child was her mate’s. It was a gift she had not considered, seeing the face of someone she loved so much reflected on their child.
“There are a lot more photos, but I thought you’d like to see this one as well.”
Jake clicked the next photo, feeling his partners go still. Neytiri took a deep breath, reaching out a hand to touch the screen. Grace had told him that the photo had been taken only two weeks before Sylwanin was killed, the last and only time Grace had managed to wrangle the three teenagers into posing for the camera. The girls were smiling, but Tsu’tey had the same mildly grouchy look that he defaulted to.
“Grace kept all of the photos. I wanted to save them, after the battle, so we could show the kids one day.”
Neytiri smiled, beginning to tear up. Tsu’tey was still sort of frozen, processing. He had forgotten about the photographs Grace took at the school, forgotten that they had preserved Sylwanin as she was. Jake set the tablet aside, gathering them both into an embrace. The kids were tucked between them, not sure why their parents were so emotional but happy to be included in the hug.
When they settled down for sleep that evening, Jake found himself whispering to Lo’ak just as he did for Neteyam. The baby was fast asleep, his tiny fingers twitching as they grasped Jake’s pinky. He wondered if he should feel bad for how happy he was that Lo’ak had inherited his features, but it seemed that their children just liked to come out as carbon copies of one of them. He made the same promise to Lo’ak that he made to Kiri, that he wouldn’t put the pressure of carrying the dead on him just because they shared a resemblance.
“Oh, baby boy. You couldn’t wait one more day, huh? It’s alright, you’re still the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten. You are so loved, baby. You have no idea, but you will. You’re gonna grow up with three older siblings, and they’re gonna drive you crazy but you will never be alone.” Jake sighed, tucking his head against Tsu’tey’s. “Tommy would’ve loved you. Well, he would’ve laughed and said this was karma, but he would’ve been happy. I’ll tell you all about him when you’re older, you and your siblings.”
Lo’ak snuffled, his leg kicking slightly. Jake smiled as he settled in for sleep, trying to imagine Lo’ak and Neteyam when they grew up. He dreamed of Tommy that night, of blanket forts and stories about heroes and the way his brother smiled when he talked about going to Pandora.
They quickly discovered that Lo’ak had only been so active during the pregnancy because he disliked being contained. Now that he was out in the world he was a very quiet, serene baby, as long as he was being held and able to observe the world. He had decided that Tsu’tey was his favorite parent, and would only sleep tucked in between his fathers. The more difficult aspect was how Neteyam and Kiri reacted to their brother. Neteyam became quite clingy, needing to be near the new baby at all times, but he and Kiri both struggled with sharing their parents’ attention.
Neytiri tried to spend more time with them, taking them on their first flight a few weeks after Lo’ak was born. It was a short, gentle flight, but Neteyam had spent the entire time they were in the air giggling. Kiri was silent, her eyes wide in wonder as she twisted around to try and look at everything.
Spider absolutely loved his new brother. He was nearly three, but Neteyam and Kiri were quickly overtaking him in height, and it was nice to have someone smaller than him in the family. Neytiri had finally intimidated the scientists into figuring out new solutions for Spider to stay with them longer, especially when he had figured out how to put on his own mask and open the airlock to escape. They had managed to talk him into waiting for an escort, but that wasn’t going to last long. The biggest issue was that the air wasn’t just dangerous to breathe, but also irritated the eyes. Spider had hated the eye drops at first, but then he realized he could join his family for meals and stay overnight with them. They ended up with a crate of extra supplies for Spider in their home, and one of the smaller shacks below in case of emergency or recharging. Jake and most of Hell’s Gate were still very nervous about the arrangement, but Neteyam and Kiri were just happy that Spider could play with them more often.
The years of peace had helped with most of Jake’s nightmares, but he had never had the best relationship with sleep. On the nights where he would jolt awake, he had a system to reassure himself that his family was there and safe. Neytiri mumbled in her sleep, not constantly but if he lay awake long enough he would hear it. Tsu’tey’s breaths were deep and steady against his neck or shoulder. Every few minutes Neteyam would make a little noise and his tail would twitch before he quieted down again. Lo’ak moved quite a bit in his sleep, flailing an arm or a tail as he dreamed. When Spider could join them, Jake would listen to the sound of the air filter hissing.
Kiri, his sweet, beautiful little girl, took after Grace. Jake had found it difficult to sleep in the shack some nights, with four people crammed into the small space there was a lot of noise. Grace denied it until the day she died, but she snored. Half the time it sounded like she was cuddled up with a lawnmower in her bunk, but Trudy and Norm were deep enough sleepers that they never noticed. Jake had found a certain humor in it, and it was more endearing when Kiri snored. At least it didn’t bother her brothers.
Notes:
I am back with baby Lo'ak!
The next few chapters are gonna follow a different format, much less chronological. Each chapter is gonna be about a concept or experience and show the ways that each kid or member of the family interacts with it. Stuff like the kids learning to walk and talk, Spider growing up the only human kid, Neytiri teaching the kids about their heritage, all sorts of good stuff. We'll go back to the regular formatting when we get to the Sky People returning. I'm still toying with making The Way of Water a separate fic just cause this one is getting long, but I'm not sure.
Also I am absolutely gonna make up some science so Spider has an easier time being with his family. Not sure yet if I'm gonna go the Eywa-blessed/able to breathe Pandoran air angle, TBD.
Chapter 40
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
All of the Sully children were wanderers. They had been easy enough to handle when they could only crawl, but it quickly got out of hand.
Spider as the oldest had walked first, except he didn’t just walk. He climbed, and he jumped off of the tallest surfaces he could find. Jake was glad the kid trusted he would be caught safely, but it wasn’t great for his blood pressure. He had calmed down a bit when given more places to explore, and he was pretty good at staying close in the forest and village.
When Neyetam had started to crawl and then walk, he didn’t go far. He generally used this new skill to move between parents, or to move over to his grandmother’s lap during mealtimes. The problem had started when Kiri learned to walk.
Kiri was an odd child. Norm liked to say she had an old soul, and it showed in her eyes. Her gaze could be unnerving, when she just stared into your soul without blinking. Her main target for this as an infant was Jake, leading him to a crisis about whether his daughter hated him. She eventually turned her attention to her brothers, who mostly ignored the looks. The first dozen times she tried to crawl off the edge of their suspended home to look at something, they’d been able to redirect her. She was just curious, the behavior would stop with time. Only it didn’t. Instead, she learned to walk, and promptly started to roam in whatever direction she pleased the second she wasn’t being observed. This wouldn’t be a problem between three parents, but it was rarely all three of them watching the kids at the same time. Then, Neteyam started following his sister, and Spider started to tag along, and all of a sudden you’d look away for ten seconds and all three toddlers had disappeared. Neytiri blamed the behavior entirely on Jake. Neteyam and Lo’ak were definitely his fault, Tommy had been a wanderer too and he and Jake were known to disappear in crowds, but Kiri and Spider could not possibly be blamed on him. Neytiri ignored this fact. Tsu’tey later told Jake that Neytiri had also wandered off a lot as a child, and their children were doomed from the start.
The entire village learned to just intercept them and nudge them back toward the nearest parent, but Kiri was not to be deterred when there was something she wanted to see. Of course, all of this was happening just after Lo’ak was born. They had eventually decided that Lo’ak would just be left with Neytiri the majority of the time and Jake would be on toddler wrangling duties, but Lo’ak did not like this solution. Not only did he want to be held at all times, but he had taken after Neteyam in being picky about which parent was holding him. Some days he was completely inconsolable if he was not tucked into a sling on Jake’s chest, and those were generally the days that Kiri decided it was time to try and escape the confines of the village.
He had tried to advocate for keeping all three of the ambulatory children on leashes, but he was quickly shot down. They’d grow out of it, it was just a phase, there are enough adults around to keep them safe. He’d agreed and tried to make the best of it. Then Lo’ak had started to crawl.
Jake was pretty sure babies couldn’t be reckless to the point of being suicidal, but Lo’ak was working to prove him wrong. Like Kiri, he decided his first order of business was to try and fling himself off of the edge of their home. It had been a normal, quiet afternoon in their dwelling. It was threatening to rain, so Jake had kept all four kids at home with him. He had been playing with Kiri when he realized that Lo’ak wasn’t where he had left him. Jake had looked around frantically to see the baby rapidly approaching the edge of their home, which was a fifteen foot drop to the ground.
“Shit!” Jake lunged, grabbing Lo’ak just before the edge. “Jesus Christ, kid. You’re gonna give me a heart attack.”
Jake turned to check on the other three, but to his horror they had apparently been inspired by their brother and were all trying to escape.
“Oh, fuck. Oh my god, I don’t have enough arms for this.”
After about twenty minutes, he managed to corral all four into the middle of the room. He placed Lo’ak in the sling on his chest, tied Kiri against his back, and lifted Neteyam and Spider. He was pretty sure it looked ridiculous as he carried them through the village, but he needed back up. He marched straight to Mo’at tent where he knew Neytiri would be, trying to hold on to the two giggling, squirmy toddlers under his arms.
As it turns out, Tsu’tey had joined Neytiri and her mother for the afternoon. All three turned to Jake when he entered, and whatever expression he was wearing was apparently hilarious because Neytiri started laughing at him immediately. He set Neteyam and Spider down, letting them run over to Mo’at as he untangled Kiri from the sling.
“What has happened, yawne?”
Jake sighed, sitting next to Tsu’tey.
“I needed backup. They’re all determined to go head-first off the edge of our platform.”
Tsu’tey hummed, looking over to see that Spider had started to climb the elaborate system of ropes and platforms that Mo’at had set up on one wall to entertain him. Neteyam and Kiri were telling Mo’at about the game they had been playing, and for a moment Jake let himself relax. Then Spider decided to leap off of the platform in a direct path of collision with Kiri and he had to once again lunge and catch a child without crushing either Kiri or Lo’ak in the process.
He really did try his best not to swear in front of the kids, especially when they all started repeating anything he said in English, but what else was he supposed to do when his kids tried to leap off of the nearest cliff? Honestly, he was a bit worried they completely lacked self-preservation skills. However, it didn’t make his day any better when Kiri immediately turned to her grandmother, and in the sweetest, most innocent voice possible repeated after him.
“Fuck.”
Jake had groaned, sinking to lay face down on the nearest mat as Mo’at shot him a deeply judgemental look. He had asked about leashes again that day, and had once again been shot down. But they had realized that if all four children were together, they needed more than one adult to supervise. It worked okay for a few months, but when the children started to insist on spending more time in the forest things got messy again. If she was not directly being observed, Kiri would simply wander off into the forest. She would then get so distracted she wouldn’t hear the frantic calls of her name as her parents tried to find where she had gone. Spider would follow her, and before you knew it all four children had disappeared into the woods. Spider also had a habit of climbing into the trees to hide, thinking it was a very funny game to play with his parents, and then find himself unable to get back down.
Jake was pretty sure he aged ten years in the time since the kids had learned to walk. Neytiri and Tsu’tey had kinda thought he was exaggerating at first, and then they took a family trip to a nearby waterfall. Kiri nearly walked into a nantang den, Spider got himself tangled in a mess of vines twenty feet in the air, Neteyam had tried to jump off the highest part of the waterfall, and Neytir had to stop Lo’ak from eating no less than three poisonous plants, only to turn around and find that Neteyam had put another plant in his mouth. That evening Jake had asked Norm if it was unethical to put tracking chips in his children.
Eventually they settled on a way to keep track of the kids. Tsu’tey and Neytiri adapted a series of calls typically used for ikran or communication during a hunt. The kids learned how to identify their parents’ calls, what noises meant they had to stay in place and how to respond. Jake had learned the calls, but his go to was a bit different.
“Alright, kiddos, roll call time. Spider?”
When it was just Jake, they used a combination marco polo/roll call system to keep everyone in line. They seemed to like the game, and it meant that Jake could focus on getting them to their destination without having to look around for all four of them every 30 seconds.
“Here, Dad!”
“Great. Neteyam?”
“I found a bug!”
“That’s great, baby.”
Kiri had been a bit more distracted that morning, and after the third time she had failed to respond Jake had just decided to carry her. She was okay to be perched on his shoulders, reaching up to try and grab at leaves as they walked.
“Lo’ak?” No response. “Okay, everybody pause. Who’s got eyes on Lo’ak?”
Jake turned, seeing that Spider and Neteyam were only a few feet behind. Spider was looking around, finally spotting Lo’ak about twenty feet away.
“Over there, Dad.”
“Thank you, Spider. Lo’ak, baby, I need you to come over here.”
Lo’ak looked up, realizing that he had gotten separated. He made his way back over, clutching something in one chubby toddler fist. Jake lifted him up, trying to arrange them so that Kiri couldn’t accidentally kick her little brother.
“I found a rock for Sa’nu.”
“I can see that. She’s gonna love it, but I need you to stay closer to us. If you want to look at something you gotta tell me and take one of your brothers with you.”
Lo’ak nodded, tucking himself against Jake’s neck.
“Alright, team, we’re good to go. Spider, please keep your feet on the ground. Neteyam, sweetheart, you cannot eat that.”
Kiri giggled, tugging on his hair to get Jake to move. Spider scrambled ahead, shouting that he knew the way to the water and promptly tripped on a root. Neteyam had started laughing so hard that he too tripped, and Jake ended up once again carrying four small children. Jake loved his kids, he really, really did, but he could not wait until his kids developed some common sense.
Notes:
This is the start of just some cute vignettes. Jake has had high blood pressure since the day Neteyam was born, the man is just slowly losing it with so many children. We saw in the film that Kiri just sorta walks off, and I like to think that all of the kids caused problems like that but Kiri kept it up the longest.
Chapter 41
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kiri had never been a quiet baby, making noises at everything and everyone until she learned to talk. She liked to chatter throughout the day, talking to anyone who would listen or making up stories for her toys. She picked up new words easily, and by age two had started to mix Na’vi and English she learned from Jake.
If Jake hadn’t already accepted that his life was insane, he would have considered giving up the day Kiri learned “why.” Suddenly she had to ask about everything. Why are we eating that? Why do we have to go to bed? Why do I have a brother? Why do we have to keep that brother? She found a thousand questions to ask every day, and the only person with enough patience to try and answer all of them was Mo’at. She grew out of that phase around the time that Lo’ak discovered the word “no,” which brought its own set of problems.
By that point Jake was completely fluent in Na’vi and used the language exclusively in the village, but their home and Hell’s Gate used a mixture. He was in charge of teaching the kids the basics in English, and Tsu’tey would teach them Na’vi, and then they would attend the school Norm and the other avatars had set up. They were the only kids in the village that used English at home, but at least their peers would know a little bit.
Neteyam was a very different baby. He made noises and vocalized his needs, but despite being older than Kiri she had started talking first. Neytiri had become nervous after a few months of no progress, but Jake hadn’t been worried. He had a bit of a speech delay as a child, but it turned out he just didn’t see the need to use words when he could communicate just fine non-verbally. When he had finally decided to start talking, his mother had decided to encourage him by spending extra time together reading. He had picked up her accent and the cadence of her voice far more than his brother, but they soon learned how to mimic each other’s voices to get away with switching places. The accent still appeared sometimes, especially when he was emotional, and it always made him think of his mother’s raspy voice reading to him from a book of world mythology.
Jake followed his mother’s strategy and spent extra time with Neteyam, narrating everything he was doing and making sure Neteyam knew that it was alright if he didn’t want to talk just yet. And if he primed the kid so his first word was “sa’nu,” that was between Jake and Neteyam. The look on Neytiri’s face was worth it, and the baby picked up on “sempu” and “dad” soon enough.
They weren’t sure if Lo’ak would take after his brother. He had started to talk early but paused at around a dozen words, seemingly content with the range of communication he had achieved. Then one day they woke up and he was using full sentences, chattering away with his older siblings like it was the most normal thing in the world. Their home had never been quiet, but three loud, chatty toddlers filled the space with noise.
Between the kids and Jake every conversation was a confusing mix of Na’vi and English, but it was sort of endearing to Tsu’tey. Jake was smoother in English, more casual and more prone to telling stories, and the kids would need to know English to maintain relationships with their family at Hell’s Gate. Besides, the mix of languages allowed for Spider to be included.
Spider was a bright kid, cheerful and curious and so eager to learn, but they had run into a problem. Turns out that human mouths have trouble with the “s” sound for the first few years, among others. Spider tried, but they would need to wait and practice until he could speak Na’vi comfortably. So sa’nu and sempul became a’nu and em’pu, and it felt just as special to Neytiri and Tsu’tey. Jake had also taught him to call Neytiri Mama, which Lo’ak had picked up on. Some of the scientists had mentioned that they couldn’t always understand Spider, but his family never had any problems. They could figure it out or ask Norm, who had become pretty good at figuring out what Na’vi word Spider was trying to pronounce. Spider figured out all the sounds by age six and was able to catch up to his siblings in vocabulary, and then promptly lost a tooth and talked with a bit of a lisp for three months. Jake considered himself lucky that Na’vi also had adult and baby teeth, because he had no idea how he would have gone about explaining that particular aspect of human biology.
Notes:
This is much shorter, just a musing on the kids and how they approach language. I'm starting to get more into each of their characters, but they'll be really fleshed out soon.
Chapter 42
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When the kids were a few years old, a common illness spread through the village after a diplomatic visit. It functioned a bit like a cold, and none of the parents had been worried when the majority of kids in the village came down with it. Mo’at and her healers did have a bit of extra work on their plates, but it happened every few years. Children were tiny disease vectors, even Na’vi children.
Neytiri had expected her children to get sick. Lo’ak was the first to show symptoms, his energy lagging as he developed a cough. Neteyam followed with congestion and a fever, then Kiri. What Neytiri hadn’t considered was that Jake may be an adult, but his body had only been exposed to other people for five years. She ignored it when he started sneezing, but the cough was a dead giveaway.
“Tiri, I’m fine. It’s just a cold, and I’m an adult. I can handle some chores.”
“You look terrible. You need rest, and the children need someone to stay with them.”
Jake wanted to argue, but he did feel a bit like he’d been run over by a bulldozer. The avatar bodies grew in a sterile amnio tank, and it didn’t seem like human diseases could affect them so they hadn’t studied their susceptibility to Na’vi diseases. He was pretty sure that Norm had tried to warn him about this, but Jake had mostly learned to tune Norm out when he went on a tangent. Trudy does the same thing, but she’s better at pretending to still be listening. He was definitely stronger than germs, right? Wrong, because immune systems don’t care that you’re a warrior. He should have known what would happen when Lo’ak brought home a cough, but he’d been fine the first day. His symptoms had snuck up on him while trying to take care of the kids, but had skipped his partners. They’d already had the illness as children.
Neytiri gave him a look, standing in front of the entrance to their home to keep him in. Neteyam was curled up in her arms, limp and half-asleep. Jake sighed, very aware of the headache throbbing in his temples and the tightness in his chest.
“Fine. You’re right”
Neytiri looked smug as she handed Neteyam over, but her expression softened when she felt the heat radiating off of his skin. Her mate really did look miserable, as did the kids.
“I will be in the forest with my mother. If you need me, I can return.”
“It’s alright, love. We’ll be fine.”
Neytiri nods, pressing a kiss to his forehead and brushing a hand over Neteyam’s hair. The toddler whines and nuzzles closer to Jake, and she hesitates for a moment before leaving. When she finds Mo’at, the Tsahik does not seem bothered by the delay. They set out into the forest in an easy silence, broken by Mo’at when they found the first patch of healing herbs.
“Jakesully has fallen ill.”
“Yes, Mother. He is staying with the children until they are all healthy.”
“They are strong, and healing from illness is a rite of passage. Their father will take good care of them.”
“I know, Mother.”
“Yet you are still worried.”
Neytiri paused her work, realizing that her hands were shaking.
“We have had several good years, but the longer we go without danger the more I fear the inevitable.”
“The world you grew up in was uncertain, and you have been through more than anyone should. But there were many years before you that we lived in peace, and we did not fear that it would end. It will take time for you to reach this point.”
“Do you believe that this peace will truly last?”
“Do you not?”
Neytiri thought of the stockpile of weapons in the Sky People base, of the gun her mate kept in a crate in their home and the way he looked at the star he came from on night he thought she wasn’t looking.
“I hope it will. But Jake has his doubts.”
“He is a good man, and he knows the people he came from, but he does not know the future. All we can do is trust in the Great Mother.”
Mo’at stands and walks deeper into the forest, and Neytiri wonders if she will ever reach the level of assurance that her mother possessed. She had accepted that her role in the clan was not to be Tsahik herself but to act as a connection between Mo’at and Kiri, or any of her other children should they choose that role. Even still, teaching her children about the Great Mother had given her a deeper understanding of her faith and her place in Eywa.
The first day she kept Jake at home with the children passed without complication. She had seen that the illness got worse before it got better, and her family was no exception. Their fevers had spiked in the night, and Neytiri and Tsu’tey had to move to the extra hammocks. Jake was still fairly coherent in the morning, but he was also being a bit pitiful. Tsu’tey had been hesitant to leave them alone, especially when Lo’ak had demanded cuddles and started crying when Tsu’tey tried to put him back down. Neytiri had barely managed to convince him that they would be fine, and that she would check on them every few hours.
When Neytiri returned to their home mid-day, they were not on the sleeping platform. Instead, there was a large lump of blankets on the open-air play area at the back of the dwelling that she presumed contained her mate and children. A tiny blue tail was visible as she approached, poking out the side of the blanket pile. Jake was awake but bleary when she pulled back the cloth, curled on his side around the toddlers. She checked their temperatures, noting that their fevers had gone down but they were still quite uncomfortable.
“Why are you out here?”
“Wanted from fresh air. Got cold. Cuddle puddle.”
He spoke in slow, garbled English, his brain too tired to find the words in Na’vi. She smiled, brushing his hair back off of his face. He seemed very young like this, and it was endearing that he was trying to take care of the kids and reassure her even when ill.
“Do you want to move?” He shook his head, tucking the kids tighter against his chest when Lo’ak coughed. “Is there anything else you need?”
Jake thought for a moment, struggling to remember what he was missing.
“Spider. Where’s Spider?”
Kiri perked up slightly, blinking up at Neytiri.
“Spider?”
“I will go check on him. I am sure that they have just kept him on base because the children are ill.”
“Wanna see him.”
“I know. I will bring him if I can.”
Jake nodded, rubbing Kiri’s back until she settled back down and began to drift off. Neytiri tucked the blanket back around them and headed out. She had been so worried about the younger kids that she hadn’t noticed Spider’s absence over the last few days. She tried not to worry on the walk to Hell’s Gate, but it was strange to be making the journey alone.
Neytiri had been introduced to all of the Sky People, but there were only a few that she actually bothered to communicate with. The first person she recognized was Max, who seemed confused by her presence.
“Where is my son?”
“Ah. Okay, he’s over here. Trudy should be with him.”
Max led her through a side hallway, which was not the way to Spider’s room. Instead they entered a room similar to where Grace’s Dreamwalker body had been taken when Kiri was born. Spider was laying on a strange bed, Trudy sitting in a chair by his side reading from her tablet.
“Hi, Neytiri.”
“Is he alright?”
“Yeah, he’ll be okay. Just turns out that your kids’ immune systems were able to mutate the illness and pass it on to him, which we didn’t expect. Luckily it’s a weaker strain and he just needs rest. How are the others?”
Neytiri kneels by the side of the bed, reaching out to touch Spider’s sweat-slicked curls. He turns into her touch, grabbing on to her wrist when she tries to pull her hand back.
“Their fevers have broken. Jake is with them.”
“Norm told me that Jake caught this too. He’s been trying to be extra careful, and all of the avatars have been isolated until this passes.”
“Jake is unhappy about the arrangement, but it will be over soon. He was asking about Spider.”
“The kid’s been asking for you guys too. Someone is with him at all times, but he’s lonely.”
“Can he be moved?”
Trudy considers for a moment, wavering when she sees Spider try to crawl closer to Neytiri.
“Let me check with the doctor. He’s almost completely better and the mask will keep him from interacting with any germs, so you should be okay to take him for a few hours.”
Trudy walks off, and Neytiri pulls Spider fully into her arms. Despite being nearly three years older he is Lo’ak’s size, and would soon be the smallest. His skin is clammy but his eyes are aware.”
“Hi, Mama.”
“Hello, sweet boy. I hear you have not been feeling well.”
“Norm says Kiri got me sick. Is she hiding from me?”
“No, baby. She is also sick, so she is at home.”
“I miss her.”
Neytiri looked over at Trudy, who gave her a thumbs-up. It was still a strange gesture to Neytiri, but it was effective. Neytiri shifted Spider higher, tucking his head against her neck as she moved toward the exit.
“We will go see Kiri, and the rest of the family.”
“Okay, Mama.”
Neytiri pulled on his mask, making sure the seal was tight before leaving the base. She knew Trudy would come get the boy before it got dark, and she was grateful for the woman’s help. Neytiri had no idea how they would have navigated caring for Spider without their chosen family at Hell’s Gate. She sang to the boy as they walked, letting him play with one of the beads on her top. He was mostly asleep when they reached the dwelling, and Neytiri was not surprised that the lump of blankets had not shifted. She knelt and moved the blanket back, tucking Spider into the pile. Kiri latched on to him immediately, Lo’ak snuggling against his other side.
“Spider?”
“Hi, Dad.”
Jake hummed, taking a moment to check on each kid before turning to Neytiri. She was smiling at them fondly, and after a moment she seemed to have a thought. She moved to the other end of the dwelling and grabbed the tablet, which Jake had shown her how to use but she had never felt comfortable with. It was easy enough to remember how to take a photo, and she didn’t want to forget this sad little pile of children. Jake flashed her a smile when she set the tablet down.
“You wanna join us?”
“No. But I will not be gone long.”
“We’ll all be fine tomorrow. We can go for a walk, and in a few days we can reschedule date night.”
“Just rest, my love. We have all the time in the world.”
She leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek, and when Neteyam grumbled about the disturbance she made sure to kiss each of the kids as well. The illness would pass in a few days, and they would go without incident for several years. The photos she took that day were a bit off-kilter and unfocused, but she could clearly see Jake’s soft look and her children curled around each other, so she loved them.
Notes:
Inspired by fond memories of sick days spent on the couch watching Scooby-Doo, and the fact that Jake's avatar body was just sorta dropped into the middle of the Omatikaya with no real immune system.
I'll be back with more soon!
Chapter 43
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Spider figured out how to put on his own mask and open the airlock to escape the base about two months after Lo’ak was born. Norm had managed to grab him the first time, and someone else noticed the second and third, but the fourth escape attempt was successful. Spider had made the journey over a hundred times with an escort, so he knew the path to the village. He wasn’t scared of the forest or any of its creatures, because Grandmother always said he was a child of Eywa and she would protect him.
When the edge of the village came into view, Spider broke into a run. He figured that Sempul would be busy, but Sa’nu or Dad should be easy to find. Spider saw Dad first, standing by one of the supply tents talking to a young hunter. He’d been so excited to see his dad and show him that he was capable of making the trip by himself that he didn’t check his surroundings. He accidentally stepped on an older kid’s tail, making them cry out in pain. Before he could apologize the kid’s mother had turned and hissed at him, pulling her child behind her.
The commotion drew Jake’s attention away from his conversation. He turned to see a woman snarling at Spider. Spider, who should have been on base until Neytiri went to go get him later. Spider, his kid, who had frozen in fear, shrinking back from the much larger adult. Jake rushed over, scooping the kid up into his arms and apologizing to the woman, who he recognized as one of the people who disliked the Sky People being allowed in the village. Jake walked away quickly, Spider’s body shaking as the shock wore off and he began to cry. Jake tried to hush the kid, picking up the pace as the toddler started hyperventilating and tried to remove his mask. There was no time to get back to base, so Jake just got them back to their dwelling and switched the mask for a smaller model, rocking Spider until he calmed down.
Neytiri had been furious when Jake told her about the incident. She had demanded names, but he and Tsu’tey had talked her down. There had been people who were willing to try to kill Toruk Makto, a war hero. If they tried to cause issues, Spider was far more vulnerable.
Neytiri hadn’t thought very far in the future when they agreed to be Spider’s family. Her concern had been for the immediate impacts on her people and the child she was carrying, and in the years since she had very little time to stop and consider what they were doing. She may have been hesitant when she first met Spider, but it didn’t take long for the human child to claim a place in her heart.
He was her child, her gentle, curious boy. He looked different than her other children, and he always would, but part of her was grateful for that. She had thanked the Great Mother a thousand times for giving Jake a permanent place among their people, but there were parts of him she would never understand, two decades of his life that she would never be able to relate to. Spider was like a compromise, a child with an alien body but the same strong heart that led Jake to become one of them.
Sometimes she forgot that other members of the clan only saw him as alien, that they looked at her son and saw the man who had hurt them, even if no one knew the relation. She often forgot about the boy’s biological father, because that demon had nothing to do with her sweet child. Jake was his father, because he had chosen Spider and fought for him to be included. Jake had visited him and found a way to bring him home, had cared for him when he was sick and soothed his nightmares. Jake, who was not allowed to help with their younger children’s hair but loved to tend to Spider’s golden curls, which were finally long enough to begin braiding. Tsu’tey was also Spider’s father, because he had found a way to open his heart and accept the son of their enemy as their own. It was Tsu’tey who wore the Olo’eyktan’s mantle with pride and carried the human child at the same time, daring anyone to protest. It was Tsu’tey who chose the first bead for his songcord, and who came up with the nickname for their sunshine child. They called him tsawksyultsyìp, their little sun lily.
Their other kids loved Spider, but they too forgot that he was different. They knew he was not blue, and that he was smaller than them, but Spider was determined to do everything they could. It meant that Neytiri got very good at patching him up, and that Jake spent a good bit of time hovering over their children as they played to make sure they weren’t being too rough with Spider. Still, he grew strong and nimble and clever, and he was taught the skills of any Na’vi child.
Spider loved his Mama, who was fierce and protective and took him flying. He loved Dad, who told bad jokes and braided his hair and was always there to catch him when he fell. He loved Sempul, who was calm and steady in his love. Mama fussed when he got hurt, and Dad told his siblings to be gentle with him, but Sempul let him try new things and allowed him to fail.
Spider loved his parents and his siblings and his aunts and uncles on base, but his favorite person was Grandmother. She was weird, even weirder than Kiri, and sometimes she said things that made no sense, but when Spider was around her he felt like things made sense. When Dad had things to do he would leave them with Grandmother, and they would sit in her tent that smelled like incense and the sharp tang of medicinal paste and listen to Grandmother tell stories about the days of the first songs. Grandmother taught them all to sew and to weave, and for once Spider’s smaller frame and extra fingers came in handy. He spent days working on gifts for his family, and they were a bit messy and clearly made by a child but he had been so proud to hand them out. Years later when they were packing to move to the mountains, Spider would see that everyone in his family had kept those gifts, and he would try to hide the emotion that rose in his chest with terrible jokes.
Notes:
A little love for Spider. I'll be back in a few days with more, mostly because I've changed direction with the next few chapters. Rather than extremely short chapters I'm just gonna add those as flashbacks in future chapters, and move on to Tuk and more exploration of the kids and their development.
Chapter 44
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Sully family had gone from zero children to four in the span of three years, so when several more passed with no sign of another they had all accepted that Eywa had a sense of humor and moved on. And yeah, they were all a little sad when the kids moved out of the toddler phase and started to become little independent people, but they were mostly proud. Somehow they had survived intact and ended up with four beautiful, smart, capable children, and that was enough.
So once again, Neytiri didn’t think anything of it when she was a bit more tired than normal. The children were old enough to formally begin their training, and she had been busy teaching Neteyam and supervising Kiri’s lessons with Mo’at. It was Jake that noticed the signs first.
He had never claimed to be the most observant, but he knew his mate. He knew the way she moved and the minutiae of her facial expressions, and he knew when something was different. He’d tried to ignore the thought, but then Kiri had started staring at her mother in the mornings. Kiri had mostly grown out of that tendency, and she wasn’t looking at Neytiri’s face. After a week of Kiri looking at her mother’s stomach like she was trying to figure something out, Jake called her over during the morning meal.
“What’re you thinking about, babygirl?”
Kiri didn’t answer, still focused on Neytiri.
“You know, I think I might know what’s in your head. I think that you should take your Mama to see Grandmother today to see what she thinks.”
“Should I tell her about the baby?”
Jake paused, pulling Kiri closer to press a kiss to her hair. She was something special, their strange little girl.
“Yeah, sweetheart. You should tell your grandmother about the baby so she can check on Mama.”
Kiri had nodded and wandered over to sit next to Neytiri, content to eat now that Jake had confirmed everything was okay. When they left the dwelling to talk to Mo’at, he headed for the spirit tree grove to sit and ask Eywa what in the world she was doing to them. It felt a bit like Grace was laughing at him from the other side.
He wasn’t surprised that Kiri was right, but Neytiri was definitely startled when their daughter dragged her to Mo’at’s tent and announced that she needed to check on the new baby. Lo’ak was nearly seven, and they had honestly thought he would be their last baby. Jake had worried a bit that Lo’ak would be upset to no longer be the youngest, but it turned out that being the youngest by such a small amount of time was driving him crazy. Neteyam had started his training, and they had been doing their best to convince Lo’ak he had to wait a bit longer. A new baby was a distraction, and a way to keep him in line by reminding him to be a good example as an older brother. It didn’t always work, but he would work on his own training soon enough.
Tsu’tey had later confided in Neytiri that he was happy they would get another chance to experience the baby phase, and that they wouldn’t have to let all of the children leave the nest at the same time. As the kids had gotten older it was a bit easier to accept that he wouldn’t be present for every moment, but they all still struggled with feeling that they didn’t do enough because they had to split their attention between the four kids. Now they could coddle a baby, and also have time with the older kids.
Neytiri was in charge of hunting, and when they were old enough she would teach them to fly. Jake liked to teach fishing and the skills needed to be a warrior. He also covered English, and a little bit about Earth. Sometimes Norm would help with those lessons, but he was often busy with the school and his research. Tsu’tey handled the more abstract lessons, like history. He was the storyteller in the family, the one who could convey the importance of their roles within the clan and the people who came before them. When he talked, even Jake and Neytiri would fall silent and listen. The one story the kids would insist on hearing from Neytiri was about how she and Tsu’tey met Jake, about the training and the battle.
There was a period of approximately three months where Kiri decided that Lo’ak was her mortal enemy. All three parents had grown up with siblings so they weren’t too surprised, but it was still difficult when they fought over every toy and every bit of their parents’ and siblings’ affection. The discovery of the new baby did not help this, as Neytiri was convinced it was a girl and Kiri seemed to struggle with both wanting a sister but also liking being the only girl. It led to several situations where one of the parents would be trapped in between two children who were furiously pretending the other didn’t exist. Neteyam and Neytiri tried to keep the peace, but Spider preferred encouraging the feud. Jake had mostly given up and was just waiting for Kiri to move on to a new target.
It was during this period that Jake realized that they hadn’t done a great job at not swearing around the kids. They had been following him and Tsu’tey around, and between the younger warriors and the crew at Hell’s Gate they had heard a truly prolific amount of profanity. Kiri had not only been listening to the insults, but was also clever enough to create new combinations that confused and irritated her brothers. She stopped for a while after she made Neteyam cry, but she and Spider continued to have the worst vocabulary of any of the kids. Tsu’tey tended to blame this on Jake. Jake blamed it entirely on Norm.
Neytiri went into labor on September 12, 2163. The fourth time around, they had a routine. Jake dropped the older kids off at Hell’s Gate to spend the day with Trudy and Norm, well aware that they were going to cause some kind of chaos he would need to answer for later. They really were good kids, but they were endlessly curious and a bit competitive and they tended not to know their own strength. They’d seen him teaching some of the younger warriors hand-to-hand combat and pestered him until he showed them a few moves, and he hadn’t seen the harm in it. Then the kids had gotten bored during some scans at Hell’s Gate and somehow managed to destroy a piece of equipment that was rather hard to fix. Jake was still apologizing for that every time he saw the engineers, but honestly he had been more scared of Neytiri’s reaction. Being Toruk Makto may have saved him from the dog house the first time, but there was only so much he could get away with.
Their daughter came quickly and without fuss. She was a perfect little baby, eight fingers and toes like Neteyam and the same little scrunch on her forehead they shared with Neytiri. Neytiri had known that their last child would be a girl, but there was a certain relief in being correct. She loved Kiri, their gift from Eywa, and this little girl would complete their family. They had all cried at the sight of their baby, their Tuktirey. Her older siblings had also cried a bit. Spider had been fascinated, especially as the other had been taller than him for several years. He was so careful when he held her for the first time, surrounded by his other siblings as they tried to show the baby the beads they had chosen for her. That night Jake had been crushed under the weight of his entire family cuddling around the baby. He wouldn’t trade it for the world, even with Kiri’s snoring and Lo’ak’s elbow poking him in the ribs.
Tuktirey was a joyous, energetic child from the moment she was born. She was truly born of peace and prosperity, and she wanted for nothing. Neteyam may look the most like Neytiri, but Tsu’tey would swear that Tuktirey acted just like Neytiri did as a child. Neytiri tried to deny it, but Mo’at agreed. She saw her daughters in Tuk, and it was another reminder that the ones who were lost were safe with Eywa. However, the Sully genes for chaos continued to reign supreme.
Tuk was opinionated about who held her and what they were doing, and she learned to vocalize that opinion early. She seemed to realize that her siblings had a pretty good head start, and that she would have to move quickly to catch up. As much as her parents wanted to enjoy the baby phase again, Tuk was determined to grow up quickly. She seemed to finally slow down around age 2, when she realized it was quite fun to be the baby of the family. Mo’at accused them of spoiling her, but they all saw how much she doted on her granddaughters. Not that she didn’t love the boys, Spider seemed to be her favorite, but Mo’at found a singular joy in spending time with Neytiri and the girls.
There were still some moments when it hit them that Tuktirey was born in the ninth year of peace since the Sky People left. Neytiri felt it in Kiri, in the way she grew to look more like Grace with every day. She saw it in the bead her mother had chosen to represent Eytukan’s death, and in every bead that had been added since. Tsu’tey felt the weight of every year he had been Olo’eyktan, in the eyes of the People. He saw it in the way Jake looked up at the star that was Earth’s sun when he thought no one was looking, like he expected it to change at any moment. He saw it in the new warriors who made their bows from the wood of Hometree, fallen but still providing for the clan.
Jake never really forgot about the past, or what could happen in the future. It was always somewhere in the back of his mind, and since the six year mark had passed he knew it was only a matter of time. Earth was still dying, its resources dwindling with each day that passed, and Pandora had already been designated the solution. The rest of the clan could move on, even Tsu’tey and Neytiri could believe that all would be fine, but Jake knew that they were living on borrowed time. He wanted to find joy in the years of peace they had given their children, in the fact that the kids were free to learn their culture and history and choose their own path, but he still dreamed about the fire and the destruction. His dreams had changed over the years, simply because he had more people to worry about. He continued his routine at night, counting each member of the family as he lay awake. Tuk made soft squeaking noises in her sleep, and as Neteyam got older he started to mutter in his sleep like Neytiri. It was oddly reassuring, and Jake didn’t know if he could ever sleep in the quiet again.
The birth of their fifth child made Tsu’tey a bit introspective. He hadn’t taken the time to pause and think about all that had changed since the battle. Na’vi tended to age slowly and subtly, so he and Neytiri had not changed much. They had both taken to wearing more elaborate garments that showed their status within the clan. Neytiri wore the same style of braids that she had chosen as a child, and it seemed Neteyam favored the style as well. Tsu’tey would watch them sit together on quiet evenings, when Neytiri would re-braid her firstborn’s hair and they would sing together. Tsu’tey himself had kept the shaved sides of a warrior, but had continued to grow his braids. Kiri liked his hair, and when she was bored in lessons she would sit behind him and braid and re-braid the long strands. Jake also liked Tsu’tey’s hair, but he loved everything about his partners. Jake hadn’t changed much, but human genes and ten years of freedom had almost softened him. He was still the strongest of them, especially after years of training the warriors, and it was almost impossible to remember the scrawny Dreamwalker that had stumbled into Hometree all those years ago. Neither Tsu’tey nor Neytiri were going to complain about the small ways his body had changed, not when they were pleasantly distracted by the way his arms flexed as he lifted their children or worked on repairs in the village.
Sometimes he thought about how they had the potential to live together for another hundred years. He wondered what they would look like then, what their children would look like. He had found photographs strange when he was attending Grace’s school, but then Jake had shown them the photos Grace had saved of Sylwanin. He did not complain when Jake insisted on family photos, because he hoped that in a hundred years they would all be there to look back and smile at how young they all were.
Notes:
Hello loves! I have returned with new chapters. I am so sorry for the wait, it has been a hot mess of a week. Tonight's chunk of chapters is character heavy and a bit angsty, because the next batch is gonna cover the beginning of The Way of Water. I am very excited to write this, and I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 45
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Neteyam had known that his family was different from a young age. He had always been observant, not quite like Kiri but he did know how to read people. Other people didn’t have three parents, and if they did those parents weren’t war heroes and the leaders of the clan. They didn’t have a parent they called “Dad,” one with extra fingers and hair above his eyes that he shared with your siblings. Speaking of siblings, other people didn’t have Spider.
He couldn’t quite remember the exact moment when he started to be aware of the difference, but he knew what happened after. He had started to see far more than the adults realized. Neteyam knew that Dad didn’t always feel connected to their culture, and that he would always carry his past as a Sky Person. He knew that Sa’nu would be lonely without them, set apart since childhood as the daughter of the Olo’eyktan. He knew that Kiri was special in a way that no one ever said out loud, that Spider didn’t really belong but Dad tried so hard to make sure he had a place with them. He knew that Lo’ak loved him, but that he kinda hated being his younger brother.
Neteyam didn’t know how to fix any of it. He wanted to fix it so badly that sometimes his chest hurt and his hands shook and the entire world felt too small. Whenever that feeling came, he would go find Sempul. Sempul was steady. He was even breaths and a deep voice and a heartbeat at a constant tempo. Neteyam would find him, and if Sempul wasn’t busy he would lean against him so that he could hear that heartbeat and the rumble of his voice, until that was the only sound and everything else faded away. Sempul never asked about those moments, he just shifted to take Neteyam’s weight and let him find himself again. Neteyam figured out that Sempul was guilty about the responsibility that was given to Neteyam when he was born, and he just wanted to support Neteyam however he could.
Neteyam didn’t mind the pressure too much. Not really, at least. He was the firstborn, the first to show talent and aptitude. Sempul was Olo’eyktan, and that meant that Neteyam was heir. He was okay with that. Mostly.
Spider may have been older, but Neteyam was bigger and faster and better at Na’vi things, so everyone thought of him as the oldest. And there’s a standard of behavior for the oldest. Neteyam was a good kid. He wanted to be a good kid, to be a good example for his siblings. He wanted to be good enough that no one would ever hurt them, but they made it so hard. Kiri zoned out and she said strange things, and as hard as Lo’ak tried he needed more practice to be on the same level as Neteyam. Neteyam didn’t want to be upset by this, didn’t want to ask Eywa why he was chosen as the firstborn.
After Tuk was born, Neteyam figured out the status quo. She was the baby, the one they all wanted to protect. Lo’ak was a troublemaker, so Neteyam had to keep him out of trouble. Kiri would be Tsahik, so Neteyam had to support her journey. Spider… No one really knew what to do with Spider, so they all just tried to make him feel included. And Neteyam loved them, he loved them so much that it sometimes felt like he would burst at the seams, but he hated all of it. Tuk didn’t want to be babied, and Lo’ak wasn’t a troublemaker. His little brother was good, empathetic and brave and Neteyam was so proud of him. Kiri was strong and confident enough to make the journey herself, and Spider wasn’t weak or small. He was just as Na’vi as they were, and Eywa would make sure he found his path. Why was it all on Neteyam to make sure they were okay?
Then he started training with some of the other kids. Their family had mostly stayed to themselves, only socializing with the elders of the clan, and Neteyam had never known why. But in training he heard what people said about their family, that he wasn’t really the Olo’eyktan’s son but at least he wasn’t a freak like his siblings. At least one of the Sully kids was well behaved, at least one of them would do something right. And really, what had Neytiri been thinking all of those years ago? He may have been Toruk Makto, but he was also a Dreamwalker.
Neteyam had been so angry. He knew better than to cause a scene, so he turned to Dad to see if he had heard and was going to do anything about it, but… Dad just looked sad. Or maybe not sad, but tired. Neteyam later realized that Sa’nu and Sempul had put blinders up to the clan, because it was their lives and their decisions. Dad wasn’t like them, and maybe it was a Sky People thing. If it was, it was a Sky People thing that Neteyam inherited. He didn’t get the fingers, but he had Dad’s smile and his determination and the fundamental knowledge that the world wasn’t fair, and all he could do was try to protect their family. They were Sullys, and Sullys stick together.
So he trained until he was the best, and he made it clear that no one could say anything about his family in front of him. He joined Kiri on her walks and he helped Lo’ak when he got frustrated and he helped Tuk with gifts for their parents, and he let his anxiety and his anger and his insecurity build in his chest. And when everything would become too much, he would wonder if there was something fundamentally wrong with him, something broken deep within him that could never be fixed. It didn’t matter as long as his siblings were okay.
When Neteyam was ten, he badly sprained his ankle while out playing with his siblings. Neteyam was graceful and purposeful in his movements, but only when he was paying attention. When it was just him and his siblings and the forest, he was just a kid. And kids get hurt sometimes, and they cry. Neteyam didn’t cry, even when it hurt really badly. He had taken deep breaths and tried to stay calm as Kiri and Lo’ak hurried him back to the village, Spider running ahead to get Dad.
“Dad!”
“It’s okay, I’m here. What happened?”
Jake lifted Neteyam into his arms. Neteyam tried to keep a brave face when his ankle was jostled, but Jake knew how to read his kids. He must have seen something in Neteyam’s eyes, so he tucked his firstborn closer and turned to the other kids.
“I’ve got your brother. Why don’t you all go to your grandmother’s tent and tell her we’re on the way.”
Kiri nodded, grabbing Spider and Lo’ak by the hand and dragging them away. Jake let them get out of sight before kneeling and putting a hand on Neteyam’s cheek to force the boy to look at him.
“It’s okay, baby. I know it hurts. It’s just us, baby. You can cry.”
Neteyam’s face crumpled, and he buried his head in Jake’s chest as his shoulder started to shake. Jake rocked them both, shushing Neteyam as he stood back up and began to take the long way to the healer’s area. Neteyam was going to be an incredible hunter and warrior, but at that moment he was still so small. Jake waited until he had calmed down to enter Mo’at’s tent, and when Neteyam spotted his siblings he put a smile on his face. He spent the rest of the evening getting fussed over by Neytiri, who had banned him from all lessons until he was healed.
The next morning, Jake waited until the rest of the family had left for their various tasks to maneuver Neteyam into a piggyback ride and carry him out into the forest.
“Dad, what are we doing?”
“Your Mom asked me to gather a few things from the forest, so I figured you and I could have a nice day together. No use sitting at home bored, right?”
Neteyam hummed, leaning his head on Jake’s shoulder. When they were in a good clearing with some of the vines he needed, Jake decided it was time to talk.
“You were very brave yesterday. You and your siblings, you all handled it very well.” Neteyam nodded, but he stayed quiet. “But I did want to ask why you didn’t want to cry in front of them.”
“I’m the oldest.”
“I know that, baby. And I know you want to be brave and strong, but I also want to make sure you know it’s okay to cry.” Neteyam shrugged, so Jake shifted to set him on a fallen tree and meet his eye. “The first time I cried in front of you Sa’nu and Sempul, I apologized. I’ve never been very good at showing emotions, it’s a stupid Sky People thing that I hoped none of you kids would pick up on. There is no shame in crying, in emotions or weakness or having a bad day. I worry that we’ve put too much on you as the oldest, and I’m sorry about that. You’re still a kid, my kid, and I need you to know that you can talk to me about anything. I don’t care if the pain is physical or mental, we’re your parents and we want to help you. Okay?”
Neyetam had believed him, and he really had tried to internalize Dad’s advice, but he wasn’t very good at it. Dad and Sempul might understand being the older brother, but they had both grown up in a very different world than Neteyam. They would never fully know the burden Neteyam carried, the things he heard from the rest of the clan. He kept his feet firmly on the ground and his chin up, and he learned when it was safe to show his emotions.
Neteyam was the youngest member of the clan to complete his iknimaya. He was almost twelve, and he had spent years training until his arms shook and he couldn’t move his fingers. Some days it didn’t feel fair, but he was okay. Dad made the journey with him up into the mountains. The other kids were left at home, but Sa’nu and Sempul would be waiting to join his first flight. For once, he wasn’t nervous as they made their way to the ikran roost. He was ready, and this was what he had worked so hard for. Everyone would see he was a warrior like his parents, and he would have more power to protect the others. He locked eyes with his ikran, and it was just like Sa’nu said. He knew that they were meant to fly together.
And when they launched off the edge of the cliff together and the world fell away until it was just Neteyam and his ikran and the open air, it felt like something clicked into place. He decided to name her Vunve’o, and she seemed to like it. She screeched, and was echoed by three ikran calls Neteyam had known his entire life. He flew with his family, and for an entire day he didn’t think about his responsibilities.
He made his bow from the wood of Hometree. Collecting the wood was a quiet affair, but no one really talked when they visited the fallen tree. Too much had been lost for words. But when they returned to the village Sa’nu and Sempul sat with him and showed him how to make the bow, and they sang an old song about Hometree and the generations that lived within it. Everytime he held his bow, he hoped that the ancestors would be proud of him.
They waited almost a year for his Dream Hunt, mostly because Dad was a little nervous. Sa’nu and Sempul said they weren’t, but Neteyam saw the relief on their faces when Grandmother agreed with Dad. When it was finally time, the entire family helped paint him. He had closed his eyes and tried to figure out whose hand was where. That was Tuk’s tiny hand on his shoulder, and Lo’ak on his right arm. Sa’nu was fixing some of his braids, and Dad and Sempul were joking about Dad’s dream hunt and the way he had acted after. Kiri and Spider were bickering about something as they painted his chest, and when Lo’ak got pulled into the argument Neteyam had to fight down a smile so he didn’t mess up the hands on his cheeks.
He had expected the pain and the general weirdness of the Dream Hunt, but he was glad when it was over. He was a bit fuzzy, but Dad had apparently expected this. Dad had tucked him against his side in a quiet area away from the celebrations, talking in a low voice and gently petting through Neteyam’s braids until he came back to himself. They were an affectionate family, so Neteyam was no stranger to these kinds of hugs, but it was rare to be just him and Dad. When Dad’s voice solidified into real words Neteyam realized he was telling a story about when he was a kid, before his brother had left and everything had become strange, and Neteyam pretended to be out of it just a bit longer to hear more. If Jake knew that Neteyam was well enough to return to the celebrations, he didn’t say anything. He just smiled and kept talking, and Neteyam knew how lucky he was. His chest still felt a bit hollow sometimes, and the voice in the back of his head was still there, but at the end of the day they were happy and safe.
The night that the Sky People returned, Neteyam didn’t cry. Most of the family had, but Neteyam had pushed down the emotions until he was alone. It was selfish, but he grieved for the future he wouldn’t get. He had worked so damn hard, and it felt like everything had been taken from him. Sempul tried to say that this would pass, that they would return to their way of life from before, but Neteyam knew better. Still, he kept a brave face. He was the firstborn, a warrior, and it was his job to take care of his siblings. And he was okay with that. Really, he was.
Notes:
Me? Projecting my eldest daughter trauma onto Neteyam?
Yep. I love Neteyam, and I walked out of the theater furious that James Cameron had wasted such a good character concept on a cheap way to develop his favorite new character. Neyetam deserved better, and he's going to get it in this fic.
But he is still gonna struggle, both with issues in canon and some things I extrapolated. It's important to say that you can have amazing, loving parents and still struggle, and that happens with all of the Sully kids.
Chapter 46
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Spider had always known he was different. It was kinda hard not to when your entire family was a different color and your younger siblings were taller than you by the time they were three. It was okay when he was little, and he had Aunt Trudy and Uncle Norm to take care of him on base and he had a mask that let him see Dad and Mama and Sempul. He knew that they loved him. It was in their eyes and the way they smiled when he arrived at the village. It was Dad braiding his hair and Mama making sure he was eating enough and Sempul making a point of taking him to meetings and clan gatherings. Spider knew he was their kid, that he was chosen for them by Eywa, but he also knew he was human.
He could climb better than his siblings, but he couldn’t run faster than them. He would never be as tall or as strong, he would never fly an ikran or connect to the spirit trees. When he died, he would not be taken into Eywa. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him from living.
Lo’ak had been the one to suggest the paint. Spider was about six, and they had been sent to grab something from Mo’at’s tent for a celebration of the Tayrangi clan’s visit and had seen the jars of dried pigment. That particular color was used for decorating weapons and instruments as it was nearly the same color as the Omatikaya, but it was safe for the skin. They did check with Norm first, just to be sure it wouldn’t hurt Spider, but it made so much sense to paint him with the same stripes that decorated all Na’vi. They didn’t do it that night, because Dad had been worried about how the other clan would react to Sky People and had requested that Spider and the crew at Hell’s Gate stay on base for a few days. Instead they had chosen a quiet, normal day when they had been left at Hell’s Gate. Trudy had helped them prepare the paint, and Spider had been so grateful for her. She didn’t fully understand how he felt, but she wanted to help and also drive Jake a little bit crazy. Kiri had found them in the middle of painting his back, and Spider had been a bit crushed when her first instinct was to laugh. She calmed down after a moment and had taken the bowl from Lo’ak to help even out the lines, and when they were done she said that they suited him.
Dad had a funny look on his face when he came to pick up the other kids and saw Spider in his new paint. It almost looked sad, but the look didn’t last long. He had smiled and ruffled Spider’s hair, and when he visited next he left a jar of the pigment in his room. He must have warned Mama and Sempul, because they didn’t look surprised when he showed up at the village painted blue. It felt good for a long time, because the blue stripes seemed to work. He felt more at home in the forest, like it finally recognized him as a creature that belonged. But sometimes Dad got that sad look on his face, or Mama traced a hand over his stripes, and he knew that it didn’t change anything.
He did his best though. He tried to mimic Jake and Tsu’tey, and tried to learn all of the new things Neteyam was doing. He listened to the scientists when they talked about their research, so he knew more than most about Omatikaya history and the plants in the forest. He could track anything and he learned to make a bow in his size, and even if no one else agreed he knew that his family respected his work. His favorite lessons were with Grandmother, who had never been bothered by his humanity. She found a use for his ability to identify plants, and often took him on foraging trips with Neytiri and Kiri. He loved those trips as a child, holding her hand as they walked and listening to stories about Eywa’s chosen. Grandmother also taught him to meditate in the spirit tree grove, and when the little trees swayed in toward him he could almost feel the Great Mother’s love for him.
When Spider was ten, he developed a weird pain in his stomach. He didn’t think much of it, because he figured he had pulled a muscle playing with his siblings. Besides, it didn't last long, so it wasn’t anything important. The pain came back a few times, but it always went away again, until one day when the pain was worse than ever and it didn’t stop. He had felt a bit under the weather, one of Jake’s favorite phrases that exasperated Mo’at, but they were being allowed out without supervision and he wanted to show Lo’ak a cool wrecked dozer he had found. He tried to keep going, but the pain spiked and he couldn’t help but groan and curl into himself. He must have gone really pale, because Kiri and Neteyam each grabbed an arm and started dragging him back to the village. They led him straight to Grandmother’s tent, where she and Mama were working. By that point Spider wasn’t fully aware of what was happening, but he knew that Grandmother was worried. Neteyam must have run out to find Dad and Sempul, because they were there when Spider was able to zone back in.
“Mo’at, what’s happening?”
“I do not know. He has a fever and pain, but I do not see any cause.”
Jake leaned over Spider, smoothing his hair back and trying to get his attention.
“Hey, baby. Can you show us where it hurts?”
Spider nodded, pressing his hand against his lower abdomen, whimpering when Jake pressed his hand against the area. Mo’at and Neytiri were trying to mix something for the pain that would be safe for Spider, and Tsu’tey was keeping the other kids out of the way. Jake looked up and saw Lo’ak’s wide, scared eyes, and he remembered something. This body didn’t have the scar, and it had been so long since the procedure that he’d forgotten, but he knew what lower-right quadrant pain meant in human kids.
“We need to take him to base.”
“Ma Jake, do you know what is wrong?”
“Yes. It’s a human problem, I don’t think it’s even possible for Na’vi, but he needs surgery. They have the equipment needed at base.”
“Surgery? What is wrong?”
Jake sighed, carefully lifting Spider. He winced when the kid made a pained noise, but they had to move.
“I’ll explain when we get there. We need to go. Mo’at, can you watch the other kids?”
She nodded, taking Tuk from her sling on Neytiri’s back and pulling Kiri closer. She tried to protest as they left with Spider, but Mo’at shushed her. They moved as quickly as possible to the base, and Jake shoved his way through the corridors to get to the medical bay. He spotted Yuko first, and she immediately ran over to help him get Spider settled.
“I think it’s appendicitis.”
Yuko cursed quietly and ran to get their resident surgeon. One of the other techs hurried over to get an IV started, so Jake stepped back to give them space. The rest of the family was trying to stay out of the way, and Jake could see that Neytiri was fighting every instinct to keep them from touching Spider. He moved to stand next to Tsu’tey, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“What do you think is wrong with him?”
“Appendicitis. I had it as a kid. Sky People have this small organ that used to be really important, but our diet changed so we don’t really need it. Sometimes it gets infected, and if it isn’t removed he could get really sick.”
“He needs an organ removed?”
Neytiri looked horrified, and Jake didn’t quite know how to reassure her.
“It’s alright, love. I got it done when I was eleven, a couple of days of rest and he’ll be just fine. The doctors here know what they’re doing.”
Yuko returned with Dr. Adams, who didn’t seem bothered by the presence of several Na’vi awkwardly crouched in the corner of the room. He examined Spider quickly, then turned to talk to Jake.
“You’re right, it is appendicitis. We’ll get prepared immediately. This can be done laparoscopically, so he’ll barely even have a scar.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Jake knew the surgery wouldn’t take long, but the fact that it was Spider who was hurt made every minute feel like a year. He hadn’t even thought about human illnesses, honestly he sometimes forgot that Spider was fully human. But this wasn’t the worst case scenario. Jake remembered his own surgery. He had felt the pain first, but when they went to the hospital they discovered that Tommy was in the beginning stages of inflammation and would also need surgery. Their mother had taken off of work, and for a few days it was just the three of them curled up on the couch with old cartoons. It had been one of the last times they were all together.
When Spider woke up after surgery, he was groggy and confused but Mama was there, so he knew he was safe. His parents took turns staying with him, and he also got visits from Norm and Trudy and his siblings. He hated being confined to bed, but Mama had panicked when he moved too quickly and almost hurt himself. Being in that bed, recovering from that surgery was just another reminder that he was human, that he was weaker than the rest of his family. He was in a bit of a mood for a while after that, but Tuk managed to get him back out of his own head. Maybe it didn’t matter if he was human, as long as his baby sister smiled at him like that. He covered the scar with one of his stripes, and he kept trying to be the best warrior he could.
A few months after his surgery, Spider asked Jake about his parents. They had mostly been avoiding the subject since he was old enough to understand. It was not going to be a fun conversation, so Jake had been waiting for Spider to come to him with questions. The kid had been avoiding the village for a few days, and when Trudy realized he was moping in his room instead of rushing out to play she had called Jake. He found Spider curled up under a blanket Neytiri had made for him. He didn’t react when Jake sat on the floor by his head, but Jake was patient enough to wait him out. After a while Spider turned over to look at Jake.
“You’re not my real dad, are you?”
“No, I’m not. You were born a few days before I even arrived here.”
Spider nodded, worrying at his lip. Jake wanted to comfort him, but he knew that Spider needed to get this out on his own time.
“Who were they, my parents?”
“They were RDA agents, in the Security sector. Your mother was a pilot, like Trudy. Trudy was friends with her, she can share some stories when you’re ready. Your father…” Jake trailed off. He wasn’t ready to tell Spider about Quaritch, but the kid would find out soon enough. “You’re named after him, actually. Miles. He was head of security, in charge of all of the soldiers on base.”
“The scientists don’t like calling me Miles.”
“Your father wasn’t a good man. I think he did care for your mother, and I think he cared for you, but he did some bad things.”
Spider didn’t respond, staring over Jake’s shoulder at the wall. Jake sighed, reaching for his tablet.
“Come here, kid.” Jake pulled Spider into his lap, blanket and all, and turned on the tablet. He had saved Paz’s videos, but he’d only ever scanned through them. He clicked on the first video, and watched Spider’s face when his mother appeared on the screen.
“So, I don’t know how to start this. Um, my name is Paz Socorro, and I just found out that I’m pregnant. This is a complete surprise, I honestly thought we had been careful, but.. These things happen. I don’t know what will happen in the future, so I figured that I should leave some messages just in case.”
Paz looked tired, her brunette curls pulled back in a messy bun. She was in her quarters, recording on her personal tablet, but Jake knew that she was under no impression these videos were private.
“I’m not sure if I’m ready to be a mom, but I’ve thought about it before. I mean you’re the size of a lemon right now and I already love you. I think you’re gonna be a boy, and your dad…” Paz paused, looking over at the door. “Your dad is complicated, but he’s a good man. I know he’s gonna love you too. I guess I should tell you about us. My family is from Spain, but I was born and raised in New York City. I’ve always wanted to fly, so I joined the Air Force right out of high school. My dad wasn’t happy, but I loved it. When the opportunity came to apply for Pandora, I had to take it. This planet is insane, there’s nothing quite like flying here. I met your father here. He’s kinda in charge, so we weren’t supposed to get involved, but the heart wants what it wants, right?” Paz smiled, leaning back. “I have a lot of stories I could tell you, but this video was just to get used to the idea of having you. I don’t know if you’ll ever see these, hopefully I’ll be there to tell you all of this in person, but you never know on Pandora. I’ll make another video next week. For now, I’m your Mama, and I love you.”
Jake paused the video, letting Spider process. Spider didn’t know how to feel. The woman on the screen, she had his eyes. She was pretty and easy going and she wanted him, wanted to be his mom. But when she called herself his Mama, all he could think of was Neytiri.
“What happened to her?”
“She flew in the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains. You were about three months old. Your father was killed in the battle as well.” Jake clicked on another video, one he knew contained Quaritch.
“Hey, baby! Today you are the size of a papaya, and you are officially too big to hide anymore. I had a very fun meeting this morning about fraternization, but you’re worth it. At least I get to talk about you now. They wanted to ground me, but I managed to argue with the doctors for a few more weeks in the sky. When you’re born I’ll be back in the sky as soon as I can, and one day I’ll take you with me. We’re both gonna be stuck on this planet for a long time, you might as well learn how to handle it. You know, the first flight here-” Paz was cut off when someone entered the room, but she smiled. “Miles! What are you doing?”
“Just got done with a staff meeting with Augustine, figured I’d come here and see what you were up to.”
Jake tried not to react to the sound of Quaritch’s voice, but he stiffened slightly when Quaritch came into frame. He still saw the man in his nightmares, and his presence haunted the SecOps wing and every discussion of the battle.
“I’m recording videos for the baby. You never know what could happen, and I want to make sure they know how much I love them.”
“How is the little man?”
“Kicking me already. He’s going to be a handful, I just know it.”
“Nonsense, he’s just impatient to get out and see the world.”
Jake paused the video, and both he and Spider spent a long minute looking at Paz and Quaritch.
“There are a lot of other videos, but this is the only one with your father. Paz talks about him a lot, though. All the videos are here in this file, you can watch them at any time.”
Spider had nodded and pushed the tablet away to curl up in Jake’s arms, more confused than ever. The people in the videos looked like him, and they called themselves his parents. In another world he would have been raised by them, but… Would he have known the Na’vi in that world? Would he know his siblings, the parents who raised him, Grandmother? He couldn’t imagine a life without them, and he couldn’t imagine a life with the strangers in the video.
It took another few weeks for Spider to look at the videos again. He knew he should start at the beginning and watch through, but he decided to watch the last video Paz had made. It was a mistake.
“Hi, baby. Wow, it is weird talking to you on this video when you are just in the other room. I haven’t made one of these since you were born, I’ve just been so busy. You’re perfect, and wonderful and I am so happy to be your mom. But I’m making this video because we’re flying out tomorrow, and I don’t know if I’m gonna come back.” Paz sighed, scrubbing over her face with her hands. “This whole thing is a mess. We’ve always had problems with the natives, but now some of our own people have gone AWOL and everything’s escalated. Earth is dying, baby. We need the resources here, especially unobtanium. That’s why we’re here, what this is all about. And there’s a deposit under the native’s home. Miles has told me all about it - we tried to get them out, to give them technology and advancements, but they refused. So we had to take down the tree a few days ago, and now they’re mobilizing an army.
I’ve never liked the natives. I’ve seen a lot of good people die on this planet, and my loyalty is to humanity. To you, and your future that we’re building with this operation. So I don’t like what we have to do tomorrow, but if dropping a bomb means that people on Earth are safe and you’re safe then I say we do it.”
Spider had paused the video and just stared at the screen. He had heard stories of the battle, had listened to the songs every year. He needed to know more, but he didn’t want to ask any of the adults. They would all get sad, or would say he was too young. Then he remembered that Jake had shown them all a clip of his own video logs, and that they were saved on the tablet too. So he clicked on the last entry, the one from a few days after Paz’s, and he learned the truth.
Spider had rules about where he could go on base, especially concerning what he could climb on. He was always supposed to be careful around the aircraft. He was good at following those rules, which is why when Trudy spotted him laying on the roof of her Samson she knew something was wrong and had called Jake.
Spider sat up when Jake entered the hanger bay, but he kept glancing toward where Trudy was keeping an eye on him. Jake gestured for him to get down and follow him outside before turning and walking back the way he came. Spider caught up after a minute, but Jake waited until they were off base to talk.
“What’s bothering you, kiddo?”
“Did you know who my father was when you adopted me?”
Jake paused, turning to kneel and look Spider in the eyes.
“Yeah, I knew. Max told me the first time I met you. Why?”
“Then why did you choose me? Why don’t you hate me?”
“Spider, kid, what is this about?” Spider looked down at the ground, not wanting to respond. “I’m not upset, baby, I just want to know where this is coming from.”
“I watched your last video log.”
Jake sighed, sitting back on his heels.
“How much of it?”
“All of it.” Spider looked up, and his eyes were wet. “Does Kiri know that my father killed her mother?”
“Yeah, she does. She’s already seen the video. She doesn’t blame you, sweetheart. You are not your father.”
“But what if I am? What if I turn out like him?”
Spider looked like he wanted to run, and Jake knew he had to find a way to get through to him. He looked up and called for Bob, keeping a hand on Spider’s shoulder. The ikran crashed through the canopy, blinking at Jake and Spider.
“Come on, kid. I wanna show you something.”
Jake climbed on Bob, keeping an arm wrapped around Spider as they took off. The kid normally loved flying, but he was subdued. Bob seemed to sense Jake’s worry, pushing to get to their destination faster.
When they landed in the ruins of Hometree, Spider didn’t know what to say. He just followed Jake as he made his way into the structure, where the ground level plants had begun to take over the hollow space. It was beautiful in a way, but he could still see the burn marks.
“You watched the video, so you know a bit about how I feel. But I’ve had ten years to think, ten years to feel guilty. I don’t blame you kid, or hate you, because none of what happened was your fault. But it was mine, at least partly. I am going to spend every day trying to make it up to the clan, to our family. I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life, made a lot of mistakes.”
Jake ran a hand over one of the walls, sending a prayer to Eywa. He apologized every time he had to go to Hometree, and it never felt like enough.
“Your father, Quartich, was a bad man. He carried a lot of hate, and he acted on it. If he had his way, there would be no Na’vi left in this forest. He tried to kill me, tried to kill Neytiri. I hate him for everything he did, but… he gave us you.”
Spider looked over at his Dad, and he had a look on his face Spider had never seen before. He looked older than he was, tired and grieving but still so loving.
“I knew from the moment I met you that you were my son. You have his blood, and his name, but that doesn’t mean anything to us. I’m not gonna lie, baby, it took your mom a bit of time to accept that we were gonna adopt you. We were all a bit hesitant, because we knew how people would react, but we don’t regret it.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel right now.”
“You don’t have to. The past is the past, and we carry it with us every day. You have time to figure it out, and you won’t be alone. I’m right here, so is Mama and Sempul and all your siblings.”
Something caught Spider’s eye, and he turned to see an atokirina floating through the air. It drifted over to where he was standing, and when he held out his hands the little spirit gently rested on them. Jake smiled, walking over to cup Spider’s head in his hand.
“You are the only human child of Eywa. It’s not gonna be easy for you, and I’m sorry for that. But you do belong here.”
Spider had lifted his arms and let the atokirina fly away. He had taken in the former home of the Omatikaya, the place his father had destroyed. The place his Mama and Sempul grew up. He often thought about the way that the light filtered through the holes in the fallen tree, the vines that had started to crawl up the sides to reclaim the space. It stayed in the back of his mind over the next few years, everytime an adult gave him a look because he had interrupted something in the clan or the lab. He thought about it every time he felt like he didn’t belong, but he also thought about how Jake had reassured him, how Kiri had called him a skxawng when he finally told her about his crisis. He was still human, but his brothers helped him with his paint and made human sized weapons for him. He had his family, and nothing would change that.
Spider was staying in the village the night the Sky People returned. Dad and Mama were on date night, and they had managed to convince Sempul to let them stay up late. Spider was the first to notice the new star. When he pointed it out to Sempul, the look on his face told Spider everything he needed to know. They were back, and nothing would ever be the same. He hid more after that, stuck close to his siblings and tried to stay out of everyone’s way. He was human, after all. He didn’t really belong.
Notes:
Spider is a great character, and I am sorry but he is gonna deal with a lot just like canon. But I am gonna make sure he is taken care of in the end.
Chapter 47
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Lo’ak realized he was different when he was about four. Before that point, he had no reason to be insecure. He looked like Dad, everyone said that, and Kiri had the same Sky People features. Neteyam was like Mom, so that was normal, and Spider had always been there. Of course he was their brother, just like Uncle Norm and Aunt Trudy were family.
He liked his extra fingers, especially when Dad gave him special lessons and taught him things like pinky swearing. He didn’t even know what shame was until he was six. Neteyam had started some new lessons, and Lo’ak knew he was supposed to stay with Grandmother but he was bored and he wanted to show his brother the new armband he had made. It was easy to sneak away to the training grounds, and he had been prepared to run out and surprise Neteyam when he heard what the other students were saying.
“Honestly, it is good that Neteyam is the oldest. At least the next Olo’eyktan won’t be a freak.”
“Yeah, but he still has Sky People blood. And his weird sister is going to be the Tsahik.”
“The whole family is weird. I can’t believe that the Olo’eyktan agreed to take in that Spider kid.”
“My mother says that he was forced into it. She says he should have chosen his own mate years ago, and had true Na’vi children to be the heirs.”
“Can you imagine having those extra fingers? It’s really freaky.”
Lo’ak was frozen, hidden just behind some trees. Neteyam must have heard the last part of the conversation, because he stormed over and started berating the kids. The adult who was leading the lesson looked over, but he didn’t interfere. The kids backed off, and Neteyam went back to his practice. Lo’ak stayed in his spot, staring down at his hands.
Being his parents’ child meant that Lo’ak grew up loved, that he was given everything he needed. Being the Olo’eyktan’s son meant that no one would say anything to his face, not when he screwed up or when he copied something he had seen the Sky People on base do. But it didn’t protect him from their stares, or the whispers, or the things he overheard. Lo’ak heard everything. He knew that everyone thought he was a troublemaker, but he really didn’t try to be. He was doing his best, but things kept going wrong. He knew that everyone was glad Neteyam was born first, that he was the heir. Lo’ak would just be his screw-up little brother.
Lo’ak had gotten sort of quiet after Neytiri had told him about the new baby. They had thought it was because of the fighting with Kiri, but Tsu’tey had a feeling it was something more. When a quiet day came around, he took Lo’ak on a flight, just the two of them. They sat on a cliff looking over the forest, and Tsu’tey waited for him to talk.
“Do you think the baby will look more like me or Neteyam?”
Tsu’tey had raised a brow, turning to answer when he saw the Lo’ak was looking at his hands, picking at the nail on his extra finger. He had noticed the boy’s nervous habit in the past, but it seemed more pointed this time.
“I do not know. We didn’t know with any of you, but we have not been disappointed. We will love the baby no matter what they look like, because they’re our child. We love each of you so much, and we will always love you.” Lo’ak continued to stare into the distance, even when Ngam’i’a nudged him. “Does it bother you, that we are having another baby?”
“No. I’m not bothered.”
Tsu’tey wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer, leaning down to press a kiss to his braids.
“You will always be our son, and we will always love you. I am very proud of you, you’re doing well in your lessons.”
Lo’ak muttered something, keeping his face hidden behind his braids.
“What was that?”
“I’m not as good as Neteyam. He’s perfect at everything.”
Tsu’tey hummed, brushing Lo’ak’s hair behind his ear.
“My parents made many mistakes, but the thing I regret the most is that they forced my brother to compete with me. I was chosen by Eytukan when I was about your age, and from that point nothing he did was ever good enough. It caused him a great deal of pain, and it was many years before he found the courage to be his own person. I don’t want you to feel that way. It does not matter what Neteyam does. He is your brother, yes, but you are your own person. You will do many things that he will not, and you will find your own path.”
“What if I’m not good enough?”
“You already are. You were enough on the day you were born, and everything that you have done since has only made us prouder of you.”
Lo’ak nodded, tucking his face into Tsu’tey’s chest. He did believe Sempul, mostly. But everyone knew that parents were biased. When Tuk was born, Lo’ak had known he would always love his little sister. He would protect her, and make sure she was happy. Still, he saw the way people looked at her for the first time, how relieved they looked when they said she looked like Neytiri. Tuk would be the last baby, and that meant that Lo’ak was the only one who inherited their father’s traits. He had Kiri on his side, but she was a little different. When people said he was his father’s son, it felt like blame. He wasn’t Toruk Makto’s son, that was Neteyam. He wasn’t the son of a great warrior, that was Neteyam. Everyone had high expectations for Neteyam, and Lo’ak knew it was hard for his brother but it wasn’t easier to handle the lack of expectations. All he was expected to do was not bring shame to the family, and it seemed like he kept failing at that.
He was a good hunter, but he wasn’t as good as his mother. He was smart, but he wasn’t like Kiri. He was okay at fighting, and he learned history and tradition and handicrafts. It was just never quite good enough.
When Lo’ak was twelve, he insisted that he was ready to claim his ikran. Neteyam had claimed his ikran over a year before, and had spent every day since training. He wanted to fly with his family, to earn his place in the clan and show that he was worthy. He hadn’t been nervous on the trip up with Dad and Neteyam, or even when he locked eyes with an ikran. No, he wasn’t scared until the ikran managed to escape the binds and rear back to hit him, sending him off the side of the cliff. He wasn’t lucky enough to grab a vine and pull himself back up, but he didn’t fall far. He laid on the outcropping, trying to catch his breath. Every part of his body hurt, but it was nothing compared to the knowledge that he had failed, and for the rest of his life he would always be second-best to his brother. He hears his parents cry out, Minheyu’s wings eclipsing the sun as Neytiri scrambled down to check on him. He should have been reassured by how worried she was for him, and the fact that none of them looked disappointed, but he just felt numb.
He made the second trip alone. It was only a few weeks later, but he was sick and tired of the way people looked at him after his failure. He had always been good at tracking and navigation, so it wasn’t hard to make his way back to the ikran roost. With every step he knew that he would have to succeed, or he couldn’t return. The ikran that had thrown him off was waiting for him, and this time Lo’ak wasn’t going to make the same mistakes.
Flying for the first time felt like freedom, and like victory. He named his ikran Tawtswe, and they were meant to fly together. He probably shouldn’t have been surprised that Neteyam had realized he had gone missing hours ago and had come looking for him, but he did feel a bit bad about how worried his brother looked. When he landed just outside of the village, he was met with a confusing mix of affection and chastisement from three very worried parents. He was immediately grounded from flying, but Dad had pulled him aside later to say that they were proud of him. Sempul had arranged for a celebration, and Sa’nu had given him a pair of flying goggles she had made for him. Kiri had called him a colossal idiot, but when he was finally allowed to fly again she was the first one to call her ikran and show him her favorite spot. It didn’t fully banish the resentment he felt, but it was enough.
A few months later, Dad and Sa’nu were out for date night when Spider noticed a new star. When Lo’ak realized what it meant, he knew that everything was going to change. He dreamed of water that night, of metal and blood and the realization that it was all his fault.
Notes:
Lo'ak is an interesting character to write. I've seen some posts questioning why he felt like an outcast or why he was so dramatic when Spider had it worse, but he is 14. And I think people underestimate social pressure and the ways that the Omatikaya would have processed their trauma.
Chapter 48
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kiri had always felt different. She didn’t have the words for it when she was young. She thought it might be that she was adopted, but she had been chosen to be a Sully just as much as her siblings. Maybe it was just that she was the only girl, and then Tuk was born. No, Kiri was just different, with voices in her ears and a heartbeat in her chest that echoed the very lifeforce of the planet.
When she was little, everything felt like too much. The world was so big, and there was so much to see and feel. Kiri tried to be normal, tried to be like her brothers, but she just wasn’t. It felt like she was always saying the wrong thing, like she was speaking a language that no one else did. But then Neteyam would somehow know what she was trying to say, and Sempul would make sure she was being listened to and respected. Her entire family tried so hard to take care of her, so maybe it wasn’t that bad.
She found joy in the forest and the rivers. She loved her lessons with her grandmother, and when Uncle Norm took her into the forest to tell her about science. She knew she was different, but so did the rest of her family and they still loved her completely.
The first time Kiri had leaned against the glass of Grace’s amnio tank and tried to give it a hug, Jake didn’t know what to do. He and Norm had both gone quiet, staring at the four-year-old. Jake knew that they would have to tell Kiri about her mother at some point, but he didn’t expect it so soon. He left the room to find the boxes he had put in storage, the box with all of Grace’s belongings. On the walk back, he wondered if he was doing the right thing.
He sent Norm out of the room and sat next to Kiri on the ground, looking at Grace. He took a deep breath, and he told Kiri about her mother. He told her that Grace was incredible, that she loved plants and she loved this planet and she pretended that she didn’t care about people, but they all knew better. He told her about Grace’s work and showed her the book.
They opened the box together, and the smell of cigarettes and coffee still lingered on her lab coat. Kiri was fascinated by everything, and had gotten so excited when Jake told her that it all belonged to her now. Kiri had immediately grabbed the necklace that Grace had always worn as a human, the one that Jake had carefully removed from her neck for her ceremony. He helped her put it on, and he thought about Grace’s smile when she realized Eywa was real.
They spent an entire afternoon watching Grace’s videologs and talking about her, about how much she had meant to them and why they had chosen to adopt Kiri. Kiri’s favorite video was one of Grace’s logs from the shack.
“Alright, this is Grace Augustine and it is July 23rd. We are still in the shack, with about a month left to stop Selfridge from doing something monumentally stupid. It is 6 AM, and we are about to link in to-”
“Grace, did you finish the coffee?”
Trudy leaned into frame, scowling. Norm wandered past, a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.
“Damn, was that the last of the coffee? Sorry Trudy, guess we’ll have to do without until your next trip.”
Trudy groaned, moving back into the other section.
“Anyway, today I am going to take some scans of-”
“People, what did we say about laundry on the floor? Are you trying to kill me?”
“Sorry, Jake!”
Grace turned to the door, rolling her eyes.
“I’m trying to record a video log here! Can I get a few minutes of peace and quiet?”
Jake watched as his old body rolled into frame and passed a plate to Grace, realizing that he hadn’t told Kiri about his injury. She seemed to recognize him anyway, and the wheelchair didn’t phase her. That was still Dad, even if he looked a little different.
“No can do. You’re the one who wanted all of us to live together.”
“And whose fault was it that we had to do this, huh?”
“Who got you back into Hometree?”
“Touché. Go get ready for the link, you’ve got a long day.”
It was strange to watch the video he barely remembered Grace recording, but Kiri loved it. It was much clearer how much Kiri looked like Grace, the same smile and way they rolled their eyes. The girl was quite happy to learn more, begging to watch more videos later and to talk to Norm and Max about Grace. Jake had smiled and promised that they would tell her anything she wanted to know, and took her home. He dropped her off with Mo’at, and walked just far enough out of the village to cry in private.
It got easier to talk to Kiri about Grace after that, especially when Mo’at and Neytiri and Tsu’tey offered to share stories and introduce her to Grace’s former students. Kiri became more like her mother everyday. Norm was convinced that Kiri was the perfect experiment in nature vs nurture, because she may be Grace’s daughter but she had somehow inherited the Sully Chaos Gene. Norm made the mistake of sharing this line of thinking with Neytiri and Tsu’tey, who used it as the perfect ammunition to blame Jake for everything the kids did. Kiri took a knife and chopped off most of her braids when she was six, and Jake didn’t hear the end of it for a week. He tried to say that it was absolutely something Grace would have done, but no one listened. From that point on she refused to do her hair like the rest of the family, but she liked helping with Tuk and Spider.
Kiri grew up knowing that her family was complicated, but they loved her. She knew that Grandmother thought she had a special connection to Eywa, and that she was meant to be the next Tsahik. She hoped that was what it all meant, that becoming Tsahik would make it all make sense. It always felt like there was more, especially when Dad said that her mother had gone into the Eye of Eywa but Kiri had never been able to reach her. The forest spoke to her, but she had no idea what it was saying.
Spider was her favorite member of the family. She loved Neteyam and Lo’ak and Tuk, but Spider was the other Sully who wasn’t a Sully. He knew what it meant to be a war orphan, and he let her talk about the distance she felt between herself and everyone else in the clan. He was her brother, her monkey boy, and she would never let anything take him from her.
When the Sky People returned, Kiri had felt the forest reeling in shock. She felt the pain of the fires, of the lives lost. Eywa mourned, and Kiri mourned with her. She had faith in the Great Mother, but she also knew what the Sky People were capable of.
Notes:
A short chapter on our favorite blue alien Jesus, but she will get more attention later. I do love her, but I'm a bit suspicious about what James Cameron plans to do with her in canon.
Chapter 49
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When the first atokirina landed on the tip of her arrow, Neytiri had known that Eywa had some kind of plan for the Dreamwalker who stumbled through the forest below her. She had watched him learn to See and to find faith in Eywa, and she had felt the eyes of the Great Mother on him. Not just anyone could become Toruk Makto, and Eywa had listened to him, joined the fight. From the moment Jake opened his eyes in his new, permanent body, Neytiri had a feeling that the Great Mother was not done with her family.
Jake could complain all he wanted, but he was Eywa’s chosen warrior. She had taken a liking to him, and that meant sending him signs and giving him tasks to help her children. The spirit trees reacted to his presence, and atokirina still sought him out in the forest. She could almost see Eywa’s influence on him sometimes, her hands on his shoulders when he sat and thought about the future.
There was a time when Neytiri thought that Tsu’tey had escaped the Great Mother’s attention, but she knew that it was more than luck that let him survive the battle. She saw Eywa in the way he carried himself when he acted as Olo’eyktan, and how his presence reassured the people. It was a gentler influence than with Jake, but her mother had agreed with her assessment. Their family had been blessed by the Great Mother.
Kiri was the most obvious example of this. Neytiri had figured out Jake’s theory when she was a few years old, and she couldn’t find a reason to disagree. The loss of Grace was a terrible tragedy, and Kiri’s conception was more than a mystery, it was a miracle. She grew to be more like her mother every day, but there was something in her eyes that made Neytiri nervous. Her daughter wandered off into the woods, but she was always safe. Kiri seemed to know things that she should not, and she had a gift for interpreting messages from Eywa. Neytiri did her best to support Kiri, to attend lessons with her and Mo’at and encourage her talents. When Kiri expressed an interest in botany that made her sound so much like Grace, Neytiri had given her the medicine pouch Sylwanin had made when they were children and taken her out on a walk to identify useful plants. It became their special activity, and the time where Neytiri could observe her daughter. This life would not be easy for their girl if Jake’s theory was correct, and all they could do was stay by her side.
Neteyam and Lo’ak’s relationship with the Great Mother was much like Tsu’tey’s. It was subtle, unnoticed by all but Neytiri. Her firstborn had strange dreams, and he carried a maturity that went beyond his years. Her second-born was driven by his heart and his emotions, reckless but genuine and empathetic. When she watched her sons try so hard to live up to their father, she had prayed to the Great Mother to keep them safe. Her youngest child was a bit too young to see the Great Mother’s guidance. Neytiri hoped that Tuk would be allowed to choose her own path in a way that Neytiri herself had not. There were moments with the three children she had made where she wondered if she was the only one who could see the Great Mother’s hand guiding them, but then she would see Kiri and know that they had someone who would help them interpret those signs.
The most interesting case was Spider. Jake had insisted that he was a child of Eywa, but Neytiri had doubted it until they brought him to the village. He was like Jake, the spirits of her home reaching out to him and the forest treating him as an equal. He was smaller and weaker than Na’vi children, but sometimes he would be playing with his siblings and Jake would get a look on his face. The look told Neytiri that Spider was doing something he shouldn’t be capable of, that he was a little taller and faster and stronger than he should be. He had always been an excellent climber, he had good balance and sharp eyes and had learned to track easily. All of that Neytiri could handle, what she and her partners did not appreciate was the friends Eywa kept sending the boy.
The first time Jake caught him petting a palulukan, he genuinely thought he was hallucinating. He turned to meet Neytiri’s eye, and she was just as terrified and confused as he was, which meant it was real. No one expects to find their toddler who had wandered off in the arms of a massive predator, who was completely calm and letting the child touch his ears. Jake had crept forward and pulled Spider out, and the palulukan had just watched them go.
A week after that she had seen Spider giving treats to a nantang, then he was climbing a ’angtsìk. If she had any doubt that the Great Mother was messing with all of her children, it was banished when she was pregnant with Tuk and caught the other four playing tag with a palulukan kit, the mother observing from a limb above. After that she noticed that all of the creatures of her home were more patient and gentle with Spider. None of their ikran were bothered by him, and he frequently went on flights with them and helped tend to them without problems.
Speaking of ikran, Neytiri had been completely taken aback when Kiri claimed her ikran. The girl was only eight, and they were in the garden at Hell’s Gate to deliver some seeds. There were always wild ikran around the base, and they generally didn’t interact with the Sky People or the Na’vi. But one had landed quite close to them, looking at them almost curiously, and when Neytiri turned to speak to one of the Dreamwalkers Kiri had walked up to the ikran and asked it to be her friend. Neytiri had been horrified, but Kiri cheerfully announced that her name was Syu’rina and she was her new friend. Neytiri had no idea how to explain that to her partners, but luckily the ikran followed them home to get treats from Kiri.
Neytiri wanted to be reassured by the Great Mother’s blessing on her family, but part of her worried that it meant they weren’t done, that there was more to come that would test them. After ten years she wanted to say that Jake was being paranoid, that clearly the Sky People weren’t returning, but she didn’t quite believe it.
Notes:
The entire Sully family is deeply weird but they all think it's normal.
This is the last chapter for tonight, I should have more soon. I have been so happy with the reception of this story, and I promise I will be interacting with comments more soon. It's been a weird, stressful month, but all of you reading this story have made it easier. I love that there is a lovely little sect of us who love this concept, and I will be writing other stories. Basically they'll be AU's of this AU, because canon is my playground now. I have one in progress, with more to come when I get my brain to work again.
Chapter 50
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There was a time when Jake didn’t think he’d find happiness. It was somewhere between the VA hospital and the point where he stopped caring about how people looked at him. The feeling came back after he arrived on Pandora, when he was training with two beautiful people who were completely out of his reach. He knew that Neytiri and Tsu’tey were no stranger to that feeling, that they had resigned themselves to their duties before he arrived.
All it took was giving up everything he had ever known and committing himself to a new purpose in life to find happiness. It was easy, in the end. Happiness was the neverending noise, it was a thousand questions about Earth and four tiny copycats following him everywhere. And sometimes, when five kids got to be too much, happiness was date night. They didn’t keep a consistent schedule, but every few weeks they would find time to be together, or a pair would split off for some time alone. Jake and Neytiri always went flying.
When they were in the sky, they were completely free. There wasn’t anything particularly special about that night, nothing more than any other time they had gone out. The air was cool and clean, the forest below them glowing like a nebula. Neytiri hadn’t changed much, but when she tossed her head back and laughed it was like the last fourteen years hadn’t happened. She was eighteen again, and Jake was still the moron she was training. But she wasn’t eighteen, and Jake was the moron she married instead, the man who had given her children and a lifetime of good memories.
They always delayed returning home for as long as possible, finding a comfortable spot in the cliffs to lay together and look at the stars. Jake had learned most of the constellations in the Pandoran sky, and he traced them on Neytiri’s back as he spotted them. She was drifting off at his side, one hand over his heart, and everything was good.
It took a second to register that there was a new star in the sky, right next to Earth’s sun. But it was bright, too bright, and getting larger. It could only mean one thing.
Jake sat up, pulling Neytiri with him as he prayed that he was wrong. She blinked awake, and he could see the moment she realized the same thing he had. Her eyes widened, her ears pressed back, and he knew the exact second her heart broke. They watched as the light split, multiple ships decelerating. This wasn’t like the ship that had brought him to Pandora, this was an invasion force carrying heavy equipment. The first of the ships broke the atmosphere, and Jake could only pray that the collateral damage from their landing wouldn’t reach the village or any sacred sites.
Neytiri scrambled down, running toward the ships to get a better look. Jake followed, cursing that he wasn’t wearing a comm unit. Fire was spreading, devouring the forest and any living thing in its path. Herds of animals were running, terrified, and the sound of burning trees brought back every nightmare Jake had been having since the fall of Hometree. They stumbled through the forest, and when they were at a safe distance Neytiri fell to her knees and wept. The last time he had seen her cry like that they were looking at her father’s body, and he felt just as numb then. He knelt beside her, rocking both of their bodies as she tried to catch her breath.
“Ma Jake, this cannot be happening.”
“I know. I know, love, but it is. We need to get back, we need to make sure everyone knows.”
Neytiri cried out again, pressing her hands against her chest like she was trying to keep from falling apart. He lifted them, calling out for Bob. He and Minheyu came quickly, and she began to fuss over her rider. Neytiri brushed the tears off of her cheeks and mounted her ikran, barely waiting for Jake as she took off toward the village.
The arrival of the Sky People had not gone unnoticed by the village or by Hell’s Gate. The war council was already gathering when they returned, including the humans who had been startled out of their beds and had congregated in pajamas and masks. The kids made a beeline for Jake and Neytiri when they landed, Tuk taking a running leap into her mother’s arms. Jake checked over the other kids, and something in his chest shattered when he realized just how young and scared they really were. Tsu’tey followed the kids, and while he normally tried to maintain a stoic air it was not the kind of night to pretend everything is okay. Jake pulled him close, the older kids pressing against them. Jake could feel the way his breath caught and his hands shook, but after a moment he pulled himself together. They would talk later, when they could get away from the kids, but they had to get started.
When they all separated Jake took another head count, trying to spot if everyone had arrived. Neytiri headed toward her mother, still carrying Tuk, and Jake split off to find the Hell’s Gate crew. He spotted Norm first, and realized that Spider hadn’t come over with the other kids.
“Spider.”
“Dad.” Spider moved closer as he approached, letting Jake pull him into a hug. When he pulled back, he looked into Jake’s eyes. “Are they really back?”
“Yeah, kid. They’re back.”
Jake turned to Trudy, who just shook her head. Tsu’tey and the older kids came closer, Kiri clutching his arm. Jake turned to address the entire group, trying to keep his voice calm and authoritative.
“Alright. We all know why we’re here. We need to make a plan.” He looked over to Neteyam. “That means adults only. Can you take your siblings home?”
All five kids immediately started protesting, but it was Kiri who stepped forward.
“Dad, we’re old enough to know.
“Babygirl, please.” Jake didn’t mean to let his voice break, but she was so young and so much like Grace. “We will tell you the plan in the morning, but right now I need you to go.”
She hesitated, but Tsu’tey’s hand on her shoulder convinced her to nod and turn away. She grabbed Spider’s hand and started to walk back toward their home, Neteyam following with Tuk. Lo’ak was the last to leave, giving them all one last long look.
The war council gathered, pressed together with tails overlapping to find just a bit of comfort in the middle of a living nightmare. Jake had expected the clan members to be a bit wary of the Hell’s Gate crew, but a few of the Olangi warriors who had taken a liking to Norm acted as a buffer.
“So, the RDA has returned.”
“Jake, you were out there. Did you get a good look?”
Trudy was looking up, where new lights indicated ships in orbit waiting to land.
“No, not really. The first few weren’t personnel ships, they looked like equipment transport. We’d have to fly out tomorrow to see what’s happening, but I’m betting they’re trying to set up a new base of operations.”
One of the Omatikaya elders spoke up.
“How long would that take?”
Jake turned to Katherine Hale, hoping she had an answer. She sighed, considering.
“With the equipment we had before, a basic module that could sustain a crew would take a week. Fourteen years later, I’m betting they’ve already started to clear space and get the pieces unloaded. They won’t stay in that spot though. There’s probably a plan to move to the coast, to be able to mobilize to more areas.”
Jake nodded, turning to Mo’at.
“I know we had talked about finding a new Hometree. We were finally ready, and I know everyone was excited. But we cannot live there.”
“I understand, Jakesully. We all remember what happened to our last home, we would not survive it again.”
“Are we safe in the village?”
“I don’t know. For now, yes. They know that there are people living on base, and we still use the same communication channels. Whoever’s in charge will reach out.”
“So, we wait.”
Trudy sighed, grabbing Norm’s hand. Neytiri shifted closer to Jake, her tail stretching behind him to brush against Tsu’tey.
“Tonight, we sleep. In the morning I will address the clan, and we will send messengers to convene a council of the Olo’eyktans and Tsahiks.”
Tsu’tey’s voice carried easily, and Jake could see that everyone relaxed a bit at his words. The circle broke apart, everyone moving toward their dwellings. Jake checked with the Hell’s Gate crew, arranging a meeting with the entire base. When Neytiri moved to head back to the kids, Jake grabbed her hand. He led her and Tsu’tey into a nearby tent he knew would be empty at night, pulling them down onto a woven mat. He kept hold of Neytiri’s hand, reaching out to cradle Tsu’tey’s face.
“Are you okay?”
All of the energy seemed to drain out of him as he shook his head, his eyes dark and wet. Jake tugged him closer, tucking both of them against him.
“That was a stupid question, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, love. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s not -”
“I know. Shh. I know. We’ll get through this, I promise.”
Neytiri pulled back, wiping her cheeks.
“You cannot make that promise. Not after all we have lost.”
He ran a hand over her hair, resting it over her heart.
“Our family is strong. We will find a way to survive this.”
Tsu’tey pulled back as well, and he looked so lost.
“You knew they would return. You have said it for years. Why have they returned?”
Jake sighed, looking down at his songcord.
“The people in charge, the RDA, they just want money. They’re greedy, and they don’t particularly care who they have to hurt. The people they hire are a mix, some are good people who want to study this place or bring resources home to help those in need. A lot are just assholes. Earth is dying. They were always going to come back.”
“Can we do this again?”
Jake looked into his eyes for a long moment, then to Neytiri. They both had that same kind of broken-hearted determination he had seen when they prepared for the first battle.
“I don’t know. We lost so much, last time. The clans still haven’t recovered. But we have to try.”
They took another few minutes alone, just to try and find a bit of peace before going back to the kids. Come the morning they wouldn’t be able to be parents, not full time. Jake was their military expert, and Tsu’tey was the Olo’eyktan. Neytiri had to stand with the other warriors. The life they had been leading for fourteen years was over. War had come again.
As the kids got older, they had made individual hammocks in case they wanted some space for themselves at night. Some nights it was just Tuk with them in the swaynivi, but it wasn’t uncommon for the older kids to crawl in. That night, the entire family curled up together on the platform.
Jake knew that his natural reaction to stress was to shut down and dissociate so he could continue to function. He didn’t expect that he would cry, or show much of any emotion except anger for a while. But that night, he grieved for his children, for how small they were and how much they were about to lose. Neteyam and Lo’ak would insist that they were old enough to fight, but they were still so young, bony elbows and knees pressing into him as they tried to relax enough to sleep. He wondered if they would ever feel normal again.
Notes:
Just one for tonight, but I will be back with more soon.
I saw a few comments, so I wanted to lay out a basic outline for this fic.
I expect 2-3 chapters covering the year and a half between the human returning and the mission at the start of TWOW. I am going to have Spider captured by the Recoms, it will be angsty but not too bad. I don't have an estimate on chapters to cover TWOW, but the first movie took about 25. Hard to say. Neteyam will be injured but will not die.Just to repeat - No Major Character Death. This is an Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies AU, and I do no agree with harm coming to children. I am going to work around as much as I can without completely torching canon. I will try to tag anything happening to the kids at the beginning of the chapters.
Chapter 51
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The entire clan gathered the next morning. Jake knew Hell’s Gate was having a similar meeting to figure out the next steps. They had some time, at least until the RDA got a temporary base up and running and was able to conduct business. They’d be contacted soon enough.
There was a certain kind of comfort in the entire clan gathering together for meals. The hum of voices and crackle of the central fire were familiar and safe. The atmosphere of this gathering was very different. It was strange to be so tense on such a beautiful day, the sunlight soft and warm on the sea of terrified faces.
The kids were doing a pretty good job at appearing calm as Tsu’tey began to address the clan, but Neytiri knew that they were scared. They had all stuck close that morning, unwilling to let anyone out of sight. Tuk had almost started tearing up when Jake tried to escort Spider back to base, and she was too young to really understand what was about to happen. The older kids had watched Jake’s video logs and heard stories from the warriors and scientists.
“My People, we have lived for years in a time of peace. Since the Time of Great Sorrow ended, we have prayed that we were done with the Sky People’s violence. But there is a new star in the sky, and we all know what that means. The Sky People are returning, in greater force. We will fight them again, but this means that we cannot move to the new Hometree. If they find us there, they will destroy our elder brother. That great evil must never happen again! Until we drive the demons from our land forever, we will stay where we are safe.”
Jake stepped forward, standing strong beside Tsu’tey and Mo’at. The people still trusted Toruk Makto, and they would need his guidance.
“We are making plans for the future. For now, we are waiting to hear from these new Sky People. We will convene a meeting of the other clans, and gather resources. In the event of an attack, we will be safest in the sacred mountains. All of us, including the tawtute’ì’awn, must be prepared to move.”
Tsu’tey put a hand on Jake’s shoulder, looking out over the assembly.
“Eywa will protect us there, as she did before. As your olo’eyktan, you have my word that I will keep us safe. We will defeat the invaders, and make our elder brother our new home!”
The clan cheered, in much higher spirits than before. It would be a busy few days gathering supplies and preparing for an emergency evacuation, and Jake would be torn between the village and Hell’s Gate. Neytiri lifted Tuk, distracting her with the prospect of going into the woods with Mo’at and Kiri to collect medicinal herbs. Tuk didn’t notice that her mother and grandmother were armed on this trip, or that patrols were increased in the area they were gathering.
Jake managed to get Spider to come with him to base, just to check in with Norm and Trudy and make sure he had his belongings packed. He was pretty sure Spider would insist on taking everything with him and staying in the village full-time, and he didn’t have a good argument against it. Spider was careful with his mask, and Jake would feel better if all of his kids were close. He sent the kid to his room and headed for the main lab, where Max was waiting.
“What do we have?”
“Morning, Jake. Two ships on the ground last night, another this morning. They’re just outside of Omatikaya territory, near the Eastern Sea. Several dozen kilometers were burned, and I think that was to prep the area for construction. It looks like a temporary module is already up. There are a further seven ships still in orbit.”
“Ten ships. That’s… full invasion force.”
Jake rubbed his hands over his face, trying to think. Trudy was staring at the screen, running through their inventory.
“Jake, we’ve got less than a dozen ships. We decomissioned most of the other equipment for parts. The armory was pretty well decimated after the battle, but we did recover some pieces in the weeks after the battle.”
“Six hundred and forty-seven.”
“What?”
“That’s how many members of the clan there are. We have around 200 warriors, but many of them were children during the last battle. The other clans were willing to help last time, but they also haven’t recovered. We can’t win this with a single battle like last time.”
“No, we can’t. It’ll be a war of attrition. We make life a living hell until they want to leave and never come back.”
“Trudy, I trust you to handle arrangements with the pilots. I know Norm can coordinate the Avatar drivers and Max has the other personnel.”
“We’ve got this, Jake.”
Max looked over, already sorting through inventory files.
“I assume we’re waiting for them to make the first move?”
“Yeah, I want to know where we stand. If there’s even the smallest chance they try for a temporary peace, we take it. We’ll need all the time we can get to prepare. But it means everyone keeps comms on and we check in every day.”
“Yeah, you got it.”
Max left the lab, muttering something about meeting with Hale. Trudy sighed and sat down on one of the desks.
“What are we gonna do with Spider?”
Jake shrugged, still staring at the radar monitor.
“He won’t stay here. You’d have to tie him to his bed and he’d still find a way out. He wants to stay with his siblings.”
“He’s your kid, somehow. Norm’s right about those Sully genes.”
“I don’t know how to keep him safe in all of this.”
“I don’t think any of us are ever really going to be safe, Jake. But I know you, and I know you’ll do anything to take care of your family.”
“I thought we were done with war. I thought I was done.”
“You may be done, but war isn’t done with you. We won’t get through this without you.”
Jake nodded, and they lapsed into silence. Spider found them after a while, carrying a few bags. When Jake raised an eyebrow he opened one of the bags to show Grace and Jake’s human belongings. Kiri would be sad to lose those, and they wouldn’t be a priority in an evacuation. Jake grabbed the bags, giving Spider a minute to talk to Trudy before they headed back for the village. The atmosphere at Hell’s Gate was similar to the village, but they didn’t have faith in Eywa’s protection. They only had themselves to rely on, and Jake knew things could go south fast.
Four days after the Sky People returned, Jake was having difficulty falling asleep. Another set of ships had landed, and drones had been spotted scanning the forest. There was no telling when they would make their next move, and tensions had been rising among the younger warriors. Tsu’tey had been doing his best to keep the clan calm, but every doubt that had been lurking in the back of people’s minds since the last battle was rearing its ugly head. Jake was almost hoping something would happen just so he would have something concrete to deal with.
He had just managed to drift off when an explosion rocked the village. They all jolted awake, Kiri falling out of her hammock as Tuk clung to Neytiri. Tsu’tey ran out of the dwelling first, Jake pausing to tell the boys to stay put before leaving himself. He let out the breath he’d been holding when he saw that the smoke was not coming from the village, but then the actual location registered. He rushed back inside and grabbed the radio.
“Hell’s Gate, do you copy? Hell’s Gate, what is your status?”
Jake paused, waiting for a response. He felt frozen in place, Neytiri and the kid’s eyes on his back as Kiri prayed to Eywa. Spider looked like he was ready to run out and check on the base himself, but Lo’ak had an arm around him. After a long moment, the radio crackled.
“Jake, this is Trudy. We’re okay. An explosive was dropped on the tarmac, but none of the buildings or life support systems were affected. We’re running diagnostics and heading to the village to be safe.”
“Thank god. Okay, we’ll be waiting for you.”
Jake sighed, holding an arm out for the kids. Spider moved over first, leaning his head against Jake’s chest as he tried to calm his heartbeat. Tuk wiggled her way in between them, not quite sure what was happening but still scared by the noise and everyone’s reactions. Jake watched as Neytiri moved over to the entrance, her tail flicking as she looked at the smoke cloud.
Jake pulled back, running a hand over Tuk’s hair before looking at the older kids.
“Your mother and I have to go join the others. I know that you want to help, but I need you to stay with Tuk. I will tell you everything in the morning, okay?”
They didn’t look happy about it, but something in Jake’s face must have told them not to argue. He made sure Tuk was settled in a hammock with Kiri before moving over to where Neytiri was standing and putting a hand on her back.
“Come on, love. We both know what this means.”
Neytiri nods, glancing back at the kids. Jake walked out first, making a beeline for where he could see the Hell’s Gate crew gathering in the common space. A year ago it would have been a little funny to see everyone with bedhead and rumpled pajamas, but for the second time in a week they had all been forced out of their beds by terror. There was nothing funny about this situation.
The second meeting was more crowded. The entirety of Hell’s Gate was present, as were most of the adult members of the clan. They all looked at Jake, but he kept his eyes on Trudy.
“I had surveillance running all night, just in case. A single ship, probably a pilot and a gunner. They headed back toward the landing site and don’t seem to be preparing for another run.”
“They won’t be back. Not tonight. That was a warning shot.”
Tsu’tey had been translating everything Jake and Trudy were saying. One of the warriors looked over, his brow furrowed.
“How do we know that was a warning?”
Trudy sighed, looking up at the sky.
“Because we’re a pretty big, obvious target. You don’t miss a shot like that, this was deliberate. They want us to know that they have the power here.”
“I’m betting that we’ll get a message from them soon. I want to be there when that happens. Until then… It’s time to move. We don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”
“Are you sure, Jakesully?”
Mo’at met his eyes, and he knew that she was just as scared as any of them. She trusted his judgment, and this was about the safety of her people, her grandchildren, but they were all reliving the trauma of the last invasion. She had just managed to make this place her home, had just put her hopes into a new hometree, and now it was being taken away from her again.
“I know that this isn’t what any of us wanted. But we need to keep our people safe. Keep our children safe. The mountains are our best chance. The cave systems can be turned into a new village, and we can operate missions from there without being tracked. We’ll have the home field advantage, like last time.”
Tsu’tey made a face when he tried to translate, but the warriors seemed to understand. Mo’at nodded, and Jake noticed that she was running her fingers over the bracelet she always wore, her daughter’s bracelet.
“For now, we lay low. Get everyone moved into the mountains and set up our new home. They won’t start an all out war until they’re at full force on the ground.”
Some of the humans were whispering amongst themselves, unhappy, and Jake knew that they would need to have a serious talk. It would have to wait until they were contacted by the new RDA.
Notes:
Hello I'm back, and I have several new chapters to share. Writer's block is weird, I can spend four days struggling with one chapter and then write five in one day.
The next few chapters are a mix of The High Ground comics and my own brain, because I kinda hate those comics.
Chapter Text
The message came through the next morning. They left Neteyam in charge of his siblings, and had a few warriors keeping an eye out for them for good measure. Jake loved his kids, but this was not the time to be worried about them wandering off. Everyone was dressed and waiting, but they looked even more unsettled than the night before. The fire had been put out, but the crater in the tarmac was a stark reminder of what they were up against. When they had all settled into the mess room, Max played the video that had been sent.
“I’m General Frances Ardmore. Commander of the Joint Expeditionary Task Force. I’m addressing those who are illegally occupying the Hell’s Gate facility. Your crimes are acts of terrorism under solar unity law and will be punished as such. Terrorism carries a mandatory sentence of death. However, I will make the following offer, once and only once. Surrender and turn over Hell’s Gate - intact - and you will be granted amnesty.”
At first glance, she wasn’t as bad as Quaritch. She seemed more reasonable, more willing to negotiate. But Jake had met people like her, and that exterior of calm understanding was hiding a ruthless soldier. She wouldn’t have been chosen to lead this mission if she wasn’t willing to go farther than Quaritch. Ardmore would do whatever it took to complete her mission, and she wouldn’t lose any sleep at night.
“Charles Stringer, RDA. Look, we didn’t come twenty-six trillion miles to fight a war, or run a prison. You’re a hell of a lot more valuable as employees than inmates. So anyone who assists in the peaceful return of RDA authority on Pandora will be granted amnesty and restored to full pay, with back pay and bonuses.”
The second man, he was like Selfridge. Just more spineless, somehow. He was definitely just a mouthpiece for the corporation, SecOps was in charge.
“You’ve got my word on that. But make no mistake. If you resist, I will kill you all. You people are a long way from Earth. I beg you, with tears in my eyes, do not. Test me. On this.”
She wasn’t bluffing. The attack earlier showed that. The RDA mouthpiece might not have even known that she ordered that run, but she knew it would get results. Scare people out of their beds in the middle of the night, turn the Na’vi against the humans, and they have a chance to end this early.
Everyone started talking when the message ended. Jake could see that they were naturally splitting into two camps, and he wasn’t surprised that McCosker was leading the surrender camp. Jake had never liked the man, even if they had worked together over the years. He was one of the few who had no real interest in Pandora or the Na’vi, and the others like him were on his side in this debate.
“Alright everyone, we know where this is going. The Omatikaya have agreed to move to the mountains and set up a new base there. We have a plan to move all of you with us. This is not a war we can win in one night. We level this base and fight them from the hills. Whatever they build, we destroy. Hit ‘em ‘till it hurts. ‘Til it costs so much, they just stop coming.”
The Avatar drivers were nodding, but McCosker didn’t look happy.
“Look around you, Jake. We’re not guerrilla fighters.”
“Speak for yourself.”
Norm didn’t look up when he spoke, still staring at the monitors. He was right, though. If Norm had found it in himself to fight in the last battle, the rest of the base could as well.
“I’m speaking for all of us. Your plan means we wear breathing masks for the rest of our lives. We don’t all have an avatar escape hatch.”
“McCosker, that’s not fair. We still have to keep our human bodies alive at the end of the day. It’s not an escape hatch, Eywa won’t save all of us. Not like Jake.”
Jake raised a hand, trying to keep a fight from breaking out. Morgan sat back down, glaring at the floor. One of the engineers looked up at Jake.
“What about a treaty?”
“They’ll break any treaty they make. They used up their world, and now they want ours.” Jake sighed, looking over the entire group. “I get it. I know how hard this is going to be. None of you signed up for this. I’ll set up a container. Anybody who wants to surrender, put your names in there. I’ll leave you a module - HAB six. Everything else gets torched. Whoever’s with me - the evacuation starts now.”
Everyone seemed okay with that outcome, so Jake decided to leave it there. He sent Tsu’tey and Neytiri back to the village to work on preparations there, staying behind to help make a plan for the evacuating humans. They had collected most of the mobile units in the last few years. Jake was grateful for that little bit of luck, because they would need to bring the mobile units to the mountains to use as housing and link rooms. They would also have to move their pilots and ships, along with all of the food, equipment, and living and medical supplies. The biggest concern was power for the life support systems, but it turned out that Hale had been just as paranoid as Jake. She had been stockpiling extra from the small mine they set up, enough to maintain the mobile units for a decade.
When he was content with the plan, they checked the container. A little less than half of the humans had voted to surrender. Max agreed to get them settled and make sure they have a way to surrender safely while destroying the rest of the base, and Norm would work to keep the peace for the next few days.
Jake returned to the village mid-afternoon. Everyone he passed was packing, taking down tents and carrying baskets to the central area. They didn’t get the chance to pack their belongings last time, but that didn’t make this any easier. No one had touched the Mother Loom yet. It would be the last thing to move, because that would mean they were truly leaving.
He paused at the entrance to their home, watching as Lo’ak and Kiri bickered about something. Tuk laughed, abandoning her task in favor of climbing onto Lo’ak. Neytiri pauses her own work, smiling at their children. She had been packing their garments and beads, tucking everything carefully into a basket. They had left Jake’s human nonsense in the corner for him to deal with, and their weapons had not been packed.
Jake looked around at their home, at the place he had built for them. He hadn’t cared much when he left his apartment to come to Pandora. He didn’t have an attachment to the place, or even to the apartment where he grew up. This was the first place that felt like his, like home. This was where they raised their children. He turned to one of the support poles, tracing the height lines carved into the wood. Neteyam had stopped letting him track his height when he became a warrior, and Lo’ak and Kiri quickly followed, but Tuk was still delighted by the tradition. She was taller than her brothers had been at her age, which she liked to brag about. Jake stood and looked at the lines, at the pigment each child had chosen for their lines. He didn’t notice Tsu’tey approaching until a hand settled on his back.
“What are you thinking, yawne?”
“Nothing.” Jake turned and smiled at his partner. “Got a plan worked out for base. How’s it going here?”
Tsu’tey seemed like he wanted to push the issue, but he let it go.
“The clan is moving quickly. A group of warriors was sent ahead to scout for a location, and artisans will be sent in the morning to begin construction.” He turned to where Kiri was currently wrestling with Spider, Tuk cheering them on from her perch on Lo’ak. “Your children refuse to focus on packing.”
“Our children will get it done. They’ll have enough to worry about once we move, they can be kids for a bit longer.”
Tsu’tey nodded, pulling Jake closer to press a kiss against his cheek before moving back to Neytiri. Jake took one last look at the height markers and joined them.
Jake waited until Tuk had fallen asleep to talk to Spider. The older kids seemed reluctant to go to sleep, the reality of packing up their entire lives hitting them when they returned from the evening meal. They had huddled up in a corner, talking quietly amongst themselves as Tsu’tey got Tuk settled.
“Spider, can you come here?”
The kids looked over, confused, but Spider nodded and came to sit in front of Jake. Neytiri looked up from her weaving, worried about what Jake was about to say.
“So, a message came through to Hell’s Gate this morning.”
“Yeah, Mom mentioned it.”
“They sent an offer. Surrender and turn over base, or die. Most of the crew is coming with us to the mountains, but some have chosen to surrender and go back to the RDA.”
“Dad, why are you telling me this?”
“Because it should be your choice.” Spider started to say something, but Jake held up a hand. “You’re our kid. I’m not trying to get rid of you. You are part of this family, and you belong here with us. But things are going to get more difficult when we go to the mountains. You’re gonna have to be more careful with your own exopack, because we won’t have the same medical facilities. I just want you to be sure about this.”
“I’m going with you.” Spider was stubborn, and he had that look in his eyes that told Jake he wasn’t going to budge. “I know how to take care of myself, and I want to stay.”
“Okay. Look, I just wanted to make sure. What happens next isn’t going to be easy.” Jake leaned forward, reaching out to grab Spider’s arm. “You’re fourteen. In a few years, you’ll be on the border of being able to safely go into cryo. If we lose, if something happens to us, I need you to take care of yourself. If you surrender and go with the RDA, you might have a chance to survive.”
“I’m not going to Earth.”
“That’s the last resort. The RDA are setting up a base here, and the kind of force they’ve come with is meant for setting up a colony. You might be able to stay on Pandora.” Jake leaned back, sighing. “None of this is important right now. We’ll move to the mountains in the next few days, and Trudy and Norm will keep space for you in their unit.”
Jake turned to the other kids, gesturing for them to come closer. Kiri crawled over to lean against Spider’s back, the boys following to settle around Jake.
“We’re a family, okay? This family is strong, and we will get through this together.”
The kids nodded, huddling closer together. Jake looked over at Neytiri, and there was something unreadable in her eyes.
Chapter 53
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Two weeks after the Omatikaya and their allies moved into the mountains, they called for a meeting of the clans. There were gatherings every few years for trade and athletic competitions, but an official meeting of the Olo’eyktans and Tsahìks was reserved for war. There hadn’t been enough time fourteen years before, which is why Toruk Makto personally went to recruit warriors. This time, they were going to follow tradition.
They had chosen to meet in the Well of Souls, where they had sheltered during the last battle. Messengers had been sent to as many clans as possible, but the reef clans declined to travel. With the return of the Sky People, they were reluctant to leave their communities without leadership. The coastal, plains, and forest tribes attended, resulting in a gathering of eight Olo’eyktan and seven Tsahìk, with several tribes bringing their tsakarem and olo’eytakan. Between preparing their new home in the mountains and making plans for the council meeting, their family was stretched thin. There just wasn’t enough time in the day, even with the older kids helping.
Tsu’tey was not nervous for the meeting. He had led his clan successfully for years, and had fought in the battle alongside Toruk Makto. He knew his voice carried weight, but he also knew that the clans were going to be less likely to help. This was going to be a slow, painful war, and many would choose to protect themselves.
The entire clan was present for the meeting, though he had asked the tawtute’ì’awn to remain in the mountains. Jake had worried for their safety, and Tsu’tey knew that it would only make the negotiations more complicated. They knew that Spider wouldn’t listen. Kiri refused to leave his side, and all of the kids were sticking close together. Jake had finally got them to agree to stick to the back of the crowd and not both anyone from another clan. Neteyam stayed at the front with his parents and the other olo’eytakan.
Tsu’tey had seen them perched on a rock, Kiri and Lo’ak trying to hide Spider’s distinctive coloring behind their bodies. It had been a long morning of talks, and they were getting nowhere. Neytiri had grown frustrated almost an hour before when someone had mentioned that it was the Omatikaya who had started the problem with the Sky People, and that they were the reason they had returned. Jake had tried to argue, but Tsu’tey kept them both quiet and insisted on a break. When they returned, Jake once again tried to convince the Olo’eyktan to join the fight. While Jake was not Olo’eyktan, his position as Toruk Makto and mate to the tsakarem gave him the ability to speak, which he was taking full advantage of.
“I See you, Yeyatley, speaker for the Olo’eyktans. I am not Toruk Makto anymore. I have no special standing. I ask for your blessing to move against the Sky People, to prevent them from establishing a base.”
“This is a big decision. It will affect all Na’vi people.”
Tsu’tey respected Yeyatley. He was chosen as speaker for a reason, and his years of service to his clan were admirable. But he did not fight in the last battle. His clan had been safe. They had lost nothing, and Tsu’tey struggled to find him a voice of reason in this debate.
“I asked this war council to meet here at the sacred tree to remind us what we almost lost. The hills around his are littered with the war machines of the Sky People, and now they return in even greater force.”
It had been a quiet trek to the Well of Souls. They had been to the sacred tree for many ceremonies, but the knowledge of what this meeting represented had made the wreckage of the war machines difficult to ignore.
“Many do not like the path you are on, Jakesully. They say our warriors are becoming no different than Sky People, that your mind still thinks like an alien.”
“It’s true. I was born human, but now I am Na’vi. I have this extra finger to remind me every day of my past. I used to feel shame because of it. But not anymore! Because knowing the ways of the Sky People is the only way to defeat them.”
Yeyatley turned to the speaker of the Tsahìks, a fierce woman scarred from a fight with a palulukan as a child. She had survived by the blessing of Eywa, and her clan had chosen her as tsakarem. Her unseeing eye was disconcerting, because it often seemed as though she was still able to perceive something unknowable through it.
“What say you and the other Tsahìks, Pentiyaru?”
“It was not Jakesully who wiped the Sky People from our land. It was Eywa. And if it is necessary again, Eywa will provide.”
Neytiri snarled, stepping forward to address the council. Tsu’tey tried to keep his face neutral, looking to Mo’at for help keeping the peace.
“Have you forgotten so quickly? Jakesully is the chosen of Eywa! He was Toruk Makto!”
“You do not speak here! You are not Tsahìk yet, Neytiri Mo’at’ite.”
Mo’at stepped forward, her hands raised. She was one of the most respected Tsahìks, and her voice had power.
“Wise sisters, forgive my daughter. She has a strong heart, and a sharp tongue. Yes, Eywa will provide. But she does not drive the arrow into the animal for us when we hunt. We do. Perhaps Jakesully is the arrow we must drive into the heart of our enemy.”
Pentiyaru nodded, turning to Jake. He kept his shoulders straight and his chin up, not intimidated by the woman.
“Has Eywa given you guidance on this?”
“No, I have been given no sign.”
Neytiri opened her mouth to say something, but Mo’at put a hand on her shoulder. She bit her tongue, pulling Neteyam closer to her. Tsu’tey knew it was not the time for them to try and explain Jake’s connection to Eywa, and that he was still her chosen warrior. Eywa approved of his methods, but she had chosen not to speak clearly on the matter.
“This is a dark path. But it is a matter of war. We Tsahìks will defer to the council of Olo’eyktans.”
“We have heard many voices today. Now, I will speak for the council. No path is good here. All are dark. And too many have already died on both sides. Jakesully will not attack the Sky People. We will not start a war. We will offer peace.”
“Please, Yeyatley! The Sky People don’t want peace. They want our world! Our children’s world!”
Tsu’tey placed a hand on Jake’s arm, pulling him back. He was right, but it was not his place to argue.
“Yeyatley, you are right that too many have been lost. But as Olo’eyktan of the Omatikaya, I must insist you reconsider. These Sky People will take your offer of peace and use it to destroy your home. They will take until there is nothing left.”
“Enough! It is decided.”
Jake scoffed, turning to walk away.
“We tried peace. Hundreds were killed, women and children. The Olangi were nearly destroyed. We’re leaving. Neteyam, grab your siblings.”
Neytiri walked over to him, forcing him to pause for a moment. The council looked disgruntled, but the Omatikaya were on his side. Tsu’tey turned to them, aware of the consequences of what they were about to do.
“The old ways will not work against this enemy. Peace will not be achieved without a fight. We will fly against them, without your blessing. Your warriors are free to join, if they choose.”
Yeyatley didn’t look happy, but he nodded and began to gather the members of his clan who had traveled with him. The others followed suit, and Tsu’tey decided Mo’at could handle the final formalities. He moved toward his partners, noticing Neteyam shoving his way back through the crowd.
“Dad! They’re gone. They’re all gone!”
“What?”
All three started looking around, and Tsu’tey realized that he hadn’t seen Spider’s distinctive form or Kiri’s shawl since before the break. What they had been too busy to notice was that their other children had grown frustrated and bored of the meeting, and had decided to explore. Jake had generally kept them on a tight leash in this area because of the shipwrecks, but that only made them want to see it more.
Lo’ak had spotted an interesting wreck during one of his flights, a mostly intact Scorpion suspended in the canopy. He had never gotten a closer look, but when Spider mentioned wanting to leave the meeting he saw an opportunity. It wasn’t far, and he was sure that they would be back before the meeting ended. Grandmother had said that it would take all day, and they wouldn’t be gone that long.
“Is this the battlefield?”
“Yes, Tuk-tuk. This is what they meant by war.”
Tuk was looking around in awe, amazed by the crumpled metal and broken glass. She had been pretty sheltered from the last battle, only being told the stories of brave warriors and triumph. Kiri knew the truth, and she had never understood her brothers’ fascination with war. It was violent and awful, and she had seen how much it still haunted Dad. He’d been quiet for the last few days, worried about the outcome of the council meeting.
“We shouldn’t be here!”
“Don’t be a baby, Tuk, or the Toruk will get you. I’m going up there.”
Lo’ak smiled at his little sister, turning to look at the wreck. He was pretty sure he could use the vines to climb up into the cockpit.
“Are you crazy? What if it all comes crashing down?”
Kiri rolled her eyes at her brother, shoving his arm.
“No way. It’s been up there for like a hundred years-”
“Fourteen.”
“Fourteen years! And think of the stuff we’ll find.”
Lo’ak grinned, and Kiri could see that Spider was starting to get excited. She loved her brothers, she really did, but they both got stupid and competitive when Neteyam wasn’t there to corral them. Mom was going to be so angry if she realized they had snuck out of the meeting, and Dad always said not to go to the battlefield.
“The Toruk will eat us!”
“Calm down, Tuk. The Toruk’s not eating anybody. The boys are just being jerks.”
She held an arm out for Tuk, taking her little sister’s hand.
“Too bad this thing can’t still fly. Dad would flip!”
Lo’ak clambered up onto the windshield, looking down at the skeleton in the pilot’s seat. Kiri and Spider followed, helping Tuk to climb with them. Spider probably should have felt weird about the human skeleton, but it wasn’t the first one he had seen. He knew what had happened to the human soldiers, and he didn’t really feel bad for them. He mourned for the Na’vi who had died, not the humans who wanted to destroy their home.
“He’s gonna flip anyway. We shouldn’t be here. The council’s ending soon.”
Kiri tried to be the mature one, but she was honestly pretty curious about the wreck. It hadn’t been frozen in time like she imagined, but instead was slowly being claimed by the forest, Ewya taking back her space.
“You worry too much.”
Lo’ak rolled his eyes, and Kiri scrambled over to flick the side of his head.
“She’s right, though. I gotta change my air soon.”
Spider probably should have switched out his batteries earlier, but he always kept a spare in his bag. It should be fine, he just needed to climb down and get it from the pa’li before it got too low.
“Come on, Tuk. Let’s pay our respects to the ikran.” Kiri helped her sister down, sitting on the ground next to the ikran skeleton. Kiri didn’t know who her rider was, but it was likely they had also died in the battle. “We see you, fallen sister.”
“We brought flowers. Should we bury her?”
Tuk sat next to her, placing the flowers around the ikran’s head.
“Oh, Tuk, that’s sweet, but no. See all these vines? The Great Mother has already embraced her.”
Up on the ship, Spider’s exopack beeped. It was the warning signal for 30% power, the point where you should start to worry but aren’t in immediate danger. He tried not to let it get that low normally, but it was a weird day.
“Air’s getting low. I gotta get my spare from my saddlebag.”
“What do you think is back there? I’m gonna take a quick look.”
Lo’ak shifted his weight just as Spider started to climb out, and with an ominous creak the entire wreck came crashing down. Lo’ak clutched onto the side, Spider hanging on to the co-pilot’s seat as the wreck hit the rocks below. They crawled out of the wreck, seeing the backside of their pa’li as they ran from the commotion.
“Kiri! Tuk!”
“Over here! Help!” Kiri looked around at the vines they were trapped in, realizing that she could feel the energy of the tree. “Wait. We’ll come down.”
Kiri closed her eyes and prayed to the tree for help, the vines slowly stretching out so she and Tuk could reach the ground.
“Thank you, little sister.” Kiri put a hand on the trunk of the tree, thanking her. When she turned Lo’ak was giving her a look over Tuk’s head, who had run to hug him. “What? Was I doing something weird again?”
“Kinda?”
Kiri huffed and smacked his shoulder.
“You skxawng! You almost got us killed!”
“I know…”
“We’re sorry, Kiri.”
Spider walked over to put a hand on her arm, smiling sheepishly.
“I want to go home.”
Tuk tugged on Lo’ak’s arm, asking to be picked up. He pulled her onto his hip, turning to Kiri and Spider.
“Me too. But the horses are gone, thanks to these skxawng. And our comms! We’ll have to walk.”
“What’s that noise?”
Lo’ak’s nose scrunched as he heard an odd beeping, hoping the old equipment in the wreck wasn’t about to explode.
“Uh, guys? We’re in trouble - I’m almost out of air.”
Spider looked up at them, his eyes wide with fear. He had never let his battery get this low, and his spare had just run away.
“Shit. We’ll have to get back to the meeting, Dad will have a spare. Come on, I think I know the way.”
Kiri started to walk into the woods, leaving Lo’ak and Spider to follow. Lo’ak was pretty sure they were going the wrong way, but he knew that Kiri had a connection to the forest. He would have to trust her, because Spider needed that battery ASAP.
Back at the Well, the other tribes were departing as Jake tried to reach the kids. Tsu’tey and Neytiri pulled on their own comms, waiting for an answer.
“Lo’ak! Kiri! You copy? Why the hell are they off comms? That’s rule number one!”
Jake rubbed his forehead, his earlier frustration boiling over. This was the last thing he needed to worry about.
“Jake, children do not always obey parents. They are here somewhere.”
Neytiri rubbed his arm, looking to Tsu’tey for help. He turned back to the young warrior he had asked to find information, but he just shook his head.
“Lo’ak was asking about the battlefield. Maybe-”
Neteyam was cut off by the return of two pa’li, running into the clearing as though being chased. They were out of breath, stamping their feet nervously when some of the Na’vi managed to get them to stop.
“Thanator?” Jake gestured to the injuries on their sides, imagining the worst.
“These are scrapes, not claw marks.”
Tsu’tey ran a hand over the pa’li, pulling their saddlebags off to show his partners.
“That’s Lo’ak’s bag. And Spider’s mask. All his spares are here.” Jake took a deep breath, realizing that his children were now out in the forest with no weapons or comms, and Spider would run out of air at some point. He turned to Neteyam, who was a bit pale. “Why didn’t you stop him?”
Jake knew it wasn’t fair to put everything on Neteyam, who wasn’t even with the others when they made the decision, but he never had a very good brain-to-mouth filter in stressful situations.
“I didn’t think he meant it!”
“Anger can wait. We will follow the pa’li’s blood.”
Neytiri stepped in between her mate and firstborn, giving Jake a look.
“Okay. Neteyam, you take to the sky. Tsu’tey, can you go with him? Neytiri and I will follow the trail on the ground, and I’m going to call for air support.”
Tsu’tey nodded, calling for Ngam’i’a. Neteyam echoed the call, and Vunve’o followed the larger ikran out of the canopy. They both mounted quickly, turning to Jake and Neytiri on pa’li.
“Everyone on comms! Let’s bring them home!”
“I wanna go home!”
Tuk whined in Lo’ak’s arms, burying her head in his neck. They had been walking for far longer than they had rode pa’li, and Lo’ak was growing more convinced that they were lost.
“Come on, it’s this way.”
Kiri pushed through the foliage to reveal a gap between two floating rocks that Kiri and Lo’ak might be able to pass, but Tuk and Spider would struggle with. She definitely didn’t want to risk her little sister falling off a mountain.
“Oh, crap.” She turned to Spider, noticing how pale he was. The exopack had been steading beeping for the last several minutes. “I’m so sorry, Spider. We’ve gotta go around.”
“You’re killing me here.”
Spider smiled, but his siblings still looked worried. He hated moments like these, where he felt fragile, but he was about to suffocate. He may have learned to survive, but his lungs were still human. Kiri led them in another direction, but they quickly came upon another dead end.
“This isn’t the right path!”
Lo’ak set Tuk down, hissing at Kiri.
“No, it’s… I thought it would be quicker.”
She looked around, trying to figure out where she got turned around. She swore this was a shortcut, but she was clearly wrong and Spider was running out of time.
“Dad’s gonna kill us - if we don’t die out here.”
“Are we all gonna die, or just Spider?”
Tuk yawned, leaning against Spider. He ran a hand over her hair, trying to take slow breaths.
“We can swing across.”
Kiri grabbed a vine, tugging on it to test if it would hold her weight.
“Those aren’t strong enough!”
Lo’ak grabbed her arm, trying to stop her, but Spider was starting to wheeze.
“He’s dying! I’ll be back with help, I promise!”
Kiri steps back before leaping, praying that the vine would hold. To her siblings’ horror, the vine snapped and she fell onto a ledge below, landing with a thud and not moving.
Jake and Neytiri followed the trail of blood back to a wreck that had clearly been disturbed. The trail ended, and the kids had probably been the ones to cause the wreck to fall, but there was no sign of them.
“They’re not here.”
Neytiri checked around the wreckage, letting out a breath when she didn’t find any trapped children.
“Nor here, thank the Mother. Jake, where are our babies?”
He reached out to grab her hand, looking up at Neteyam landing to check in. Tsu’tey was circling above them.
“Are they here?”
“Not anymore. Fly a spiral pattern. We’ll find them.”
Neteyam nodded and took to the sky again, trying to calm his heartbeat. He was sure they were fine, and they couldn’t have gone far. Why did they have to be like this?
Neytiri spotted several sets of footprints leading off into the forest, two larger and one smaller. That had to be the older kids, and Tuk was likely being carried.
“Ma Jake! This way.”
Lo’ak stared at Kiri’s crumpled form, trying to see if she was still breathing. He let out the breath he’d been holding when he saw her chest move.
“She’s not moving!”
Tuk was leaning over the edge, barely being held back by an increasingly weak Spider.
‘I know! It’s okay. I just gotta think.”
Lo’ak looked around, trying to find a way to contact their parents. They were definitely looking for them by now, and at least one would be in the sky. Then he remembered one of Aunt Trudy’s safety lessons from years before. He had grabbed a safety flare from the wreck planning to add it to inventory on base, but it would be perfect.
“This better work.”
He raised his arm into the sky and pulled the trigger. The flare shot into the air, illuminating their position in violent red light. He was pretty sure it would be seen from base. In the air, Neteyam instantly knew what the flare meant. He raised a hand to his comm, turning to meet Sempul’s eye.
“Got them! About a klick east of you, Dad!”
Sempul nodded and banked toward the light, Neteyam following. They would get there first, but he knew that Mom and Dad wouldn’t be far behind. He reached down to feel for the extra battery he kept on the saddle, knowing that Trudy was following in her Samson with a stronger oxygen supplement for Spider.
They landed as close to the edge as they could, spotting Lo’ak and Tuk instantly. Both ran over, Tuk leaping into Tsu’tey’s arms. Neteyam grabbed his brother, pulling him into a tight hug before looking for the other two.
“Spider! I have a battery, and backup is coming.”
“Thanks, but you have to help Kiri.”
Tsu’tey looked up, following Spider’s gesture over the side of the rock. He handed Tuk over to Neteyam, gesturing for Lo’ak to go with him. Neteyam pulled Spider over to switch the batteries, all of them watching anxiously as Tsu’tey climbed back over the edge with Kiri thrown over his shoulders. He laid her gently on the ground, updating Norm over the comms.
Neteyam made Spider sit next to her, worried about the slight blue tinge to his lips. Lo’ak hovered, turning to look for their other parents. Neytiri and Jake burst out of the foliage, swinging off of the pa’li to get to them. Tuk ran over to Mom, clinging to her and starting to babble about what had happened. Jake looked over the entire situation, seeing that Tsu’tey had Spider and Kiri before pulling Lo’ak into a hug. Lo’ak was being crushed slightly, but he wrapped his arms around his dad just as tight.
“What the hell were you thinking? You took your sisters to a battlefield?”
Lo’ak knew that was an admonishment, but Dad’s voice was shaking with relief. He had one hand on the back of Lo’ak head, keeping him tucked close as he pressed a kiss to the shaved part of his son’s head.
“It was my fault, too, Dad-”
Jake shook his head, holding his arm out for Spider to join. He could see the Samson beginning to land, and he would have to hand Spider and Kiri over to them for medical evacuation back to their new base. He hugged his boys, looking over at Neteyam who rushed over to join.
When they got Kiri and Spider loaded into the Samson, Lo’ak was pulled into a hug by Neytiri, then Tsu’tey. They watched as Neytiri climbed into the Samson with Tuk, wanting to stay by Kiri’s side. Lo’ak moved over to Neteyam’s side, tucking his hands under his arms when he realized they were shaking.
“Come on. We all need to get back. Neteyam, can you take your brother?”
Neteyam nodded, pulling Lo’ak onto his ikran. They had flown together before Lo’ak’s iknimaya, and Lo’ak couldn’t help but feel like a little kid. He screwed up, he knew that, but how was he supposed to know all of this would happen?
Lo’ak had expected Dad to come talk to him about it, but it was Sempul who found him sitting outside of the healer’s tent. Kiri was fine, just stunned by the fall. The rest of the family was fussing over her, and it was slowly driving her crazy. Spider had been confined to one of the mobile units for the night, which the kids had all protested. Lo’ak knew he should be inside, but he couldn’t face all of them. He didn’t protest when Sempul joined him on the ground, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close.
“Why did you leave the meeting?”
“We were bored.”
Tsu’tey nodded, but didn’t say anything. He just kept looking out at the clan, and after a few minutes Lo’ak cracked.
“Alright, we weren’t just bored. They were being stupid and not listening to Dad, and I wanted to get out of there.”
Tsu’tey turned to look at their youngest son. He was curled tight, looking at his hands where they were tucked between his knees. He always did that when he was thinking too much about his Sky People traits.
“Did someone say something to you?”
“No.”
“But that was the problem.”
Lo’ak sighed. Sempul had always been good at figuring out what he was thinking.
“Yeah. They talk to Neteyam, recognize him as your son and heir, but it was like I wasn’t even there. I already didn’t like that Spider had to hide, so I figured we could slip out and be back before you noticed.”
“I am sorry, my son. These tribes do not understand the relationship we have with the Sky People. They did not have Dreamwalkers, and they do not know what to think of you and your father. We are not angry that you left, but you should not have gone near any wreckage. Those machines are still dangerous, and your siblings could have been hurt.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Sempul.”
Lo’ak’s voice wavered, and Tsu’tey was once again struck with the fact that he was only twelve. Tsu’tey pulled him closer, turning to see that Jake had walked over to check on them. Jake just smiled at them before walking over to Neteyam.
“Neteyam, can I talk to you for a sec?”
His firstborn nodded and walked over to the corner, stopping to pet Tuk’s braids where she was sleeping in Neytiri’s arms. He looked nervous when he came to stand before Jake, and Jake hated the way it made him feel.
“I wanted to apologize for something I said earlier. I shouldn’t have blamed you for your siblings wandering off. You were doing your duty staying at the front with us, and it was their decision.”
Neteyam nodded, worrying at his lip. Jake sighed and sat on an empty bed, tugging Neteyam down with him.
“You’re the oldest. You’ve done such a good job watching over them, and I know it isn’t fair. If it were any other time I would try to stop it, to tell you to be a kid, but everything’s changed. I need your help, sweet boy. I’m not always going to be able to be Dad, the people need me to be Toruk Makto. I need you to help with your siblings, to keep them out of trouble so we can focus on winning this fight.”
“I can do that.”
Neteyam leaned closer, and Jake’s heart clenched. He was only thirteen, and Jake was putting him in charge of four other kids, but it had to be done.
“One day, when we win, I’m going to make sure you can do whatever you want. I’m going to make sure you lead a happy life, I promise.”
Neteyam nodded, burrowing closer. Jake pressed a kiss to his hair, letting them sit for a few minutes until Mo’at declared Kiri safe to move. They all stumbled out of the healing tent, to their new dwelling. They hadn’t even had time to fully unpack, but they had the sleeping platforms set up. Neytiri got Kiri settled, making sure the girl would be okay alone before tucking herself and Tuk in alongside the rest of the family on the main platform. Neteyam was between Jake and Neytiri, Tuk curled in a ball by his back. He reached across Dad to grab Lo’ak’s hand, wrapping his four fingers around his brother’s five. Lo’ak seemed to calm, tapping a rhythm against Jake’s ribs until he drifted off to sleep.
Jake stayed awake for a while, trying to process having to fight a war without reinforcements. The other clans wouldn’t be helping, not until the RDA affected them directly. This was on him to win, somehow.
Notes:
This family is so chaotic. Kiri has magical powers but she's also 13 and a little stupid. Lo'ak makes decisions purely on vibes. Jake tries to argue with people who could absolutely destroy him. It's so funny.
One of the lovely things about writing fanfiction is that this is my world now, and I get to do what I want. That means that I can fill in gaps I noticed and add whatever I like. I am so excited to rework the rest of this movie.
Chapter 54
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The first year after the battle in the mountains was incredibly busy, and Jake had a thousand things he was trying to take care of. Something was bound to slip through the cracks, and he just considered himself lucky that it wasn’t one of his kids. That doesn’t mean he was happy when he realized that somewhere in his preoccupation the story of Toruk Makto had been a bit… exaggerated. Not only were there songs and stories about his accomplishments, but they had apparently been spread to other clans. It was only a matter of time before his kids heard the story and realized it was about him.
In the greatest of betrayals, it was Neytiri who told the kids about Toruk Makto and the battle. Normally Tsu’tey was in charge of bedtime stories, but when he was kept out late for a mild emergency she decided to tell the children about the last Toruk Makto, and happened to mention that Jake had become Toruk Makto himself. This snapped them right back awake, and they had demanded the whole story.
Jake had been okay being the kinda boring parent. Tsu’tey was Olo’eyktan and Neytiri was tsakarem. Both were skilled warriors and extremely intelligent and resourceful people, and without a war to fight Jake mostly took care of the kids and helped around the village. He spent most of his time with a bunch of old people. The only cool thing he did was teach hand-to-hand combat, but they had tried to keep the kids away from that so they didn’t get too many ideas. He didn’t need his kids to be impressed by him, as long as they trusted him and respected his judgment.
The morning after, Jake had thought that maybe he dodged a bullet and nothing would change. Kiri was staring at him intently, but she just kinda did that every few weeks. He left their home prepared to help with some repairs to the greenhouse on base, and all seemed well. Then he realized that he was being followed. He paused, and four sets of footsteps stopped behind him. Jake took a deep breath, sighed, and kept walking toward the supply tent. The kids giggled and scrambled to keep up, and Jake could see their little procession was getting several amused looks. Jake grabbed the tools he needed and threw them in a bag over his shoulder, finally turning to his entourage.
“Alright ducklings, I guess we’re all heading to base.”
Kiri giggled and fell into line behind him, her brothers following. Jake really did feel like a mama duck, but it was kinda cute how Neteyam was trying to mimic his posture and how Lo’ak was clearly just along for the ride. They had made it into the forest when his youngest ran forward and grabbed his hand.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“What’s a duckling?”
Jake chuckled and stopped walking, reaching down to grab Lo’ak and pull him up onto his hip.
“A duck is an animal on earth. It’s a kind of bird that likes to live near water, and when they swim the babies all line up and follow their mom. You guys are my little ducklings today.”
Lo’ak nodded, twisting to look at his siblings over Jake’s shoulder.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“Were you really Toruk Makto?”
“Why, you think your Mama made up that story?”
“No, just…”
Lo’ak trailed off, and Spider picked up the thought.
“We’ve only ever seen you fly Bob, and you never talk about it.”
“Well, Toruk and I had an agreement to fight together to protect our home, and then I let him go. And I don’t talk about it much because I just did what I thought would help. I didn’t need to be a hero, I just wanted to protect the People.”
“Mama said you did something bad, and becoming Toruk Makto showed her that you were sorry.”
Of course that was the part Kiri noticed.
“Yeah, I did. I promise I’ll tell you more about it when you’re older, but it’s not a good story.”
“Dad?”
“Yeah, Neteyam?”
“What was Toruk like?”
“Hmm. Toruk is bigger than an ikran, the biggest predator in the sky, so he doesn’t fear anything. His mind was strong, and he listened to my story and agreed to help because he knew it was what had to be done. Flying with him was kinda scary, because he was so big.”
“Do you think you’ll ride him again?”
“I hope not. He’s a wild creature, and he wanted his peace and freedom. I see him sometimes, high up in the mountains.”
The kids seemed to accept that answer, but Jake caught them looking into the sky for Toruk. They had asked him for the story a dozen more times over the years, and their fascination had only increased when they actually spotted Toruk in the distance during a family flight.
Tuk was only five when the Sky People returned, but she had heard the story of Toruk Makto. That was a good thing, because everyone had defaulted to the title when talking about Jake. He didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t right. Toruk Makto was a mythical figure to them, but Jake knew that it was just about being brave or stupid enough to take a leap of faith and trust in Eywa’s path. He wasn’t a hero, he was just a good soldier. They could call him Toruk Makto all they wanted, but that part of his life was done.
Three months after they moved into the mountains, Jake was working with the older warriors to plan new patrol routes when the screaming started. The RDA had been expanding their reach, sending out scouts for resources and beginning to set up supply routes. The Omatikaya were doing their best to create chaos, but with the increase in RDA presence they needed to be careful. They had finally reached an agreement and were set to take a break as commotion broke out in the cave opening.
As soon as he registered the noise Jake started running. The other warriors followed, fearful that the RDA had found a way to attack them. The wildlife had kept them away from the mountains so far, but screaming was never a good sign. When they reached the edge of the crowd Jake was able to hear what they were yelling. They weren’t calling for Toruk Makto - they were trying to say that a Toruk had landed.
The people parted, giving Jake room to approach the landing area. He had seen Toruk over the years, flashes of orange wings in the corner of his vision, but they had kept their distance. Everyone around them was scared, pressed back against the walls as they stared at Toruk, but Jake had no fear. The connection he formed with Toruk, it wasn’t like the typical ikran bond. This was his spirit brother, someone who was guided by Eywa’s hand to fight for their home alongside him. As he approached Toruk, he saw that Neytiri and Tsu’tey were at the front of the crowd, keeping the kids behind them. Neytiri looked worried, but Tsu’tey was strangely calm. He gave Jake a nod, and Jake continued to where Toruk was perched.
The massive creature was tense, his head swiveling around to look at the assembled Na’vi. Ikran didn’t age much visible, but Toruk had some new scars along his jaw. He still had the strip of leather on one of his antennae that Jake had left, showing he was truly the same creature. Toruk turned to meet Jake’s eye, and the connection that had gone dormant years before pulsed to life. Jake ran his hand over Toruk’s head, petting the side of his neck as he reached for his antennae. The entire cave was silent as Jake brought his tswin forward and made tsaheylu.
Every creature’s mind is a little different. Jake remembered that Toruk’s mind felt like leaning out of the side of Trudy’s Samson, the wind whipping his hair as the entirety of Pandora opened up below. Fourteen years later, Toruk felt like an oncoming storm, unsettled and rumbling. But he was not dangerous, at least not to the people in that room. Jake sighed, leaning closer to rest his head against Toruk’s neck. The creature made a low noise, leaning his head toward Jake. He straightened up and looked out at the crowd, holding a hand out in a gesture of calm.
“It’s alright. He’s not here to harm anyone. There is nothing to fear.”
Mo’at had moved to the front of the crowd, stepping forward to get a better look at Toruk. He didn’t quite know what to make of her, but he could sense her connection to Eywa and recognized her from Jake’s memories.
“Why has he come here, Jakesully?”
“The Sky People. Their expansion at the edge of the mountain range has disturbed the nesting areas. I think… I think he just wanted to see if we were going to keep up the fight.”
Mo’at nodded, but Toruk had lost interest in her. He stretched forward, shuffling toward the crowd, and Jake realized he was looking at his family. Toruk recognized Neytiri and Tsu’tey as Jake’s partners in both battle and life, but the smaller Na’vi next to them were new. The rest of the crowd had shrunk back a bit, still wary of the very large predator, but Lo’ak leaned around Tsu’tey’s side to get a better look. Toruk made a noise, perking up, and Jake almost wanted to laugh. They didn’t communicate with words, but Toruk had sent the impression of his own hatchlings.
“Everything is alright, people. You can go back to what you were doing. He won’t be staying long.”
The crowd began to disperse, but many were still in the area. The Sully family didn’t move as everyone around them left, but the kids did move forward. Toruk was still looking at all of them, his head cocked to the side.
“It’s okay, you can come closer.”
Jake turned to Lo’ak, gesturing for him to come closer. Lo’ak moved closer, trying not to get too close to Toruk’s teeth. He ended up half hiding behind Jake, his curiosity tempered by a healthy fear that Jake honestly appreciated. Sometimes he worried that his youngest son had no common sense. Toruk blinked at them, his gaze flicking between their faces, and through the bond Jake was sent the idea of a reflection in water, a warped mirror image.
“What’s he doing?”
Lo’ak’s voice was hushed, and he grabbed onto Jake’s arm. The rest of the family was moving closer, though Neytiri was more wary. In her arms, Tuk was trying to wiggle out to get closer to Toruk.
“He’s trying to figure out why you look like me.”
Lo’ak eyes widened, his ears perking up as he looked at Toruk. Jake could see that Tsu’tey was smirking at them, amused. Spider was hanging back with Neytiri, unsure whether Toruk would take kindly to seeing a Sky Person. Jake reached a hand out to Toruk’s neck and pushed memories of the kids, their births and names and the joy that filled their faces when they went flying as a family. Toruk rumbled, responding with the memory of his first hatchling taking flight a few years prior.
“Spider, you can come closer. He won’t hurt you. Neytiri, you can let her down. She’ll be fine, I promise.”
Spider was still cautious, but Tuk shot forward when Neytiri set her down. She ran over to Jake’s side, practically vibrating with anticipation. Jake lifted her up and moved closer to Toruk, letting her place a tiny hand on the side of his head. Toruk blinked slowly at her and she giggled, the bond between Jake and Toruk humming in contentment. Kiri had wandered past Jake to run her fingers along Toruk’s wings, tracing the darker pattern on the membrane. Spider followed, his face filled with awe.
It was kind of amazing to introduce his kids to Toruk, to feel the bond again after so many years, but Jake was still aware of the clan watching the interaction. This was not a reunion with an old friend, this was a reminder that the Sky People were causing harm to all of the creatures who lived on Pandora. Toruk was here because his home was threatened, not just in an abstract way like before. His mate’s nest was in harm’s way, their children were in harm’s way. His fear and anger matched the growing pit in Jake’s stomach, the gnawing feeling every time Neteyam and Lo’ak begged to go on patrol or Tuk asked when they were returning to the village. Neytiri must have seen something on his face because she finally moved closer, pressing against his side.
“What do you need to do?”
“He wants me to go with him to see what the Sky People are doing. Then I can make a plan to get them out of that area, and we can increase patrols in the future.”
Neytiri nodded, watching as the kids marveled at Toruk.
“What does this mean?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think he’ll stay. This isn’t like last time.”
Tsu’tey walked over to them, placing a hand on Jake’s shoulder.
“Should we remove the children?”
“No. Give them a few more minutes. I don’t think anything like this is going to happen again.”
Jake looked around the cave, taking in the temporary structures and the exhaustion that weighed down every member of the clan. He let the bond with Toruk wash over him, leaning into his complete self-assuredness. They were strong, they had survived before, and the Great Mother would provide for them again. But it wouldn’t be an easy fight.
When he flew with Toruk later, it felt a bit like the first time. They didn’t have a saddle that would fit so Jake just perched on his back. The sunlight was warm on his shoulders and the air was clear, but there was an uncomfortable tension that had settled over the mountains. During their first flight, Jake had been willing to die for the cause. He didn’t want to, but if it meant saving the people then he would be at peace. This time around, he had more to fight for, and so much more to lose.
They landed near the new roosting spot Toruk’s mate had chosen. Jake could just barely see the nest, the female leonopteryx’s more subdued colors blending into the material. Toruk had shown him the mobile station built by the Sky People, the pipeline they had started construction on. Everywhere he looked there was evidence of the RDA’s movements, sections of the forest that had been cut or burned or carved away. The scars from the previous RDA actions had barely healed, and these wounds would only grow worse with time. They both knew this wasn’t a war they could win with one battle. Jake slid down from Toruk’s back, sitting on the edge of the cliff. The last time they had said goodbye, Jake had shared the last time he saw his brother. In this moment, all Jake had was his nightmares about losing his kids.
Notes:
Honestly, this is just because I think Toruk is cool and wanted to see more of him. It seems right that Eywa would bring them together again, even if just for a moment. Also Jake and his ducklings is one of my favorite mental images, this poor man had four tiny copycats for like two years before they realized he was kinda lame and they could mimic Neytiri instead.
Chapter Text
Less than a year had passed since their entire lives changed. Moving to the mountains was strange. The cave systems were nothing like the forest that they had grown up in. Neteyam could see that the adults were trying to keep things normal for the kids. His parents were trying to keep Tuk from realizing how bad the situation was, but she was old enough to know something was wrong. They all tried to keep her busy, to make sure she could play with her friends and continue her lessons. They were able to go out into the forest, but only when the patrol was sure the Sky People were not in the area. Neteyam tried not to grow frustrated with his baby sister, but he was struggling. They all were.
It wasn’t just that they had to leave the village and the home Dad had built for them. No, they had to leave behind their childhoods and their conceptions about the people they grew up with. It was a subtle change, until one day Neteyam turned around and realized that they had been abandoned. The other kids had never really liked Lo’ak or Kiri, but they tolerated them. The warriors in training respected Lo’ak’s efforts, or at least they weren’t going to mess with him when they knew Neteyam would retaliate. Kiri had been training with the healers for years, and her strange tendencies could be ignored when she was so good at caring for the sick. But ever since the Sky People returned, the other members of the clan had started to distance themselves from the Sullys. The way they treated the Hell’s Gate crew and Spider was more obvious, but it didn’t escape Neteyam’s notice that none of the people Dad used to be close to had talked to them since the move.
Their parents were respected, and the people listened to them, but they harbored a strange sort of resentment toward Dad. He had saved them once, but it wasn’t enough. Neteyam could see that Sa’nu and Sempul had been too busy to notice, and honestly had never needed the company of anyone outside of the family, but it wore on Dad. Neteyam remembered Dad taking him to gatherings with the elders when he was a child, how they had doted on him and his siblings and called themselves their extra grandparents. Some of them had died over the years, but the rest just seemed to drift away. It made Neteyam all the more grateful for Uncle Norm and Aunt Trudy, for Max and all the Avatar drivers who continued to have faith in Dad.
He didn’t know if he would ever forgive the people around them for how they acted when this was over, but that was a problem for later. They had to survive this first, both in body and spirit. So he spent as much time with his siblings as he could. He put in extra training with Lo’ak and convinced Dad to let them go on patrol together. He arranged for trips into the forest and put them on the same chore rotation, and after a while it didn’t matter that none of the other kids would talk to them, except for a few of the very young kids who were friends with Tuk. They didn’t need anyone else as long as they had each other.
Dad had changed since the Sky People returned. Neteyam remembered his warning, but it still hurt a bit that Dad was forced to fight again when all he wanted was peace. There were still glimpses of the old Dad, especially in the evenings when they were all together in their tent. Dad looked softer then, the tension of being the military commander melting away as Tuk chatted about her day. On particularly bad days, Neteyam would sleep on the larger platform. He had learned to sleep alone, but being able to curl up against Dad was a reminder that he was still there, that they were all still alive and safe.
The RDA was centered in a base on the eastern coast, a massive complex that was impossible to infiltrate or destroy. Instead, their attacks had to focus on their outposts and supply networks. If they tried to build a mine or a pipeline, the Na’vi organized a raid. They only had so many resources themselves, but they did their best. The return of Toruk had spread to other clans, who saw it as a sign from Eywa to send assistance where they could. Neteyam knew he wasn’t being told everything about the fight, but they had fewer casualties than anticipated. It helped that the living network of Pandora was not happy with these new Sky People. Trudy or the other pilots had no problems, but as soon as an RDA ship entered the sky the ikran were on the move. It made their job a bit easier, but the RDA’s forces seemed endless.
Approximately a year and a half after the Sky People returned, the Omatikaya were running a mission to hit a mag-lev and seize weapons. Neteyam had flown in a few missions, but Lo’ak had just barely been allowed to join in the war effort. This was their first mission flying together as lookouts, and Neteyam didn’t like the look in his brother’s eyes. Lo’ak was a good kid and a good warrior, but he had been a bit confined for the last few weeks after a group on patrol had been attacked. Lo’ak was always more reckless when he had built up energy, and he wanted so badly to prove himself.
Jake had run dozens of these raids over the last year. It was a simple mission, simple enough that he wasn’t worried about Neytiri and Tsu’tey joining. They both disliked Jake’s overprotective tendencies, but he wasn’t going to risk leaving the clan without leaders or their children without parents. Hitting a mag train was straightforward, and without complications they would be able to return home with new supplies. So he reluctantly agreed to let both Neteyam and Lo’ak fly the mission with them.
After the explosive on the track was detonated, they had five minutes to get supplies and get out of there before the RDA’s forces would arrive. Jake took up his normal position on the highest vantage point, surveilling the warriors unpacking the weapons.
“Let’s go, two minutes people.”
In the sky, Neteyam and Lo’ak were circling the site. The ground was chaotic, the smoldering wreckage of the train teeming with Na’vi warriors. Neteyam could barely spot Dad, but everything seemed to be going to plan.
“Bro, we have got to get down there.”
Lo’ak pulled his ikran closer, grinning. He had somehow managed to apply warpaint without any of their parents noticing, which Neteyam knew Dad would not be happy about later.
“No way, Dad will skin us.”
“Come on. Don't be a wuss.”
Lo’ak’s grin turned sharper as he banked his ikran toward the ground, not waiting for Neteyam’s response.
“Lo'ak, get back here you- ugh!”
Neteyam pushed Vunve’o to follow, his frustration echoing over the bond. He was lucky she was so patient with his siblings’ antics, but she wasn’t happy about approaching the destruction below. Lo’ak landed and immediately swung off of Tawtswe, placing his bow over his back as he ran toward the weapons cache.
“Bro let's go, come on.”
“Lo'ak!”
Neyetam gritted his teeth as he followed his younger brother, already anticipating the scolding they would get from both Dad and Sempul later. He kinda wished either of them were in the section to stop Lo’ak before he got his hands on a gun, but both were on the other end of the site. Lo’ak was handed a weapon, raising it with a war cry before Neteyam could reach him. He shoved his brother’s arm down, giving him a look.
"Lo'ak, you don't even know how to use it.”
“Dad taught me.”
Lo’ak smirked, handling the weapon with an ease that showed Neteyam that Dad did give him a lesson on how to use guns, but he knew for a fact Lo’ak had never really had to use one.
Jake turned to survey the warriors below, immediately spotting two forms that should not be there. In fact, those two bodies should be in the sky on their ikran like they were ordered, but of course his sons didn’t listen. He sighed and raised a hand to reach them over comms, but one of the lookouts shouted before he could.
“Gunships inbound! Fall back!”
Jake yelled out to the ground crew, motioning for everyone to get back on their mounts and evacuate. The gunship fired as the warriors scattered, running for the forest. Lo’ak and Neteyam rushed to find their ikran, their hearts racing.
“Come on bro!”
They were just leaping over a toppled train car when another explosion behind them sent both boys flying. Neteyam was shoved forward by the blast, twisting in the air and landing hard on his back, winded. Lo’ak was knocked down, smacking the side of his head on a piece of rubble. One of the warriors managed to shoot down the gunship, but Jake didn’t have time to feel relieved. He had started running toward where he had seen the boys, his heart in his throat. They had been too close to the second explosion.
“Lo'ak, where are you? Neteyam!” He found Lo’ak first, dazed and swaying but not bleeding. His eyes were a bit unfocused, and it took him a second to register that Jake was there. “Easy, easy. Are you okay? Where is your brother?”
“That way.”
Jake nodded and pulled him up, pushing him away from the fire.
“Get outta here. Go on. Neteyam!” Jake climbed over the wreckage, trying to find where Neteyam had ended up. “Oh no.”
There was a smear of blood on the metal, and Jake feared the worst. He hurried down, spotting a very still body laying on the ground.
“Oh, no, no, no.” When he got closer he could see it wasn’t Neteyam, but it was still a body he was responsible for. “Oh, God.”
There was another body, and even from a distance Jake recognized his son’s braids. He lept over a piece of rubble, carefully turning Neteyam onto his back. He was dazed but conscious, groaning in pain.
“Dad?”
Jake lifted him to check the damage, seeing mostly superficial wounds. He would be bruised to hell, but he’d survive.
“What are you doing here, boy? What the hell were you thinking?”
Jake knew his voice was harsh, but he didn’t have time to try and choose his words carefully. They still had to get out of there. He stood and pulled Neteyam into a fireman’s carry over his shoulder, and he hated that his sons were old enough to be soldiers but still small enough to be easily carried.
“I'm sorry. Sorry, sir.”
Jake ran toward the edge of the site, calling for Bob. The ikran landed immediately, his wings twitching as Jake settled Neteyam onto his back and climbed on after. Jake held Neteyam close with one arm, his hand on his son’s chest to feel his heartbeat. Neteyam groaned as they took off, but seemed to relax as they got into formation with the others. Tsu’tey was at the head of the group, but Neytiri fell back to check on them. Lo’ak moved to their other side, and Jake wasn’t so blinded by anger to not notice that he and his ikran were a bit wobbly.
Kiri had never wanted to be a warrior. It just wasn’t in her nature, and she knew her duty lay elsewhere. That didn’t make it any easier to wait for the war party to return, especially when her brothers were among them. Spider always tried to find a way to distract her during the wait, which is why he was her favorite brother. Not that she’d ever tell Neteyam or Lo’ak that, she’d never hear the end of it. Tuk was somewhere else playing, but Kiri didn’t need to worry about her. There were plenty of members of the clan who would keep an eye on her.
She was happy when Spider approached her with a pot of blue paint. She had thought it was a little silly the first time Lo’ak gave Spider blue stripes, but she saw how happy it made him. She loved his stripes, and it was fun to tease him while he was trapped until she finished.
“I'm definitely faster when I'm blue.”
“You skxawng.”
“Seriously, and the animals respect me more. They don't think of me as human.”
“Wait, you're human?”
“Ha ha.”
Spider flicked some paint at her, sending Kiri springing back. She hissed at him, setting the paint aside before tackling him. She had let him out of the grapple and made sure the paint wasn’t smudged when Tuk came running over.
“They're coming! Kiri! Spider! The war party is coming back. Come on!”
Kiri and Spider stood and followed her, weaving through the tents and containers to get to the ikran landing area. The war party landed, Neytiri sliding off of her ikran in time for Tuk to reach her.
“Mom!”
“Tuk, Tuk, Tuk.”
Neytiri held Tuk against her, petting over her youngest’s braids. She could see Kiri and Spider approaching, but their focus was on the boys. Tsu’tey paused to put his hand on Tuk’s head before walking over to where Jake was addressing Neteyam and Lo’ak. He understood Jake’s frustration, but this conversation was not going to go well.
“Fall in.”
Neteyam walked forward, his head hanging. Lo’ak hung back a bit, his shoulders curled in and his ears pressed back. They both knew what was about to happen.
“You're supposed to be spotters. You spot bogeys and call them in. From a distance! Does that sound familiar? Get here.”
Kiri had come over at this point and began to check the boys for injuries, while Spider started to check the ikran. Neteyam tried to take comfort in her hands on his arms, but he hadn’t heard Dad this angry in a long time.
“Jesus, I let you two geniuses fly a mission And you disobey direct orders. Kiri, can you go help your grandmother with the wounded? Please?”
“My brother is wounded.”
Neteyam tried to protest, but Kiri kept giving Jake a look. Jake loved his daughter, but he didn’t need this right now. He knew Neteyam was wounded, but he needed to hear this before Jake sent him to Mo’at.
“Babygirl, please. Tuk, go with her.”
Tuk had been inspecting Lo’ak, and Jake honestly just wanted everyone except the boys to clear out. The more of an audience they had, the harder this would be. Kiri rolled her eyes and walked away, grabbing Tuk’s hand.
“Father, I take full responsibility.”
“Yeah, you do. That’s right, ‘cause you’re the older brother, you gotta act like it.”
Lo’ak curled in on himself more, and Neteyam was barely meeting his eyes. Jake knew he would have to apologize to them later, but they couldn’t make a mistake like that again.
“Ma Jake, your son is actually bleeding.”
Jake knew that look, and he knew that if he turned to his right Tsu’tey would be giving him the same look.
“Mother, it's fine, I -”
“Go and get patched up. Go on, dismissed.”
Neteyam walked past, Neytiri keeping a hand on him. She gave him another look, but Jake was used to it. He’d gotten that look from her a lot in the last year. He also saw that she gave Lo’ak a similar look before they were out of sight. He turned his attention to his youngest son. Lo’ak’s ears were still pressed back, and he looked so damn young.
“You do understand that you almost got your brother killed?"
“Yes, sir."
Jake contemplated punishment for a moment, knowing that Lo’ak had heard enough. Everything was hard enough right now, but he needed to do something.
“You're grounded. No flying for a month. Now see to the Ikrans. All of them.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And get that crap off your face.”
Jake walked over to where Tsu’tey was waiting. His partner was less judgmental than Neytiri, but Jake knew it was because he understood. He had been a teacher and war leader for years, and younger warriors who made mistakes needed to be reprimanded.
“I need to check on the rest of the war party. I will talk to the boys later.”
Jake nodded, taking a deep breath before turning and looking back at where Spider and Lo’ak were tending to the ikran. The boys were talking quietly, and Lo’ak didn’t seem too terribly upset. Tsu’tey would be better at getting through to him. Tsu’tey put a hand on his arm, pulling Jake’s attention back to him.
“They are young. They will learn.”
Jake held his tongue, and after a moment Tsu’tey let him go and moved toward a group of warriors who were taking inventory. Jake checked on Norm before turning back to the ikran. He could see that Lo’ak was moving slowly, and he seemed a bit unsteady. Jake sighed and walked over to them, setting a hand on Lo’ak shoulder when he got close enough.
“Lo’ak, were you hurt earlier?”
“I don’t think so?” Jake held his gaze, and after a moment Lo’ak shrugged. “I might have hit my head. I’m okay.”
Jake reached up and began to check his head. He hadn’t seen any blood, but Na’vi were weird about head wounds. They were mostly unable to get concussions, which was great when the kids were younger and determined to smack their heads off of every solid surface they could find. That didn’t mean head wounds didn’t cause problems, and when Lo’ak winced at a sensitive bump on the side of his head Jake sighed.
“You need to go see your grandmother. Someone else can handle the ikran. Spider, can you take your brother?”
Spider nodded, moving over to grab Lo’ak’s arm. Jake watched them go, angry at himself. He shouldn’t have let the boys fly this mission, but it was an impossible argument to win. He made the rounds to check on the war party, and when he confirmed that everyone was okay he made his way to the Tsahìk’s tent. He knew the kids wouldn’t want him in there, so he sat on a crate outside and waited. Neytiri had left them with her mother to complete her own tasks, returning as Jake was cleaning his rifle. She stood at the entrance to the tent, watching the kids.
“Aw! Want a kiss on the boo boo?”
Spider teased Neteyam, making Lo’ak laugh. Kiri was assisting with Neteyam’s care, with Tuk as her helper.
“Give him this.” She handed a pain relief tea to Tuk, letting her give it to Neteyam. “I would use yalnabark.”
“Oh you would? And who is Tsahìk?”
Mo’at had become quite used to her grandchildren’s nonsense, but it was rare to have all five of them in the tent together. They always seemed to amplify each other’s energy, and Kiri could be difficult when one of her siblings was injured or sick.
“You are, Grand- move.” Kiri shoved Lo’ak aside, moving to crouch next to Mo’at. “You are, Grandmother but yalnabark is better.”
“Ow, ow!”
“It stings less.”
Kiri gave Mo’at a smug look, which the older woman ignored. Yes, yalnabark stung less, but when young warriors were stupid or reckless and got injured they deserved the sting. She had done the same when her daughters or Tsu’tey were injured as children.
Neytiri turned from the tent to look at Jake from the corner of her eye. He was completing the ritual she had seen after every mission, cleaning and checking his weapon. She would oil her bow later, after the children were back in their tent.
“What?”
Neytiri looked back at her sons, trying to swallow the last bits of fear that crowded her chest when one of the children was injured. She could see Tsu’tey approaching.
“Neteyam and Lo'ak try to live up to you. It's hard for them.”
“I know.”
Jake did not look at her, continuing his task. She moved to kneel down next to him, where he would have to look at her. There were times where he was Jake, and times where the man she knew disappeared under a mask. He had become harsher, colder, and she knew it was just fear and exhaustion but he should not take it out on their sons.
“You are hard on them.”
“I'm their father. That's my job.”
“This is not a squad. It is a family.”
Neytiri tried not to glare at him, her tail whipping behind her. He sighed, looking over her shoulder for a moment before meeting her eyes. His eyes were wet, and he looked so tired. It was the most honest she’d seen him all day.
“I thought we had lost them”
Neytiri softened, leaning closer to touch his wrist. Tsu’tey took the opportunity to crouch on his other side, placing a hand on his other arm.
“Yawne, they are warriors. They have trained for years for this. You cannot prevent them from fighting.”
“They’re too young for this.”
He twisted the arm Tsu’tey was holding to take his hand, rubbing his thumb over Tsu’tey’s knuckles.
“Lo’ak is fourteen. And he is your son, the son of warriors.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a damn good reason no one let me anywhere near a warzone when I was fourteen.”
Neytiri huffed, tapping her fingers against his arm.
“You fought when you were eighteen. That is not much of a difference.”
“You’re right. I was eighteen. And when I was nineteen, I got shot. Half of my squad died that day, I could have died! I can’t-”
Jake cut himself off, turning to look at the kids. Right now they were happy and mostly unharmed, but they came so close to losing two children.
“I can’t lose them.”
Neytiri tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He knew they both understood, especially because Sylwanin had been eighteen when she was shot and killed in front of them. But they had been raised with a different marker for adulthood, and the boys had a right to join missions.
“They are strong, and they will never fight alone. We will protect them.”
Jake nodded, leaning down to press his forehead against Tsu’tey’s. Neytiri pulled his hand closer to press a kiss to his knuckles, trying to center herself. After a minute Jake pulled back and took a deep breath, moving to put away his rifle. They all continued to wait until Mo’at emerged, all five kids following.
“They will be fine, but they both need rest.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Neytiri stood and kissed her mother’s cheek. Mo’at ran a hand over Lo’ak’s hair before returning to her tent.
“Sa’nu, Lo’ak and I want to go with Spider to talk to Uncle Norm.”
“That is fine, but do not stay out too long. Your brother has had a long day.”
“Of course, Sa’nu.”
Kiri smiled and grabbed Spider’s arm, dragging him and Lo’ak with her toward the human section of the caves. Neytiri smiled and placed a hand on Neteyam’s back, leading him toward the tent. Jake and Tsu’tey stood and followed, the latter lifting Tuk. Neytiri knew that her daughter was not going to talk to Norm, but she was going to the link unit. They had brought Grace’s avatar with them in the evacuation, as no one wanted to leave her behind. Kiri tried to visit every few days, and she often used Spider or Norm as an excuse.
Kiri always took a shortcut through the Avatar tent, ignoring that they technically weren’t allowed in there. She and Lo’ak were the kids of avatars, the rules didn’t really apply to them.
"Hey, Spider.”
Norm smacked at Spider with his towel, grinning around his toothbrush. He and Spider had been in a bit of a feud since they moved to the mountains, but Norm often made his moves in his avatar.
“Your ass is mine.”
“I'm right here. “
Spider rolled his eyes, but he had to smile. Norm was one of the few people who hadn’t changed much with the return of the RDA.
“Avatars only. Go around.”
Kiri made a mocking noise, leaving Lo’ak to apologize. He nodded toward the other avatars before following Kiri and Spider out of the tent and toward one of the mobile units that Norm and Trudy used. Trudy herself wouldn’t be there yet, as she had been in another section of the caves working on surveillance.
“The blue stripes don't make you any bigger, bro.”
“Yeah, well, I can still kick your ass.”
“I’d like to see you try. You can barely reach my ass, and you’re not getting any taller.”
“Yeah, haha. Real hysterical guys.” Spider took off his mask once they were through the airlock, the artificial smell of the filtered air a familiar annoyance. “You know what really sucks though? You can breathe Earth air for hours. I can only breathe your air for like ten seconds.”
Lo’ak grabbed his mask, moving past Spider to look at the equipment. Norm was working on some sort of project, but he had no idea what any of it meant.
“Yes, monkey boy. That really sucks - for you.”
Kiri grinned, moving forward to try and grab Spider. He slipped out of her grasp, smiling, and she turned to grab her mask. Just as she reached for the strap he tugged on her tail, hissing when she gave chase.
“Hey, Max!”
Kiri smiled and waved. Max moved over to greet them, far too used to the Sully kids invading the mobile units.
“Hey, kids.”
“Hey, what's up Max?”
“Lo'ak.”
Kiri left the boys to talk about the mission, walking back to the other room and perching on the amnio tank. She had been doing that since she was a child, the sight of her mother’s avatar body sleeping in the glowing liquid oddly comforting. Kiri knew she wasn’t really there anymore, but none of them were ready to let her go.
“Hi, Ma.”
Kiri leaned down to press her cheek against the warm glass, listening for the faint echo of a heartbeat. She could see Spider moving around, and after a minute her mother’s voice was playing on the screen. He knew that she liked to listen to the logs while they were there, and that this one from near the end of her life was one of Kiri’s favorites. She moved down from the tank to watch, ignoring her brothers.
“Maybe I'm just losing it out here but I see real evidence - of a systemic response on a global level. I can not... I will not use the word "intelligence". "Awareness" is probably a better word. It's as if the entire biosphere on Pandora - is aware and capable of this cognitive response. Oh crap, I can't say that. They'll crucify me.”
“So, who do you think knocked her up?”
It was an old discussion, and she hated it. As much as she wanted to know who her father was, Dad had said that he didn’t know. She knew he wouldn’t lie, and if he didn’t know then the only person who did was Grace herself, and Kiri had never been able to reach her.
“Pretty sure it was Uncle Norm.”
“Dude, no way Aunt Trudy would have let that happen.”
“You never know.”
“You don't deserve to live.”
“No, no, think about it, right? I mean, he’s the teacher's pet. He's out at the lab with her all the time...”
“I would kill myself. I would drink acid.”
She knew that he was joking, but she really hated when Lo’ak got on this topic.
“Bro, you're right! He's like in every shot. Look, he's giving her looks!”
“Hey!”
“See, I'm thinking their two avatars together out in the woods... All alone.”
“Gross!
Kiri shoved Lo’ak, glaring when he started to laugh. Spider could see how much she hated the conversation, and there was only one good way to get them off the topic.
“Guys. I mean, sometimes it's not so great to know who your father was.” They both paused, giving him the sort of sad, thoughtful look that always happened when he mentioned his biological father. “Whatever. I don't even remember him.”
“No, Spider…”
“Spider... You are not him.”
Kiri wrapped her arms around Spider, bumping her nose against his hair.
“She’s right. You’re a Sully, right? You’re our brother, no matter what.”
“Thanks, guys. I know. Just… everything’s gone crazy since the RDA returned, and I keep thinking about it.”
“Hey, we get it. We’re here for you, bro.”
Chapter 56
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A few days after Lo’ak screwed up during the mag train raid, he had finally found an opportunity to leave the caves. He wasn’t as upset about what happened, or even about his punishment, but he was bored. Their parents had been overprotective since they got injured, and it meant they were stuck doing the boring chores where they could be observed. But finally Mom and Dad were taking Neteyam out on patrol and Sempul was busy, which meant that the rest of them could go out into the forest. Kiri had wanted to look for a specific plant, and Tuk insisted on coming to find some new rocks. He knew what happened the last time they snuck off to the forest was bad, but it wouldn’t happen again. They weren’t going far, and they’d be home before eclipse.
“Tuk, keep up!”
“Okay, okay.”
“Bro, why did you bring her anyway?”
“She's such a crybaby. She’s all ‘I'm telling. You're not supposed to go to the battlefield. I'll tell mom if you don't let me come.’”
Tuk stuck her tongue out at Lo’ak, prompting him to roll his eyes.
“Don't pick on her.”
“Yeah, whatever. Come on, I wanted to look at something.”
They continued to trek through the forest until they found an interesting gunship Lo’ak had seen on patrol. He knew better than to try and climb up to it like last time, but it was still cool. He and Spider examined it for a bit, trying to make sure Tuk didn’t get near anything dangerous. After a bit, Spider realized that Kiri had abandoned them to do her own thing.
“Kiri’s gone somewhere, I’m gonna go find her.”
Lo’ak nodded, keeping an eye on Tuk, and Spider took off. Kiri never went far, but she tended to disappear into her own world and not hear her name being called. The best way to find her was to try and spot atokirina. He found her in a clearing, dozing off on the grass.
“Kiri? Kiri, hey. Kiri.” She blinked awake, a little confused. “Are you okay?”
“I was doing that thing again, wasn't I?”
“Yeah, you were.”
He gently pushed an atokirina out of the way. He knew they were good spirits, and it meant something that they liked him, but they liked to hover right in his line of sigh. She sighed, frowning. They could faintly hear Tuk calling for them.
“Kiri!"
“Kiri, we have to get back.”
Tuk was young enough to still insist on the rules, but she was probably right. They made their way back through the forest, relying on Lo’ak’s sense of direction to lead them back. He was pretty good, or at least better than Kiri, but he was also easily distracted. Kiri knew something was up when he paused, staring at something on the ground.
“What is it?"
“We're always supposed to be home by eclipse.”
Lo’ak and Spider crouched next to the tracks. Neytiri had taught them both how to read tracks years ago, but these were different. These were definitely boot tracks.
“It’s way too big for a human.”
“Avatars?”
“Maybe, they're for sure not ours.”
Lo’ak crept forward, following the tracks in the mud. He knew it was dangerous, but they needed more information.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh, I'm tracking.”
They moved quietly through the undergrowth, coming up to a site with several Na’vi in full military gear. They peered through the leaves at the new Avatars inspecting the site. Lo’ak had never been to this site before, but he knew what it was. They had all watched the video logs.
“We are never supposed to come here. Dad is going to ground you.”
“Shhhhh. Stop.”
“For life.
“Bro, we have got to check this out, let's go.”
Lo’ak and Spider moved forward, but Kiri kept Tuk a bit farther back. The boys hid behind a log, staring at the remains of the mobile site.
“Bro, that's where Dad and my father… fought.”
“That's your father’s actual suit.”
“Holy shit…”
Kiri rolled her eyes at their excitement. She didn’t like any of this, they should leave now. If these new Avatars were able to navigate the forest with no problems then the clan had to be warned, and Dad was not going to be happy about this.
“Better call this in.”
Lo’ak pulled back, aware that things had just gotten a lot worse. Dad needed to hear about this.
“No bro, we're gonna get in trouble.”
“Let's go.”
Spider reluctantly followed Lo’ak back to where Kiri and Tuk were hiding, watching as he put a hand on his comm unit. They probably should have all been wearing one, but Lo’ak was the only one who ever remembered on days like this. They were lucky Kiri had grabbed hers earlier.
“Devil Dog, This is Eagle Eye, over.”
In the sky in another part of the mountains, Jake was confused to get a message from Lo’ak. The kids were supposed to be in the caves while they were on patrol, but he wouldn’t be surprised if they snuck out. Neytiri adjusted her comms, hoping that Tsu’tey was wearing his back in the caves.
“Eagle Eye, send your traffic.”
“I've got eyes on some guys. They look like avatars, but they're in full camo and carrying AR's. There are six of them, over.”
Jake turned to Neytiri, and he could see that she had reached the same conclusion he did. The RDA had restarted the Avatar program, or something similar, and there were soldiers in the forest.
“What's your pos, over?”
“Uh, we’re at the old shack.”
“Who's we?”
“Me, Spider, Kiri... and Tuk.”
Oh, Great Mother, why were all of his kids like this? Jake held back a sigh before responding.
“Son, you listen to me very carefully. Pull back right now. Do not make a sound. Get the hell out of there. Move, copy?”
“Yes sir, moving out.”
“Dad, I know a quick way!”
Jake nodded and followed as Neteyam banked hard to the right. If there were trained Avatars in the forest, they needed to collect the kids and get back to base. This war just got a lot more complicated. He raised a hand to his comm, switching to another channel.
“Tsu’tey, do you read.”
“I read, ma Jake.”
“There are new Avatar in the forest. The kids spotted them. We’re on our way to get them and report back. Over.”
“Do you need backup?”
“No. But we’ll need to call a meeting when we return.”
“Copy. Be safe, and bring them home.”
“We will.”
“Go, go.”
“See I told you.”
“Shh!”
“You're going to be in so much trouble.”
“Kiri, stop.”
Lo’ak tried to shush his sister as they moved through the woods, not wanting to make any more noise. They had Spider and Tuk’s smaller bodies to worry about, and six fully grown Avatars prowling around.
“Guys, come on.”
“It's almost eclipse, come on.”
Tuk ran forward, screaming when a soldier burst out of the foliage and grabbed her. Lo’ak and Spider immediately drew their bows, growling at the other soldiers as they were surrounded.
“Put it down or I'll shoot you!”
“Drop it! Right now!”
Lo’ak dropped his bow first, turning to Spider. They were outnumbered, but they had backup on the way.
“Put it down, put it down.”
“Spider!”
“Get over here. Down on your knees! Stop fighting.”
One of the men grabbed Kiri by the hair, forcing her to kneel. The other soldiers grabbed Lo’ak and Spider, removing their knives.
“Don’t move!”
“Kiri!”
“Be calm, Tuk. It will be alright.”
Kiri tried to comfort Tuk, but she was interrupted.
“Shut up! Don't move.”
“What have we here?”
The man’s voice was accented in a low drawl, and Spider had a horrible sinking feeling that he recognized the voice from a video log, he just couldn’t remember which one. He didn’t recognize the man, but something about him… The man looked at him for a moment before moving on. The man holding Kiri had switched his grip, holding her hand out for the others to see.
“Look, Colonel. Check it out - four fingers, we've a half-breed.”
“Shit.”
Spider knew that there were only so many people who could have created half-avatar children, and that the RDA would be looking for Jake. They had just given them the perfect hostages. The Colonel examined Kiri’s face before turning to Lo’ak.
“Show me your fingers.”
Lo’ak, in a move Spider definitely should’ve seen coming, raised both of his middle fingers. Jake had taught them that years ago, but he definitely didn’t intend for it to be used against armed men. The Colonel smirked.
“You're his, aren't you?” Lo’ak hissed, and the man only looked more smug. “You're his alright.”
The other soldier released their grip, letting the Colonel grab Lo’ak’s queue. He gripped it tight, causing a blooming of pain across the back of Lo’ak’s head. He knew it was stupid, but he wasn’t going to back down.
“Where is he?”
“Sorry, I don't speak English… to assholes.”
“Where is your father?”
The man’s Na’vi was garbage, but it got the point across as he tightened his grip. Lo’ak cried out in pain, refusing to answer the question. He hissed again, slightly more strained.
“Really? You wanna play it this way?”
The Colonel pulled out his knife, but instead of pressing it against Lo’ak he threw the boy on the ground and moved toward Kiri.
“Kiri! No! Stop!”
“Hey! Hey! Don't touch her”
Spider struggled forward, shouting in English to try and get the Colonel to stop. He could hear Lo’ak also calling out. The Colonel seemed to finally really look at him, confused.
“What's your name, kid?”
“Spider.” He didn’t often use his last name, but he figured this man knew something about his birth parents. “Socorro.”
The man’s ears pressed back, and he gestured for the soldier to release Spider as he knelt to get a better look. Spider didn’t like the way the man was looking at him, and then he realized why the voice was familiar. He was a lot younger and bluer, but he knew who this avatar had been based on, even if it was impossible.
“Miles?”
“Nobody calls me that.”
“I'll be damned. I figured they sent you back to Earth.”
“You can't put babies in cryo, dipshit.”
The man considered him for another moment before gesturing at the soldier again and standing.
“What do we do, boss?”
The Colonel raised a hand to his comms and notified his air support. Spider turned to look at Lo’ak, who looked frustrated and scared. Dad was on his way, it would be fine. It would all be okay.
“Let us go!”
“Shut up!”
The soldiers began to drag them toward the shack. They were coming up fast on eclipse, which would hopefully help Mom, Dad, and Neteyam get to them without being spotted. They were shoved on the ground by the broken mech suit as the Colonel tried to get the data files recovered. Spider was able to see the video on the screen.
“It's Sully's woman. She's a wild animal.”
Lo’ak bristled, but he kept quiet. This wasn’t the time to defend Mom, not when she would be here to kill these men soon.
“Give it up, Quaritch.”
That was Dad’s voice, and Spider could see he was painted for war.
“Sully.”
Spider had watched Dad’s video log recounting the battle, but it was another thing to see the actual video of his biological father being killed. He had imagined it before, but with some twisted version of the man standing there watching the video, everything felt wrong.
They landed the ikran just as eclipse began to fall over the forest, praying that they made it in time to get the kids. They dismounted quickly, Neteyam beginning to follow him and Neyriri.
“No, you stay with the ikran.”
“But Dad, I'm a warrior like you. I'm supposed to fight.”
“Neteyam.”
Neyetam didn’t look at Neytiri, still trying to convince Jake. He had been on missions, he was capable, and these were his siblings in danger.
“I’m not gonna say it again.”
Jake gave him a hard look, and Neteyam backed down. Jake already had four kids in the line of fire, he wasn’t going to risk another.
“Yes, sir.”
Jake and Neytiri headed off. Neteyam waited until they were out of sight before his resolve broke and he turned to follow them. He wasn’t going to let them do this alone.
The soldiers grabbed them and started moving them toward the extraction point as darkness fell. They were all still a little shaken by the sight of the Colonel crushing a human skull in his hand, but only Spider realized what it meant. He and Kiri were both being held by the same soldier, and even though he didn’t have a queue her grip on his hair made his head ache. The forest was loud, even at night, but they were all listening carefully for a signal.
Mom had taught them all the calls when they were very little and had a tendency to wander off. They each knew the sound by heart, so when a particular bird call sounded through the trees they knew Mom was close. That sound was the signal to be ready. Spider turned to look at Lo’ak, who nodded. It was almost time to run.
Jake slipped through the forest silently, adjusting his grip on his tomahawk as he approached one of the soldiers. Lo’ak was right, they were in full gear, and they moved like human soldiers. He took the man down, dropping the body with barely a sound. In the trees above, Neytiri drew her arrow and looked for an opening. The soldier in her line of fire was holding both Kiri and Spider, using them as shields. Neytiri took a deep breath, waiting for her opening. The man jerked Kiri’s hair, looming over her, and Neytiri took the shot.
The man fell to the ground, dead, and the others sprang into action. They began to fire at her. The kids had been trained for this, so Lo’ak knew what it meant when Mom shouted his name. It meant cause chaos and get out of there. He pulled the pin on the smoke bomb at the nearest soldier's waist, causing him to rear back. He turned to the other one, grabbing his arm and sinking his fangs into it. Tuk did the same, and both soldiers shoved them away. Lo’ak started moving, grabbing Tuk’s arm and pulling her toward where Mom had fired from.
“Tuk, come on! Go, go!”
“Run!”
Spider grabbed Kiri’s arm and started running, but one of the men grabbed her tswin and pulled her back. Neytiri fired again, killing the man and giving Kiri another chance to run. Jake took down another soldier, the forest going quiet for a moment as the others took cover.
“Is that you, Mrs. Sully? I recognize your calling card.”
For a moment, Jake wondered if he was hallucinating. That voice was impossible. He was dead, and yet… It was him. He hissed to himself, continuing to advance as Quartich called out to Neytiri. In the trees, Neytiri’s eyes went wide as she too recognized the voice. She had only heard it once, but it came from the man who destroyed her home and tried to kill her mate. She would know it anywhere.
“Come on out, Mrs. Sully. The two of us have some unfinished business.”
“Demon! I will kill you as many times as I have to.”
"You and the Corporal have been pretty busy, haven't you? Got yourself a whole litter of half-breeds.”
One of the soldiers had snuck around, managing to get a line of sight at Neytiri, but before he could pull the trigger he was taken down by an arrow in the back.
Neteyam had never actually killed anyone before, and he hesitated for a moment before drawing another arrow even as the other soldiers spotted him. He prepared to take another shot, but Dad tackled him as bullets rained above them.
“Go! Go! Go!” Jake shoved Neteyam forward until they were both behind cover, taking a moment to check that he hadn’t been hit. “Are you okay, boy? Okay, with me. Ready?! Ready?!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Move!”
They went running through the forest, leaping over branches as they tried to avoid the hailstorm of bullets. Neytiri also started running, an explosive behind her knocking her down. She scrambled up, continuing to run. The kids had scattered, trying to get away from the soldiers.
Spider and Kiri had nearly made it out of sight when an explosion knocked Spider off his feet. On any other day he would have been able to catch himself and keep running, but his hands were cuffed. He went crashing down, tumbling down a hillside as Kiri yelled for him.
“Spider!”
Kiri stared in horror as Spider fell, yelling for him. Mom lept over her, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her away.
“Kiri! Come!”
“Spider! He’s down there!”
They both paused, looking to the ground, but to Neytiri’s dismay the soldiers reached Spider.
“We cannot. We have to go.”
“Mom, please!”
“We must go! Come!”
Neytiri pulled Kiri after her, ignoring the stabbing pain in her heart. It would be suicide to go down there and get him now. They might be able to get him after they regroup.
Spider lay dazed on the ground, his entire body feeling like one massive bruise. He wanted to be home, he wanted to be safe with his siblings, but the face leaning over him was not friendly. He wasn’t able to struggle as Quaritch threw him over his shoulder, but inside he was screaming.
Lo’ak tried to keep Tuk with him as they ran, making sure she could keep up. He felt his heart stop when two people jumped out beside them, but it was just Dad and Neteyam.
“It’s okay. Are you hurt? Are you hurt?”
Jake looked over both of the kids, scared and panting but not physically hurt.
“No, I'm fine.”
“Tuk, are you hurt?” She started crying, and he pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”
Jake moved them forward to watch as the soldiers were pulled into their ship. Neytiri and Kiri emerged from behind another tree, running toward them.
“Okay, we're clear. Is everyone okay?”
“Mom!”
“Tuk!”
Neytiri pulled her youngest into a tight hug, repeating her name in a hushed whisper. Jake grabbed his boys, Lo’ak under one arm and Neteyam’s head tucked into his neck. Neteyam reached up to grab Jake’s hand on his hair, and his hand was shaking. Jake leaned down to press his cheek against Neteyam, his other hand petting Lo’ak’s hair. Kiri curled against her mother, listening to her call out a prayer.
“Thank you, Great Mother, thank you.”
Jake pulled back to check on the kids again, his hand on Lo’ak’s chest. The boy looked up, his forehead creasing.
“Where’s Spider?”
Jake looked around, realizing his count was off. They were missing a kid. Kiri turned to Jake, tears running down her face.
“They took him. They took him.”
Jake closed his eyes, trying to stay calm. He knelt and pulled Kiri into a hug, whispering platitudes.
“It’s okay, babygirl. It’s alright. He's a tough kid. He'll be okay. Alright? Shh. He’s gonna be okay. We're all gonna be okay.”
The words felt like ashes in his mouth, but there was nothing they could do now. They had to get the kids back to base. He managed to get Kiri moving back toward where they had left the ikran, but she was still sobbing. Neteyam took over, wrapping his arm around his sister and whispering to her. Jake grabbed Lo’ak, needing to know that the kids were there and safe, and Neytiri hadn’t let Tuk out of her arms.
She kept Tuk with her as they flew back to the caves. Kiri had refused to let go of Neteyam, so he took his sister on Vunve’o. Lo’ak wrapped himself around Jake’s back as they flew, pressing his face into the back of Jake’s neck. Jake loved flying with the kids, but the last two times he had done this had aged him ten years. He couldn’t take much more of his kids being in danger, and the look on Tsu’tey’s face when they returned with four traumatized kids and one missing told him that they were on the same page.
Tsu’tey had kept the rest of the clan away, unsure of what state they would be in when they returned. He didn’t expect them to be bruised, soaking wet, and sobbing. Kiri launched herself into his arms as soon as they landed, and he managed to make out that Spider had been taken. The rest of the family crowded around them, shaking as the adrenaline ran out.
When the kids started to fade Jake pulled away, grabbing their attention.
“Okay. You need to get clean, and warm, and then you need sleep. Neytiri?”
She nodded, gathering the kids and beginning to lead them back toward their tent. Jake turned to Tsu’tey, sighing.
“Should we call a council meeting?”
“No, I need to talk to Max first. We can figure the rest out in the morning.” Jake leaned forward, resting his forehead on Tsu’tey’s shoulder. “It’s bad, Tey. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
Tsu’tey wrapped his arms around Jake, humming softly.
“Tonight, we will comfort our children. Tomorrow is a new day.”
Jake took in the familiar feeling of his partner for a moment before forcing himself to step back. Tsu’tey put a hand on his cheek and gave him a soft look, then followed after their children. Jake headed in the other direction, his mind racing.
He let himself into the unit Norm and Trudy used, knowing Max tended to stay with them most evenings. Trudy was smiling when he entered, but something on his face must have shown how serious the situation was.
“Jake, what happened?”
“We have a problem.”
Trudy gestured for him to go with her back to the living area, where Max and Norm were playing cards. They sat the game aside as soon as Jake crawled in, sitting heavily on the ground in front of them.
“The kids were out in the forest. I got a comm from Lo’ak - new Avatars, in full gear. The kids got captured. We got them out, but Spider was taken.”
“Oh, God.” Trudy sat next to Norm, grabbing his hand.
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
Jake nodded, looking directly at Max.
“One of these new Avatars was Quaritch. It’s impossible, but I know it.”
He had expected shock, but that expression quickly faded into a resigned sort of horror.
“They actually did it.”
“Did what, Max?”
Max stood and moved to grab a tablet, clicking through files as he talked.
“It was purely theoretical before the RDA left. It’s called the Recombinant program. Basically, they wanted to see if they could save every part of a person, their entire brain pattern and memories and knowledge, and clone them into a Na’vi body. Then you wouldn’t need the link units, and in practice the recombinants would all be soldiers. I didn’t think they would actually try, it’s so completely unethical.”
“So they cloned Quaritch, and probably other members of the former SecOps, in order to have soldiers in Na’vi bodies that could complete covert missions?”
“Basically, yeah.”
“Shit.”
They were all quiet for a moment, staring at the floor. Trudy opened her mouth, but she couldn’t find the words.
“If they have Spider, they’re going to take him to the new base, right?”
Jake nodded, and he looked horrible. He had told Kiri that he would be okay, but Spider wasn’t the first to be taken by the RDA. The others hadn’t returned.
“The base is impenetrable. If we try to go get him, we will take heavy losses. There’s no way to get him back.”
“Hey, Jake, this isn’t the end. They’ve taken in the defectors at Hell’s Gate, so I don’t think they’ll kill him. He might be able to escape.”
Jake looked up, and his eyes were empty. Norm had never seen him look like this, and his heart broke for his friend. Spider was family to all of them, they loved the kid, but Jake had been the first to claim him.
“Quaritch is going to come for me. His squad can sneak through the forest unnoticed, and now they have both a hostage and a source of information. We will never be safe again, not until he is dead. The entire clan is in danger”
“What are you going to do?”
Norm had grown more worried as Jake spoke, his voice low and scarily calm.
“You can’t run, Jake.”
“What else is there to do? I can’t justify more deaths because of me. If I leave, you might have a fighting chance.”
Trudy seemed to realize that Jake was right, holding up her hand when Norm tried to protest. She leaned forward to look Jake in the eye, and for a moment they understood each other.
“Whatever you need to do, we’re on your side. Wherever you go, we can keep in touch. And if we find an opening to get Spider back, you’ll be the first to know.”
Jake nodded, and everyone in the room knew that things had changed again. There was no going back after this.
“I need to talk to Neytiri and Tsu’tey, and then the council.”
He began to leave, and none of them stopped him. Max cursed under his breath, pulling up the old classified files from the RDA server. He would run them past the other scientists and try to make a plan for these recombinants.
Jake knew that stepping back out into the cave should make breathing easier, but his chest felt heavy. What he was about to suggest was terrible, but it might be their only chance. He was about to break his family’s hearts, after he had already failed one kid. Spider… He had to stay hopeful that the kid would be okay, that the Great Mother would protect her only human child. One day, he would see his son again, but for now he was at the mercy of a man who had killed hundreds without losing sleep. But if he was Quaritch, then he knew who Spider was. Maybe, just maybe, he would want to keep the kid alive.
Jake didn’t talk when he made it back to their tent. The kids had already curled up on the swaynivi, but they hadn’t gone to sleep. They shifted to make room for Jake, draping over him when he laid down in the middle. Tsu’tey and Neytiri bracketed them on either side, curled around the kids like they could shield them from the world.
The next morning, the kids were understandably clingy. After what they had been through, Jake was sure they would need time to feel comfortable separating again. They spent the day watching over the kids, one parent at a time ducking out to check on the rest of the clan. Kiri spent most of the day curled up in a hammock hugging the shawl Spider had made for her, and Lo’ak barely spoke. Jake knew he needed to talk to Tsu’tey and Neytiri, knew they needed to make arrangements with the clan, but he couldn’t do that with the kids present. During one of his turns to leave the tent, Jake went to find Mo’at.
The Tsahìk was in her tent working on preparing a new batch of bruise salve. He thought of the faint bruises on the kid’s wrists, and resolved to take a pot back with him.
“Mo’at. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
The woman looked up, and her gaze made Jake feel older, more tired. She always had a way of seeing through him.
“You know what happened yesterday, that Spider was taken.”
“I know that the forest calls to him, but he cannot hear. Where has he been taken?”
“Back to the new base. We cannot go get him, not yet. The people who took him, they are like Dreamwalkers. But they are worse, a twisted version of people long dead, and they are being used to try and end this war. They want me dead, so that the people will stop fighting. And now they have Spider.”
Jake looked down, not sure how to continue, and Mo’at reached over to grab his hand. Something about the gesture had always reminded him of his mother, or maybe it was the callouses on her warm, dry hands.
“I see no other path than to leave the clan. We would have to leave the clan, Neytiri and Tsu’tey and the kids.”
“Where would you go?”
Mo’at’s voice was barely a whisper, and when he looked up she seemed to have folded into herself.
“We would seek uturu with another clan. I had been thinking one of the reef clans, it’s far away and scattered among the islands. We could hide there.”
Mo’at nodded, and Jake somehow felt worse that she wasn’t crying. She had cried enough for a lifetime, and now she was just tired. Her connection to Eywa was quiet. There was no protest at his suggestion, no plea for Eywa’s warrior to stay in the forest. This was part of the balance then, something that must happen.
“Have you told my daughter about this?”
“No. Not yet. The kids need a bit more time.”
“Why have you come to me, Jakesully?”
“Because you deserve to hear this from me, to understand why. And because they’re going to need your help preparing for this.” Jake looked in her eyes, trying to make her see how he felt. “I am sorry, Mo’at. If there was any other way…”
“You are doing what you must to keep them safe. I understand. I know you will protect them, wherever you go.”
She pulled her hands back and began to work on the salve again, needing to focus on her work as she processed what would soon happen. Jake waited a moment before standing and turning to leave.
“I will miss you, ma’itan. You have been good to them. Graceaugustine would be proud.”
“Thank you, Sa’nok. I’ll bring them back to you, I promise.”
Mo’at nodded, and Jake left the tent. He kept walking until he reached the far end of one of the caves, where he knew he would be left alone for a few minutes. Just for a few moments, he let himself cry. He would need to be strong for them, and this would be his last chance to mourn.
He managed to get the kids to leave the tent the next day, asking them to go see their grandmother. Neytiri and Tsu’tey knew him well enough to see that something had been on his mind since he met with Max, and they let him pace for a bit before he worked up the courage to talk. He felt like they were already running out of time, but the words were choking him.
“What happened yesterday, it changed everything. It means we’re not safe. That squad, they are going to keep hunting me. Hunting us. The clan is in danger.”
“What do you want us to do?”
Tsu’tey kept his voice steady, neutral, even as Neytiri began to grow worried.
“We leave the forest. Leave the clan, go seek shelter with another.”
“No.”
“Neytiri-”
“No. No! I will not.”
“This thing, this Quaritch, whatever he is, he can walk right in here. He can walk right under Eywa's nose.”
“This is our family. This is our home.”
“This is about our family. It's about our little ones.”
“I can not. You can not ask this. I cannot leave my people. I will not.”
"These demons have taken everything from us. We cannot leave the clan."
Tsu'tey's voice was far too calm, but his tail gave him away. Age and five kids had tempered him, but he was still the same man Jake had met all those years ago. Jake watched as Neytiri began moving things about. Her tail was held tense behind her, and he could hear the fear in her voice.
“He's hunting us. He's targeting our family."
“You can not ask this. The children, everything they've ever known, the forest. This is our home!”
“He had our children. He had them under his knife.”
Jake clenched his fists, trying to get through to them, but he knew they were coming at this from completely different life experiences. He had voluntarily given up connection to his home, his planet, his people, but Neytiri and Tsu'tey had their home ripped away from them. Their second chance had been stolen, they wasn’t going to give up their last bit of normalcy. He watched as Neytiri moved over to the bow stand, lifting her bow and holding it out in between them.
“My father gave me this bow as he lay dying. He said protect the people. You’re Toruk Makto!”
“This will protect the people. Quaritch has Spider. He has my kid, our child. You have no idea what they will do to him to get information, but I do. I know what they’re capable of, and they can use him to find us. If the people harbor us, they will die. Do you understand?”
Neytiri looked down, anguished, and Jake took a pause. He looked over to where Tsu’tey was standing and watching them, holding out a hand to bring him closer.
“Look, I got nothing. I’ve got no plan. But I can protect this family, that I can do. If I thought that I could leave and you all would be safe, I would have been gone already. But they would still hunt you all down. This is the one thing that could keep us safe, and we would be together. I don’t know what will happen, but I know one thing. Wherever we go, This family is our fortress. We are stronger together, and we can survive this.”
“If we leave…” Tsu’tey’s voice trailed off as he looked around at their belongings. “I am Olo’eyktan. If I leave, I can never return.”
“I know. I know, and I am so sorry, but I can’t think of anything else. If we try to fight, so many will die. Our boys would want to fight, and they would die like so many other people’s children.” Jake sighed, realizing that all three of them had begun to cry. “I never wanted this. I wanted peace, I wanted a good life for our kids. This isn’t fair, I know. I know what I’m asking is horrible. But we need to do this.”
Neytiri finally nodded, and Jake pulled her into an embrace. Tsu’tey wrapped around both of them, and over his shoulder Jake caught a glimpse of eyes peeking under the gap in the tent. He didn’t know how much the kids had heard, but he was sure it was enough. He pulled away, moving Neytiri to keep her in Tsu’tey’s arms as he walked a few paces out of the tent. The kids didn’t even try to pretend like they weren’t listening.
“Come on. We need to talk about this as a family.”
Notes:
One more lovely long chapter for the evening. For this and future chapters English is going to be in italics, as it's the non-dominant language.
The next batch of chapters is finally going to reach the Awa'atlu portion of the movie, which I have been dying to write since I got the idea for this fic.
My plans for the future sections:
Neytiri and Ronal bonding, because strong women should be friends.
Neteyam/Ao'nung, I love the dynamic and I have so many ideas
Lo'ak/Tsireya, of course, it's such a lovely ship
I have some thoughts for Rotxo, but I will reveal those later. Tumlbr has given me some things to ruminate on.
Also I won't be covering Spider with the Recoms very much. I will probably do one overview chapter, but I have a hard time writing the recoms and it's not my thing.
Chapter Text
The kids followed Jake in without complaint. Tuk ran forward to squeeze herself into the space in between Neytiri and Tsu’tey. Neytiri held her tightly, reaching out her other hand to call Kiri over. The boys settled on either side, leaving Jake to sit in front of the heartbroken huddle that was his family.
“How much did you hear?”
“Most of it.” Neteyam wasn’t quite meeting Jake’s eyes. “Grandmother had to help someone so we came back early.”
Jake sighed, pressing a hand against his face.
“I didn’t want you to hear about this like that, but nothing I can do about that now. What are you all thinking?”
The kids hesitated, not wanting to be the first to protest. Kiri broke first, turning to Jake with tears in her eyes.
“What about Spider?”
“I’m sorry, baby, but there’s nothing-”
“We can’t just leave him!”
Kiri looked startled by her own outburst. She shrunk back against Lo’ak, biting her lip. Jake leaned forward to grab her hand, trying to get her to look up.
“I know. Trust me, if there was anything we could do he would already be back with us. But there isn’t.”
“Don’t you know where they took him? We could at least try.”
Jake glanced over at Tsu’tey, who nodded slightly. There were things they had kept from the kids, things about this war that they were too young to know.
“They would have taken him back to base, on the coast. It’s impossible to get into.”
“Are you sure?”
“Another clan already tried to attack the base. It didn’t go well. They took heavy losses, and that was months ago. There is nothing we can do while he’s in the base, and if we wait to see if they take him out for some reason we risk the clan.”
“We’re a family. We’re supposed to stick together.”
Kiri’s voice was barely a whisper as the tears began to fall. At her side Lo’ak had gone very still and quiet, staring over Jake’s shoulder at Spider’s bag even as he wrapped his arm around his sister.
“I know. And I’m so sorry. Trudy’s going to keep watch, and if there’s any chance to get him back I promise you we'll take it. He’s going to come home.”
“You don’t know that. You don’t know if, if he’s already…”
Kiri trailed off, clutching Neytiri’s hand. Jake took a moment to consider his next words, aware of Tuk’s eyes on him.
“I don’t think they will. He’s… valuable. He speaks the language, he knows the forest. They will want to use him to get to us, to get to me. If we avoid them, if we leave the forest and divert resources, it gives him a better chance.”
“Dad.” Jake looked over at Neteyam. “Are you sure about this?”
“Honestly? No. But I can’t think of any other way to keep all of us safe.”
Neteyam nodded, and Jake could tell that he wasn’t happy about it but he was trying to trust his judgment. Kiri seemed to have resigned herself to the situation. Lo’ak was still distant, not quite present in the moment, and Jake decided to let him be. The kid wasn’t ready to talk, but they’d be there when he was. He turned his attention to their youngest.
“What are you thinking, Tuk-Tuk?”
“I don’t want to leave.”
“I know, sweetheart, but it won’t be forever. Just until it’s safe to come back.”
“Do we have to?”
Jake glanced at Tsu’tey, silently asking for some help. The other man took a steadying breath and ran a hand over Tuk’s hair.
“It will be alright, yawntutsyìp. It was hard to leave the village, but we are happy here. We will find a way to be happy in the new place. It will be an adventure, and you will have many stories for your grandmother when you return.”
Tuk nodded, looking a little less distressed, and Jake thanked Eywa that he wasn’t doing this alone.
“Okay. I know a lot has happened, and we’re all tired and scared. Nothing needs to happen today. We can make all the arrangements tomorrow.”
Jake stood, running a hand over Lo’ak’s head to pull him back into the moment. Neytiri followed, still holding Tuk in her arms.
“I need to tell my mother.”
“She, uh, she already knows.” Neytiri blinked at him, not quite sure how to respond. “I talked to her yesterday. Norm and Trudy also know.”
Neytiri considered him for a moment before walking out of the tent. Neteyam took Kiri’s hand and pulled her along, Lo’ak trailing behind. Then it was just Jake and Tsu’tey alone in the tent, and the distance between them felt impossible to bridge. It felt like the morning after his uniltaron, when Tsu’tey had been heartbroken and furious and confused. It had been fifteen years, but sometimes he wondered if they had ever really healed from the destruction of Hometree and Jake’s part in it. He still carried the guilt, and maybe he always would.
“You could stay.”
“What?”
“Quaritch doesn’t know who you are. At least, not enough for you to be a target. You could stay and continue to be Olo’eyktan, and we could take the kids and come back when it’s safe. Neteyam… he might also be able to stay. I don’t think they got a good look at him.”
Tsu’tey moved forward, his expression unreadable. Jake tried not to fidget as the distance between them closed, and Tsu’tey reached out to take his hand. He flipped Jake’s hand and began to trace the scar on his palm from the poisoned blade.
“Neteyam would never leave his siblings. And I would never leave you. I made my choice, and I have never regretted choosing you. Choosing this life, our family.” Tsu’tey raised Jake’s hand to press it against his heart. The elaborate beaded necklace he wore as a warrior brushed against Jake’s fingers. “I have known I would be Olo’eyktan since I was eight. I could never have imagined the circumstance, but I have done my duty. I do not claim to know the Great Mother’s path for me, but I trust you. I will follow you.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
Tsu’tey smiled slightly, wrapping an arm around Jake’s waist to pull him close. Jake pressed his nose against Tsu’tey’s neck, trying to fight down the fear that he was leading them all into disaster.
“One day, you will see it is not about what you deserve, but what you have fought to earn.”
Jake pulled back after a moment. He wanted to stay in their tent, but there were things that had to be done.
“I really do love you.”
“And I, you. But I need you to promise me something.” Jake hummed, moving to brush one of Tsu’tey’s braids over his shoulder. “Tell us what you are thinking. Me and Neytiri, we are your partners. We deserve to know what is on your mind, to be a part of these decisions.”
“You’re right. I will, I promise.”
“Good.” Tsu’tey smiled before composing his expression and squaring his shoulders. “There are things to be done.”
Chapter Text
Lo’ak had gone sort of numb after Spider was taken. It was easier to just sink into himself and not feel anything as everyone else fell apart. He knew that everything had changed, but he had no idea what was about to happen when Kiri called them over to eavesdrop on their parents. They were leaving the forest, the clan, their entire lives.
They had already spent a year in the mountains living very different lives than before, but there was always some hope that the bad times would end and they could make their lives better. If they left the forest, they would never get that chance. Even so, Lo’ak knew that Dad was right. The way this new version of Quaritch had talked about Mom and Dad had made Lo’ak’s skin crawl. The man was obsessive and violent, and they needed to get as far away from him as possible if they wanted to survive.
But that meant leaving Grandmother, and Uncle Norm and Aunt Trudy and Max. It meant leaving Spider at the mercy of the Sky People. So Lo’ak went numb, and did his best to follow directions. He couldn’t help but watch his family though.
Dad was trying so hard to take care of all of them, to make this process as easy as possible. It meant that he barely slept in the two days it took to get everything settled with the clan and their belongings packed. It was Dad who announced their departure to the clan, who fielded questions and reassured the people. Sempul tried to seem confident and assured, but Lo’ak could read him better than that. He and Neteyam were both so good at pretending that everything would be fine, that they were fine. Mom wasn’t even trying. She kept a smile on her face for Tuk, but she didn’t speak much. She cried sometimes, when she thought they couldn’t see.
Grandmother didn’t cry. Lo’ak had always thought she was one of the strongest people in the clan, resolute and unyielding like the trees in the forest. He knew how much she had lost, but something in her eyes said that losing her daughter and grandchildren was breaking her heart. Grandmother took Mom, Kiri, and Tuk on one last trip into the forest, preparing the supplies they would need wherever they ended up. Dad hadn’t specified where they were going, saying that the less people knew, the safer they were.
They all said their goodbyes the night before the ceremony. Tuk was young, but she understood that they would be leaving for a long time. She promised her best friend Popiti that they would return, smiling, but she was terribly quiet that night. They all were. Sempul had spoken to his brother earlier, and there was something distant and haunted in his eyes.
Lo’ak wished he was grieving, or angry, or scared. He had a feeling that it would all come later, when they had landed in their new home, but it felt wrong to be the only one not breaking. Still, when they woke the next morning and began loading their ikran he found it hard to breathe.
The Well of Souls was beautiful. Lo’ak had been there dozens of times for ceremonies and celebrations, and the massive arches and glow of the tree never failed to fill him with awe. There was something heavy in the air though, something oppressive. The entire clan gathered to watch Sempul relinquish his title, to watch them all leave, and Lo’ak couldn’t help but wonder if some of them were a bit relieved to see them go. Mom would have been angry if she knew Lo’ak was thinking that, but she had been purposefully ignoring the judgments of others his entire life.
They walked together as a family toward where Grandmother and the new Olo’eyktan were waiting. Tarsem had been a child during the battle and had lost his mother in the attack on Hometree. He had dedicated his life to protecting the clan, and Sempul had taken him under his wing. Lo’ak knew that Tarsem never expected to become Olo’eyktan. Everyone assumed it would be Neteyam to succeed Tsu’tey in many years, but circumstances had changed. He was a good man, and he’d been chosen by Dad and Sempul for a reason.
Lo’ak felt disconnected from his body as he watched Grandmother lift the mantle from Sempul’s shoulders and place it on Tarsem. Sempul turned to face the young warrior, who raised the ceremonial blade. He brought his fist down with a cry, thudding against Sempul’s chest, and cut a thin line with the blade. Grandmother looked away, but Sempul didn’t flinch. Blood had been spilled, a symbolic death of one leader to welcome the new. It was done. They were no longer Omatikaya.
Lo’ak hesitated for a moment as Sempul led the family toward the ikran. He turned to look at Grandmother and the Mother Tree, and he prayed it wouldn’t be the last time. Mo’at tilted her head at him, gesturing for him to follow, and when he did it felt like he left something behind. He could hear that Mom had started to cry as she walked, holding onto Tuk’s hand. When Lo’ak caught up to him he noticed Neteyam wiping away tears, and all Lo’ak could do was brush against his side.
The Well was silent as they mounted their ikran. No one spoke, and none of them looked back, at least not until they made it to the cliffs at the edge of the forest. Dad led the way as the only person who knew the destination, but they all knew it would be a long flight. One by one they turned back to look at the forest, tucking the last memories into their hearts.
Around two hours into the flight, it felt like some of the grief had eased. There was still an ache, but it had been buried under the cramped muscles and strained eyes that came with such long flights. They stopped once briefly to stretch and eat, but neither the ikran nor the riders were happy about the arrangement. Tuk had asked a few times where they were going and when they would get there, but had gotten bored of Dad’s non-answers and had fallen asleep. Lo’ak wished he could sleep, but he had to stay clear-headed and guide Tawtswe. At least he had the bond with the ikran to keep him company as they flew, because no conversation could be had from ikran-back. They both focused on the sensations of flying, the way the air changed as they moved further south-east. They hit a storm when eclipse fell, battered by rain and heavy winds, and when the sun rose it was as though the storm had transported them to a different world. The air currents were warmer, and the water became calmer and bluer. Islands were scattered across Pandora’s oceans, some jagged and rocky but many covered in dense foliage. They spotted a few villages, but it seemed that Dad was heading for a particular destination.
Chapter 59
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When Tuk was a baby, Tsu’tey had run into a complication. It was tradition for the many clans of Eywa’eveng to meet every few years, gathering together to trade and share stories. The Sky People’s presence in the forest had delayed some of the meetings, but Tsu’tey had attended one as a child. It had been a beautiful event, one where he found a connection not only to his own clan but all the children of Eywa, and with the Sky People gone the other clans were eager to return to tradition. It was a time of peace, and the Omatikaya were expected to attend. Tsu’tey would be expected to attend, especially as Mo’at had declined.
He had been worried to talk to his partners about the olo’tsawlultxa. Tuk was so small, and he would be leaving them to take care of five kids and the entire clan. When he shared that fear, Neytiri rolled her eyes and called him an idiot.
“We are a family. You are not going alone. Mother can watch over the clan in our absence.”
“Are you sure?” Tsu’tey looked at both of them, and he couldn’t help but linger on Jake’s hands. “The other clans, they may not take kindly to our family.”
“Jake is Toruk Makto. This family fought to save all Na’vi. They have no place to judge.”
“Yes, but they have never met a Dreamwalker.”
Neytiri paused, and Tsu’tey knew she was thinking of Kiri and Lo’ak. There was no way they were leaving the kids, but none of them wanted to put their middle children in harm’s way. Jake proposed the closest thing to a solution any of them could come up with.
“I can stay with them the entire time. That way people will at least see that they’re my kids, and I can keep them away from anything that seems uncertain.”
They spent the next several days discussing the best thing to do, but the kids saw one of the carvers preparing things to trade and had begged to go. They were quite upset when Neytiri informed them that Spider would have to stay behind, for his own safety. Kiri had sulked for several days, but Jake managed to cheer her up by reminding her that they could bring back gifts from other clans. He spent the week before they left doing special activities with Spider, and Trudy and Norm had plans to keep him occupied, but it still didn’t feel fair.
The olo’tsawlultxa was held on neutral ground on the edge of the continent, a place where forest, plains, and reef clans could all meet. The Omatikaya had chosen to travel by pa’li to carry the materials they planned to trade. They had expected the children to grow bored, but they had never seen this part of the forest. It was all they could do to keep them from running off during breaks.
It was during this gathering that they originally met Tonowari of the Metkayina clan. The reef olo’eyktan was slightly older than Tsu’tey, and he vaguely recognized him as one of the young warriors who participated in competitions at the last meeting. He had grown into himself, settling into the larger build of the reef Na’vi. The Metkayina had been unable to participate in the battle, but they knew the stories. All of the clans did, and Tsu’tey had been caught in a dozen conversations about the Sky People and the will of Eywa as soon as they arrived. Neytiri disappeared somewhere with Tuk, and Jake had been left to wrangle the older three. Tsu’tey spotted them from time to time, grateful that no one seemed to be upset by their Sky People features.
Tsu’tey first spoke with Tonowari after a meeting of the Olo’eyktans. They had fallen into an easy conversation about the problems they were facing in their clans and the newest warriors who had passed their iknimaya. Tonowari was in the middle of a story about a young hunter who had been caught in a recent storm when Neteyam ran up to them.
“Sempul!”
“Yes, Neteyam?”
Tsu’tey lifted his firstborn into his arms, brushing some of the child’s braids behind his ear as he smiled and held up a woven necklace.
“I found this for Grandmother.”
“It is lovely. She will be quite happy.”
Neteyam beamed, but he quickly realized that he had interrupted a conversation. He tucked himself against Tsu’tey, smiling shyly at Tonowari. The child had never seen a reef Na’vi before, and he was a bit fascinated by the dark swirls of ink that decorated his skin.
“Tonowari, this is my firstborn Neteyam. Neteyam, Olo’eyktan Tonowari of the Metkayina.”
“I See you, Olo’eyktan.”
“I See you, Neteyam. Are you enjoying the gathering?”
Tonowari’s eyes were gentle, and he was not at all bothered to be interrupted. Neteyam nodded, shifting to look around a bit. He had just opened his mouth to say something when Jake appeared, panicking slightly. He had Lo’ak perched under one arm, Kiri’s hand held with the other.
“Oh thank the Mother. Neteyam, sweetheart, you can’t wander off like that.”
“Sorry, Dad. I wanted to show Sempul what I found.”
Jake smiled, moving closer to join the conversation. He dropped Kiri’s hand to give a gesture of greeting to Tonowari, barely managing to catch her again before she went to look at something. Tsu’tey couldn’t help but smile and reach down to pet her hair.
“These are two of my other children, Kiri and Lo’ak. And this is Jake Sully, my partner. Jake, this is Olo’eyktan Tonowari.”
Tonowari’s eyes had widened when he got a better look at Jake and heard his name.
“It’s nice to meet you, Tonowari.”
“You are Toruk Makto.”
“Uh, yeah. I was.”
Jake smiled sheepishly, shifting Lo’ak to a better position on his hip. Lo’ak seemed more interested in a carved toy he was holding than the conversation, but he did pause when he noticed Tonowari’s bright garment.
“It is an honor to meet the man who defeated the Sky People. I had wondered if you would attend.”
“Well, we didn’t want to separate the kids. It was best to travel as a family, and they were pretty excited to get to meet new people.” Jake turned to Tsu’tey, who moved to set Neteyam down. “Have you seen Neytiri anywhere? I’m pretty sure it’s time to switch kids.”
“I believe she is watching the competitions.”
“Ah, okay. Thanks.” Jake nodded toward Tonowari before turning to leave. “Come on ducklings, we gotta go find Mom.”
Tonowari smiled as they watched Jake lead the kids away. Tsu’tey had appreciated the conversation earlier, but the way he reacted to Jake and the kids told him a great deal about Tonowari’s character. He had not reacted to their features or the mention of Neytiri, though that may be because families like theirs were more common among reef people.
“Do you have children, Tonowari?”
“Yes, I do. They are back at the village with my mate. It is difficult to travel with small children on tsurak.” Tonowari smiled fondly, turning over his shoulder to look out at the water. “They are around your children’s ages. It is an interesting age, I think.”
Tsu’tey chuckled, thinking of the trip they had taken to get to the gathering.
“Have they begun to choose their path?”
“My son shows aptitude as my successor. He enjoys his training with the older warriors, though it is difficult to keep him within the reef. My daughter has been chosen as tsakarem. She is a gentle child, but her spirit is strong. I thank the Great Mother that they were born into a peaceful world.” Tonowari settled his intense gaze back on Tsu’tey, but it was not uncomfortable. “I have heard of the sacrifices your clan made, the losses you faced. I cannot imagine what you have faced, but I hope that the Omatikaya are recovering well.”
Tsu’tey hummed. “Much has changed, but we have grown stronger for it.”
“I have always appreciated this tradition. It seems unlikely that these connections would be made at any other time, but it is a reminder that the Great Mother watches over us all. I hope to meet you again at the next olo’tsawlultxa. Perhaps my children will be able to join us.”
Tsu’tey had seen Tonowari a few more times after the conversation, and at some point Jake had been pulled into a long conversation with him and another warrior from his clan. They had left the gathering with every intention of seeing the reef Olo’eyktan at the next gathering, but everything had changed just a few years later. The meetings had been postponed indefinitely, and the reef clans did not join the war council. But when Jake had to choose somewhere to hide, he thought of the reefs. They were an entirely different system than the forest, dozens of villages scattered on islands in the ocean led by one Olo’eyktan. There were several clans he could have chosen, but he thought of Tonowari. The man was a tough leader, strong and capable, but he had also been kind when he met their children. He showed no judgment, and their history, however short, would make him more inclined to grant uturu. When Jake shared the idea with Tsu’tey and Neytiri, they hadn’t been thrilled about going so far and living in such a different culture, but they agreed it was best. As they approached Awa’atlu, Jake hoped his instincts were right.
The island was composed of a massive, dormant volcano stretching tall into the mist, covered in a tropical jungle. The village itself was clustered by the shore, protected from the harsher waves by natural arching seawall terraces. Several members of the clan were working on the terraces as the Sullys approached, confused to see six ikran this far out in the ocean. A horn sounded to alert the warriors as Jake led them all into their spiraling descent. He had heard stories of the way the reef clans built their villages, but it was incredible in person. Their dwellings were built into the roots of large trees, suspended above the water. It almost reminded Jake of the platforms built into the branches of Hometree.
He steered them toward a stretch of beach where they could safely land, noticing that the clan was following. Bob was not happy about landing in the sand, but he was glad that the journey was over. They were all stiff and exhausted, but getting there wasn’t the hard part. Jake had met Tonowari, but he hadn’t met his mate. He had however heard stories of them, and he prayed that this wasn’t a huge mistake.
Jake hopped down quickly, turning to check on the others as the Metkayina approached. Tsu’tey had on his usual stoic, stern expression, but he paused to pet his ikran and make sure the older kids were ready. Neytiri slid down before assisting Tuk, who started to wander forward. Jake sighed, patting Bob’s neck. He walked forward, pausing when he saw Neytiri grab her bow.
“Hey, leave it.”
She gave him a displeased look, but she put the bow back and moved to join him.
“On me.”
Tsu’tey and the older kids fell into place behind Jake, trusting him to do the talking. It was his idea after all. Neytiri called Tuk over, grabbing her hand.
“Be nice.”
Jake kept his arms outstretched, a gesture of peace. He tried to stay calm and casual as they approached the assembled Na’vi. The crowd began to mutter, looking over them curiously. Kiri tucked her shawl tighter around herself, uncomfortable, and Tsu’tey pressed a hand to her shoulder.
Two teenagers pushed through the crowd, making their way to the front. The boys moved to stand near Neteyam and Lo’ak, eyeing them up. Neteyam moved to give them a gesture of greeting, knowing Lo’ak would as well, but the Metkayina boys did not reciprocate. They just moved around to get a better look. Neteyam figured they were curious about the differences between forest and reef Na’vi, and he was too. He had some memories of meeting reef Na’vi at the olo’tsawlultxa, but that had been years ago. The Metkayina were paler in color, with dark, curled hair worn loose. They were clearly adapted for the water, giving them an overall larger build than the willowy forms Neteyam was used to.
“Take it easy. Just be cool.”
“Look, what is that? Is that supposed to be a tail?”
The shorter boy gestured toward Neteyam and Lo’ak, both boys laughing. Lo’ak grimaced, but he was distracted by a girl moving toward them in the water. She slid off of the creature she was riding to dive into the water, emerging smoothly. She brushed her hair out of her face as she approached, moving toward the boys that were commenting on their tails. Lo’ak looked away, embarrassed for no reason, and Neteyam couldn’t help but smile. It was sort of sweet that Lo’ak already had eyes on a pretty girl. He’d never really shown interest in anyone back home.
“It’s too small. How are they supposed to swim?”
“Do not, Rotxo. Ao'nung.”
She smacked the shorter boy’s arm, giving the other an admonishing look. She sighed, turning to look at the Omatikaya boys. Lo’ak smiled, giving her a nod.
“Hey.”
She giggled, looking down, and Neteyam bit back a smile. He turned slightly to meet Neytiri’s gaze, and underneath her general frustration with everything she was also amused.
From the water a group of warriors took flight on their mounts, sailing over the assembly before circling and setting back down. At the front of the pack was an impressive figure wearing a bright cloak, and Jake recognized Tonowari. The olo’eyktan dismounted, moving through the crowd to greet the newcomers. He turned to Tsu’tey first as his equal, then to Jake.
“Olo’eyktan.”
“I see you, Tonowari.”
“Jake Sully.”
Tonowari did not seem angered by the intrusion, interested to hear why they had come so far. He greeted them warmly, and the people seemed to relax when he remained calm.
“Omatikaya.”
They each gestured a greeting, Neytiri and Tsu’tey repeating his title out of deference. Tonowari greeted her, looking over the children as a woman made her way through the crowd. Her long, bright skirt swished as she advanced, but it was the shell necklace and the way the crowd responded to her that showed she was Tsahìk. She looked far less happy about this than her mate.
“I see you, Ronal, Tsahìk of the Metkayinas.”
Tsu’tey and Neytiri repeated the greeting, but the woman did not respond. She continued to gaze at them with suspicion.
“Why do you come to us, JakeSully?”
“We seek Uturu.”
“Uturu?”
Ronal seemed shocked, turning to Tonowari. Jake continued, stepping forward to address them more directly. Tonowari’s face had fallen, and as he talked Ronal began to inspect them the way Mo’at had when he first entered the clan. She actually reminded Tsu’tey quite a bit of Mo’at, as she carried the same energy as many of the Tsahìk he had met. He had never liked when that energy was directed at him, nor did he appreciate the way she was looking at them.
“Yes. Asylum for my family.”
“We are reef people. You are forest people. Your skills will mean nothing here.”
“So we will learn your ways, am I right?”
Neytiri affirmed, trying not to glare as Ronal grabbed her tail. The Tsahìk then grabbed Tuk’s arm, frowning.
“Their arms are thin. Their tails are weak.” She grabbed Kiri’s tail, ignoring the girl’s protest and the way she snatched her tail back, tucking it closer to her body. Tsu’tey pulled her closer, keeping a close eye on the Tsahìk as she moved around them. “You will be slow in the water.”
Ronal paused, grabbing Kiri’s hands. She had noticed the odd features of some of these Omatikaya, but the girl’s hands told her what she needed to know.
“These children are not even true Na'vi.”
“Dad!”
Kiri pressed back against Tsu’tey, turning to Jake with pleading eyes. He looked down, unsure if he could get the Tsahìk to back down.
“Yes, we are.”
“There is demon blood in them!”
Kiri glared at Ronal as the woman moved on, grabbing Lo’ak’s arm and holding his hand out to show the clan. Jake hated the way his son’s ears pressed back as he tried to avoid everyone’s looks, Neteyam glaring at the Tsahìk and resisting the urge to pull his brother away from her. The crowd gasped, tensing, and Jake tried to remind himself that they had no contract with Sky People or Dreamwalkers beyond stories.
“Look. Look.” He held out his hand, showing the crowd his extra finger, the one Ronal had pointed out on his children. “I was born of the Sky People and now I am Na'vi. You can adapt. We will adapt. Okay?”
Ronal moved back to Tonowari’s side, allowing Tsu’tey to place his other hand on Lo’ak’s arm and try to shield him. Jake kept his eyes on Tonowari, trying to reason with him as Neytiri stepped forward. This woman may be Tsahìk, but she had just disrespected their family, their children.
“My mate was Toruk Makto. He led the clans to victory over the Sky People. We flew alongside him, fought in battle.”
Jake winced. He had hoped to avoid that point, because it didn’t feel right to claim when so much had gone wrong. Neytiri turned her gaze to Tonowari, who nodded in acknowledgement. He knew that this was a reminder that all clans owed a debt to the warriors who fought back the Sky People.
“This you call victory? Hiding among strangers?” Neytiri looked down, the shame of this necessary but horrible action burning in her. She had not wanted to do this, to leave her home, but it was what they had to do. “It seems Eywa has turned her back on you, Chosen One.”
Neytiri hissed, stepping up to Ronal. The Tsahìk hissed back, the two women circling each other. Jake met Tonowari’s gaze, realizing that neither of them wanted to be in the middle of that fight. As the intruders, it was Jake’s place to place himself in front of Neytiri and try to diffuse the situation.
“I apologize for my mate. She’s-”
“Do not apologize for me.”
“-flown a long way and is exhausted.”
“Jake.”
He shot Neytiri a look, trying to communicate that they needed to cool down. She glared but stepped back, letting him try to negotiate with Tonowari. The olo’eyktan turned to address his clan.
“Toruk Makto is a great war leader. All Na'vi people know his story. But we Metkayina are not at war.”
“Dad?”
Jake reached down to pick up Tuk, tucking her head into his neck.
“We can not let you bring your war here.”
“I'm done with war, okay? I just want to keep my family safe.”
He held Tuk tighter, turning to plead with Ronal. Neytiri’s voice was tight when she spoke.
“Uturu has been asked.”
Tonowari and Ronal turned to each other, silently conversing. Tonowari sighed, letting Ronal think.
“Do we have to go?”
“Shh, it will be okay.”
Jake tried to comfort Tuk, praying to Eywa that he made the right decision and wouldn’t have to try and find a backup. Maybe it was his words, or Tuk’s small body curled in his arms, or the tradition that uturu carried. Either way, Ronal nodded, and Tonowari addressed the clan again.
“Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us. Treat them as our brothers and sisters. But they do not know the sea. So, they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so that they do not suffer the shame of being useless.”
At the last words Tonowari gave Jake a pointed look. Jake didn’t even feel insulted at the words, his body sagging with relief. He set Tuk back down, keeping a hand on her shoulder.
“What do you say?”
“Thank you.”
The other kids echoed, and Tonowari nodded. He looked over at the teenagers next to Neteyam, moving to gesture to them.
“My son Ao'nung, our daughter Tsireya will show your children what to do.”
“Father, why?”
“It has been decided.”
Ao’nung stepped forward, protesting, but Tonowari shut him down. He kept looking at his father even as Tsireya stepped forward with a smile.
“Come, I will show you our village.”
“That would be great, but it’s been a long flight so I think we need to grab our things and let the ikran find a place to roost.”
“Of course!”
She fell into step behind them as they moved back to the ikran. The ikran had managed to behave while they were talking to the Metkayina, but Jake could tell that they were unsettled and getting frustrated with the sand and the weight of their cargo. Bob kept shifting his weight, glaring at Jake as he approached. None of the ikran wanted to leave their riders in this strange place, but they needed to find somewhere to rest. Jake stopped to pet Bob before taking his crate down.
“Can I help, Toruk Makto?”
Jake turned to see Tsireya watching from a few feet away, a bit nervous about the ikran. He could already tell she was a nice kid, and he was glad she was going to be helping the kids.
“You don’t need to call me that. Just Jake is fine. That’s Neytiri, and Tsu’tey. Kiri is over there, Neteyam, Lo’ak, and our youngest Tuk. I’ve got my things, why don’t you see if one of them needs help.”
Jake pointed at each member of the family, trying not to smile when he noticed she was repeating the names under her breath. She carefully moved around the ikran to offer Kiri some help. When they had taken everything off of the ikran they moved further down the beach, allowing them room to stretch and take off toward the jungle. They all got a bit melancholy as the ikran moved out of sight, and Jake looked to Tsireya to start their tour. They needed the distraction, and it would be good to get to know their new home. The crowd had dispersed, but Jake knew they were still being observed.
The girl started walking toward the village, explaining that they were just out of storm season and the spare marui they would be staying in might need some work. But the village held through the worst of the weather, and there was plenty of supplies they could use. They moved off of the sand onto the woven pathways as Tsireya pointed out the different areas of the village. The pathways were springy below their feet, making Jake feel like he couldn’t quite keep his balance. He would get used to it, and the face Tsu’tey made in response to Tuk starting to bounce her way along the path was kinda funny.
Tuk was endlessly amused by the new village with its colorful woven marui and curious creatures swimming underneath their feet. Even Kiri seemed to be softening slightly, but he knew this was difficult for her. All of the kids loved Spider, but he had always been Kiri’s favorite, her constant companion.
Tsireya pointed out her own family’s home and the Tsahìk’s tent just a few paces away. There were other healing tents scattered around the village, but the Tsahìk was kept in the heart of the village, where it was safest. They were not far from the central cooking fire, where they could join for meals if they chose. Tsireya explained that not every meal was eaten communally, but they were always welcome. From the look on Neytiri’s face, it would be a while before they joined these meals. It would be too strange, too familiar yet all wrong. They continued toward the back of the village, closer to the jungle. The villagers who had returned to their own homes were watching as they walked, somewhere between suspicious and curious. The whole situation really did remind Jake of his first few days among the Omatikaya, but at least he was able to stay in the same body the entire time. It would have been impossible to do this with any avatar.
“This way.”
One of the creatures they had noticed in the water stretched up to the height of the walkway, clicking at Tuk. The girl giggled, leaning closer to look at the sleek, sort of dolphin-like creature. Many of the creatures on Pandora looked like extinct Earth animals, and Jake had definitely seen something like it in a museum once. They seemed friendly, and Tuk clearly liked them.
“Tuk, let's go.”
“Just up here.” Tsireya led them to an empty marui that had definitely seen better days, but it was functional. They had built their entire village from nothing once, making this place home would be easy by comparison. “This is for you. Your new home.”
Jake stepped in and looked around at the seaweed and general debris that had accumulated in the unused marui. The woven floor was soft and held more tension than the walkways, and the light filtering in from the stretched leather of one wall was quite nice.
“Yeah, this will work. This is great. It's nice, right?”
Neytiri stepped in after him and dropped the sleeping mat on the ground, sighing. She was tense, displeased, but she wasn’t going to complain. It did not matter what she thought of this strange village and the constant sound of the water, all that mattered was that this was keeping the kids safe.
The kids hesitated when Neytiri just stood there, frowning at the amount of work that needed to be done. Tsu’tey ignored her, moving to a far corner to set things down and begin to assess the space. Tuk hopped after him, setting her basket down and poking at the seaweed.
“I am sorry about the mess.”
Jake looked over at Tsireya, who had paused in the doorway.
“It’s not a problem. We’re just grateful for your help.”
“I have to get back to my mother, but I will return in the morning to start lessons.”
She smiled at each of the Sully kids before turning and walking away, her long hair swaying as she walked. Jake had begun to clear out the space, but Neytiri noticed that Lo’ak stopped to watch Tsireya for a moment before moving to help. The olo’eyktan’s daughter was pretty, and kind, and if she helped Lo’ak with this upheaval then Neytiri wouldn’t mind too much. It was strange that a girl like that came from a woman like Ronal, but as annoyed as Neytiri was with her behavior she understood it. How had her people reacted to the Dreamwalkers, to Jake? How would they have felt if someone came to their home asking for so much? Neytiri didn’t like her, but she could tolerate the behavior for the sake of peace.
The kids made quick work of clearing off the floor and beginning to claim sections of the marui for their belongings. Neytiri laid out the larger sleeping mat she shared with her partners and their youngest, smiling when the older kids set up their mats close by. It would be strange to no longer share the swaynivi, but they would all still be near.
“Dad?” Jake looked over at Neteyam, who had set up his own belongings. “Can Lo’ak and I look around the village a bit?”
Jake hesitated. They had just arrived, and the Metkayina might not take too kindly to the boys wandering around, but they did need to get their bearings. It was quiet in the area, they should be fine.
“That’s fine. But stay close, stay out of people’s way, and don’t stay out too late. We need to have a family meeting.”
The boys nodded. Neteyam paused to check in on Kiri before leaving, but Kiri seemed determined to sit in her corner and brood. Jake wasn’t too concerned, but he would be if she didn’t lighten up in a few days. She could be moody at times, as all teenagers were, but she was normally full of life.
Evening was quickly approaching, and the space was livable if not decorated. Tuk had run out of steam quickly, choosing to perch on the far edge of the marui and look at the water. Tsu’tey hovered nearby, ready to catch her if she leaned too far forward. When the sun began to get lower on the horizon Jake stepped out to get the boys.
“Okay, Sully's fall in.”
Lo’ak had gotten distracted and was reluctant to return, so Neteyam grabbed his arm and pulled him into the huddle.
“Remember? Family meeting.”
“Come on, take a knee, let's go.”
Tsu’tey and Neytiri moved to join them at the entrance, the former coaxing Tuk to sit on one of the crates. Kiri tried to remain standing, but Neytiri’s hand on her shoulder got her to move.
“Kiri.”
“What?”
Neytiri gave their older daughter a look, to which Kiri rolled her eyes but sat. She curled around herself, glaring at the wall.
“I need you kids on your best behavior. I mean it. Learn fast, pull your weight, don't cause trouble, you got it?” He tried to direct the message to all of the kids, but he couldn’t help but point the last part at Lo’ak. He was a good kid, but also the most likely to cause problems.
“Yes, sir.”
Lo’ak didn’t seem insulted by the assumption, but he did hiss at his brother when Neteyam put a hand on the back of his head.
“I want to go home.”
The exhaustion of the long trip and the unfamiliar place seemed to have caught up to Tuk, who had begun to tear up. Tsu’tey shifted on her other side to wrap and arm around her, trying to comfort her. Neytiri tried to keep it together, but she hated when her children were sad. As a mother, she was supposed to protect them.
“Oh, Tuk…”
“Tuk, this is our home now.” Jake took her hand, getting her to look in his eyes. He smiled, trying to encourage her before turning to the older kids. “Now, we're gonna get through this. We're gonna get through this if we have each other's backs, right?”
“What does your father always say?”
“Sullys stick together.”
It was a silly thing Jake and Tommy had started to say when they were younger, a phrase that started to hurt when they hadn’t stuck together. Tommy had left for college, then Jake for the military, and if everything had gone differently they would have been on different planets. But the Sully family looked different now, and the saying meant something more. He had introduced it to the kids when they started to get frustrated with each other, a reminder that they would always be a part of each other’s lives. He was used to the phrase being repeated a bit more positively, but at least they were humoring their parents. Neteyam seemed to be trying to drag some enthusiasm out of his siblings, but Kiri was ignoring him in favor of messing with the longer strands of her hair. Neytiri reached out to put a hand on her leg, ignoring the look her daughter gave her.
“That's right, Sullys stick together. This time with some feeling.”
“Sullys stick together.”
Kiri was still distinctly unenthusiastic, and both she and Tuk made a face, but he would take it. They were all on the same page, and they would start fresh in the morning. They moved to eat quickly, Neytiri taking Tuk to lay down early as the rest of the family continued to get settled. Kiri also retreated to her mat, curling up with her back to the rest of them. Tsu’tey pulled Lo’ak over to fix a few of the braids that had loosened on the flight, talking to him in a low voice. Lo’ak seemed to relax as Tsu’tey talked.
Jake let both of them be, turning to Neteyam. Their firstborn hadn’t finished his food, staring out the entrance of the marui at the fading light reflecting off of the water. Neteyam got like that sometimes, quiet and melancholic, but he tried to hide it from his parents. Jake knew that Neteyam had carried the burden of being the oldest without complaint, taking responsibility for his siblings and trying to grow up faster than he should. When he was younger Jake had wanted to protest, to slow his lessons down and let him just be a kid, but he was the oldest of the olo’eyktan and a talented warrior. No one else seemed concerned that their fifteen year old sometimes seemed more mature than warriors twice his age. Well, that wasn’t quite true. Jake knew that Tsu’tey worried about Neteyam and they both did their best to shield him from the worst of the war. Maybe this would be their chance to finally let him act his age. He might even make some friends, even if the olo’eyktan’s son seemed to want nothing to do with the Sully kids.
When eclipse fell, they all settled down for sleep. Jake took his place next to Neytiri and Tuk, Tsu’tey on his other side. The older kids went to their own mats, and for a while it was quiet. Jake laid awake, trying to force his mind to relax. He wasn’t used to the sound of the water or the creaking of the marui, so he focused on the sounds that were the same. Neytiri was already asleep, as she had started mumbling, and Tsu’tey’s breathing was deep and even. However, the kids were not asleep. Jake laid still, waiting, and he couldn’t help but smile when someone shifted off of their mat and moved to nestle in between him and Tsu’tey. He knew it was Lo’ak, especially when hooked his pinky around Jake’s. Neteyam broke next, pulling his mat over to lay against Neytiri’s back. The boys drifted off quickly, but Jake stayed awake, not reacting as Kiri pulled her mat closer to lay near their heads, not quite in the mood for physical contact but wanting to be near. She started snoring soon after, and all was right.
At least, all was right if he pretended it was one of the nights when Spider stayed in the mobile units. He was just in another place, taking a break from his mask, safe and comfortable. Everything would be okay. He would be okay. He had to be.
Notes:
This is just a short little update for tonight, with more to come tomorrow. Apologies for the weird update schedule lately, I am graduating college in a week and have been very busy and not terribly motivated. I am very excited to get into this next section though.
Chapter Text
Tsu’tey woke first, which was a bit unusual. He may have been used to starting village life early, but Jake had always been the lightest sleeper. After the Sky People returned, he had defaulted to hypervigilance and the bare minimum of sleep needed, so Tsu’tey often woke to see that Jake was already awake, his mind running. Jake hadn’t slept much since Spider was taken, and the trip to Awa’atlu must have finally pushed him to a full night’s sleep. He was still completely out, lacking the tension he carried during the day. At some point in the night the kids had migrated closer to them. Lo’ak had ended up curled up in the space between Jake and Tsu’tey, and when they were relaxed in sleep it was amazing how much he looked like his father. It was easy to assume that Neteyam was Neytiri’s double and Lo’ak was Jake’s, but they each had little features of the other parent. Neteyam had Jake’s jawline and the way his nose scrunched when he was annoyed. Lo’ak had Neytiri’s smile and the shade of her eyes. Tsu’tey wondered what mix of features Tuk would show as she got older, what the boys would look like as they grew into adulthood. That used to be an easier thought to have, before everything had changed.
The sun had risen over the village, and Tsu’tey could faintly hear people beginning to move around. He imagined that they would all need to be awake and ready for lessons soon, but there was something he needed to do first. He carefully pulled away from the sleep pile and sat up, stretching his shoulders. Jake blinked awake immediately, hazy with sleep, and Tsu’tey leaned over Lo’ak to brush some of his hair behind his ear.
“It’s alright. I need to do something. Sleep, yawne.”
Jake looked at him for a long moment before nodding and closing his eyes, pulling Lo’ak tighter against his side. Their son’s ear twitched but he did not wake. Tsu’tey looked over to the rest of the family before standing and grabbing a small bundle, silently leaving the marui. The morning sun was warm on his skin, the air still and calm. A few people were in the water already, and several others were moving toward the central cooking fire to prepare for the day. Tsu’tey headed in that direction himself, nodding politely at anyone he saw. They were not openly hostile, but they looked at him as an outsider, an intruder, lingering on the slenderness of his arms, his waist, his tail. This was a very different world than the one he grew up in, where he was strong and capable. It took every bit of his self-control to appear confident and unbothered, to not wallow in shame.
Tsu’tey was grateful to see that his assumption had been right and the Tsahìk was awake and working in her marui. He had heard of Ronal from meetings with other Tsahìk, and she had been his immediate concern when he realized they were heading toward Awa’atlu. The olo’eyktan was tasked with protecting the people, to make decisions for the warriors and keep the culture alive, but the Tsahìk was given a much more sacred task. They were the connection to all living things, to the balance of life itself and what makes them unique as Na’vi and as members of their clan. There is a reason they were often healers, though he had met warrior Tsahìk. Ronal was a warrior and healer, guardian and caretaker and fierce protector of her people. He respected her deeply, and with a war on the horizon and a new child for her family on the way it made sense that she was overly careful, but she had taken her comments too far.
Tsu’tey approached the entrance to the marui, pausing at the threshold as he waited to be acknowledged. Ronal took a moment to finish her task before looking up and greeting him.
“Olo’eyktan.”
“I am not olo’eyktan anymore, Tsahìk.”
“Tsu’tey then. I hope the marui has been to your liking.”
Her words were perfectly polite, but the look in her eyes was less hospitable. Still, she gestured for him to enter the marui and sit near her. Her eyes tracked the movement of his tail as he joined her on the mat.
“We are grateful for your generosity. It will work just fine for my family.” Ronal nodded, pursing her lips slightly. Tsu’tey set the bundle in between them. “A gift, from our Tsahìk. Your mate had mentioned bringing these home to you at the olo’tsawlultxa.”
Ronal unwrapped the fabric, visibly brightening when she saw the herbs and weaving materials Mo’at had collected before they left.
“These do not grow on the islands, but they are quite useful. I thank you and your family for this gift.”
“You do not have to like my family.” The woman looked up, intrigued. “I know what we have asked, what it means for your family and your people that we have asked uturu. And I know what it means that Jake was born of the Sky People and our children carry this heritage.”
Ronal’s face twisted, but she maintained eye contact as he spoke.
“You do not have to like us, but I ask that you respect us. My family are trained warriors and healers. We held positions of honor in our home, the home we love fought to protect. We are here because we must be, because it was not safe for our children.”
“The Sky People have returned, and brought their war with them. None of our children are safe.”
“Have you ever been wounded by one of their weapons?” Ronal shook her head, the small shells of her headpiece clinking together. Tsu’tey raised a hand to the scar under his collarbone, remembering the initial shock and the burning pain that followed. “I have been. I have felt that pain, and I have watched as those weapons took the lives of my people. I held the woman I loved as she bled to death in my arms. A few days ago those weapons were held against my children’s heads by a man who wanted my partner dead. Our adopted son was taken.”
Ronal was quiet, one arm wrapped around the small bump on her stomach. Outside of the marui more members of the village were beginning their days.
“I do not say this to scare you, or to convince you to welcome us with open arms. I say this so you know what it means for us to be given sanctuary here. You have trusted your children to teach mine, and I know they will succeed, but this is not easy for us. You say that the Great Mother has turned her back on us, but you are not seeing clearly. I ask you to look again. We are here by her guidance, and we have faith that she has given us a path to protect our children.”
Ronal nodded, pulling a basket toward her.
“You were olo’eyktan, yet you speak like a Tsahìk.”
Tsu’tey smiled slightly.
“Our Tsahìk has given me much guidance over the years. I grew up alongside her children, listening to their stories of tsakarem lessons. But I did not understand until Jake joined us, until I saw the way a Dreamwalker connected to Eywa and was chosen by her. He is… unusual, as are the children.”
Ronal raised a brow, but she seemed far more relaxed than the day before. He had no doubt it would still take time for her to accept their presence in the village, but all he wanted was to keep negative attention off of Kiri and Lo’ak. When it seemed like the conversation was over he stood, a muscle in his thigh twinging. He pressed his hand against the old scar, realizing he would have to be careful not to let anything show in front of his overprotective partners.
“Do your wounds still pain you?”
He turned back to Ronal. Her expression was hard to read, but she seemed genuine.
“It was a very long flight. It will pass.”
She raised a hand to keep him in place as she stood and moved out of the marui. He waited at the entrance as she walked to her own home, returning with a basket. Ronal placed a small pot on top of the basket before handing it to Tsu’tey and returning to her own work. He had clearly been dismissed, so he walked back through the village to their new home.
Jake and Neytiri were awake, their heads pressed close together so they could talk without disturbing the still sleeping kids. They looked over at him as he entered and sat nearby. The basket contained what seemed to be a local fruit, and when he opened the jar it smelled similar to a salve Mo’at had used for pain. He tucked it aside in his belongings, not quite ready to use it in front of his partners. He raised one of the fruits to show them, and the noise outside showed that the rest of the village was starting the day.
Neytiri rose first, sitting up and petting Neteyam’s hair until he blinked awake. Jake had started to tap against Lo’ak’s wrist to wake him up, maneuvering his other arm out from underneath Tuk to shake Kiri. Their oldest daughter sat up abruptly, her hair in complete disarray. She grumbled, stretching and glaring at Jake. He just smiled, sitting up as Lo’ak reluctantly moved over to where Tsu’tey was sitting. Tsu’tey continued to slice the fruit as Lo’ak sat behind him and pressed his forehead against his shoulder. Slowly the rest of the family joined them, curious about the bright, tart fruit. Tsu’tey passed pieces behind him as he ate, smiling as Lo’ak twisted their tails together. They hadn’t had many quiet mornings like this, but Tsu’tey loved when the kids were still half-asleep and a bit more affectionate. Jake ate quickly, moving to sit behind Kiri and brush her hair. She complained a bit, but she was smiling when Jake finished and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
At some point the kids moved to get ready for the day. Jake turned his attention to Neytiri, who had been staring at the weaving pattern of the basket. It was made from some kind of dried kelp, woven in a very fluid pattern. It was very different from the Omatikaya style of baskets that held their belongings.
“What are you going to do today?”
“There is much to be done in here.”
Neytiri didn’t look up as she spoke. Jake looked over to Tsu’tey, who just shook his head. If she didn’t feel like leaving the marui, there was not a force out there short of their children being in danger that would get her to move. She would eventually grow more comfortable with this, but she needed time. Jake’s ears pressed back as he frowned, but he didn’t push the issue.
“Okay. I was going to find Tonowari and ask what we needed to learn to contribute to the clan. The kids should be out at their own lessons all day.”
Neytiri didn’t acknowledge what he said, so Jake just brushed the back of his hand against her cheek and moved over to where Tuk was trying to pick a necklace. There was a noise at the entrance of the marui, and Tsu’tey turned to see Tsireya standing with her brother and his friend. She was smiling, but Ao’nung had a mildly annoyed look on his face. Tsu’tey had met and even taught young warriors who acted like him. He assumed that Tonowari had chosen both siblings as teachers for a reason, and that the young man would warm up to his kids. He did not politely in Tsu’tey’s direction before turning and raising a brow at the Sully kids. Tsu’tey clicked his tongue against his cheek, getting the kids’ attention.
All four kids looked over, smiling when they saw Tsireya. Neteyam stood first, walking over to introduce himself to the other kids. His siblings followed, excited for lessons.
“Good morning, Tsireya. Ao’nung, Roxto.” Roxto gave a half-smile, but Ao’nung continued to stare. It felt judgmental to Neteyam, but Tsireya seemed used to this behavior. “My name is Neteyam. My brother Lo’ak, and sisters Kiri and Tuk.”
Ao’nung did not acknowledge that he had spoken, instead turning and walking toward the water. Tsireya leaned around Neteyam to wave at his parents.
“We will be back by evening meal. My father is on the east side of the village, near the tsurak pen. I believe he has lessons for you.”
When Jake nodded she turned and walked after her brother, gesturing for the Sully kids to follow. They had seen some of the village the day before, but mid-morning was a busy time. There were chores that had to be done before the worst of the heat. They did seem to be heading toward a quieter area of the water, so their lessons wouldn’t be interrupted. The Metkayina kids paused at the end of the dock.
“There is much to learn, but it is best to introduce you to the water.”
The three kids turned and dove smoothly into the water, their streamlined forms barely disturbing the surface.
“Come on!”
Neteyam hit Lo’ak’s shoulder before running forward and leaping into the water himself, far less gracefully. Lo’ak followed, and after a second Tuk and Kiri screamed and jumped in.
It was like they dove into a completely different world. The water was warm and impossibly clear, filled with colorful coral and shimmering fish unlike anything in the freshwater of the forest. There weren’t a lot of places they could dive at home, and the ocean gave their bodies a weightless quality. It felt sort of strange to swim in, but the view made everything worth it. Their braids floated around their heads as they tried to stay in place and look around. For Kiri, it felt like the energy that hummed through the forest echoed differently in the water, more rhythmically. It seemed to follow the currents and the schools of fish as they swam, beckoning her.
Ahead in the water the Metkayina kids had continued to dive. They moved through the water like it was their home, their legs and tails waving behind them as they glided forward. They were almost elegant as they swam, completely at ease with their bodies and the water around them. Lo’ak noticed the distance between them first, gesturing to Neteyam that they should follow. They swam forward much less skillfully, not noticing that Kiri had wandered off in another direction to look at a creature. When they got closer the Metkayina kids continued, Roxto waving a hand to invite them to keep moving.
But the Sully kids had never dived like that before. It had only been a few minutes, but their chests were starting to burn from lack of oxygen. Lo’ak tapped Neteyam’s shoulder and they both moved up to the surface, gasping. Tuk followed, her little lungs not used to the strain. In the water below the Metkayina kids turned and watched, waiting until they ducked their heads back below the water to sign.
“Swim together with us. ”
Neteyam made a gesture, confused. Tsireya sort of shrugged and sent a more universal message, beckoning them back down. They sucked in a deep breath and followed, but after a minute they rushed back up for air. Ao’nung turned to his sister, trying to convey his frustration.
“What's wrong with them?”
“Those guys are bad divers. ”
Roxto turned back to where the Sullys were treading water, starting to get a bit worried. He had been dragged into this by Ao’nung, who insisted he and Tsireya would need another person to help. It seemed like they would have their work cut out for them. Yes, they were new to this, but surely their lungs should be stronger.
“Stop. They're learning. ”
Tsireya gave her brother a look, but he just rolled his eyes. They wound their way up to the surface to check on the newcomers.
“Are you alright?”
“You're too fast! Wait for us.”
Tuk knew that her siblings thought of her as the crybaby, but she couldn’t help whining. She was already tired, her chest hurt, and she wanted to see the beautiful things under the water. It wasn’t her fault she was small.
“Just breathe. Breathe.”
Ao’nung emerged from the water, smirking.
“You are not good divers. You may be good at swinging through trees, but-”
Tsireya smacked against the side of his head, ignoring the look he gave her in response. Neteyam almost wanted to laugh, if only because that was the kind of thing only a younger sibling could get away with. He had seen Kiri and Lo’ak act like that several times.
“Come on, bro.”
“We don't speak this finger talk. We don't know what you're saying.”
Neteyam made a little gesture to convey his point, still trying to tread water. He could tell that learning to swim and dive properly was not going to be easy, never mind the other new parts of Metkayina culture.
“I will teach you.”
Tsireya was just turning to Ao’nung to plan for the next part of the lesson when Roxto looked around.
“Where is Kiri?”
The Sully kids looked around, realizing that she had not been with them for the last several minutes.
“Kiri?”
“Who?”
“Kiri.”
“Where is Kiri?”
“Did you see her?”
They all twisted, trying to see if she had come up for air. Neteyam sighed, turning back to Tsireya.
“My sister wanders, loses track of where she is. I’m sure she’s not far.”
“We will look for her.”
Tsireya gave her brother a look before both of them dove back under the water. The Sully kids stayed at the surface but spread out, trying to spot her. It was Rotxo who finally found her, having wandered quite a bit away following a school of fish. He brought her back to where they had started, and she was immediately fussed over by her siblings. Tsireya seemed to have decided to take the rest of the morning at a slower pace, forcing her brother to stay with the group as they took them on a tour of the common fishing and gathering areas.
They took a break to get some food and give Tuk a chance to rest. The girl immediately latched herself onto Neteyam, refusing to let go even as the break ended and they had to get back to the water. Ao’nung disappeared first, muttering something about letting them out of their pens. Tsireya led them after him, heading toward a shallower area on another part of the island. There were dark shapes in the water where Ao’nung was waiting, staring at them indifferently as they came closer. Neteyam shifted his grip on Tuk as they walked into the water, trying to keep her comfortable. It was probably hard for her to be the smallest, and he didn’t mind carrying her around.
Ao’nung started clicking his tongue, calling out to the creatures around them. It wasn’t quite the same sound they used for ikran, but it seemed to serve a similar purpose. One of the creatures twisted, a fin cutting through the air as it flipped.
“These are Ilu.” One of the ilu made a noise, almost like it was responding. “If you want to live here, you have to ride.”
“We use ilu to travel around the reef. They are gentle creatures, comfortable with any rider.”
Tsireya pet the head of an ilu who swam past her. Another ilu poked his head up to nudge Ao’nung’s shoulder, asking for a treat. Tuk wiggled, a little nervous, and Neteyam knew she wasn’t ready. She had been too young to learn to ride pa’li before they left the forest, and it had been a long day.
“Tuk-tuk, why don’t you stand over there and watch for a bit?”
Tuk hesitated, but she eventually nodded and slid out of his arms. The water was shallow enough for her to walk, and she seemed content to stand near Kiri and watch the ilu. Neteyam smiled at her, turning to see Ao’nung now next to him.
“You are learning with me. Come.”
Neteyam nodded, seeing that Rotxo had pulled Kiri to one side and Tsireya had Lo’ak. Ao’nung led him about fifteen feet away, clicking his tongue again to call an ilu over. They were beautiful creatures, even if Neteyam had never seen anything like them. The ilu didn’t approach him at first, eyeing him warily, but he seemed comfortable to move over to Ao’nung’s side. The Metkayina boy absent-mindedly pet the ilu as he talked.
“Ilu are raised by the village. We learn to ride quite young, and everyone except the warriors ride ilu. These ilu are older, more patient, but they are used to more skilled riders.”
Neteyam nodded, moving closer to try and touch the ilu. The creature paused, unsure, but he did move closer to touch Neteyam’s hand. His skin was smooth and cool, almost slippery, and he quickly seemed to accept that Neteyam was a safe person to interact with. Neteyam smiled, but he dropped the expression when he saw Ao’nung’s face. He wasn’t angry or anything, just kinda neutral. He motioned for Neteyam to continue, letting him get acquainted with the ilu as Ao’nung looked over his shoulder at where Tsireya was. She had already let the younger brother sit on the ilu, guiding him toward a bond. She was too nice, too trusting that he would learn quickly. Ao’nung knew he was about to fail just by his posture.
“Make the bond gently. Feel his breath. Feel his strength.”
Lo’ak had thought the bond with ilu would feel a bit like pa’li, but their minds were so different. His thoughts moved like currents, flitting between sensations and desires. He had accepted him as a rider, but he was not happy about it. He wanted to move, to dive and explore. Lo’ak closed his eyes, trying to match his breathing to the ilu’s.
When he opened his eyes some other Metkayina kids had approached. Roxto and Ao’nung had temporarily abandoned their teaching to watch his attempt, leaving Kiri and Neteyam to keep bonding with their own ilu.
“Hold here.”
Tsireya directed him to the carved handle tied between the ilu’s antennae. Lo’ak leaned forward, sucking in a breath before directing the ilu forward. He quickly realized that ilu moved the same way the Metkayina did, weaving through the water rather than holding the body still. His legs slipped as soon as they dove, but he tried to keep his grip on the handle. They moved faster, the water pressure stinging his face and pushing him back until he lost his grip and went tumbling backwards.
Neteyam had turned to watch Lo’ak attempt, seeing that the Metkayina kids all ducked below the water to get a better look. They emerged laughing, even Tsireya. Neteyam huffed, continuing to pet his ilu. Lo’ak surfaced, gasping, and the ilu poked his own head out to screech at him and swim off. Tsireya giggled, trying to hide her expression behind her hand.
“You alright, forest boy?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Lo’ak swam back over, sighing. It was probably the worst first attempt possible, but he was determined to learn. Tsireya calmed down and pulled him farther away from her brother and the other boys, attempting to call the ilu back so she could correct Lo’ak’s posture. Ao’nung joked with his friends for a few moments before walking back over to Neteyam, who had managed to get the ilu to roll over for belly rubs.
“Is Lo’ak okay?”
“He is fine. My sister moved too fast. She forgot to tell him how to move with ilu.”
“So you’re saying that you’re the better teacher?”
Ao’nung rolled his eyes, clicking at the ilu to move back into position.
“She assumes that you all are capable. I do not. Get on.”
Neteyam carefully pulled himself up onto the ilu, grimacing as he tried to find proper seating. He was pretty sure he would slip off the second the ilu tried to move. Ao’nung walked in a circle around them, looking him up and down critically.
“You are too tense. Ilu move with the water, and you must move with them.”
He reached over and pressed against Neteyam’s shoulder, forcing him to lean toward the ilu’s back. Ao’nung continued to manually correct his posture, shifting the position of his legs. The tilt of his pelvis was a bit strange, but he could see why it would work better with the ilu’s body shape. He could hug its chest with his knees without causing the creature pain.
“Good enough. Now make the bond.”
Neteyam reached for his tswin, gently connecting with the ilu. The ilu shuddered and made a small noise, but Neteyam could feel that he was curious about this new rider, ready to swim with him.
“No diving. You will only fail and agitate the ilu. Tell him to move, but stay on the surface.”
Neteyam nodded, urging the ilu to move toward where Tuk was standing. The ilu was unimpressed by the request, but he obliged. The rest of the afternoon was spent getting used to the posture needed for ilu. At one point Neteyam was able to pull Tuk onto his lap to get a feel for the ilu. He and Lo’ak continued to try and dive, getting knocked off each time, but the Metkayina kids had stopped laughing and accepted that this would be a process.
They were exhausted by the time the sun began to go down, but it was the good kind of exhaustion that came from hard work. Tuk was too young, but Neteyam and Lo’ak had been in training for years. Even Kiri had lessons on pa’li, ikran, and basic self-defense. They would find a way to succeed. They had time, after all.
After the kids had left for their lessons, Jake and Tsu’tey headed toward the eastern side of the village. There were eyes on them as they moved, but fifteen years of being in charge of the Omatikaya had given both men a certain level of disregard. It had only been one day, the Metkayina would get used to them soon.
Tonowari was speaking to a few of the warriors when they spotted him. He dismissed them quickly, walking forward to greet them.
“I trust your family is settling in well?”
“Yes, everything is good. The kids are out for lessons, but Tsireya sent us this way.”
Tonowari nodded, and for a moment he made eye contact with Tsu’tey. Tsu’tey wondered if Ronal had told him about their conversation, but he found he didn’t care. He would do what it took to protect his family, even if the olo’eyktan didn’t appreciate it.
“You are both accomplished warriors in your own right. I will not demean you by teaching you the way my children teach yours. But there are certain skills you must learn. I have assigned two warriors to handle diving and sign, but I will work with you both personally on weapons and tsurak, when the time comes.”
“Tsurak?”
Tsu’tey had been with Jake long enough to know that tone of voice was not a good thing. Tonowari gestured toward the pen they were near, which contained several of the flying mounts the warriors had ridden the day before. One of the creatures turned toward them and gnashed its jaws, and Tsu’tey knew in his soul that Jake was going to try and ride one as soon as possible. This was the man who jumped on the back of Toruk, after all.
“Oh, yeah. We’re gonna do that. How soon can I try?”
Tonowari hesitated, glancing over at Tsu’tey for support. He just shrugged, letting the olo’eyktan make the final decision.
“I suppose… that we can have one of the unbonded tsurak brought out and attempt a bond. But it is difficult, and it takes time.”
“That’s fine. Let’s do it.”
Tonowari sent Tsu’tey another look, but he did call a warrior over and explain what they wanted to do. When the warrior moved to gather the tsurak Tonowari sent a look upward, like he was asking Eywa for help, before motioning for them to join him in the water. Jake grabbed something from the rack near the tsurak pen before following Tonowari into the shallow water.
Tonowari spent approximately an hour going over the basics of swimming and diving with tsurak, as well as the trials Metkayina warriors went through with them. He was likely trying to talk Jake out of it, but it wasn’t going to work. Tsu’tey was fascinated by the demonstrations led by some of the warriors. It still felt like the trips he took when he was young to learn from other clans, like he would be able to leave any day and go back to Hometree. The water was beautiful, the sun above and sand below should have felt like an oasis, but it was all wrong. He was built for the forest, for climbing and flying. Ronal had been right that their bodies were not intended for this, even if they put in the work to learn it would never feel natural.
Two young men led the tsurak over, trying to keep it still as the creature fought against them. It was a bit like an aquatic ikran, in the sense that it was a fierce predator that bonded with the strongest among them. They held it in place as Jake approached from the side, lifting what Tsu’tey could now see was a leather strap to hold in his teeth as he grabbed his queue. Tsu’tey stayed two paces away, observing. The tsurak shuddered, shrieking as the bond was made, and Jake could feel that she was not thrilled. Tsurak were not raised by the Metkayina. They were native to the reefs and learned to live with the Na’vi, finding a beneficial relationship with the warriors. However, she did not like Jake.
“This is a warrior's mount. Not easy to master. Perhaps you should start with an ilu.”
“No, this one.”
Tonowari turned to Tsu’tey as Jake adjusted his position on the tsurak’s saddle. Tsu’tey raised a hand.
“Let him. This is how he learns.”
Jake flashed him a grin as he leaned forward and wrapped the leather around his hand and wrist where he gripped the handle.
“Now remember, when you dive back in, good position, very important.”
“Uh-huh. I got this.”
Tonowari didn’t seem convinced, and Tsu’tey continued to give him a look Jake knew meant he thought he was being an idiot. Tonowari nodded, stepping back to give Jake room. Jake called out, sending the tsurak darting forward. She lifted into the air, skimming the water as she weaved slightly. Tsu’tey watched intently, his ears twitching as one of the warriors laughed. Jake shifted, pulling a leg up to perch better.
“That's it, okay. Steady.”
He took a deep breath and flattened against her back as she dove, but he was quickly pushed off by the force of the water. The tie wasn’t enough to maintain his grip, ripping off his hand as the tsurak continued.
Tonowari winced and hissed sympathetically as they saw Jake get thrown off. Jake surfaced, growling as he looked at the injuries on his hand and the tsurak who was now flying off. The two warriors moved to collect the tsurak, leaving Tonowari and Tsu’tey to watch as Jake swam back.
“I did warn him.”
“I know. This is just what he is like. He will try again, and fail, until he gets it right.”
“And you?”
Tsu’tey tilted his head, considering.
“I am… less adaptable. Less reckless. I will learn in the order and pace you see fit. You were right, we have no skills here. There is no shame in starting from the beginning.”
Tonowari took a moment to look at the other olo’eyktan. He had heard of the battle, that the Omatikaya had lost their leader and the heir was young, but when he met Tsu’tey the man possessed a startling maturity. He thought it was the hardships he had faced, but if any of the children were like Jakesully then that would age any man. The fundamental truth Tonowari would come to realize was that Tsu’tey had spent a lifetime surrounded by headstrong, compassionate people who toed the line between brave and foolish. He was not meant to be the mature, patient one, but he was by default.
Chapter 61
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Three days after they arrived at Awa’atlu, Jake realized that Neytiri had not left the marui. He knew she was stubborn, and grieving that they had to leave the forest, but he wasn’t going to let her hide forever. Their lessons had gone well that day, the kids still buzzing with energy during the evening meal. Neteyam was the only kid who realized that Jake was planning something, but he didn’t protest when Jake led the kids out of the marui to a quiet section of beach mostly out of sight of the village. Tuk was happy to be allowed in the water close to eclipse, pulling Kiri with her to look for shells. Neteyam followed Jake into the water, letting himself relax and watch his father’s expression.
Dad looked… tired. Not physically, they had all been doing quite well, but he was weighed down by something. Neteyam knew that Dad carried as much of the family’s burdens as possible, including Spider’s absence and Mom’s homesickness. Neteyam did his best to help, but he himself was struggling to adjust.
Dad’s face lit up when Sempul and Sa’nok came into sight. Jake knew that Tsu’tey was the only one who could actually convince Neytiri to leave, but it seemed like he was mildly manhandling her to keep her moving closer to the water. She seemed to resign herself to going in when Tuk called out, reluctantly walking up to where Jake was waiting in the waist-deep water. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her to press a kiss to her cheek. Lo’ak started to tell Sempul a story about something Kiri had found in the water when Jake’s expression shifted to something more mischievous. He tightened his grip, and before she could wiggle free he sent them both careening backward into the water, soaking them both and splashing Neteyam. Neytiri came back up spluttering, glaring at Jake when he started to laugh. She lunged for him, barely missing him as he moved to use Tsu’tey as a shield. Kiri was laughing, her and Tuk jumping in to gang up on Dad. Somehow Lo’ak got dragged into it, bickering with Kiri when she tried to dunk him.
Neteyam probably should have been embarrassed that this was his family, but… Dad hadn’t laughed like that in a while. And Sa’nu had been so quiet since they arrived. She finally looked like herself again, like the person he remembered before the Sky People returned.
Sempul managed to slip out of the splash fight and move over to Neteyam, wrapping an arm around their firstborn. Neteyam leaned into him, trying to focus on the moment.
“What are you thinking, my son?”
“Just… happy. It’s good to see everyone like this.”
“It has been a difficult week. But things will get better.”
“I know, Sempul. I trust Dad’s plan.” Neteyam glanced up at Tsu’tey’s face. He was smiling, but his eyes were still sad. “Are you alright?”
Tsu’tey looked down at their firstborn. He had no idea how they would have done this without him, but it wasn’t fair. He was still so young, and he didn’t deserve to worry about his parents’ emotions.
“I will be. We must all make the best of this time.”
“Teyam!”
Neytiri had stopped trying to get Jake, turning her attention to Kiri and Lo’ak. They had pulled her away to look at some coral, leaving Tuk to Jake’s mercy. He had scooped her up and started to tickle her, making her cry out for her older brother. Neteyam smiled and walked over, catching her when she wiggled out of Jake’s arms.
There had been moments like this before, when Tsu’tey stood on the side and watched his family, wondering how he had gotten so lucky. Wondering why he felt like he didn’t deserve this life, this path. Standing in the clear waters of Awa’atlu, he asked himself what the Great Mother wanted from them. It didn’t make any sense that their path would take them from their forest, their home, their people. This place was beautiful, but it wasn’t theirs. He hoped that he hadn’t been lying to Neteyam when he said he would be alright.
Jake wouldn’t have known the date if he hadn’t radioed Trudy for an update. They had left in early August, as best he could tell, but the first few weeks of adjusting to the Metkayina way of life had been too busy to stop and think. He had been watching the kids go diving with ilu when the thought struck him that Spider would have loved them, would have loved diving with his siblings. With his mask he would have been able to swim as long as he wanted, and he probably would have held that over his brother’s heads, and…
It was a horrible thing to realize, but he had almost forgotten that Spider wasn’t just in another part of the village or working with Trudy. There had been so much happening, and they had to learn quickly in order to contribute to the clan, but it wasn’t an excuse. His son had been taken, and Jake hadn’t done anything about it.
Neytiri had finally started to leave the marui to explore the island, giving him a little bit of privacy to call back to the clan. They had encrypted the lines, it should be safe, but he knew it was still a risk.
“Rogue One, you on comms?”
Jake waited for a long moment. It was kind of a long shot, but someone on base should be near a comm unit.
“Devil Dog, I read you. I didn’t expect to hear from you. Everything okay?”
“We’re fine. Settling in. Any update on Spider?”
Trudy didn’t respond for a minute. He wondered where in base she was, if anyone else could hear. Norm was probably working in his avatar, and Max had been working on gathering more information about the new RDA base.
“Nothing concrete. A ship left their base and headed for the forest. We think it’s the new unit, but haven’t gotten close enough to check for the kid. Working on surveillance now.”
“Okay. I’ll check in again later. Thank you, Rogue One.”
Jake moved to pack the radio away, pausing when the line clicked again.
“Hey Jake? We’re gonna get him back. I know it.”
He didn’t respond, clicking the receiver to show he heard before setting everything back in his crate. The date was blinking on the tablet he had brought, mocking him. Every part of him felt heavy, and the air was too thick and everything was loud. Jake stood and walked out of the marui, heading toward the jungle. He was pretty sure someone tried to talk to him, but he kept walking.
He didn’t stop until the dense trees opened into a small clearing. It was cooler under the canopy, a thousand times more familiar than the bright beaches and wide ocean. He sat heavily, unhooking his song cord from his tewng and running the beads through his hands. He knew that they were a record of significant events, not just the good, but the hollow in his chest panged when he counted how many things on the cord had gone wrong. Meeting his partners, joining the clan, their beautiful children - it was more than he could have ever asked for. But the last beads told the story of failure, failure as a father and a leader and a partner.
Jake wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting in the clearing before he heard footsteps. They were familiar to him, so he just kept tracing the edges of Grace’s button as his partners approached. Tsu’tey sat next to him so they were pressed together, waiting for Jake to talk. Neytiri crouched in front of Jake, reaching out to still his hands.
“I’m sorry.” Jake kept his head down, not quite ready to look into Neytiri's eyes. “I know you hate it here, and I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
Neytiri clicked her tongue, settling herself more solidly on the ground in front of him to try and get him to look at her. Tsu’tey just hummed, his tail brushing against Jake’s back.
“This place is not our home, but we will grow used to it in time.”
Neytiri spoke softly but firmly, glancing over at Tsu’tey to check that they were on the same page.
“But I don’t- I don’t want that for you. I want you to be happy, I want our kids to be happy and safe and I failed.”
“Ma Jake, we may never understand the path that has been chosen for us, but you have not failed.”
“I don’t know how you could believe that. We did what we were asked, I did what was asked of me. We earned our peace, and it should have been enough. It feels so stupid to say, but it isn’t fair. I can’t fix this. I can’t defeat them, or get them to leave. I can’t get our son back, I couldn’t even protect him in the first place. And now we’re here, and you’re all struggling and I don’t know what to do.”
Jake hated how detached his voice sounded, how far away he felt from his own body. The only parts of him that felt real were the points of contact with them, where their warmth bled onto him. Tsu’tey sighed and raised a hand to Jake’s head, and when Jake glanced over his eyes were soft, understanding.
“What happened to Spider was not your fault.”
“They wanted me. The kids were out there because they were frustrated and bored and I’ve been too hard on them. If they hadn’t been out there, if we had heard about Quaritch and found a chance for me to try-”
“Then you would be dead. You are strong, but even you could not win that fight. Is that what you want? To sacrifice yourself for us, to make us live in a world without you. Where our children lost their father, where we spent our lives mourning you? That is not a solution.”
Neytiri’s grip on his hands had tightened. Her eyes were wide, scared, and they were the same shade as their youngest. In the back of his mind he imagined Tuk learning that something had happened to him, and he ached.
“Do you know what today is?” They both shook their heads. Na’vi tended not to care about exact dates, tracking seasons instead. “Sixteen years. It’s been sixteen years since the battle. I didn’t think I would survive that day. I was okay with that, you know? I should have died when I got shot. Every minute I lived after that was borrowed time. If Tommy hadn’t died I would have never been here, met you. It felt like some cosmic joke, to lose him and gain everything. I would have been okay with dying that day.”
“We have lived a great deal since that day.”
Tsu’tey’s voice was gentle, and his thumb was brushing against Jake’s temple. Neytiri had shifted forward so the three of them were twisted together, one being in shared fear and longing. He almost wanted them to stop, to reject their kindness and their love for him.
“Now we have more to lose. I can’t- I can’t lose them. They’re too young, too good. But good people keep dying around me. If something happens-” Jake cut himself off, curling his hand in a fist around Spider’s bead. “If they kill him, if they kill our baby, would we even know? He’s never connected to Eywa. We would never see him again.”
“That will not happen.”
“Neytiri-”
“It will not. The Great Mother would not allow that to happen. He is our child, her child. She would not be so cruel to one of her children.”
Jake smiled sadly.
“You’re the one who told me that the Great Mother doesn’t take sides.”
“But she did! She did choose, she chose you. She heard you. We will get him back, I know it.”
“And if they hurt him? If the kid we get back isn’t the one we lost?”
“Then we will love him the same. I am not who I was before I lost my sister. I am not who I was when I met you. But I am still me. We will all be changed by this war, but our family is strong.”
“You speak of borrowed time.” Tsu’tey moved his other hand to loosen Jake’s fist, until his song cord was carefully wrapped around his partner’s hands. “There was a moment, sixteen years ago, when I was falling and in pain that I thought I was going to die. I asked myself if it was enough, if I had been given enough life. But I wanted more. We cannot live thinking this is borrowed time. I do not know how much time we will be given, but I trust that I will wake up tomorrow. That is enough for me.”
“Still, I know neither of you are happy here.”
“I do not hate it here.”
Jake gave Neytiri a look. She had barely left their marui and refused to socialize with new people, and he saw the way she looked at the things they brought from the forest.
“I do not. I may not love the sand, or the heat. These people are different from who I grew up with, my skills are not needed here. But I do not hate it, because when our children come home they have stories to tell us. Good stories, childhood stories. They are not being soldiers, they are not scared that one of us will not return after a mission. I do not think I will stop missing my home, or my mother, but I will learn to be happy here.”
“Okay. Okay, I hear you. This isn’t ideal, but I want this to be a good thing for the kids. For all of us.”
“We trusted you to make this decision. Trust us to handle the adjustment.”
Jake nodded, slumping sideways to fully lean against Tsu’tey. Neytiri ran her hand over his forearm before standing and turning back toward the village.
“When you are ready to return, Tuk wanted to show you something.”
“A few more minutes.”
Neytiri gave him a small smile and left. The clearing was quiet as Jake focused on pushing down all of the negative emotions that had come up earlier. The kids didn’t need to see him like that, not when they already had so much to think about.
“It is strange to think that it has been sixteen years.”
“Yeah. It feels like such a long time. Never really thought I’d live this long without him.”
Tsu’tey hummed, knowing he meant Tommy. It had been eighteen years since he lost Sylwanin, and the grief never really leaves. It just changes form, sitting in the recesses of your heart until something reminds you.
“They would be proud of us, I think.”
“I hope so.”
Jake sat back up, tying his song cord back onto his tewng and running a hand over his face.
“Come on. We should get back to the kids.”
Notes:
Just a little update. I hoped to get more done, but I graduate tomorrow (technically today, it's after midnight) and there has been a thousand things happening. Much more to come soon!
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tomatocarnage on Chapter 1 Sun 19 Feb 2023 08:46AM UTC
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Beesandrats on Chapter 1 Mon 03 Apr 2023 09:58PM UTC
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clear_has_an_account_now on Chapter 1 Sat 28 Dec 2024 03:19AM UTC
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Tentaclesanddisappointment on Chapter 3 Sun 19 Feb 2023 03:48AM UTC
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tomatocarnage on Chapter 3 Sun 19 Feb 2023 09:21AM UTC
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femme_forte on Chapter 4 Sun 19 Feb 2023 10:07PM UTC
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theblackandredwolf on Chapter 4 Thu 06 Apr 2023 10:39AM UTC
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tomatocarnage on Chapter 5 Tue 21 Feb 2023 04:57AM UTC
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icantbelieveitsnotspideypool on Chapter 5 Tue 21 Feb 2023 02:42PM UTC
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🌼 (Guest) on Chapter 5 Thu 23 Feb 2023 01:25AM UTC
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Ive_arrived_late on Chapter 5 Fri 24 Feb 2023 02:44PM UTC
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TheGodWith5Yen on Chapter 5 Tue 07 Mar 2023 06:19AM UTC
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clear_has_an_account_now on Chapter 5 Sat 28 Dec 2024 04:08AM UTC
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Ive_arrived_late on Chapter 7 Sat 25 Feb 2023 10:41PM UTC
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