"You were born for so much more Jake. You should just notice that there is much more than destruction on your hands." Jake fell from his Ikran, he thought he would die, whether it was Grace or what the Avatar destroyed. However, he fell with the Metkayina and now must learn the way of the water.
Pairing: TonoJake [Tonowari x Jake Sully] - Others Warnings: Stalking, Smut, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, OoC, Re-telling, Fantasy
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Something about you is soft like an Angel And something inside you is violence and danger I knew from the moment we met, you are a dangerous thing
When you are with me, I feel like I'm living And living besides you can be unforgiving I knew from the very first step, you are a dangerous thing
Way of Water
「These days my mind has not been on my body. In neither of the two I have. It's strange the feeling of freedom, of... strength I can feel here. Being in the air, on the ground. Running is a wonder and although Neytiri will never tire of calling me skxawng, we are good together. We are a great team」
「It's a special connection that maybe even she won't be able to understand. What fills my head the most with this topic is... Am I really doing the right thing? I'm a spy, I'm a mole, I'm a fucker who was supposed to pretend to be one of them and in the end I'm doing it because that's what I want. I don't know. Sometimes I wish everything in my human life was as simple as in my Na'vi life.」
「In it it's perfect, even what is difficult or what is not beautiful. Maybe that's why it's the dream I don't want to escape... Although my human life, it's more and more the one that looks like a dream I escape from being with Neytiri」.
Flying on Ikran is one of those pleasures Jake can't resist. Neytiri finds it comical and a little weird how much Jake enjoys running until he doesn't have a breath of air in his lungs. He just does. Ever since he got his Ikran, he loves to stay in the air, enjoying the breeze, the space, the air currents... Neytiri knows that Jake is different from the people in the sky. Each and every one of them. That he is better than anyone, even Grace. He has what it takes to be a real Na'vi.
The yearning to be free and one with this beautiful planet.
Indifferent to the fact that Jake still can't see.
Not quite.
"In life you are born twice, Jake. When you come out of your mother's womb and when you are recognized by your people" Neytiri comments, both sitting on one of the rocks in the Hallelujah Mountains, not far from where the portable cell is and Jake is in a connecting pod. "In your case" She turns to him. "When you allow your spirit to be one with who you really are." places a hand on Jake's chest. "You are a Na'vi, you are an Omatikaya...You are our brother."
Jake smiles softly, his ears drooping slightly. His tail curls with Neytiri's. Despite his strong personality and so explosive, Neytiri has a definite soft spot for Jake. How with every minute they spend together, she can't help but love him more. A connection she hasn't had with anyone in her village. It's not romantic, it's not brotherly; it has no name, it's just there, strengthening every day and just because of that, she allows him to touch her in this way. Feeling fragile and strong at the same time. She approaches him, hugs him and kisses him on the forehead.
The little blind boy in her care that she doesn't want anything to hurt. That is what Eywa wants and he understands her. She strokes his hair and gives him another couple of kisses.
"It doesn't matter what happens. You're one of us Jake. Don't ever doubt that."
"What with the long face?" asks Grace, puzzled at how saddened and brooding Jake looks. He usually wolfs down his food and lies down to sleep to make connection as soon as possible the next morning.
"Nothing special."
Norm chews slowly and Trudy raises an eyebrow. Jake is changing, barely present here. Don't blame him, this place is claustrophobic crap. Much more so if you come from running around a world as wide as Pandora. However, thinking is not his thing. He hasn't recorded his log for today either. Jake runs a hand over his face and pulls back.
"Neytiri broke up with you or something." scoffs Trudy with no further idea. Jake scrunches up his face.
"What, no, Nono, we're not a couple. We're just... I don't know."
"That's called a couple."
"No. Believe me, it's not."
Grace narrows her eyes. For one thing, it's a relief! The Omatikaya and Tsu'Tey would not take kindly to Jake messing with the next Tsa'hik. That would undoubtedly end in him being killed with more than five arrows to the chest. However, there is something that is making him this way. She had never seen it in another Avatar pilot. She'd say genuinely, Jake is starting to get confused as to what his real body is. Grace wouldn't be weirded out by it either. In this body, he feels useless and has been miserable for quite some time.
"There's going to be a storm these days" Grace comments, tapping the cigar to remove the remaining ash. "You should stay away and the avatar too. I don't want anything to happen to him."
"I know, I know."
"I don't think you know considering every silly thing you get into."
"Do you want me to be of the Omatikaya or not?"
"And what are those?"
"They are the Tulkun. The ones who inhabit the ocean carrying Eywa's will to life." replies Neytiri from her Ikran. Jake keeps his ears perked up and his eyes open wide.
They are whales.
Jake never thought he would see anything like this. After all, on the earth they were extinct long before he and Tommy were born. He descends to get closer to get a better look at them, being that they swim above the surface. He doesn't avoid smiling when they purposely splash water in his direction. Neytiri descends equally and in her usual attitude, jumps off Seze to walk on the back of the nearest Tulkun. It is possible to hear the sound they make, soft and friendly. Jake does not dare to go up there. He has no idea how to swim, and he won't tempt his luck to want to kill him either.
Grace would kill him later for letting that happen to the Avatar.
Neytiri jumps from Tulkun to Tulkun all the way back to Seze, laughing with Jake at what he just did. The Tulkun sinks after a final splash and tune, sending them off. Taking flight more, Jake notices the gray almost black clouds in the sky. Like a bad omen, he remembers Grace's words a few days ago.
"I think we should go-"
They both give an exclamation and the Ikran fills with panic. Feeling it in the bond prevents them from keeping the calm they need. An overly strong draft hits them and starts to blow them off course, not to mention it also makes them forget where they came from. The storm is heading for the forest, but they would make it to the tree in time to avoid it. Neytiri manages to calm Seze down enough and flies upwards, wanting to go above the clouds and thus return home. Jake is unable to do the same. His Ikran screeches and roars, flapping his wings awkwardly and starting to fall; the worst part is not how desperate they both are, but how lightning bolts start to strike one after the other.
Jake tries to take control, to force his Ikran to calm down, but between the lightning scaring him and the wild waves brushing against them because of how low they are going. Although he manages to get some flight, he's nowhere near going above the storm. Jake's pressure works just enough, but it doesn't stop what happens next.
Lightning strikes them.
Direct and full force. Jake loses control of the Avatar, waking up in the connecting chamber and bringing one hand to his chest, feeling like he died. At the same time, his body and Ikran fall straight into the water, sinking into the depths far quieter than the outside. Unable to hear the approaching Tulkun, he takes him and the Ikran in his mouth and takes specific course with the rest of his group following.
. . .
"They finished early today." says Grace, checking samples under a microscope. Jake looks around, chills and discomfort all over his body. Suddenly, he can even feel his legs.
"Yeah, the storm came in and it's a little nasty out there." he excuses and Grace laughs.
"You listened to me at least once. That's a miracle," the scientist ironizes and Jake breaks out in a cold sweat. "It'll be around for a few days. It's a phenomenon that happens every five years or so. That rain helps a lot in maintaining the complex ecosystem. It's even somewhat acidic."
"Oh yeah?" Jake stammers nervously. He felt it normal. Is it just freaking him out?
"Yes. The Na'vi don't care. Their skin is made to withstand that kind of rain" Jake breathes a sigh of relief. "To us it would irritate our skin and there was even a case where it did third degree burns." Grace straightens up and turns to Jake. "I don't know how strong it will be this year, the best you can do is wait until it's over to use the Avatar. Aside from not wanting it to be damaged, it also causes problems with the circuits. It could disconnect you in the middle of a chase with a Tanathor."
"You mentioned that at some point and I warned Neytiri."
"Wow" Grace smiles with slight excitement, thinking that Jake does listen to her when she talks! There's no "blablablablabla" in his mind. "Looks like there is some neural activity in here," she jokes, walking past him and patting his head. "Take advantage of the time to take a bath. It's been a month since you've done that." Jake furrows his eyebrows.
"It was three days ago!"
"It smells worse than that."
Jake drops back in the chair some more What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Grace is going to kill him, for real this time. He lost the Avatar who knows where. He doesn't even trust that he's not burned by the lightning. He didn't think it was even possible to get hit by fucking lightning. He still gets the feeling of the strike and it's unpleasant. He assumes Neytiri is okay, but... Bob, his Ikran, what about him, is he dead? Jake bites his lips, with a feeling of irremediable sadness. In a few days, when the demon's acid storm passes, he would try to connect. Hopefully he doesn't drown and hopefully he finds Bob.
The Metkayina, village on an island and in contact with the sea, an anomaly happens: a herd of Tulkun approaches the coast. During these rains, they usually stay on the island. The dangers of getting caught in an adverse current or predators taking advantage of what falls into the water are terrible. Unlike usual, one of the Tulkun comes very close to the shore, to the point where its jaw is in the sand. Everyone rushes to find out what it is.
The Olo'eyktan approaches, being its spiritual brother the one that comes slightly out of the water. Opening his mouth he pushes out a couple of things with his tongue. The first is an Ikran, which is relatively normal. Tulkun help animals like this when they fall into the water and don't make it out. It's a mutual understanding between species. A relationship similar to that with the Na'vi. What causes surprise and even panic among the Metkayina is the second thing: an Uniltìrantokx. Being obvious by its slightly broader chest and shoulders and the five fingers. It does not appear to be alive.
"Tonowari."
He raises his hand, asking Ronal, the Tsa'hik, for silence. He crouches down and checks for a pulse, being a slow and barely existent one. Whether because of the water or because, like others who have heard, he doesn't even have a soul. He pulls the knife from his sash, not wanting the presence of the sky people in his tribe. Without a threat and assumes this bond with the Ikran, they were together, that's why his Tulkun saved him. Ronal stops Tonowari from trying to stab him.
"Wait...Wait."
Ronal crouches down next to the body and presses her fingers along the chest and abdomen, feeling and searching for whatever might be important. A Tulkun does not save by chance and his clothing is of the Omatikaya's clan. Perhaps he is the same one who, according to rumors, is learning the customs of that tribe. Her concerns are allayed when in conjunction with the Tulkun's chant, a small white seed flutters above the Uniltìrantokx's forehead. Tonowari furrows his brow, reaching out and causing the seed of the sacred tree to continue floating.
"Eywa wants him alive," Ronal enunciates with a disgruntled and displeased expression. "There is something about him, that our great mother wants."
"Are you saying she sent him here? Is that it?" asks Tonowari. Ronal nods and the Tulkun nods equally, entering the water back. Tonowari goes to him. "Did you save him because Eywa wanted him here or was it just a coincidence?""
""More than once she has saved him. She wants him here. She wants his life and if we can fulfill her will, we must do it."" replies Lkeitam, the Tulkun of Tonowari. The Olo'eyktan gives a snort and turns to his people. The rain soaks them.
"This Uniltìrantokx will stay with us!" he announces loudly and many begin to groan. "Out of the forest and into the sky, the water brought him here, alive and able to continue walking alongside us. When he awakens and we know his intentions, we will know if he will swim alongside us or his stay here will be like a breeze that never returns."
"Why should we, he's a puppet! A person from heaven disguised as our own!" someone claims. Ronal stands up in one swift movement, coming at him with menacing posture. Looking taller and bigger than she really is.
"Do you dispute Eywa's will?" Ronal interjects between her teeth. "You dispute what she has tasked us to do huh?" The other shrinks back, cowed. "Let it be quite clear: any harm to this Uniltìrantokx will be punished. Our great mother gave us this task. Her motives are not necessary, the only thing that matters is our obedience Is that clear?"
With everyone's affirmative, Jake's body is dragged across the sand to one of the tents to heal the wounds he has; Bob is carried more carefully, the Ikran wheezing in pain and conscious, wanting to go with his rider to be together in this moment of weakness.
The storm has passed.
He has to connect to the avatar and honestly, he's really scared What if it doesn't work? Aside from the chaos that would be made in this dysfunctional little home in the Hallelujah Mountains. If he doesn't do it now, Grace is going to realize that something bad is going on and that he lied to her. It's fortunate she hasn't been with the Omatikaya these days, Neytiri would be the first to tell her he went missing four days ago.
"Tell them I'm fine. I still need to examine everything I brought." indicates Grace setting up the link.
"As the lady commands."
Grace snorts and Jake leans back, lowering the metal plate that goes over his chest. Grace closes the cover and Jake closes his eyes. She notices that Jake's brain chemistry has something different, he's nervous Scared? She doesn't know the reason and it looks suspicious to her. Jake for his part, opens his eyes and the surprise in him is huge when he doesn't see himself plunged into the depths of an unknown ocean. Hissing in pain he sits up, he has numerous healings all over his body. His chest hurts the most, but breathing at a normal pace is what works best for him.
Jake knows that there are many Na'vi, not that they change anatomy depending on the area they inhabit, so this is a bit of a scare. The woman comes rushing out, announcing that he woke up. Jake stands up, staggers and leans against a wall.
Breaking it because it's just palm fronds put together and it's not built for leaning. Jake curses, getting to his feet awkwardly and shaking his head. His hair loose and straight over his face and the braid on his shoulder.
"Oh no." He coughs, with fifteen people around him with spears in hand. He is grabbed from behind and they threaten to sever the neural connection.
He is forcibly carried to the main tent, where Tonowari and Ronal stand, hearing from everyone that the Uniltìrantokx has awakened. Jake falls to his knees from the blow to his leg. Ronal instantly hisses.
"I thought I warned against inflicting any harm on him?" claims Ronal.
"He was trying to run away."
"Actually I just fell- Okay, okay, okay, I wanted to run away." says Jake hissing in pain from the jerk he gets. Ronal approaches with a scowl on her face and the clear disgust of one who sees vermin.
「For a long time, I thought Mo'At was the worst Na'vi I could come across, but clearly Ronal took the prize. She doesn't trust me, she loathes me despite Eywa telling her otherwise. It seems the Tsa'hik have a hopeless hatred for me. I can't entirely blame them. I'd like to say it's a relief that the Avatar is alive and nothing is going to happen, but... How the hell do I explain to Grace where I'm at? Everything that happened」
"Our great mother saw something in you" Ronal says sternly. "A reason, a purpose, a motivation that made us keep you alive. Don't squander Eywa's gifts, you..."
"M-my name is Jake Sully, nice to meet you." he replies forcibly. Ronal snorts.
"Jake Sully... guest of the Omatikaya."
"Yeah, uh... I just want to get back. They must be looking for me. I promised to learn their ways and I'm in the process of becoming one of them," he explains hastily. Maybe with that they'll stop seeing him as a threat. "I-I'm already a hunter, I have an Ikran Y- Hey, that hurts, dammit-"
"Is that your Ikran?"
"Yes, Bob, it's mine."
Ronal furrows her eyebrows. The Uniltìrantokx do not tsaheylu with any creature and this one claims to be a hunter. Tonowari approaches and Jake is pulled to his feet. He assumes it is the Olo'eyktan because of the tattoos and clothing. Plus it's huge. He hadn't felt tiny in a while. Tonowari stares at him and Jake is intimidated, his dilated eyes and droopy ears giving him a weaker, more frightened look, contrary to how he was so far, defensive. Tonowari notices something.
Uniltìrantokx have no soul.
They are empty bodies even when moving
Jake is not like that. He has too much glow, too much life. Like he's just another Na'vi.
He also looks very young. A teenager maybe? He's a strange creature.
"Eywa made my Tulkun bring you to us, as well as making you survive the five round storm" Jake shivers slightly. This is getting much weirder than with the Omatikaya. He wants to fly the hell out of here. "Unfortunately, your Ikran is in no condition to fly. Your only way to leave, is through the water. Across the ocean to the Omatikaya forest and territory."
"I can't leave Bob stranded. He's my Ikran And-"
He gets another tug and Tonowari maintains that: he is worried about his Ikran and notices him very anxious. He's learning from the Omatikaya and now he's here. Maybe it's a sign and Ronal goes along the same train of thought.
"You can stay here until your wounds heal and you're able to take flight again" The relief in Jake is obvious, closing his eyes for a moment with a soft expression and upturned ears. "However, as soon as your wounds improve, you will have to learn our ways, you will have to know how to walk among us."
"I can learn. As I told the Omatikaya at the time, I came to this world to learn. That is why I have this body." A little lie so he won't be watched day and night doesn't go amiss. Tonowari clasps his hands together, blows between them and quickly pulls them apart. Jake takes a step back And what was that?
"Then it is decided: from now on, Jake Sully will train to learn our ways" he announces and Jake bites his lower lip. He wonders if there will be a problem with this. Do the tribes get along badly? Is this a betrayal or something? They should understand that he needs help and only then could he get it. "Just as the Omatikaya are leaving a mark on him, we must leave one on him. Let him learn the way of the water and all that that means."
Not much excitement about the news. Finally released and able to be on his own, he waves, saying a vague "I see you" which is reciprocated by Tonowari.
This is going to be very complicated.
. . .
"Hey boy did I scare you?"
Jake sits down next to Bob, the Ikran lays his head on the Avatar's legs, who continues to stroke his head affectionately. The wounds he has are mainly on his wings. The membranes are torn and have yet to heal before they can even attempt to sew them back together to get him to fly again. In the Tree there are many with scars from similar wounds, some even with pieces of leather sewn in to allow them to stay airborne.
Jake doesn't know how long that whole process takes, but he maintains that he's not going to leave him here. Bob chose him and he must make it count. He gives him a couple of fish to eat and lifts his head, noticing Tonowari standing off to the side.
"My people have never seen a Uniltìrantokx before, the sky people have never come this far before," Tonowari announces and Jake nods. He guessed as much, though he's not really aware of how far the GDR goes or how many resources it takes from the planet. He only knows about the thing under the Omatikaya tree. "I'll be the one to teach you the ways of the Metkayina," he said.
"Ah... thank you... What did you say your name was?"
"Tonowari, Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina" he introduces himself and Jake nods. He hasn't heard of them. It's a perfect time to use the mountain of books Grace has on the Na'vi. "Once your Ikran is healed, you are free to decide: leave with the Omatikaya or become one of us, following our customs."
"Are you willing to teach someone from the sky people? Wow, I didn't think that would be so simple." comments Jake between impressed and joking. Tonowari gives him a couple of taps on the forehead.
"Our great mother has given you her blessing for some reason and though my dislike of your kind is great, I must respect her decisions." Jake still doesn't know how Eywa saves him from so many life-threatening risks among the Na'vi. "However, I must warn you that I will not accept any kind of threat or danger to my people. If you bring war to this tribe, I will not hesitate to end your life."
「I am used to people threatening to kill me. It's a day-to-day thing. I guess it's the only thing that made me feel alive on earth: the constant danger to my life. In pandora it turns out to be the same. There's no grand plan, no path or reason for me to be here, but I want to be here longer. If I get killed, I won't be able to do it and that's what's really frustrating」.
「On the other hand, being here I don't have much to report and I can feel Quaritch's complaint approaching like a guided missile. Explaining the situation to him will be easier than explaining it to Grace」.
「What's most on my mind, is the fact that Tonowari took me under his wing without thinking. Even if his people hate me, the natural thing to do is to leave it to someone else. He is the Olo'eyktan, he has duties and things to do. More important than teaching me... whatever he is going to teach me. Staying here makes no sense, not with the mission I have to accomplish. I just hope Bob heals so I can get the hell out of here...get back to Neytiri Will she be worried? I'm sure she thinks I killed myself in the storm or something. I'll be an apparition from the dead when I get back」.
"Focus."
"Huh?"
''You're not in the forest anymore, you're near the ocean. If you psyche yourself up on that from now on, all the lessons will be easier."
Jake nods, confused.
"Mind in the ocean, not in the trees and you can learn to swim, breathe and see."
Jake gives a grunt to the side, tail wagging in annoyance and Tonowari laughs unfunnily. He must be a teenager. There's no way he's not. Only a kid makes that kind of snort. He taps him on the forehead again.
"And being a kid, it'll be a hell of a lot easier."
"I'm not a kid. I'm a warrior."
"The people of heaven are even crueler than I thought, making children go to wars." opines Tonowari before walking away.
Jake doesn't look like a warrior even though he has an Ikran. Tonowari does not perceive that he is really initiated and maybe that is why he is not part of the Omatikaya clan yet either. Too young, too inexperienced, too childish. He is a child with the idea of being a warrior, surely he is one in his world and he finds it sad. With the weapons and methods of the sky people....
Jake is a rare creature, tragic and not yet born for the second time.
At least it will be entertaining to teach him.
「And now I have two people saying I don't know how to see. Is just... Great.」
