Avatar: The Flight for Freedom

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/43681023.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: M/M
Fandom: Avatar (Cameron Movies)
Relationships: Jake Sully/Tsu'tey, Tsu'tey te Rongloa Ateyitan & Neytiri te Tskaha
Mo'at'ite, Jake Sully & Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite
Characters: Jake Sully, Tsu'tey te Rongloa Ateyitan, Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite,
Grace Augustine, Norm Spellman, Ka'ani (Avatar), Saeyla (Avatar),
Trudy Chacon, Kyuna (Avatar The Game)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, POV
Alternating, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Flora & Fauna, Courtship,
Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Mating Bond, Intersex Na'vi,
Eventual Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Military Backstory, References to
Depression, Grief/Mourning, Hospitalization, Unplanned Pregnancy,
Childbirth, Near Death Experiences, Work In Progress, Minor Spoilers to
Sequel, Tags May Change, Other Additional Tags to Be Added,
Direhorse | Pa'li (Avatar), Ikrans | Mountain Banshees (Avatar), A Real
Slow Burn FR, enjoy the sexual tension while it lasts, Jake Sully is a
Skxawng | Moron, Tsu'tey is a Green Flag, i stand by what i said, Air
Force Pilot Jake Sully, Anurai Clan (Avatar The Game)
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of Way Tiretuä
Collections: любимое
Stats: Published: 2022-12-19 Updated: 2024-03-21 Words: 130,996 Chapters:
27/?
 Avatar: The Flight for Freedom
by amunet (dabiforlife), mitzii

Summary

Jake lost a piece of himself when he was told he'd never be able to walk again, an unfortunate
hazard of the job. But when he was laying there in the hospital, he would dream of the stories
his brother told him about Pandora. He'd have these recurring dreams of flying, feeling free.
He wanted to feel that freedom again, and the Avatar Program could provide that.

It's why when he arrived on the indigenous moon he wasn't looking to be some counterspy
for Colonel Miles Quaritch, and he certainly wasn't looking for a permanent place among the
Na'vi. Jake only wanted to be free. He just never expected his training with the Omaticaya
hunter Tsu'tey to alter the course of what he desired.
 Chapter 1
Chapter Notes

A disclaimer: until Jake Sully appears in Hometree, the first few chapters will be canon
to the movie. Save for a few key story points, of course.

edited 3/28/23 by Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

To most people the sky's the limit... but for those who love flight, the sky is home. Up there—
that's where freedom's waiting.

As far back as Jake can remember, he's always felt drawn to the great expanse of blue skies.
Always felt an unexplainable temptation he can't quite put into words. His dad taught him
everything he knows about flight and aircraft. Even when he was little, Jake knew that he
wanted to join the air force—wanted to do what his dad did. But it wasn't the aircrafts that he
loved.

It was the thrill he got when he was soaring through the sky. Knowing how high up in the
clouds he was. The freedom.

Before his dad was killed in action, he would take Jake out for test runs in one of the light-
sport aircraft that was on base. Every weekend between deployments, they would drive out
there and Jake would be hoisted into the passenger seat, strapped in and ready for takeoff. He
loved every damn second of it, and when his dad was deployed, he would daydream about
the next time they would fly together again. His brother Tommy though? He couldn't be more
different. He preferred having his feet planted firmly on the ground, just like their mom. He
and his dad dubbed them the nature geeks, and they could stare at their plant samples for
hours.

That's why Jake wasn't too surprised when Tommy was recruited for the Avatar Program. He
had called up Jake, all excited, and told him that he'd gotten the spot. He'd be going to this
far-off moon, Pandora, where there was a shit-ton more flora than the scraps left on Earth.
He'd be finding a way to make Earth green again, to restore it. And Jake was happy for him,
he really was, but his heart fell when he said that it was a six-year trip there and a six-year
rotation on the planet. He'd be gone for damn near eighteen years once he left. Even so, Jake
wouldn't let himself ruin his brother's moment just because he didn't want him to leave.
Besides, he wasn't being shipped off immediately, and he still had a few years worth of
training to do. And while Tommy was doing that, Jake was finally following his dad's
footsteps in the air force. They were both doing what they loved: Jake taking action in the sky
while Tommy trained for the Avatar Program.
Then Jake's whole world crashed down around him.

Near the end of his first tour in Venezuela, his aircraft was shot down. Even though he'd
managed to escape the wreckage unscathed, he'd still been in enemy territory with virtually
no reinforcements. When a stray bullet pierced through his lower back, chipping at his spine,
Jake lost a piece of himself on that battlefield. He hadn't registered what had happened, at
first. No, all he felt was the pain coursing through his nerves. It'd been when the pain
disappeared, when all feeling disappeared, that Jake realized his life was never going to be
the same. When the medivacs finally got to where he'd crawled under some rubble, he'd been
despondent. It got him honorably discharged for his bravery and service. Jake thought that it
was all a load of bullshit.

He was in the VA hospital for months after Venezuela. He learned what little bit of physical
therapy he could to strengthen his upper body—but nothing for his lower body. After all,
what use were lower body exercises if he was paralyzed? And every morning he woke up,
Jake was slapped in the face with that realization.

He couldn't walk anymore. And where he couldn't walk, he couldn't fly.

Jake was totally and completely landbound, his ability to fly stripped from him. Some of the
best moments in his life were spent flying, and now he'd never do it again.

He would stare at the lifeless, sterile walls of the hospital room he was in, wondering if there
was even a point to it all. Most days, he could barely even choke down a spoonful of food,
and the nurses would have to watch him like a hawk. Tommy visited him when he could, and
he was the only highlight of his miserable days in the hospital. His brother knew how to tell a
damn good story, and he put that skill to use whenever he was sitting next to Jake's bedside.
Tommy would paint these pictures of Pandora, almost like he'd already been there himself,
and Jake had no trouble imagining it. He'd tell him about the Na'vi and their Hometree.
About the creatures and plants in the forest. About the legendary floating mountains, the
Hallelujah Mountains. But out of all Tommy's stories, Jake loved the ones about the banshees
the most.

Whenever his brother would start talking about them, Jake almost felt like he could place
himself there—like he was Na'vi himself, soaring through the floating mountains and forests
on a banshee. Free and flying like he was just a few months before. And Jake knew that it
was childish, like a kid dreaming about fairytales and shooting stars, but it was his only
saving grace. It let him escape from the clinical confines of his room—made the world a little
less bleak, even if it was only inside his head.

After Tommy would leave and Jake would close his eyes for the night, he would see those
stories painted on the backs of his eyelids. If he wasn't waking up in a cold sweat, a scream
lodged in the back of his throat, then he would be dreaming of flying, of soaring through
colossal trees.

Eventually, Jake was discharged from the hospital, and he went back to his cramped,
depressing little apartment. Tommy wanted Jake to move in with him, but he was gonna be
leaving for another planet in a year, and Jake would need to get used to being alone. When
he'd first been shot, Tommy had offered to put his life's fucking dream on hold to take care of
Jake, and they had argued like cats and dogs about him staying. But Jake wouldn't fucking
hear it. He knew how much the Avatar Program meant to his brother, and it would crush him
if he didn't get to go. Besides, Jake may have been stuck in a wheelchair, but that didn't mean
he was some baby that needed to be coddled twenty-four-seven.

But when the time came for Tommy to be sent out to Pandora, he didn't even make it to the
launch pad. His brother, the last person he had left in this world, was shot for the fucking
paper in his wallet. Tommy would never get to see the planet he'd been dreaming of for years,
and Jake would never get to hear one of his stories again. His brother wasn't even dead for a
week when the agents from the RDA found him lying in a puddle outside of a bar, his
wheelchair thrown to the side and his hair plastered to his face.

They wanted him to take over Tommy's spot in the Avatar Program.

The check they offered him was enough to pay for the spinal surgery he couldn't afford on vet
benefits. But if he got his legs back, he'd never fly with the military again, even if he wanted
to. The paycheck for completing the program was a lot, but it wouldn't buy him a private
plane after he had the surgery for his legs.

So the number of zeroes on the dotted line wasn't what swayed Jake, in the end.

He should've declined, he knows he should've. Living Tommy's dream when he never got to?
It was selfish. But there was nothing left for him here, no one to live for. He needed to get
away from this hellhole, where he was nothing but a shell of himself. And in some way, Jake
could help honor all of his brother's hard work if he accepted the position.

But in the back of his mind, he knew that he really just wanted to be free again—to fly
without fear one more time. If that meant somehow getting a banshee to soar through the
Hallelujah Mountains, then that's what he was gonna fucking do. It was the only dream he
had left. But...

The thing about dreams? Sooner or later, you always have to wake up...

"Are we there yet?" Jake asks, his voice hoarse. After being in cryo for so long, it almost
hurts to clear the dryness in his throat. It feels like he's been in the Sahara for six years, not a
capsule pod.

He looks up at the med-tech that's floating weightlessly over him, an amused smile on the
man's lips. "Yeah... we're there, sunshine." He answers, checking his pupils for a response.
"We're there."

Jake takes a moment to gather his bearings before unstrapping himself from the pod, peeling
off the sensory nodes secured to his arms. As soon as he does, his body starts to drift
aimlessly in zero gravity. He startles at the feeling, unused to the weightless sensation, but he
acclimates to it within a few seconds. Jake spots a window next to his pod, and instead of
going to get his duffle bag like everyone else, he maneuvers himself toward the glass, his
curiosity getting the better of him.
Pressing his cheek against the cold surface, Jake's breath hitches at the sight of Pandora. It's a
near replica of Earth, at least from this distance. But unlike Earth, the moon is framed by the
large blue mass of Polyphemus. Several other moons accompany Pandora, surrounding the
gas giant in a rough ring. Anticipation builds up in Jake's chest, and all of Tommy's stories
rise to the forefront of his mind. This is the place that his brother had dreamt of, that Jake had
come to dream of too. He just wishes that he was here, seeing it with his own eyes.

Tommy was the one who'd earned this spot, not him. He'd wanted to get shot light-years out
into space to find the answers... but Jake? He just wants to let go. He tries to push down the
guilt that gnaws on his insides.

Soon enough, Jake and a few others are rounded up to take the first trip down to Pandora.
The ride isn't pleasant, filled with so much turbulence that Jake feels like he's in a goddamn
pinball machine. Even with all his experience in the air, he starts to get a little queasy. He
doesn't let himself think about the fact that it's his first time on a plane since Venezuela, or the
slight panic that freezes his blood whenever there's a particularly violent jolt. When they
finally land, the crew chief gives them a mini-speech.

"Exopacks on! Remember, you lose your mask and you're unconscious in twenty seconds.
Dead in four." The cargo ramp opens with a hydraulic whine, and Jake hurries to slip on his
mask. Everyone else beats him to it, queuing up in the aisles while he finishes adjusting the
seal. "Directly to base! Do not stop!"

He's the last to leave the jet, courtesy of his goddamn wheelchair. He swings his duffle bag
around and straps it to his back, moving as fast as he can.

"Let's go, special case! Do not make me wait for you!"

Jake pushes on the wheels of his chair, easing himself down the ramp. Hell's Gate is just like
any other military base Jake's been stationed on, minus the huge AMP suits and mining rigs
traipsing about. It's nothing like how Tommy described the planet, but Jake thinks it's kind of
poetic that the first human-touched space on Pandora looks as dog-ugly as this.

His gaze lingers on the giant trees beyond the fence, and he strains to make out the mountains
that are just barely visible through the dense fog. Once he gets his avatar, he'll be out there in
the real Pandora.

"Check it out, man." He hears someone mumble. "Meals on Wheels."

Another person laughs. "Oh, that is just wrong."

He spots two soldiers who're hanging out by the entrance to the compound, laughing. Just by
the way they carry themselves, Jake knows they're Marines. A bunch of douche canoe
military cousins is what they are. He ignores them, pushing harder on his wheels to catch up
with the group. When he gets there, he catches the tail end of the colonel's arrival speech.
From the sound of it, Jake would bet his bottom dollar that he'd started with the classic
"you're not in Kansas anymore" line.
"... out beyond that fence every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to
kill you and eat your eyes for jujubes." The Colonel tells the room, his back ramrod straight
and his eyes hard. "We have an indigenous population of humanoids here called the Na'vi.
They're fond of arrows dipped in a neurotoxin, which can stop your heart in one minute. And
they have bones reinforced with naturally occurring carbon fiber. They are very hard to kill."

Jake half pays attention, leaning most of his weight on his duffle bag. When the colonel
declares that he's here to keep everyone alive, Jake has to hold back a scoff. It's just another
load of bullshit, something that every drill sergeant has to say. He'd heard the same thing
from his commander before they flew into Venezuela, and it'd done jack-shit to keep his team
from dying. But at least the colonel has the gall to admit that reality.

The room disperses at the end of the safety brief and Jake is the first exit. He wheels down
the hall, looking for the nearest unclaimed bunkroom and weaving through the crowd of
people lugging duffels and backpacks.

"Excuse me—excuse me. Jake!" A voice calls from behind. He turns his head to catch a tall
skinny guy moving to stand next to him. "You're Jake, right? Tom's brother."

He nods, looking at him warily. "That's right."

"Wow! You look just like him... sorry, I'm Norm—Spellman! Norm Spellman." Norm holds
out his hand and after a beat, Jake takes it. "I went through avatar training with your
brother."

The name rings a bell. "Right, I think he's mentioned you before, once or twice. It's nice to
put a face to the name."

"Yeah... I'm sorry about your brother, by the way. He was a great guy. It was a big shock to us
all."

Jake frowns. He's tired of hearing the condolences. All they do is reopen the goddamn wound
and bring a fresh wave of pain. At this point, Jake doesn't think it'll ever heal.

"Right, well..." Norm trails off, turning away from Jake awkwardly. "This way into the bio
lab! We'll be spending a lot of time here."

Jake follows behind him as he makes a sharp turn into a nearby doorway, which opens up
into a big lab space. He's trailing after Norm, listening to him ramble on about all the
equipment and stuff, when something catches his attention. Something very blue. Jake veers
his chair to the left, wheeling through a couple of workstations, and comes face to face with a
pair of fully-grown avatars. He wheels up to one that looks like Norm, letting out a small
laugh.

"Damn! They got big."

"Yeah, they fully mature on the flight out," Norm explains, leaning over his shoulder.
 Jake silently wanders off to the other tank, finally getting a look at his brother's avatar. As he
watches, its muscles twitch gently, almost like it's sleeping. The giant blue body turns slowly
in the liquid, tail swishing softly. Even with the feline ears and broad nose, the avatar is the
spitting image of Tommy. Distantly, Jake feels his hand come up to brush the side of the tank.

"Looks just like him." He whispers, a lump in his throat.

"No," Norm replies, his voice soft. "Looks like you. This is your avatar now Jake."

Chapter End Notes

I wasn't sure if I wanted to post this AU publicly, and I had every intention of keeping
this AU to myself in an unrevealed collection. But then I realized I also had a second
unused AO3 account! And because I haven't posted anything here since all the things I
planned to upload were simply drafts moved to my main account, I decided to go ahead
and publish this publicly instead!

I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter! Let me know what you think! I love feedback!

Amunet <3
 Chapter 2
Chapter Notes

edited 3/28/23 by Mitzi

Eventually Jake manages to pull his eyes away from the amnio tanks, and after he does, he's
ushered around on a tour of the Scimod and Biolab. They've just finished when he catches
sight of several lab techs swarming around a man that's just walked through the entrance of
the lab. If Jake has to guess, he would say that he's one of the head honchos for the Avatar
Project. He looks every inch the harried scientist, with his scraggly hair, skewed glasses, and
overall rumpled look. Jake doesn't get much time to speculate though, because when the
curly-haired man catches sight of him and Norm a second later, he waves off the techs around
him and begins walking toward them.

"Hey, you two are the new avatar drivers, right?" He smiles goodnaturedly at them. "I'm Max
Patel. I oversee the remote neural interface and linking between drivers and their avatars. It's
nice to meet you guys." He seems a little fidgety, but Jake can already tell that he likes the
guy way more than some of the other stuck-up scientists he's met so far.

He offers them his hand to shake, and both he and Norm introduce themselves. Max proceeds
to lead them into the link room, rattling off a bunch of science mumbo jumbo that Jake can
barely follow, but Norm seems excited enough about it all. It's a round room that contains at
least a dozen psionic link units, and he can't help but think that they resemble coffins more
than anything else. MRI scanners are looped around each unit, and there's a control center in
the middle of the room, manned by a few lab coats. He wheels himself up to the central desk
there, where images of active brain scans are being displayed. It's all so complex and mind-
boggling, and Jake hardly believes that this is even possible. Tommy though, he totally
would've been in his element, the science nerd that he was.

Jake shakes himself out of his thoughts and tunes back into what Max is saying. "It's a lot to
take in when you first arrive, I know, but you'll get it all down soon. Besides, the required
video documentation will help you remember everything." And Jake's not sure if he likes the
sound of that. He's never been the best at taking notes, let alone making video diaries. But
even though the idea of it seems tedious, Max is insistent on the importance of documenting
science.

The next thing he knows, Jake's being directed to a lab bench and shown the controls of the
video-logging setup. He's attempting to record something now, but he feels like he's doing it
all wrong, and he turns around agitatedly to ask Norm and Max if he's even doing it right.
The guy sounds like Max's mini-me when he says, "Yeah, you gotta record what you see,
what you feel. Video logging is all a part of the science, and good science starts with good
observation." Max chuckles from his place next to Norm. "Plus it'll keep you sane for the
next six years."

If you ask Jake, he thinks the video logs are awkward and overused. It feels similar to a
therapy session, like he's talking about himself to a shrink—but in this case, the shrink is a
goddamn camera. Back on Earth, he'd disregarded any kind of therapy when his physicians
suggested he talk to someone. He doesn't need some stranger to know what he thinks and
what he feels, and those feelings haven't changed since his arrival on Pandora.

But he really doesn't have a choice in the first place, does he? The way Jake sees it, he needs
to make some kind of impression with the Avatar Program. He's not his brother and he's
certainly not a scientist, which is what they need here. He's basically just a tag-along to make
up for the millions of spent dollars that would've been wasted otherwise. And all of that
translates into "no fucking shit up".

So he sucks it up and carries through with finishing the video log, speaking to the camera
about everything that's happened up to this point. Neither of the PhDs gives him any more
advice, but they also don't correct him when he keeps talking, so he just recounts what he
thinks is relevant. He decides to go back to the very beginning, starting with the two RDA
agents that approached him in that bar alley to tell him about Tommy's death and his
recruitment for the Avatar Program. He briefly skirts over his spinal injury and then goes into
his time waking up from cryo and getting accustomed to Hell's Gate. Jake ends his recap of
events with Colonel Quaritch's little "Kansas" speech, which had been comforting in its
familiarity.

And it's ironic, in a way—that he gets a sense of normalcy from a world gone to shit.

He summarizes what Norm and Max told him about the avatars—how every driver is
matched so that their nervous systems are in tune. Of course, without the long-ass science
words that they had used. His high school–educated brain can't figure out how to pronounce
some of the shit they said, let alone explain it, but he gets the point across.

Overall though, for his first video log, he thinks he does pretty okay.

"Right... so, it's whatever. Here I am. Doing science," he chuckles self-deprecatingly. "Never
been in a lab before, and it's a bit overwhelming, to say the least... I just want to get out there
." He whispers that last part under his breath, saying it more to himself than to the camera.

He sits there in silence for a moment, with his forehead cradled in his palm and his eyes
staring off to the side. The camera continues to record as he zones out, with a small low-
battery light steadily blinking in the periphery of his vision. He's so lost in thought that he
doesn't even see Max appear behind him until the researcher speaks up, and Jake startles a
little bit when he hears him.

"I think that's enough for tonight. Log off, Jake. it's time to meet your boss for the next five
years." Wonderful.

Jake doesn't reply with anything but a quiet hum as he switches off the camera and wheels
around, anxious to meet the scientist that his late brother, for all intents and purposes,
worshiped. God, what Jake would give to see the expression on Tommy's face if he ever got
to meet her.

Next to him, Norm is practically vibrating with excitement. "Grace Augustine is a legend,"
He tells him in that same gushy way that Jake had to hear from his brother a bajillion times
when they were kids, and even when they were teenagers. Max walks ahead and leads them
to one of the link units, but they stop a few feet away from it. "She's the head of the Avatar
Program, and she wrote the book—I mean literally wrote the book on Pandoran botany."

With Jake being a veteran, Norm probably thinks he's some hermit that knows jack-shit about
Dr. Augustine. After all, he is piggybacking his brother's position in the program. But the
thing is, Jake already knows a lot about what Norm is saying—almost entirely because of his
brother. Tommy was just as much of an enthusiast about Dr. Augustine as Norm is—probably
even more than him. Needless to say, the woman is no stranger to Jake, even if he only knows
about her through second-hand tellings.

"That's because she likes plants better than people," Max adds, and Jake cocks a brow at that.
He can absolutely get behind that kind of philosophy. Hell, Jake happens to like flying more
than he can tolerate getting acquainted with someone. He hates all that small talk crap, and
he'll take soaring through the skies over that any day.

Their conversation is cut short when a link unit whirls to a halt and opens up, a middle-aged
woman with fiery red hair sitting up with a stretch. He can only guess that this is the same
Grace Augustine that Tommy had never shut up about. Jake's never actually seen a picture of
the scientist beforehand, but the sudden change in atmosphere tells him that this woman
means business. Her head hangs low while she wildly waves her hand in the air. "Who's got
my goddamn cigarette!?" She exclaims just as a tech hurries over with a white coat and an
already-lit smoke. She grumbles out her thanks and stands, cigarette in her mouth as she slips
on her coat. She only notices them when she turns to leave.

Max acknowledges the woman with none of the reserve the lab techs seem to have, "And
here she is." He gestures behind himself to the two of them. "Grace, I'd like for you to meet
Norm Spellman and Ja—"

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Norm," she interrupts abruptly, "I hear good things about you.
How's your Na'vi?"

Norm sputters for a second before starting to speak in a language that sounds like a jumble of
clunky and unintelligible sounds to Jake's ears, "Awvea ultxari ohengeyä, Nawma Sa'nok
lrrtok siveiyi."

Grace inclines her head in acknowledgment and replies with what seems like a lot more
fluency than Norm. It sounds almost like she's a native herself, judging by how the words roll
off her tongue. "Tsun tivam. Aylì'u ngian nì'it skepek lu." Jake wishes he could understand
them, but as it stands, he's stuck staring at them like they've grown two heads. He hadn't
exactly had the time to crack open a Na'vi dictionary in the short time between getting
recruited and leaving for Pandora.

"Uh, Grace..." Max tries to interject, "this here is Jake Su—"

It's obvious that she's been well aware of his presence the whole time, and her body language
radiates annoyance when she finally turns toward him. She cuts Max off yet again, "Yeah, I
know who you are, and I don't need you." She says rather bluntly. "I need your brother. You
know—the Ph.D. who trained three years for this mission." Jake's taken aback for a second.
Damn, she's a ballsy one, isn't she?

"He's dead," He answers, coming off snarkier than he originally means to, but he's not gonna
apologize for it. Especially since she's the one acting like an ass in the first place. "I know it's
a big inconvenience to everyone."

Grace pauses, but his reply doesn't cow her at all. Instead, it seems like she decides to humor
him when she asks, "How much lab training have you had?"

And how is Jake, who's been nothing but an airman his entire life, supposed to respond to
that? Naturally, he decides to be a smartass about it. "I dissected a frog once." Grace's eye
twitches violently, and in any other circumstance, Jake would be laughing at the way her face
almost turns the same color as her hair.

"You see? You see?" She throws her hands against her sides. "They're just pissing on us
without even the courtesy of calling it rain. I'm going to Selfridge—this is such bullshit!" She
storms off, utterly pissed. Oops.

Max sputters, "Grace, that's not a good idea!" It does little to stop her from marching away on
a warpath. He turns to Jake, exasperated. "Here. Tomorrow. Oh eight hundred. Try to use big
words?" When Max turns on his heel, Norm follows behind him like a lost puppy. He
chances a single look back at Jake, making a sympathetic face. Jake just sighs. He hasn't even
been here for three hours and he's already causing a shit storm. Way to go flyboy.

He's about to wheel himself out of the link room when an image in the corner of his eye
catches his attention. It's a stilled photo taken from a video on one of the monitors, and it's
slightly distorted by its glitchy frames. Jake wheels closer to get a better view, and he's
greeted by the face of a Na'vi—the blue skin makes it kind of obvious. Not to mention the
black hair weaved into mohawk-style braids, the large golden eyes, and the flat cat-like nose.
But really, it's the woven adornments and loincloth that are more telling than anything else.

It's pretty easy to point out the differences between the natives and the avatars, even if he's
only seen his own and Norm's so far. But looking at Norm's avatar, or at least the schnoz on
that thing, it doesn't take a genius to see the difference between the two. Besides, the avatars
are lab grown for nearly six years, mixed with human and native DNA. Of course, they're
gonna resemble their driver more than an actual native.

As he looks at the still frame, Jake can't help but feel like he's being stared at through the
photo. The Na'vi's expression is pretty intimidating, with his sculpted features and proud
jawline. His piercing eyes hold a fierce stare, and his face is screwed up into a scowl.

For some reason he can't explain, Jake feels off-kilter as he stares at the native. A weird
feeling settles deep in his chest, and he has to turn away, focusing on the digital clock ticking
on the monitor instead. He really should head off to get some rest soon. After all, Max wants
him up bright and early with the birds.
Come the next morning, as Max promised, the program is in full swing trying to get ready for
their first link session. Jake catches a glimpse of his avatar while he's wheeling to his link
unit, the tall body lying on a gurney in the ambient room. He can see it slowly breathing in
Pandora's natural air, along with the occasional ear flick and toe twitch. It's kind of weird to
see the body moving on its own, but also kind of cool. Norm's avatar is next to his, and both
bodies are being attended to by med techs.

When he finally rolls himself up to his designated link unit, Grace is already there. "Alright,
airman," She says while she continues to calibrate the controls. "How much link time have
you logged?"

Jake hoists himself into his unit, pulling his legs over one at a time. "None, but I've read the
manual."

She turns to him slowly. "You're joking, right?" She's definitely ticked off, but Jake's not
gonna sugar-coat his lack of experience. That would just end in disaster.

He gives her a look. "Do I look like I'm joking? I was in the air force, not a lab."

Grace busies herself by glancing over the links readings and pressing a few more buttons to
finalize the startup. "So, what? You figured you'd just come out here to the most hostile
environment known to man, with no training, and see how it went? What was going through
your head?"

"The way I see it," Jake grunts as he positions himself in the unit, "Pandora is no different
from Earth. Besides, maybe I was just tired of doctors telling me what I couldn't do." He
hopes Grace can just accept that answer because he can't exactly tell her that he came on the
basis of his brother's bedtime stories in the VA hospital. If he did, she'd have more than
enough reasons to ship his ass back to Earth.

Jake settles into the warm gel packs lining the unit, and Grace adjusts the biometric sensors
over his chest. "Relax and let your mind go blank. That shouldn't be hard for you." Goddamn.
"Kiss the darkest part of my lily white a—" and she slams the hood down before he can finish
his retort.

For a second, Jake just stares up at the gel lining above him, calming his nerves. Then he
breathes deeply, relaxes, and closes his eyes.

The feeling of linking is an out-of-body experience, figuratively and literally, but it doesn't
last long. After only a moment, he's opening his eyes again and allowing his unfocused vision
to settle, revealing two med techs hovering right above him. He sees their mouths moving but
doesn't register any of the words, his ears still ringing. He's momentarily blinded by a
flashlight.

"—lary reflex is good." Fingers are snapped by his ears, which twitch at the sounds, and his
hearing finally kicks in. "Pinna response normal. How are you feeling, Jake?"
He raises his hand, flexing his fingers as he slowly sits up on the gurney, wiggling his toes.
Holy fucking shit, he can wiggle his toes. It's been so long since he's lost feeling in his lower
half that he's forgotten what something as small as this feels like. He had known that an
avatar meant functioning legs, but he didn't think it was really real until now. A giddy feeling
rises in his chest, making a wide grin break out on his face. He's so concentrated on having
his legs back that he doesn't even find it weird to be the color of a blueberry. No—he needs to
get his feet under him now.

"Take it slow, Jake," He hears Max's voice over a speaker. "We need to check your motor
control."

Jake turns on the gurney and touches his blue feet to the ground, pulling his weight with him
and standing shakily. He can feel the strength in his legs, something he hasn't felt in so long,
and his heart beats fast in his chest. Jake can faintly register the techs talking to him, trying to
get him to sit down, but he's not listening. Won't listen.

His legs, even though they're technically not his, are working for the first time in years, and
there's no way that he's gonna sit here and twiddle his thumbs when he can be up and moving
again.

He's wobbly on his feet, leaning into a glass window for balance before righting himself. Out
of the corner of his eye, Jake sees something like a blue tentacle curl across his arm and he
startles, jerking around in alarm. He finally catches sight of it, and he realizes it's his tail. His
sudden spin knocks it into a nearby tray and sends the instruments laying there flying.

Jake laughs excitedly. He's got a fucking tail now.

He yanks off the sensors from his chest and dives towards the door, forcing himself through
the med techs and Norm. When he finally pushes the door open and stumbles outside, the
morning sun blinds him. His eyes adjust quickly, and he's met with the sight of the Avatar
Compound stretching out in front of him. He takes two mini bounces on the heels of his feet
before he flexes his legs and launches into a run.

People are shouting for him to stop, but he can't hear them because he's fucking running.
Running! And he thought he'd never be able to say that again in his life. He starts off with an
awkward gait, unused to the feeling of using his legs again, let alone the long and gangly
ones he has now, but he gets the hang of it quickly. He's running at full speed, and he laughs
breathlessly, savoring the burn in his chest.

Jake skids to a stop in a garden amid neatly tended plants and wiggles his toes into the soil.
All of this—the sensory input is almost overwhelming. During his time in the military, he'd
seen handicapped veterans walk again with prosthetics if they had the money. But to be able
to feel the ground? To feel his legs burning? That had never been an option. Until now.

The sensation is even better than flying.

"Hey, airman!"
Jake turns at the familiar voice, and he sees a female avatar walking towards him. And he
knows that face, it's just a little more blue now.

His eyebrows raise. "Grace?"

"Well, who'd you expect, numbnuts? Think fast!" She throws a piece of fruit at him and he
catches it with ease. "Motor control is looking good. But it would've been best if you'd stayed
in the building. Your avatar body needs time to learn."

He ignores her in favor of biting into the fruit. The juice runs down his chin, and he lets out a
delighted sound when the delicious flavor bursts on his tongue. Whatever it is, the fruit is
damn good. Jake doesn't think he's tasted something so fresh in his entire life.

Grace laughs. "Come on, let's go meet the other drivers."

The rest of the day flies by, but he makes the most of it by putting the training center to use.
And by that, he means that he uses it like a child's playground, reveling in the use of his legs
again. He even plays some basketball with the two avatars he had almost run into earlier,
even though he's pretty shit at the game itself. At some point, Max tries to pester him into
coming back for more tests, but Grace pulls him away before he can wear down Jake any
longer. He overhears her saying something about "letting him have fun", which is
surprisingly thoughtful of her. He's grateful that she does though, and he files it away for
later.

Come nighttime, all the avatars are ushered into a tropical-style hut, a place for their bodies
to rest while the drivers aren't linked up. Jake is sitting on a wooden bed, eyeing the end of
his braid—his queue, someone had told him—the tendrils writhing slowly like they have a
mind of their own.

"Freaky." He whispers.

"Don't play with that, you'll go blind. Alright, bedtime people!" Grace shouts as she ushers a
few techs out of the hut. "Lights out. See ya at dinner." Then she comes up to the side of his
bed. "Jake, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Jake looks between her and Max, who looks tiny next to Grace's avatar. "Is there a problem?
Don't tell me I'm getting a belated lecture for this morning."

Grace rolls her eyes. "No, you're not. Even if you probably should be getting one. But there's
something we'd hoped to tell you about your avatar before you ran off."

He raises an expectant eyebrow at them. "Okay... and what is it?"

Max clears his throat awkwardly. "Well… Okay… So you see—avatar bodies are mixed with
the genetic material of the Na'vi, right? That means your avatar is gonna have some things
that you're unfamiliar with. These things can be a little weird to us, and it ranges fro— " He's
rambling now, hands wringing in front of him and his face twisted into a constipated
expression.
"Jesus Max, get to the point." Grace grumbles, effectively cutting him off. "Jake, when your
body was maturing on the ride here, there was an unforeseen change in your biology. This
change, it's rare—really rare, but it's something that sometimes happens among the Na'vi.
Your reproductive systems... they're different."

And did she just say systems, as in plural? Maybe he just heard her wrong. "What do you
mean 'different?'"

Grace shifts from one foot to the other, and then let out a harsh sigh. "You have both female
and male reproductive systems."

Jake's eyebrows shoot to his hairline, and he feels his eyes bug out a little. What the fuck?
 Chapter 3
Chapter Notes

edited 3/28/23 by Mitzi

Jake is... completely blindsided by the bombshell that Grace drops on him, to say the least.

Her little announcement came way out of the left field, and he's just—he isn't sure how to feel
about it. Jake can think of a dozen different scenarios where their conversation could have
gone, each one more valid and realistic than the other. But this? This isn't at the top or the
bottom of that list. No, it isn't even on the fucking list. Now both scientists are staring at him
expectantly like they're waiting for some big reaction, but Jake just sits there, his brain still
processing the information.

The idea of having... both is weird. Like, really fucking weird. But at the same time, it's not
like he's gonna be... be studying whatever's going on down there. Jake hasn't noticed anything
feeling wrong or off with his avatar so far, and it's not like he doesn't feel comfortable in his
own skin. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he isn't exactly freaked out
by the idea. At least, not at the moment. He still has plenty of time to have a breakdown
about it later, when it sinks in. But the way Jake sees it right now, it isn't as big of a deal as it
seemed at first.

"That's... I mean... I'm not—" He huffs, trying to find the right words. "It's difficult to know
how I feel about it, especially since this isn't my real body..." Maybe that's just the relative
shock talking. Give it a day or two and who knows what he'll be saying then. But Jake's
acutely aware of who he's speaking to. They're scientists, and they know what it's like to stay
objective—to not let themselves be ruled by emotion. Back in the service, they'd promoted
the same kind of outlook. Whether it was the marines, army, or air force, it was expected that
you had no hesitation when you held a trigger in your hand. It didn't matter who was standing
in front of the barrel. Jake fleetingly wonders if that kind of detachment is working its magic
now, but he can't be sure.

Besides, Jake didn't come here to have his avatar... fuck some native—or to be fucked. And
god, that's gonna take some time to get used to. In any case, he'll get some out of the link if
he wants a good round. With a human. And that's that.

The way Grace and Max are looking at him now would make someone think that he's a
ticking time bomb. If the two of them are under the impression that... that he's gonna find
himself someone compatible with his avatar and have sex, then they're dead wrong. He didn't
come to Pandora to do that, especially when this isn't his actual body. And if they think that
he's gonna blow a gasket because he's some kind of bigot, then they're mistaken about that
too. Yeah, he was in the air force, and there were plenty of transphobic dickheads serving
with him. But Jake? He never hung around those guys, and he certainly isn't a close-minded
asshole like them.

Back on Earth, Jake would have flings with a couple of girls here and there, and if someone
asked, he'd say he was straight. When he entered the air force though…some of the guys
there sparked his interest in a way that he'd never known before. He never actually acted on
it, and then he lost his legs, which put an abrupt halt to any sexual experimentation he
might've done otherwise. But even if Jake doesn't know exactly where he stands on the
spectrum, he's not someone to judge. Maybe if this avatar was his true body, he'd feel
differently about it, but it's not. He's still a human who, if his last physical is anything to go
by, is a hundred percent male.

"And that's okay." Hearing that from Grace is somewhat reassuring. From the few
interactions they've shared, he knows she's not someone who hides behind dishonesty. She's
upfront with anyone and everyone. "We just thought you should know, in case..." She trails
off.

Jake's brows furrow and his ears pin close to his head. He waits for her to continue, but she
doesn't pick up where she left off. "In case... what? You can't actually think that I'd just go
and... have sex in this avatar?" He laughs incredulously, shaking his head. "I don't make all
my decisions with my dick, you know."

Max frantically waves his hands in front of himself. "No! No, we understand that. As doctors,
we were just inclined to inform you," He says.

He pinches his nose bridge. "And I appreciate that, but—"

"Look, Jake." Grace really has a knack for interrupting people, doesn't she? "We didn't expect
you to do anything, but we just want to cover our bases. On the off chance that something
does happen... you should know about it. But please, for the love of god, keep your word
about not thinking with your dick—or your newfound vagina." Jake gapes at her like a fish,
heat rising to his cheeks. "We don't need this whole program to go up in flames just because
you want to get some."

He groans, burying his face in his hands. "I already said I wasn't going to, didn't I? Can't we
just... can we finish this conversation outside of the link?" He asks, and Grace and Max share
a look, silently communicating with each other, before he's given a nod of approval from
Grace. "Thanks." Jake is off like a shot, hurrying back into the hut and settling on the bed he
claimed earlier. When he lays down, he turns onto his side and brings his knees up towards
his chest, curling into a ball. Jake doesn't immediately close his eyes, instead taking a
moment to gather his thoughts.

He stares at the wall, trying to sort out how he feels about it all. This body has a... a womb. If
he concentrates his attention down there, he can feel the slight dissimilarity between his legs.
It's not exactly uncomfortable... just different. He hadn't really recognized it earlier, since he'd
been overwhelmed by his regained mobility and the accompanying sensory overload, but it
was there. His mind is running about a hundred miles per hour and—oh god, does that mean
he could carry a kid now? That sends a shock of panic through his chest and Jake hastily
pushes the idea to the back of his mind. But with that train of thought, he can't help but
think... what if he did find someone? It's a crazy ass thought, but a thought nonetheless.

Even if he did... would there even be a point behind it? He can't survive out there without his
avatar. And at the end of it all, he can never truly stay. When his six-year rotation is up, he'll
be shipped right back to Earth. Which is where he would still be right now if his brother
hadn't been killed. Jake wishes he could talk to him right now, to laugh about the insanity of
all this, to confide in him, to apologize for taking his dream and making it his own. But he
can't, and Jake is left with nothing but his own tangled feelings.

He sighs. After a couple more minutes, he allows his eyes to rest.

Jake blinks, disoriented, and he's momentarily blinded when a tech opens the hood of his
unit. In the link next to him, Grace is disconnecting and sitting upright, stretching her limbs.

She's already reaching for a cigarette. "Damn, still the same ol' sack of bones."

He sits upright with some trouble, taken off guard by the dead weight of his legs. His jaw
clenches in frustration. Back to being a goddamn cripple.

"Jake," Grace calls in a hushed voice, "ready to continue that conversation?"

"...Yeah." He says just as softly. Jake pulls himself out of the link unit and into his
wheelchair, trying to ignore the sharp pang of loss. The feeling of coming out of the link, it's
off-putting. It's like two worlds are bleeding into each other, and he has to mentally shake
himself to regain his bearings.

Max doesn't stay for the rest of their conversation, muttering something about helping Norm
in the bio lab before dinner. Grace claims that they won't talk for long, especially since it's
getting late and they need to be up early again tomorrow. Jake just thinks she's anxious to go
and get dinner. Either way, he's just grateful that this won't last too long.

She talks him through a short crash course of what having two reproductive systems means
for his avatar. He's surprised for the second time that day when she tells him that his avatar is
capable of carrying children, but not the other way around. The test results she pulls up show
that his uterine lining is stronger than his sperm count, and at that, Jake can feel a headache
coming on. Thankfully, his avatar will still function like any other Na'vi, but Grace warns
him that his scent might be slightly different to the natives.

"We can't really tell though, since the sensory processing on the avatars is a lot weaker than
that of the Na'vi." She places her tablet on the table and leans back onto her hands. "It
shouldn't be too much of a problem, since you probably won't even see them when we're
running expeditions."

"Really? But I thought we're in the middle of their territory."

Grace's face pinches. "The Omaticaya don't tend to talk to the people who are digging up
their home and killing their people. They just monitor us from afar. If you see one of them,
then it's most likely because you're in deep shit. We're trying to fix that, but there's a long
road to recovery." Her tone is tinged with a kind of sadness, and Jake wonders at that.

She sighs. "Anyways, there are a few more things we need to go over, and then you're free to
go."

Out of the rest of everything she tells him, the only thing that really sticks out is that the Na'vi
mate for life. It sounds like some bubble-headed romantic's dream, but Jake knows then that
Grace has nothing to worry about. He's never been good at all that love shit, or even long-
term—he just doesn't think it's in his cards. So Jake tunes Grace out as she gives him another
little lecture of, "If that were to happen, you'd never be one of them."

She snaps her fingers in front of his face when she notices that he's not really listening. "Hey,
pay attention, this is serious Jake. Intersex individuals are sacred to the Na'vi, and there hasn't
been someone like you in generations." Grace crosses her hands in front of her chest. "You're
a 'Sky Person' to them, and if they find out that you hold something that's revered by their
people, tensions will probably get even worse. It'll almost be like we've taken something
from them."

Amazing. "So what, I just have to stay under the radar?" Jake runs his hands over his face.

Grace nods. "Hopefully, your difference in scent isn't noticeable to them. But like I said,
you'll be sticking with us when we go into the forest, so they won't be getting close. Just,
keep all this in mind, okay?"

Jake mumbles his agreement and then follows Grace when she pushes off the desk and makes
her way to the dining hall. They join Norm and a few other avatar drivers in the small area
claimed by the SciOps division. Around them, miners, troopers, and other personnel are
wolfing down their dinner and talking boisterously. When they sit down, Grace starts a
conversation with one of the scientists next to her and Norm is in his own little world,
chattering away about Pandoran plants. Jake is barely listening—hardly even touching his
food. He just sits there and shifts his mashed potatoes around on his tray.

"Jake," He hears Norm say, and he lifts his head. "You okay?"

He tries to hide his grimace. "Yeah, I'm fine... why?"

"I don't know, you just seem—"

"Sully!" He hears the sound of approaching footsteps, and he turns to see a pilot weaving
through the tables toward them. The name on her badge reads Trudy Chacon. "Colonel
Quaritch wants to see you in the Armor Bay." His brows furrow in confusion.

The Colonel? The man is head of security, and he doesn't deal with individual members of
the Avatar Program. So why does he want to see Jake?

"Okay, lead the way." He abandons the food he hasn't touched and spins his wheelchair
around to follow the pilot. He doesn't miss the stare Grace shoots in his direction, which is
simultaneously curious and knowing.
The Armor Bay is a little ways away, and way too fucking busy for a guy in a wheelchair. He
scans the assortment of tilt-rotor aircraft, heavily armored scorpion gunships, and the
Samsons, which are all outfitted with door guns and rocket pods. It's a shit ton of weaponry,
and Jake wonders just what's out there that warrants all of this.

He glances over at Trudy. "You guys are packing some heavy artillery."

She laughs. "Yeah, 'cause we're not the only things flying out there—or the biggest ." The
only thing he's aware of that might rival the gunships are the banshees. Jake doesn't think he
wants to know what could be bigger than that. When they pass one of the Samsons, Trudy
stops and shoots him a wide smile. "This here's my baby!" She pats the nose of the aircraft
fondly, and then they're back to walking towards the Colonel. "Not sure if you're aware, but
I'm the pilot tasked to fly all the science sorties, and I hear you're the newest member. When
the time comes, I'm gonna need you on a door gun, I'm a man short."

Jake feels his heart lurch. It's not the same as being the pilot of his own aircraft, but it's pretty
damn close. "Yeah, no problem."

They cross through a gallery of AMP suits, and at the end of the row is a makeshift gym.
Inside, Jake can see the Colonel bench pressing massive plates.

"There's your guy. See you out on the field, Sully," Trudy says, and then she leaves him to it.

He wheels forward until he's at the entrance of the makeshift gym, and knocks on the
doorframe to get the Colonel's attention. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Quaritch grunts as he pulls another rep, his attention focused on the bar. "This low gravity
makes you soft... You get soft—" He racks the bar and sits up. Despite the sheen of sweat
coating his muscles, he doesn't even look winded. "—Pandora will shit you out dead with
zero warning. I pulled your record, corporal. Read what happened out there... Venezuela,
that's some mean bush. Nothing like this here though. You got heart, kid, coming out here."

"Yeah, well..." And what's he supposed to say to that? Jake didn't exactly come out here for
the warfare. "Figured it's just another hellhole." A hellhole that has the Hallelujah Mountains
and banshees. But that's not what the Colonel wants to hear.

Quaritch stands, chuckling. "I was First Recon myself. Two tours in Nigeria, not a scratch. I
come out here and..." he points to his scarred face. "Mean son of a bitch that did this. They
could fix it if I rotated back. But I kinda like it. Reminds me every day of what's out there.
Besides, I can't leave." He exits the little gym and approaches an AMP suit, climbing into the
cockpit and throwing some switches. Gas turbines whine as the machinery starts up. Jake has
to use a lift to just be able to continue the conversation, and he adds that to his rapidly
growing list of reasons to dislike Quaritch. The man could've easily stayed where they were
to continue the conversation, but he's obviously showing off.

"Listen here, kid. The Avatar Program? Bunch of limpdick science majors. But we have a
unique opportunity here, you and I. A recon soldier in an avatar body could get me the intel I
need, on the ground, right in the hostiles' camp."
Jake can't believe what he's hearing. This guy really wants him to go behind Grace's back and
fucking spy on the natives? Besides the glaringly obvious fact that if Grace found out he
would have a one-way ticket back to Earth, how is Jake of all people supposed to get in with
the Na'vi? Especially with this whole damn intersex problem. He's the last person in the
entire program that Quaritch should be talking to.

The AMP suit whines as it trembles with power, and Quaritch operates the controls, flexing
one of the suit's hands. Jake has to suppress an eye roll when he starts punching the air.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I think you've got the wrong idea. I'm not a marine or an army dog—I may
have had some of the recon training, but I was air force. My experience is there... I wouldn't
do you much good."

"That might be so, but I believe in you kid. What do you say? I need you to learn these
savages from the inside out—gain their trust."

"Sir—"

"Find out how I can force their cooperation, or hit 'em hard if they don't. Maybe help keep
some of my men from coming home like you or bagged-and-tagged." What the fuck? Jake
can't believe that Quaritch is trying to sway him with this twisted kind of guilt trip. Coming
home like him—unbelievable. "Get me what I need, and I'll see that you get your legs back
when you rotate home. Your real legs."

"Sir, I—what?" That catches him off guard, and he almost wants to laugh. What good are legs
if he has to go back to Earth to have them? He isn't trying to prematurely return to his dying
home, where there's nothing and no one left for him. He took Tommy's place for a reason,
and he means to see the world outside of this compound. A world where he might be able to
watch, or even ride, the banshees soaring through the sky. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this for
you."

Quaritch gets a mean look on his face, but he stays quiet for long enough to allow Jake to
continue.

"I'm not declining because I have some moral dilemma with the natives. You pulled my file,
and we both know I have the training to carry this mission out. But that's not why I came to
Pandora. I'm not here to make enemies. I'm sorry, Colonel."

His eyes are hard as he looks at him, and Jake wonders if someone's ever denied one of his
requests before. "As I said, you got heart. I'd just hoped you'd choose better... just remember
whose side you're on, kid." He slams the canopy of his suit shut and jumps down, marching
down the gallery without looking back. It's only when he's far enough away that Jake releases
the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Jake doesn't see Grace until the next morning when he arrives in the link room. When he
wheels up to his unit and asks what's on the agenda for the day, she just tells him that there's
nothing special planned. His and Norm's avatars are expected to do some more training
before they can be let out of the compound, and that won't be for another two weeks.
"Start calibrating. I'll see everyone out there in a few minutes." Grace gulps down her coffee
in record time and tosses out the styrofoam. "Hold on airman." She steps up to Jake with her
arms crossed against her chest, "What did the Colonel want?"

Goddamn, she's bold. But no use in keeping secrets, right? "Right, well. He wanted me to get
on the Na'vi's good side to try and get them to listen." Her eyes narrow. "Hey, quit looking at
me like that, I said no to him. It's not my fight to get involved in, but he was pretty damn
adamant about it, considering my background."

Grace considers his words for a minute, and then she nods slowly, her lips pursed. "Okay, I
believe you. But listen to me, Jake... you're driving an avatar now, and that means you're in
my world, got it?" He nods. "Quaritch has screwed up this program enough. I don't need him
or Selfridge butting in any further... so don't you go changing your mind."

He grins at her. "Wouldn't dream of it."

 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes

I was asked if I had a Twitter account last chapter, and since I didn't, I ended up making
one! here's the link: DabiForlife

Give me a follow if you want to know ahead of time when I'll update and when I go
back to edit a chapter! Or if you just want to chat, my dms are open! I want to try and
put this AU on an upload schedule, but since I'm juggling two other AUs on a separate
account, staying on track may be tricky.

edited 3/28/23 by Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Before he realizes it, two weeks have gone by in a flash since his arrival on Pandora.

Those two weeks are filled with long days in the link unit, staying in for ten-hour shifts under
Grace's watchful eye. As the head of the program, Grace demands high expectations from her
scientists and avatar drivers, especially when it comes to respecting the Omaticaya and their
forests. Jake knows that she isn't paying close attention to him just because of the whole
Quaritch ordeal, but her constant scrutiny still sets him on edge. He tries to remind himself
that he's the rookie here, with no previous training or knowledge, so of course she's gonna be
keeping more tabs on him. Which does shit to settle his nerves. He's never been the best with
authority figures, and that's not gonna magically change now that he's on another planet.

In the time he spends training with his avatar though, the whole idea of having two
reproductive systems settles into the back of Jake's mind, and most days, he doesn't even
think about it. He's kept busy enough that even if he wanted to give it some in-depth thought,
he probably wouldn't have the time to. Jake is just grateful that the initial feeling of weirdness
has all but faded away.

Grace insists that he and Norm do most of their training together, but more often than not, he
ditches them in favor of doing his own thing. She schedules a bunch of sessions in one of the
simulator rooms which mimics the actual rainforest just beyond the borders of the compound.
They're expected to complete several test runs that are calibrated with any number of
possibilities that might happen when they're out there. Grace only manages to drag him there
by the ear a handful of times, and by that, he means that there are only three occasions that
he's actually in the room with Norm. Grace is annoyed by it, sure, but she doesn't really
hound him too much about it—not when he's still getting used to his new legs. Besides, he's
still training in the compound, just not all that much in the simulator rooms. He'll take real-
life, physical training over digital shit any day.
When he and the crew are ready to venture out into Pandora's forest, Jake meets up with
Norm and Grace in the link room. Norm is already setting up his link, and Grace is waiting
for him by his unit. When she catches sight of him wheeling into the room, she pulls him
aside.

"Alright airman, today I need you to stick with the group, got it? You still need to spend more
time in the simulator room, and I'm not about to throw you to the wolves out there. So you're
gonna have to do some hand-holding until you've got more experience under your belt."

Jake lazily salutes her. "Ma'am, yes ma'am. Doesn't sound too hard."

She raises her eyebrows and puts her hands on her hips. "Selfrdige insists that you're given a
gun since you have no scientific background, as a sort of security detail for our group. Just
tell me that you won't turn into some trigger-happy moron once you're out there. Wainfleet
already has that covered for us."

"Yeah, I'll leave that to him." Jake snorts. "But seriously, you don't have to worry about it.
Unless some big bad comes along."

"Which won't happen, if everything goes to plan." She turns to the rest of their group. Even
Trudy and Wainfleet have shown up, probably on Grace's order.

"Listen up! All of this—" Grace gestures to the entirety of the link room, "Exists so that we
can learn about Pandora and more importantly, go out there and build a bridge of trust with
these people." She pauses and pointedly looks at Wainfleet, who just purses his lips. "But
thanks to some people, the Na'vi won't even talk to us anymore." She'd mentioned that when
they'd had their little talk about his avatar biology, and Jake wonders how this whole
operation is gonna work if that's the case.

No one's shedding any light on it, so he decides to just ask. "Then how is this supposed to go
down?"

She silently points at Norm, and in his confusion, Norm points to himself questioningly. "We
have a new face; Norm is fluent in the Na'vi language and he's studied the culture for years.
He's also non–threatening." Jake's brow slightly raises at that, and she notices. "What? Do
you think someone who has zero experience on Pandora can do better?" She bites.

He raises his hands defensively. "I never said anything."

"No, but your face says all I need to know. You're an airman, Jake—it means you're brash,
and that you talk out of your ass before you think. Just like your Marine cousins over in the
SecOps." Ouch. "Call me idealistic, but the Omaticaya might actually give Norm a chance
before things go tits-up for good."

"This is failing as a pep-talk." Norm whispers.

Wainfleet cracks his knuckles. "I agree with doofus over here. Let's just get to it." Norm
sputters as the marine turns around and strides toward the hangar. Trudy mutters a small
apology before running after him.
Jake wheels himself to his link and pulls himself onto the cool gel. Grace stands next to him,
starting up the machine. He looks over at her curiously. "How are you guys gonna contact
them?"

"The Na'vi... there are a lot of things that they hold sacred, so the idea is that they contact us.
If they see us treating the forest with respect—not trampling everything in sight, then they
may reach out to us."

Jake nods and lies back, lowering the sensory array over his body.

"If they do... stay back and leave the talking to Norm. We don't need you adding fuel to the
fire."

It isn't much later that the three avatars are soaring over the carpet of rainforest in Trudy's
aircraft, whizzing past sheer cliffs and through cloud-wreathed mesas. From the second they
take off, Jake notices how much Trudy likes to chase her own shadow, always flying close
enough that he could reach out and touch the landscapes with his hand. It's a thrill ride more
exciting than what Jake could've imagined, and he feels at home being in the sky again. It's
been so long since he's last flown, he'd almost forgotten the feeling. But now everything is
rushing back to him, and he can't fight off the smile that rises to his face.

He's perched on the edge of the Samson, leaning out as far as he can without falling. To feel
the wind biting hard at his face and his stomach doing flips whenever the aircraft dips, it's
fucking amazing. When the treeline drops off from underneath them, Trudy maneuvers her
Samson down towards the open lake, weaving through a flock of stingbats.

"Hey, Jake!" Trudy calls through the comm, "Check this out."

Jake grabs hold of an overhead bar and leans further out of the aircraft. A bit further ahead,
he notices a drop in the lake, the current of water rushing down into what has to be at least a
thousand-foot waterfall. Trudy nose-dives along the drop like she's operating an amusement
park ride, skirting right past the trees on the cliff face.

She pulls up on the gears, banking hard to keep the aircraft level and Jake yells out,
whooping. "H-holy shit! Awe yeah!" He's oblivious to the amused look Grace gives him
behind his back, or the queasy expression Norm wears. He can faintly hear Trudy laughing in
his ear.

The flight lasts for a few more minutes before they're descending onto a small meadow
blanketed by towering trees. Jake jumps out of the Samson to assess the area before the
aircraft even touches the ground, and Wainfleet is right behind him.

Norm, on the other hand, doesn't handle the touchdown as well as the rest of them. The
second they land, he's stumbling out of the Samson and puking up his breakfast into a poor
bush. Jake's ears pin back and his nose scrunches up in disgust.

"Snowflake." He murmurs. Jake turns away from where the Ph.D. is spilling his guts, looking
up at the trees that rise above their heads. They're goddamn massive—bigger than any living
thing he's ever laid his eyes on. If Tommy were here, he would totally be freaking out.

Grace passes him and hurries over to the cockpit, signaling for Trudy to cut the engine. Then
she instructs Wainfleet to stay with the aircraft, and the guy looks annoyed, but he listens.

"Alright, let's head out. Norm, don't forget your pack."

Jake grips his gun tightly, ready and alert. He may not be a scientist, but he can protect their
little group if they run into trouble. He knows enough about Pandora to realize that there are
some really fucking dangerous animals in this forest. Grace might not like it, but he isn't
gonna take any chances. Not when he just got this new body—this new set of legs. So Jake
takes the lead, even though he's not entirely sure where they're headed. He calculates each
step he makes through the foliage, hyper-aware of all the sounds he hears. It's kind of hard to
keep his focus though, especially when he's never seen something like this before. He was a
city boy back on Earth, and apart from his aunt's farm and his brief stint in Venezuela, he'd
never been out in nature much. Each new plant and flower that he passes threatens to break
his concentration, and he feels like a goddamn cat with how curious he is about everything.

His head snaps up when the tree branches above them start rustling, reflexively drawing his
M60 up. As he watches, monkey-like creatures swing into view, leaping from branch to
branch. One of them stops to pick a nearby fruit and it looks at Jake curiously, head tilted.
With its huge eyes, Jake can't help but think it's kind of cute. He lowers his gun slowly,
smiling a little.

"Prolemuris," Grace says as she comes up next to him. "They're not aggressive." She eyes the
gun in his hand, and he suppresses the urge to roll his eyes. It's not like he was gonna shoot it
on sight. As if sensing the topic of their silent exchange, the creature hastily swings away to
catch up with its group.

"I can see that." He retorts.

She pushes ahead of him without a word and Norm follows, Jake bringing up the rear now.

They finally stop at a tree that has a bunch of protruding roots. Grace and Norm kneel over
the trunk and Jake stays standing, surveying the area. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches
as Grace brushes away some of the soil, exposing more of the root tendrils. She takes a tiny
sample using a needle probe while Norm uses a digital device to scan the roots.

"Wow!" Norm exclaims, eyes wide and ears perked up. "It's that fast?"

Grace chuckles, and Jake is pretty sure it's the first time he's heard her laugh. "Amazing, isn't
it? So, that's signal transduction from this root to the root of the tree next to it..."

It's after fifteen minutes that the boredom begins to sink in. His shoulders are tight from
tensing his muscles for too long, and his fingers are cramping around the barrel of his M60.
So he makes the executive decision to scout a few meters ahead, figuring that he might as
well ensure the surrounding area's safety before they relocate. He stops short when he passes
the nearest tree, looking back at Grace. She hasn't noticed that he's stepped a few feet away,
busy as she is with her little roots. For a second he hesitates—she'd explicitly told him to stay
with the group and not go running around wreaking havoc. But he won't be going far, just
scouting the perimeter for any danger. Besides, it'll be better than just standing there like dead
weight while they run their tests.

With his mind made up, he turns away from the two and continues forward. He steps lightly
over an embedded root and ducks under a canopy of leaves when he catches sight of a splash
of bright color in the distance. Jake is immediately on guard, bringing his gun up as he
approaches. When he walks into the small glade, he realizes that the bright color he saw is
nothing but some shoulder-high spiral plants, and he relaxes. They're pink and almost
glowing in the sunlight, and it reminds Jake of mushrooms, only... bigger and more alien-like.
He approaches the plants hesitantly, caught up in his fascination. Right now, he can almost
understand Grace's weird love of plants, because these are pretty damn cool. He tilts his head
this way and that before he brings his fingers up to lightly brush one of the rims.

SHTOONK!

Jake startles when the plant coils and retracts into a tube in the ground, quick enough that it's
almost like it vanishes into thin air. "Cool." He whispers, eyes wide. He immediately has the
urge to touch another one, and he doesn't try to tamp it down. Instead, he gives in and touches
the one nearest to him.

SHTOONK!

The retraction catches him by surprise again, and he laughs quietly in amazement. He moves
to touch another, but this time the entire cluster of plants retracts in a chain reaction. In an
instant, all of them are nestled tightly in the ground. Jake laughs again, spinning around to
look at all of the tiny stems, but when he turns back around, his smile drops.

Where the plants used to be, there's a huge animal that's at least ten times his size, and his
heart skips a beat. When he sees the crest sticking out from its head, the name of it comes to
him. Jesus Christ, it's a fucking hammerhead titanothere. Right as he thinks that, the animal
raises its head in alarm and trumpets a warning display. All Jake can think to do is to raise his
gun in defense, even though it'll probably do jack-shit against something so big.

No amount of simulation training could've prepared him for this.

"Shit!" he takes his left hand off the barrel and raises it to his neck, pressing the comms
button. "Grace!" He whisper-yells, trying not to provoke it any more than he has. God
dammit, she's going to kill him. She had one request, and he's gone and fucked that up within
record time.

The titanothere takes a step forward and trumpets again, making Jake's heart rate skyrocket.
A moment later, he hears two sets of feet crashing through the bushes behind him. He turns
just in time to see Grace and Norm taking cover behind a tree trunk.

"Don't shoot!" Grace warns. "You'll piss it off."

The titanothere bellows and lowers its head, hammering through the two tees nearest on
either side. Jake doesn't let his eyes leave the angry animal as he retorts, "It's already pissed
off!" He's squeezing his M60 in a death grip, and his hands are white-knuckled.

"Jake, that armor's too thick. Trust me! Just lower your weapon and back away..."
Reluctantly, Jake does as he's instructed, lowering the barrel of his gun to the ground and
hopefully getting the non-threatening message across. Obviously, the titanothere doesn't get
the memo, because it knocks down some more trees in response. "It's a territorial display...
don't run, or he'll charge."

"So what do I do?" Jake's fight or flight is starting to kick in, and he's getting antsy. "Dance
with it?" And now he's running his goddamn mouth.

Grace hasn't taken her eyes off the titanothere either. "Just hold your ground."

The titanothere kicks at the ground and bellows, charging forward all at once. So Jake does
the only thing he can think of. And that happens to be running towards the charging animal
and bellowing at the top of his lungs like a lunatic. He can only pray to god that this move
doesn't end up with him getting flattened into a pancake.

Miraculously, the titanothere lets out a nervous trumpet and backs away in fear. Jake laughs
incredulously. No fucking way that just worked.

"Oh yeah, who's bad? That's right—that's what I'm talkin' about bitch!" The adrenaline
coursing through him has eliminated any and all filters from his brain to his mouth. "All that
tough shit and look at you now—" the titanothere quickly turns and hurries away back to its
herd "—running like a bitch back to mommy! You got nothing, you keep running. Yeah, why
don't you—"

A low, guttural snarl vibrates from behind him, cutting off any more of Jake's insults.

Jake turns around slowly, ears flattening against his head, and any sort of amusement he'd
gotten out of taunting the titanothere flies out the window. In front of him is an animal that
he's never seen before, but it's fucking terrifying. It's very obviously a predator, almost
reminiscent of a black panther, but on mega steroids. It roars, the sensory quills on its head
rattling like a snake, and it leaps over him in a massive jump, stalking the titanotheres. Shit,
shit, shit is running like a mantra in his head.

The beast doesn't spend long threatening the titanothere herd before it's staring Jake down,
fangs bared in a lethal hiss. He swallows the lump in his throat, his whole body tensing.
"Run?" He asks through the comm.

"Run!" Grace yells. "Definitely run!"

Jake bolts.

The thanator leaps after him, and Jake launches himself just in time between two tree trunks
before the beast's jaw snaps shut on his shadow, claws tearing away at the trees. He scrambles
to his feet, leaping over roots and fallen trees, narrowly missing the slashes of claws each
time, willing himself forward in a frenzy until he dives under a massive root system.
Bark rains around him when the beast slams into the trunk shielding him, claws slashing in
every direction. "Fucking hell!" He rolls onto his back and lets loose on his rifle, firing bullet
after bullet at the fucker. It lets out ungodly screeches and wails of rage, but it still doesn't
stop its goddamn assault. Jake doesn't even get through an entire mag when the weapon is
ripped away from him and he has to make a break for it, army-crawling out from under the
tree.

He runs into a clearing and he hears the beast roar over him, large jaws clamping shut over
his backpack. He's lifted into the air and tossed around like a rag doll, and his heart feels like
it's gonna explode out of his chest. Jake thinks quickly and unbuckles his pack, slipping free.
It provides a momentary distraction, and he's able to run several feet ahead before the
predator realizes.

Just ahead of him, Jake can make out a rushing river, and he makes the split decision to dive
into the water. Jaws snap shut just inches behind him as he lunges into the rapids. For a
second, he thinks he's finally lost the damn thing, but when he looks behind him the beast is
swiftly jumping from rock to rock. Panicking, Jake tries to swim forward as fast as he can,
but it already has him within reach.

Claws slash again and Jake feels pulsing pain rip through his calf. He screams involuntarily
under the water, choking as he accidentally swallows. He breaks through the surface just in
time to see the water ahead of him dropping off into a waterfall, and Jake's blood turns to ice.
He's drifted too far out to keep himself from sweeping over, and the thanator is still right
behind him. He only has one choice.

Shit.

Jake tumbles over the edge of the waterfall, his stomach in his throat, and then makes a harsh
impact with the churning water below. He disappears under the waves, being shoved down by
the force of the water, and he struggles to get his bearings for a terrifying second. Then his
foot hits the riverbed and he manages to plant it down and push upwards. He bursts through
the surface, gasping for breath. He frantically reaches for a nearby fallen tree and weakly
pulls himself out of the water, where he just lies there against the trunk, exhausted. Looking
up towards the cliff, he sees the beast releasing a roar that echoes through the jungle.

"Yeah... fuck you too, asshole." Jake winces as pain shoots through his calf, and he pulls
himself up to look at the injury. There's a nasty gash from the back of his knee to his ankle,
bleeding excessively but not enough to be life-threatening. His hands tremble over the
laceration, and the pain makes tears prick the back of his eyes. He slips off his button-up and
ties it around his leg, splinting it with two spindly branches. Jake has to bite his tongue hard
enough to muffle the screams that burn at the back of his throat. The fucker got him good.

By the time he finishes, tears are streaming down his cheeks and he has to fight off the
darkness blurring the edges of his vision. He can't pass out, not until his avatar is somewhere
safe.

Jake stands but immediately falls to the ground, screaming profanities at the shock of pain he
gets for putting too much weight on his foot. Walking is going to take some fucking grit.
"You can do this, airman," he hypes, taking a deep breath. "This isn't any different from
 Venezuela, only... you're stuck in enemy territory with a big ass cat. Yeah, you got this." He
heaves himself up, using the tree for support, and balances on one foot.

Now, how to find his way back to base.

As the hours stretch on, he manages to build a makeshift spear, carved into a crude but sharp
tip. He also breaks off a branch that's big enough to substitute as a walking stick, leaning
most of his weight onto it to avoid putting too much pressure on his injured leg. But even
with it, he's moving way slower than he would like to.

"Grace... Trudy... can you read me?" He tries to communicate through his comm, but all he
hears is static, which is the same thing he's gotten for the last few hours. Jake looks over his
shoulder, checking the way he came. He can just barely see the trail of blood he's left behind,
and his stomach lurches. It won't be long before some other animal comes looking for him as
their next snack. Why the fuck hadn't he just followed Grace's instructions? He'd really gotten
himself into deep shit this time.

Above him, Jake is unaware of the figure draped over a tree limb like a leopard, stalking him
silently. She moves in a fluid motion and rises soundlessly, nocking an arrow to her bow and
drawing the string back, aiming right at Jake. She's seconds away from letting the arrow fly
when something white and wispy floats in front of her, staying her hand.

Jake continues forward with a slight wobble in his stride, his makeshift spear held at the
ready. If something stumbles on him right now, he's fucked six ways to Sunday, but that
doesn't mean he won't go down without a fight. A snap of a branch resounds and he whips his
head toward where the sound echoed, but all he sees is what looks like a drifting seed.
Nothing else.

Chapter End Notes

We're getting closer to meeting his lover boi! I'm getting excited! Are you!?
 Chapter 5
Chapter Notes

and just like that, POOF! Tsu'tey's here! Not much interaction between the two but the
next chapter will make up for it. I hope this is okay for their first meeting!

NOTE: italicized dialog indicates their native language!

Twitter

edited 3/28/23 by Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Neytiri trots with perfect balance along the elevated root system, her bow held tightly in her
hand. She moves nimbly above the forest floor, not even bothering to look down at the lower
level that's hundreds of feet below her. Rings of syuratan radiate out from under her swift-
moving feet, like the ripples of a pond. Vines crisscross along the roots and extend down into
the gorge, and anyone less familiar with the terrain could easily tangle their legs and tumble
over the edge.

She keeps her attention ahead of her, but her eyes are as hard as lìngtskxe, and her nose is
crinkled up in frustration. She's angry and with good reason. Neytiri cannot understand why
the atokirina' would stay her arrow—would stop her from piercing through the heart of the
trespassing dreamwalker. Eywa's children have suffered so much at the hands of ay tawtute,
and Neytiri knows better than anyone what the dreamwalkers, the Sky People, are capable of.

The death of her sister Sylwanin. The deaths of her betrothed's parents, Ateyo and Artsut.
The death of children at Grace Augustine's school. And that isn't where the list ends—so
many Omaticaya have been lost to the Sky People's greed and ignorance. They bring nothing
but death, sorrow, and hardship.

It fills Neytiri with rage.

She is not one to ignore the will of Eywa, and she took the atokirina' as the obvious sign that
it was... but for what? Her father had made it clear that dreamwalkers were no longer allowed
to step foot inside their territory, and yet the stupid dreamwalker is blundering toward
Kelutral. He is going to leave a trail of wreckage behind himself, no doubt. What's more, the
dreamwalker had also appeared to be injured. He won't survive much longer if he keeps
trailing blood around everywhere, and at this rate, a lehrrapa ioang would be quick to get
him. So the obvious conclusion would be to kill the dreamwalker then and there.

So why, ma Eywa, would you spare him? Neytiri lets a harsh breath out of her nose and
pushes her legs to go faster. Now isn't the time to be contesting the Great Mother's will.
Neytiri maneuvers along the roots until she is finally level with the forest floor, hopping off
the root and onto the compact ground. Ahead of her, there is a worn-down path hidden
amongst the shrubs and bushes, which will lead her to Kelutral's main entrance.

Already, Neytiri can see the vast trunk of her home looming in the distance. When she is
soaring through the skies on Seze, it is like Kelutral is stretching up to kiss the clouds with
her elegant branches, reaching much higher than any of the other trees in the forest. But from
the ground, her trunk is steadfast and unshakeable. Kelutral is lively at this time of night, and
as Neytiri approaches the main archway, many of the Omaticaya gather to welcome her
return. She warmly greets the children that swarm to her side. They beg for her to teach them
how to hunt with their practice bows, and to tell them stories about her time spent with
dreamwalkers— from the time when they were allowed in their home. But she does her best
to avoid the topic even on a good day, and right now she has more important matters to tend
to, so she quickly shoos them off.

She needs to find Tsu'tey.

It is nearing dinner time, and most of the clan are gathering in the second level of Kelutral for
their communal meal. Neytiri bounds up the 'ìheyu snayì, rounding the corner and scanning
the area. She approaches one of the cook-fires, which is surrounded by a band of warriors
chatting about their earlier hunts.

"Ma Tsu'tey!" Neytiri calls.

The future Olo'eyktan turns, his large beaded necklace glinting in the firelight and reflecting
onto his face. Even in the soft light, his expression is still intense and brooding, as it almost
always is. Neytiri remembers a time when his face didn't carry all that weight, all that anger,
but his carefree appearance is now a rare sight. When he sees Neytiri though, his lips twitch
up and his face smooths into something warm and comfortable. He brings his hand up to
touch his forehead in greeting.

"Neytiri... how was your patrol?"

"Tsu'tey, there was—" she pauses to catch her breath, "there was a dreamwalker. He is not far
from Kelutral."

Around them, a deafening silence descends.

Tsu'tey's whole body stiffens, and the amiable expression he had worn just moments before is
wiped off his face, replaced with his signature brood. With his tail swishing and ears flat, he
quickly turns to look back at the other warriors. One of the eldest is swift to toss him his bow
as he moves to stand, and Tsu'tey catches the weapon with ease. "Take me to him." He
demands.

Neytiri turns on her heel, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that he's following close
behind. Then they're off, covering ground swiftly as they retrace Neytiri's steps back to where
she had last seen the dreamwalker. With the injury she noticed on him earlier, he couldn't
have gotten much farther.
"Neytiri," Tsu'tey starts, barely pausing as he leaps from one root to another, "What is a
dreamwalker doing all the way out here? They know they are forbidden from ever coming to
Hometree." His face is steely, and any confusion he has is paired with righteous anger.
Neytiri felt the same way when she first saw the dreamwalker so blatantly disregarding her
father's orders.

"This dreamwalker... he is one that I have never seen before." She explains, glancing over to
where Tsu'tey is running beside her. "I was patrolling when I noticed palulukan tracks, closer
to Kelutral than where the beast usually hunts. There must have been easy prey in the area
for it to stray outside of its territory, and I do not doubt that it was one of the dreamwalker
expeditions. This one must have been separated from his group... a single individual cannot
take on such a beast. He must've been prey."

Tsu'tey glances sharply at her, disapproval written all over his features, and Neytiri feels
herself begin to bristle. "And you did not finish what the beast started?" He hisses low in his
throat. "I did not think that you were one to be so soft-hearted, Neytiri. But if you really do
not think that you can finish him off, I will gladly do so—"

Neytiri skids to a stop and whirls around to face the other, her hand pushing at his chest and
expression twisting into a snarl. He looks taken aback at her sudden aggression, ears laid
against his skull, and she balks at her own outburst. Neytiri releases a harsh sigh, looking up
to the sky in an attempt to regain her composure. When she meets Tsu'tey's gaze again, she
holds up a finger. "First of all, do not be so quick to assume that I lack the will to kill this
brainless dreamwalker, because I do not." His expression pinches, and he opens his mouth in
an attempt to interrupt her, but she cuts him off with a slight jab to his chest. "And second of
all, the situation is much more complicated than you think."

Tsu'tey raises his browline and lifts his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, Ma Tsakarem."
He mutters sarcastically. "You can stop poking a hole in my chest now. And it would be nice to
know just what is complicated about this. It does not seem unclear to me."

At that moment, she hears the echoing chitters of ay nantang in the distance, and her head
snaps around to track the noise. "We need to keep moving." She grasps Tsu'tey's hand and
pulls him forward. "I will tell you on our way there."

Jake's got a slight problem. And by slight problem, he actually means a huge fucking
problem. He's surrounded by viperwolves—a whole pack of them.

He can just barely track their movement as they stalk him from the shadows, their reflective
green eyes glinting ominously. Jake can't keep track of them, losing sight of the fuckers as
they weave through the foliage only to catch them creeping closer a second later. He rips off
the last layer of his shirt and ties it in a thick knot around the butt of his spear. Miracle of all
miracles, Jake had stumbled across a tree oozing some type of sap that he recognizes from
one of his survival training simulations. As he soaks his shirt in it, he prays to God that it's
the same sap as the one in training and that it's actually flammable. If it isn't, he's gonna be
completely, and utterly, fucked. Not that he isn't already.
He fishes the pack of matches from his pocket and strikes the little sticks clumsily, his
panicked movements rendering his first few as nothing but some goddamn duds. "C'mon...
c'mon!" On his fourth match, the red end sparks to life and he's able to light up his shirt.

With his makeshift torch lit, the fire creates a pool of light that illuminates the horde of
viperwolves circling him menacingly, and his stomach lurches. There's more of them than he
originally thought—a lot more. He cringes at the unnerving sounds they make, like the
psychotic laughs of a damn hyena. He turns and tries to push through towards a clearing,
where he'd at least have a clear line of sight, but he's cut off by a viperwolf. No matter where
Jake turns, those reflective green eyes follow.

His breaths are quick and ragged, more and more panic building up in his chest. Jake waves
his torch in wide arcs, and the viperwolves jerk back when the flames lick too close, but
they're persistent little fuckers. They know he's injured, and they know it's only a matter of
time before he slips up.

It doesn't take long for that to happen.

The viperwolves keep pushing forward, and Jake has no choice but to fall back. He's edging
towards a steeply banked stream, and just as he shifts his good foot backward, a root snags
his boot. He loses his footing, and when he lands on his injured leg, his vision momentarily
whites out at the searing pain. When Jake finally manages to scramble upright, he's
completely surrounded. He shifts his weight to his good leg, putting most of the pressure on
his knee, but he sways unsteadily. The blood loss is starting to get to him, and he can't keep
doing this for much longer. "I don't have all goddamn night! So come at me!" He shouts,
teeth bared.

It's almost like they know exactly what he's saying because as soon as the words leave his
mouth, the viperwolf closest to him lunges forward with a snarl.

He whirls around as fast as he can and cracks the lit end of the torch down onto the creature,
vicious satisfaction welling through him when it scampers away with a cry of pain. Another
viperwolf takes his moment of distraction as its cue to attack, leaping towards Jake with its
claws outstretched. Jake's ears flick wildly, picking up on the viperwolf's movement, and at
the last second, he spins towards the sound and thrusts the sharpened end of the torch
forwards. The point punctures its side, but the viperwolf's momentum is too much, too fast.
Within the blink of an eye, the torch is wrenched from his hands and flung into the foliage
alongside the body of the viperwolf.

Shit .

Left in the semi-darkness, Jake draws out his holstered knife just in time to slash at another
viperwolf, but it's not enough to deter it. It launches itself at Jake's chest, and its teeth graze
his arm. He cries out in pain and fury, stabbing his knife into its hide and making the creature
let go with a high-pitched yip. Before he can regroup, another viperwolf leaps on his bare
back with enough force to knock him down, biting deep into his shoulder and plunging its
claws into his skin.
"Fucking—hell!" He rolls onto his back to force the viperwolf off, slashing the knife across
its neck.

The attacks seem never-ending. One after the other, they come at him, and Jake can feel
himself waning. The adrenaline can only keep him going for so long, and his burning calf is
dragging him down, slowing his movements. Jake has to finish this, find some way to escape,
or do—do something! If he doesn't, his avatar is going to die, and then everything he came
here for will have been for goddamn nothing.

He kicks at a viperwolf from behind, twisting around and tensing his muscles to make
another strike. Before he can ready himself, another viperwolf jumps on him, and he has to
use both hands to keep it from biting his fucking face off. Just as he manages to free his knife
hand, the weight of the viperwolf sags back, and he pushes it to the ground with his knife
raised for another strike.

But it's already dead. And sticking out of its side is a feathered arrow.

Jake lifts his head just in time to see a native emerge from the trees above him. His face is
twisted in fury, and in the dying light from Jake's torch, he looks like some kind of vengeful
spirit. Within the same breath, an arrow is nocked and released from his bow, meeting its
mark with deadly accuracy. He leaps over Jake with a cry and cracks his bow down on the
skull of a circling wolf, making it run away with its tail between its legs. As Jake watches, he
swings his bow around and over his head to strike another.

Holy shit.

On the other side of the stream, Jake notices another Na'vi run into view with her bow drawn,
an arrow slicing through the air and passing right by his cheek. He jerks back with a gasp, but
when he follows the direction of the arrow, he sees a viperwolf that he'd been completely
unaware of fall to the ground with a dying whine. She jabs and swings her bow one-handed at
any creature that creeps too close, while the other Na'vi drops and rolls under the weight of a
viperwolf, fiercely plunging his knife hilt-deep into its chest. He picks his bow back up and
threateningly slashes at the few remaining wolves that still circle them, his bow whistling
through the air. All of the remaining stragglers turn tail, running off into the cover of the
forest.

Jake hastily picks himself up, holding his knife tightly in his hand as he scans the area. He's
still on edge, heart racing in his chest, but he doesn't pick up on any of their psychotic laughs
or reflective green eyes.

The fuckers are gone, and Jake doesn't think they'll be coming back any time soon—not with
the two Na'vi in the area.

He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves before finally assessing his injuries; the bite mark
on his bicep, a gash on his shoulder, and his calf, which is in even worse shape than before.
Now that the adrenaline has almost completely worn off, pain radiates throughout Jake's
whole body.

He brushes his hand against the bite on his arm, and he hisses in pain. "Ouch..."
Behind Jake, the male Na'vi regards him coldly before walking past him to pick up his torch.
He shields his eyes from the blinding light, moving towards the stream. "These vrrtep." He
hisses as he tosses the torch into the water.

Jake notices at the last second, crying out, "Wait, don't—!" He throws his hands up as the
torch makes contact with the water, snuffing out the flame. "Great." Jake's only source of
light and best means of protection, is now at the bottom of the riverbed.

The Na'vi moves to stand next to his companion, who's kneeling next to a dying viperwolf,
mumbling a quiet phrase in their native language. Even though Jake can't see what's
happening, he can hear the moment the viperwolf stops whimpering.

Jake blinks around in the darkness, and he suddenly realizes that he can still see, even
without the torchlight. The forest has come to life around him, and every plant that he can see
is lit up with bioluminescence. For a moment, he's a little awestruck, but he shakes off his
wonder quickly. Jake's goddamn curiosity is what got him into this whole mess in the first
place, and he's not gonna let it happen again. Even if he can see, he still needs something to
support his bad leg with. So he shuffles over to the stream to recover his torch, leaning over
the riverbed and fishing it out of the water.

Before he can stand back up, he feels the tip of an arrowhead graze the back of his neck, and
Jake freezes. Fuck, the Na'vi must've thought that he was retrieving it as a weapon.

The Na'vi hisses at him. "Don't be stupid." Jake doesn't understand what he says, but he'd be
idiotic not to hear the clear threat. Jake lets the torch drop to the ground with a wet plop,
slowly turning around to face the enraged stare of the Na'vi. And that look... he feels like he's
seen it before.

Suddenly, the female forces herself between the two of them, pushing the other back a few
feet. "Ma Tsu'tey! What did I say!?" She shouts, her tail lashing furiously behind her. "We are
not going to be the ones to decide if he dies!"

"And why not, Neytiri!?" He bites back, matching her intensity. "I see nothing special about
this vrrtep, nothing that Eywa would wish to protect! Perhaps you misunderstood the
sign." He moves to draw his bow again. "I should kill this one as a lesson to the others!"
Jake scrambles out of the way, taking cover behind the female Na'vi and using her as a shield.
In the face of the Na'vi's drawn bow, it seems like any and all of Jake's dignity has vanished.

She hisses. "Tsu'tey, this is a matter for the Tsahik! Do you really think it is wise to contest the
will of Eywa?"

His jaw clenches with frustration before he turns away angrily. "Fine. I will not be the one
who is punished for bringing a vrrtep into our home." He grumbles. The steely anger that
was on his face before has been dulled into a surly brood, and it suddenly hits Jake where he's
seen the native before. Two weeks ago, on that lab tech's computer. He was the one in the
still-frame image.

Jake looks between the two of them, understanding almost nothing from their little spat. But
at least now he knows their names: Tsu'tey and Neytiri. "Um..." He starts, and it wrenches the
two Na'vi's attention to him. Jake looks at Neytiri. "I'm just going to assume—I know you
probably won't understand this, but... thanks. For not letting him kill me—" he inclines his
head towards Tsu'tey, "—and thanks for saving me from those viperwolves. I would've been
screwed if you hadn't come along."

Tsu'tey turns to Neytiri, his face unimpressed. "This vrrtep seems like a skxawng."

Jake raises his eyebrows. Did he just get called a skxawng? At least he knows what that one
means. It would be hard not to know, considering that Grace loves to call him a moron in
every language at her disposal.

"I'm not a moron." He deadpans, and the Na'vi shoots him a skeptical look

Neytiri turns and kneels before Jake, scanning over his injuries before looking him in the
eyes. "Can you walk?" She asks, her accent heavy.

Jake looks over at his discarded torch, then down at the angry wound on his calf. Even if he
had the piece of wood to use as a walking stick, any progress that he made would be slow and
painful. "Not really..."

She clicks her tongue. "Come, you will have to walk as best you can." And she doesn't seem
all that sympathetic about it. Neytiri stands and strides off, and a moment later he's getting
hauled to his feet by Tsu'tey.

Jake's steps are unbalanced and slow, but with one hand holding his braid tightly and the
other on his bicep, the man's strength is enough to keep him upright. The journey isn't a walk
in the park, and Jake can't hold back his pained grunts and gasps whenever he puts too much
weight on his leg. He tries to ask Tsu'tey to ease up on his grip, but he repays his question
with even more bruising force.

"Where are you taking me?" He asks for a third time. Before Tsu'tey can respond, Jake's foot
catches on a root. He's quickly pulled back up before he even has time to register he's falling
and Tsu'tey scowls at him.

"To Kelutral." Neytiri answers instead of Tsu'tey. She's further ahead of them, making sure
that the path is clear of any more animals.

"Ke–what now? Do you mean Hometree?" His eyes widen. There's no way that they'd ever
bring him there, to their home, in peace. That means—oh god, he's about to be publicly
executed, isn't he? "N-No... No! No, thank you. Can't you just bring me back to my people?
That's what you'd want right, getting me out of your hair?" He's met with silence again.
"Look... I just want to go home. I'm tired and—and hurt. And hungry. Thank you for killing
those viperwolves, but—"

Neytiri suddenly stops and Tsu'tey releases his hold on him. Next thing he knows, Jake is
getting whacked aside the head with a bow, falling to his knees. Goddamn, is he just the
whole of Pandora's punching bag?

Jake clutches at his head. "Ow! What the hell—!?"

 "Stop your endless thanking!" She waves her bow towards where they'd come from. "You do
not thank for this. This is sad... very sad, only."

Jake frowns, ears pinned close to his head. "Okay... I'm sorry. Whatever it is you think I did
—"

"All this is your fault! They did not need to die."

"What!? They attacked me," He laughs disbelievingly. "How is this my fault?"

"Your fault!" She stresses, raising her bow to strike him again, and he can hear Tsu'tey
laughing behind him. "You are like a baby! Crying and whining, don't know what to do!"

Jake slowly starts to stand, grabbing at a vine to help him upright. "Okay, you love the forest
and all your little forest friends, I get that. So why not let them kill me, huh? Why not let him
kill me?" He gestures to Tsu'tey. "I was dead meat anyway."

Neytiri regards him before looking at the forest floor. "You have a strong heart. No fear... but
you are a skxawng! Ignorant like a child!" She turns away, and then Tsu'tey is back to
gripping him like a captive, leading him after her.

"Your woman is something else," He mumbles to the Na'vi.

"She is not my woman," Tsu'tey scoffs.

Jake looks up at him, only now realizing how much taller the other is. Just by eyeballing it,
there has to be a good half-foot difference between them. "You know I can't understand you,
right?"

"That is the point."

Jake sighs. They're not going to make this easy for him, are they?

Chapter End Notes

lìngtskxe: unobtanium
ay tawtute: humans
lehrrapa ioang: dangerous animal
ìheyu snayì: spiral staircase

I remember the first time I watched Avatar years ago, like when the film first came out,
and I thought Tsu'tey was the most unattractive person there was. Now at twenty, I'm
sitting here watching the extended edition to get the scenes right for this AU, giggling
like a little schoolgirl whenever this man's face crosses my screen.

Really says a lot about where your tastes fall down the line LMAO. Tsu'tey is just
*chef's kiss*
 Chapter 6
Chapter Notes

I want to thank you guys for your intakes in the A/N! They're all very good ideas, and a
few of them I would say I've thought to introduce after Jake got his ikran, but you guys
have given me a feel for how things should go before then! Also the cultural
appreciations, the domestications, the sparring, etc.? A lot of those I would have
bypassed if I didn't ask what you guys would like to see. One of my flaws with writing
is that it's hard for me to come up with filler chapters so that things aren't moving along
too quickly, and reading your guys' ideas has definitely helped! Even sprung on some
additional ideas I think you would enjoy! I appreciate you all <3

Edit: A/N has been deleted

See the end of the chapter for more notes

At some point during their journey, the forest became more animated with liveliness than he
realized before, the hues of plant growth more vibrant and luminescent. More reactive as they
trek through the foliage, disturbing their still peace. The moss pulsing under their feet their
entire walk. The flora which seem to have a reactive dynamism of its own. The fan lizards
that remind him of creatures from those old wizarding films. And the distant cries of a
viperwolf pack, and hopefully not the same rowdy bunch. The forest's nightlife amazed him,
and he wondered if life back on Earth used to be this beautiful.

What he used to call home had lost its vegetation generations before because of the
population's consumption of its natural resources. The incessant wars on Earth perhaps
played an effect on the dying biosphere, too, with remnants of launched bombs poisoning the
air and soil from anything ever making new life again.

Tsu'tey's tightening grip reminds him that he isn't alone, and his insistent pushing tells him
his footage must've faltered, slowing down at some point in his admiration.

"The forest," he says quietly and to no one in particular, "has it always been this... beautiful?"

He hears a curious hum behind him. "Depends on your definition of beauty. You may think it's
by what you see, but you do not See. That is where the beauty lies."

His brows furrow together, slight irritation coursing through him. "What did he say?" He
attempts to ask Neytiri.

"He said 'you do not See', that you do not see the forest as we do."

Curious. Jake tries to turn and face the warrior, his tight grip somewhat preventing him.
"Then why not teach me to 'see'?"
He scuffs a laugh. "Sky People cannot learn, you do not See." He repeats. "If you did... your
kind wouldn't be destroying our homes, killing our people."

Jake didn't press any further on the issue. Judging by his tone, whatever it was he said
must've been painful. Quite if Neytiri didn't translate for him either. He faces forward in time
to notice the large root they're starting to cross over, a surrogate walkway over a gorge.
Tsu'tey performs extra careful to ensure he doesn't trip over any of the smaller roots, walking
slower whereas Neytiri is further ahead, seemingly in a hurry.

A sudden thought crosses his mind; she is impressively good at the human language, even if
it is slightly broken. "Where did you learn English, anyway?"

She looks over her shoulder at him, ears flicking.

"Dr. Augustine's school? I'm just wondering because it's impressive, and I'm sure mister
grumpy pants over here could learn a thing or two from—" his foot suddenly snags on a root
and he loses his balance, tip over the edge "—whoa!"

Neytiri stops and hurries back to catch him, but Tsu’tey is quicker, especially since he's right
there. He feels the disappearance of both hands moving to rest around his waist, grip tightly
as he's lifted upright to settle on the root. Even when he's steady, the hands don't leave. He
looks at the warrior, the other's expression still screwed together but... more relaxed.

"Thanks," he forces through a gasp, adrenaline running high after the unexpected thrill.

"For a demon, you talk too much."

He cocks his head. "I'll take that as a 'you're welcome', but I know that's not what you said."

Tsu’tey cracks a smug grin but it's gone before Jake even notices.

He looks down at the hands on his waist. "You can let go of me now, you know. I'm not going
anywhere, hun." He chuckles at the pet name, but Tsu’tey doesn't seem thrilled about it if the
quick disappearance of his hands and his scowl are anything to go by. He was finding it
amusing to tease the hardened warrior, even if he does scare him a little when he's all too
serious.

Neytiri steps up to him, shoving at his shoulder. "You should not be here!"

His posture sags, exhausted. Talking with them is like talking to a wall. Pointless. "Isn't that
what I've been trying to do? You're so adamant that I go with you to this Hometree, yet you
say I shouldn't be here... which one is it?"

"No, I mean..." She pauses for a moment, thinking. "You go back—where the sky people
come from."

"Oh... that, I... I can't do that."

"Why not?"
He faces Tsu’tey again, the other facing him back curiously. "What?"

"He asked 'why not'..."

He looks back to Neytiri. "My planet... it's dying, besides... there's nothing left for me there,
anyway, to return to."

Neytiri frowns, looking like she wants to ask further about what he meant, but her attention is
diverted elsewhere. She looks upwards and Jake follows, recognizing the white jellyfish
creature he noticed hours earlier after his chase with the thanator. There are many of them,
floating softly down at... him. They pulse minutely, dancing around his shoulders and head.
He holds still, wondering if he should be afraid but Neytiri and Tsu'tey's calm demeanor says
otherwise. Guess they've not dangerous.

He can't help, however, to reach his hand out to one of the creatures, his movement disturbing
their peaceful ambiance.

"No!" They both shout at the same time. Maybe he shouldn't have done that.

"Atokirina'!" Tsu’tey stresses as he grasps his hand, holding it out. "Atokirina'..."

Jake stills then, allowing the creatures to steadily cover his entire upper body. Just out of the
corner of his eye, he can see Tsu’tey's bewilderment, and Neytiri is rather at peace with
everything that is happening. Like she knew. "Okay... this is, uh—what are they?"

"Atokirina'." She answers, almost smiling. "Seeds of the Great Tree—very pure spirits."

"I see why you didn't want me to kill him, Neytiri."

"What? You didn't believe me the first time I told you?" Tsu’tey tries to refute, huffing.

Jake startles when the... spirits, as she calls them, whirl up and away, scattering somewhere
into the forest. "What was that all about then?"

Her attention snaps back to him, eyes loosely following the white spirits. "Come," she urges
and starts to pick up walking once again. "I bring you to Tsahik."

Jake sighs. Guess he has no other choice, he thinks. He starts to follow after her, Tsu’tey no
longer holding onto him like a captive since he's following willingly, but the whoosh of a
bola tangling around his ankles stops him before he can continue and further. The weight
knocks his ankles together and sends him tumbling down the tree, his body smacking into
leaves that slow his descent until he crashes into the forest floor.

"Ow! Damn, what the—" He rolls onto his back and works quickly to untangle the rope, but
he notices the approach of other Na'vi on big ass—horses?—almost too late before he can
attempt to make some kind of escape. The direhorses, he realizes, are bigger than the
Clydesdales back on earth. Their six legs stomp around him as the riders close in tight,
cutting him off. When he tries to make a run away from them, Na'vi with bows drawn appear
out of the foliage and force him back. The riders, too, have their bows drawn.
At that moment, he knows he's been defeated, so he holds his hands up.

He chuckles nervously. "O-okay, let's just... take it easy, yeah?"

Neytiri drops down from above, angry and shouting. "Calm down, people! Calm down!" She
turns to the ringleader of the hunters. "Arvok! What are you doing!? He is my captive!"

Arvok, Jake assumes that's the rider's name, disconnects his braid from the direhorse's
antenna as he dismounts. He approaches Neytiri, level with her height. "He is a demon! A
dreamwalker! And you bring him here!? I shall kill him for what his kind have done to my
parents!"

Tsu’tey suddenly drops down from above as well. "Arvok! Stop!"

He falters, disbelieving. "Brother, I see you." He brings his hand up to touch his forehead.

Tsu’tey steps up into the other's space, forcing him back from Neytiri. "His death is not for
you to decide! It is for the Tsahik." Arvok appears to contemplate his words, face screwing
into disgust. He then gestures for the hunters off the direhorses to bring him, but Tsu’tey
forces their hands away with a hiss. He wraps his hand around Jake's arm and leads him
forward.

"Your brother, I presume?" Jake asks the other, grinning smugly. Tsu’tey eyes him, irritated.
"He's got your personality."

"You will learn well to keep your mouth shut, demon." He hears Arvok say as he climbs onto
his mount, reconnecting his braid.

Jake gestures to the Na'vi and looks at Tsu’tey. "At least he knows to speak English. Why not
take some pointers—" Tsu’tey suddenly yanks on his braid, drawing out a hiss from Jake and
promptly shutting him up. "Alright, fine." He grumbles under his breath. Tsu’tey leads him
after the riders, the hunters following behind them cautiously with their knives and bows
drawn, aimed at him.

Hometree isn't that much further ahead, or maybe just the sheer size of it makes him think
they're close. He gawks up at it in amazement the closer they get, the structure appearing
even bigger and bigger, his neck starting to strain. "That is one big tree." He whispers and
Tsu’tey yanks him forward, drawing his attention back down. They've entered the hollow of
the tree now, Arvok and the other riders dismounted and leading the way ahead of him. The
others of the Omaticaya tribe gather around the party, staring at Jake in a variety of
expressions. He looks up again at the center of the tree, seeing the spiraling innings.

Tsu’tey stops and Jake realizes they're standing before someone of importance if their attire is
anything to go by. A chest piece of claws and feathered shoulder pads. He eyes both Neytiri,
who stands next to him, and Tsu’tey wearily.

"What is the meaning of this?" His voice echoes. "Why do you bring this creature here?"
Tsu’tey speaks up first, taking the brunt of the force. He releases Jake's arm. "I wanted to kill
him, but Neytiri... there's been a sign from Eywa."

"I have said no dreamwalker will come here, to offend our home! I might expect this behavior
from my own daughter, but you—Tsu'tey! The next Olo'eyktan! You disobey! You shame me!"

Tsu’tey lowers his head shamefully.

"Father, it is not Tsu'tey's fault." Neytiri interrupts, her tone respectful but not
submissive. "The blame is mine, Eytukan. I brought him out there. And the Atokirina'—there
were many that came to this alien. Who am I to ignore the will of Eywa?"

Jake watches the interaction between the three of them in confusion. "What's going on?"

"My father is deciding whether or not to kill you." Neytiri answers.

"Oh, fantastic—" he answers sarcastically "—wait, your father? It's, uh, good to meet you,
sir." He stretches out his hand, but apparently, that wasn't a good idea. Tsu’tey hisses and
yanks at his braid again just as Neytiri swats at his arm, voicing her own hiss. Hunters flank
him with weapons drawn.

"Step back!" A separate voice shouts. "I will look at this alien!"

Everybody looks up to see a woman descending the stairs from the second level. Her outfit is
elaborate, almost rivaling Eytukans, denoting her rank among the clan. She approaches Jake
and Tsu’tey steps out of the way.

"That is mother. She is called Mo'at," Neytiri tells him, "and she is Tsahik, someone who
interprets the will of Eywa."

"Right... who is Eywa?"

Mo'at circles Jake in assessment, feeling at his braid and lifting his tail. Jake doesn't attempt
to make any sudden movements as he had with Eytukan.

"What is your name?" Mo'at asks, her accent thick.

"Jake Sully." He nearly misses her pricking at his chest with a thorn with how quick she is,
bringing the point to her tongue to taste the blood. Her stare looks at him knowingly, and it
looks like she wants to say something but she hesitates, instead changing course.

"And why did you come?"

"Believe me, I didn't want to... but your daughter and this guy," he points to Tsu’tey, "are
pretty insistent." Tsu’tey hisses at him.

"You are a terrible liar."

He pauses at her words, staring in disbelief. What? "I'm sorry?" He hadn't been lying.
 "There is another reason you came, and perhaps it wasn't for us specifically."

"I, um..." He hesitates.

"Mother," Neytiri stresses in a whine.

"Look, I work with Dr. Augustine. I'm sure you guys remember her. I may be no scientist like
her, but I just want to get back—"

Mo'at interrupts. "What are you then? If you're no scientist."

Jake thinks for a moment. He doesn't really have a sound answer. What he was before, he
isn't now. "I was an airman, um... a warrior. But I'm not anymore."

Arvok speaks up for the first time in a while, laughing. "A warrior! I could kill him easily."
He moves to step up but Tsu’tey is quick to block his brother from reaching Jake, stressing a
warning in their language. Arvok scuffs and backs off.

"This is the first warrior dreamwalker we have seen, and there is much to learn about him.
There will be no killing him." Eytukan says to the clan, but his words are directed to Arvok
specifically.

Mo'at turns to her daughter, and at this point, Jake is just standing there like a spectator. "You
will teach him our ways, to speak and walk as we do." Neytiri's eyes widen in disbelief, and
she tries to say something but is quickly silenced. "You will do as I say. And Tsu'tey," He
turns to face Mo'at, "You will train this dreamwalker to become a hunter, as you are." Tsu'tey
is in just as must disbelief as Neytiri, hissing in disdain but he otherwise complies. "It has
been decided... My daughter and Tsu'tey will teach you our ways. Learn well, Jakesully."

Jake nods and looks at the two Na'vi that brought him to Hometree. Neither of them appears
happy with their tasks, Tsu'tey most of all. He can see Arvok behind his brother equally
having a look of both amusement and anger. Mo'at starts to ascend back up the stairs,
Eytukan following after her. With their departure, the rest of the clan starts to disperse,
Neytiri and Arvok as well until it's just him and Tsu'tey.

"Sully," the other calls. "Follow. You will bathe and get your injuries tended to."

Jake's eyes widen and he grins. Did he just—? "I knew you could speak English!" He quickly
follows after him, injury be damned. He's oblivious to Tsu'tey's minute grin.

Chapter End Notes

I feel like I made Tsu'tey a bit soft but I'm sure we're all going to love a soft Tsu'tey
come later on in future chps. Besides, his brother Arvok makes up for the lack of a
hardened personality. But Tsu'tey will have enough of his own grumpy times in different
matters involving a certain someone. hint hint wink wink :)
 Chapter 7
Chapter Notes

Quick mention before you readers continue on reading; if you haven't yet seen the
Avatar sequel, there's a MINOR SPOILER that isn't directly canon to the movie towards
the very end. It's one of the first thoughts I had when I saw them appear on screen, and I
can't believe enough people aren't talking about it!

I have a love-hate relationship with this chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jake steps in time with the other's stride, though Tsu'tey persists to wander a handful of steps
further ahead whenever he attempts to walk next to him. His avoidance dampens the mood
only a smidge, but it isn't enough to deter him. "You're a real piece of work... you know that,
right? I can tell." He tries to converse and he triumphs at the little feat of getting the other to
just glance in his direction, albeit if it's from his peripheral. The warrior's been doing a
phenomenal job thus far with ignoring him as if he doesn't exist. "Making me believe you
don't speak English," and that's what he's worried about most, he could almost laugh at
himself. "I mean, I should've known you were fooling me since you seemed to understand it
quite well—"

Tsu'tey abruptly ceases walking, Jake continuing a few sites ahead before he realizes the
other's absence. He eyes the Na'vi curiously.

"Do you ever stop talking?" He questions with certainty, leaving Jake perplexed. "That other
dreamwalker, the scientist—Dr. Augustine," he remembers her name just as Jake supplies it.
"She knows how to talk, for a teacher. But you..." Jake is subjectively pointed at. "You're
just... you're annoying! Always running your mouth when it doesn't concern you. Never
knowing when to just stop."

He stands there surprised and feeling stabbed in the back. "Ouch." Tsu'tey continues walking
and Jake quickly follows, but that moment of standstill allowed for the pressure in his calf to
release. He's not as fast as he was to try and catch up, starting to feel the pain again. Every
few steps he's limping and Tsu'tey isn't taking his dilemma into account. "Well aren't you just
a ray of sunshine!" Tsu'tey looks at him confused. "Earlier I thought I recognized you but I
couldn't place where. Back with my people, they have a picture of you—made me believe
you're a force to be reckoned with how serious you looked. But now that I've gotten to know
you for a bit, you're just a big ole teddy bear."

Tsu'tey snorts something akin to a laugh, and it startles him. A guy like Tsu'tey, Jake never
thought he would appear amused with the front he always has on display. "How can I be a
'teddy bear', whatever that is?"
"It's a human expression, a metaphor." He explains, but Tsu'tey is looking ever more
bewildered and uninterested. "They mean... never mind, you don't care."

"No, I don't. You're right."

He leads Jake to a trail behind Hometree, the path worn down from usage but layered with
foliage, and a few Na'vi trekking the trail. Their eyes blow wide when they catch sight of the
dreamwalker, immediately taking a few steps back away from him. Judging by their
expressions, they weren't present at the spectacle at Hometree. He tries not to shrink in on
himself under their stares, a part of himself feeling like he had when he first lost the use of
his legs. An outcast, alone. He hurries ahead to walk next to Tsu'tey.

"Are you always like this?" Tsu'tey later adds.

Jake has an inkling that he's referring to his consistent talking, but he can't help to tease the
warrior. That he could just do with a bit of amusement in a tense setting. "Well...no, but I aim
to please."

"Interesting. You could've had me fooled. To think the Sky People haven't gotten rid of you
already. And to think the Tsahik would stick me to train the likes of you. Must be something
special."

Jake frowns, something terrible—perhaps personal— must've happened with the Sky People
if he's this guarded and intrusive around an outsider. Perhaps it involved Gace's school? "Are
you always like this?"

Tsu'tey looks at him. "Like what?"

"A dickhead."

And Tsu'tey grins, rather than taking it as an offense, not that he was worried about it.
"Haha~ I like you! You and I, I think we're going to get along just fine."

"Fantastic, totally looking forward to it." He can't avoid the sarcasm slipping through, even
through a grin.

"Don't get used to it... with me as your teacher, I say you'll last no longer than two weeks.

"I'm sure I can handle whatever you throw at me. I was a warrior, after all, remember?"

"We'll see about that."

The journey lasts in relative silence after their bickering, neither having anything further to
say or insult the other with beyond aimed glances, but that was mostly reserved for Tsu'tey
when Jake got distracted by the flora's radiance along the trail. He played on some of the
plants like they were a drumset as he hobbled along, laughing quietly to himself at their
bioluminescent reactiveness to his touch. They've been walking for a while and Jake wonders
where this place he's supposed to be bathing is, but then his feet touch water and he looks up
to see he's standing on a river's shore. He notices a waterfall a little ways ahead and the few
other young Na'vi who are taking a late-night swim, oblivious to his presence as they play
and splash one another. Tsu'tey stands further in the river facing him.

"Come, I will help clean your wounds."

He wants to what? He stands there baffled and shakes his head. "I can take care of myself,
thank you very much."

"Stop being so stubborn and come here." Tsu'tey yanks on Jake's hand to pull him forward
and forces him down to sit in the river, taking a kneel behind him. Under his breath, he
grumbles a refute he didn't expect the other to hear, but judging by Tsu'tey's snort, he must've.
"You Sky People sure know how to whine."

"Yeah, well..." He doesn't finish his sentence, and the warrior didn't exactly expect him
to. Jake sits in silence with not much else to do but comply, allowing him to tend to his
wounds like a motherly figure. Tsu'tey has a calmness to himself that he can't quite place,
cupping his hands under the water and pouring it over Jake's head, surprising him. He
must've been out in the forest for far longer than he anticipated because his skin immediately
turns from blue to darkened colors of dried blood and dirt. Tsu'tey dumps water over his head
again, his hair starting to run clearer before he moves on to his shoulders where the injury is
worse.

Tsu'tey's palm hovers over the gap where the viperwolf had been and he examines the other
bite marks from the smaller teeth. "The nantangs got you good, Sully."

Jake tries to look at him over his shoulder, but he quickly looks away when he catches the
other's eyes. "The what?"

"The nantangs," Jakes expresses his confusion again. "Nan. Tang," he reiterates slower, "your
people call them viperwolves."

"Oh," he frowns, remembering the nasty attacks from the creatures. "Yeah, I suppose they
did. Thanks again—for saving me I mean. Couldn't exactly get my thanks across with your
woman constantly hitting me."

"She isn't my woman." He refutes as he pours water over the shoulder wound. Very lightly,
with a cloth Jake didn't notice he had with him, he cleans at the wound. "My heart lies with
another."

Jake winces at the sting. "Really? You guys seemed to have gotten along well, I just thought
—"

Not facing him, Jakes misses the frown that flashes across the other's face, but it's gone as
quickly as it appeared. "By the will of Eywa, I was arranged to be with her sister... until she
died—killed, by the Sky People. She is who I loved... love. But now Neytiri is meant to take
her place, and...."

"I'm sorry..."
The silence is awkward after that and neither attempts to pick up a conversation, Jake simply
sitting there as Tsu'tey cleans the filth from his skin and wound. He transfers to the bike mark
on his arm after voicing a satisfactory hum, Jake hissing at the stings since he's tending less
than careful as before. They're less deep and need less care for than the wound on his
shoulder, so Tsu'tey spends less time hovering over his arm, and then he moves to his calf,
lifting his leg in the air and almost causing Jake to tilt back into the river. With his pant leg
already torn to shreds, it takes little effort for the Na'vi to unwrap his makeshift bandage to
inspect the injury. Jake hisses loudly when the fabric peels from the edges of his torn skin,
stuck from the drying blood.

Tsu'tey hisses at the gruesome parts of it. "Palulukan—? Thanator?" He quickly corrects, and
Jake nods. "You are incredibly lucky, and brave. Na'vi alone cannot take on such a beast
unless together. I'm surprised you survived."

Jake laughs, tone laced with pain. "Can we just carry on? This really fucking hurts."

Tsu'tey smirks but otherwise complies, gently pouring water over the wound. It hurts worse
than the other two that Jake has to try really hard to not scream out like a little girl, but he
manages. "There, all finished. Just have to bandage your wounds now and dress in something
more... standard." Tsu'tey quickly wraps his injury with leaves he plucked from the foliage,
tying them tightly. His leg is managed enough that he feels me might be able to walk without
a limp, and then he's handed a loincloth that at first glance looks to exposing. Judging by the
look on Tsu'tey's face, he doesn't have any choice but to wear it, so he complies.

Tsu'tey leads him back to Hometree when they're finished at the river, Jake preoccupied with
the feeling of how riding and exposing the loincloth feels, especially for someone with two
sexes. he gives up on feels discomforted and they arrive at the tree, Neytiri leaning against
one of the root columns in waiting.

She and Tsu'tey bring their hands to their forehead. "I've been waiting for you guys. Come,
dinner is ready and father is waiting." She pushes off the root and leads them up to the second
level of Hometree, Jake terribly balancing himself along the spiraling root. The entire clan is
there encircling a cook pit, the silence deafening and all eyes falling on him.

She crossed the pit to sit next to her mother, Tsu'tey following after her but instructing Jake to
be seated between them. Arvok is present too, though a little ways away on the other side,
next to Eytukan. He tries to ignore the look of hatred he feels burning into his skull. Neytiri is
handed leaves with meals with doesn't recognize and serves Jake his own plating almost
defiantly before handing it off to Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey takes his own serving before he's bombarded by the presence of a little boy settling in
his lap, almost knocking him over. The boy is looking at Jake curiously with the largest grin,
eyes crinkling and Jake smiles back. Arvok however doesn't seem to like that the boy ran
over because he's quick to try and call him back with an assertive tone.

"Arvok, he's fine," Tsu'tey tells him, Arvok disinclined to believe him. "I have him, he's fine."

He shifts uncomfortably under the stares directed his way and distracts himself by
entertaining the little boy instead. "Who is this handsome little boy?" Jake asks, holding his
 hand out for the boy to take, who instead inspects his five fingers and compares them to his
four. Their hands press together with their fingers extended, the boy's hand just barely fitting
the entirety of his palm.

"Tarsem. My little brother."

"Oh, hello~" He sings, and the little boy laughs.

"Hiii." Tarsem tries, making Jake grin even wider.

"He's cute. Where are his parents—your parents?" He asks, and Jake is given a saddened look
rather than a straight answer. Although he isn't given a verbal reply, the Na'vi's expression
tells him all he needs to know. The same tension is lying in the air whenever he mentioned
Grace's school or Neytiri's sister was brought up. He turns his attention to the serving leaf in
front of him, looking at it inspectingly. Tsu'tey is trying to encourage Tarsem to eat, but his
curiosity rises further than his hunger allows because something about Jake is just too
interesting. "These rocks. What are they?"

"Teylu. You call beetle larvae."

Jake blanches, but rather than appear disinterested, he takes a handful and munches
enthusiastically. "That's some damn fine teylu. That's like grandma's teylu." Tsu'tey laughs
softly, and so does Tarsem although he appears to not understand anything they are saying.

Chapter End Notes

Since I introduced a character from the sequel, I'm sure you can already surmise that I
plan to carry on this story into The Way of Water. Tis will be exciting! Also, I've decided
on a set schedule for this AU. Since first posting chapter one, I've aimed to upload twice
a week on Mondays and Thursdays. I'll be switching that to just once a week on
Mondays, provided everything runs smoothly.

Art created by Uras! Next Update: 01/16

 Chapter 8
Chapter Notes

Relish this early update. I got bored after writing and didn't feel like waiting a couple of
hours for Monday to come around.

I went back and edited previous chapters, mostly removing any scenes of intersex talk
excluding Jake figuring out about it to keep it 'mysterious' and whatnot. My only fault
was I didn't write out a guideline for those previous chapters so they appear a mess
IMO. Future chapters from here on out should run smoothly and untouched. Unless
there are minor mistakes.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The feast ended in a relative silence when he got comfortable enough to disregard the boorish
comments spoken in relation to him, at least he assumes they were conversing about him. As
the only person fluent in solely English, it shouldn't have bothered him that the Omaticaya
spoke in their fluent language he didn't understand, but it agitated him worse whenever their
stares were directed at him. It's how he knew, an obvious tell they were terrible at hiding, or
maybe they weren't trying to hide it. He noticed it mostly from Neytiri's parents and Tsu'tey's
brother Arvok, though he wasn't paying attention to anyone other than, and he even thinks
Neytiri engaged in their conversation about him once or twice but she never spared him a
glance while she continued to eat.

He brought it up to the warrior next to him when the stares lingered too long for comfort,
making a joke out of it to ease his worry. He was told in return to not worry too much about
what others think, and that the leaders weren't mentioning anything terrible anyway. Just that
he'll have to prove his worth. It did little to deter him as the only outcast here.

When the crowd started to disperse for the night, he was guided a few columns up Hometree
to the sleeping levels where the warriors and hunters rested, singular hammocks woven along
spokes joining the inner truck of the tree. He found it a challenge to balance himself on
something that wavered under his weight until he settled, but to Neytiri and Tsu'tey it was
second nature. They were already lying down and resting when he was still trying to get
comfortable. Neytiri has her back turned towards him but Tsu'tey was watching him with an
interesting, only looking away when he realized he was staring for too long, and then he too
turned away with a gentle flick to the edge of his hammock, the weaving curling over him
with a life of its own. Now Jake was laying there alone.

Jake didn't immediately fall into a rest, wanting this alone time for himself before he would
be bombarded by the humans back at base. He lay there staring up at what little he could see
of the darkened sky through the Hometree coverage, a strange peace spreading through him.
Although it had now fallen silent of any chatter, he could hear the gentle trills of something
harboring in the upper levels and even witnessed a few take flight. He thought them to be
birds at first, but on second thought, they looked too big to be birds.

After a couple more moments, he curls in on himself and rests his eyes, permitting his body
to unwind. Hit thoughts plunge into an eerie quietness, and for a moment everything is
motionless. The darkness behind his eyes an endless abyss of nothing. He stays in that trance
for a brief period until the peace is interrupted, flashes of white all of a sudden unveiling and
turning up blinding.

"--ke."

The voice is familiar, but he can't place to whom it belongs.

"Jake!"

His name is much clearer and brings his attention to the forefront, vision clearing and forcing
out a gasping startle. Grace is hovering over him with dwindling concern, faintly tapping his
cheek to bring him back to reality, and he can somewhat see Norm and Max gathered behind
her with their own worried expressions. "That's it... come on back, kid. Let's get you sitting
up." She gestures for Norm to step around and offer his assistance, and they maneuver him to
sit upright effortlessly. Jake is still a little bit out of it until he repeatedly blinks, reality
settling in. "Damn... you were dug in like a tick."

He looks at her sheepishly and grins wide. "Sorry, Doc."

She waves off his apology, instead asking, "Is the Avatar safe?" Jake wonders why she's so
urgently concerned about a faux body's safety over his immediate own. He's hours over the
recommended link time, surely she knows he would've put up one hell of a fight and found
some type of safety coverage before he allowed himself to rest.

"Yeah, Doc—and you're not going to believe where I am!" Jake laughs at his achievement.

Grace looks at him suspiciously, her stare drilling into his eyes for an answer, and then she
stands straight in disbelief. "I want you to tell me everything—from the beginning." Max
audibly clears his throat and Grace turns to him, the two sharing an unspoken conversation. It
seems Max might've won based on the defeat sagging into her shoulders, and she turns back
to face him. "But... why don't we get some food into you first?" Jake would've protested that
he wasn't hungry, especially after sharing a large meal with the Omaticaya, but he's reminded
that his Avatar body is separate from his own when his stomach grumbles. And loudly at that.
"Yeah, some food could do you some good."

She steps away as he maneuvers himself into his awaiting wheeling chair, Norm kind enough
to help him. "What's on the menu for tonight? Hope it's not teylu," he jokes and Grace
chuckles, a look of fondness flashing across her eyes. He wonders if that was one of the first
meals, too, the Omaticaya have shared with her when she joined them. "I've already had
enough of that tonight."

"What is teylu?" Norm asks, confused.

"Beetle larvae." He and Grace tell him at the same moment, and he can see the color drain
from Norm's face.

Grace steps around his chair and grasps the handle, ready to wheel him to the cafeteria. "Let's
go, Airman—canteen won't be open for much longer." Jake doesn't protest at her taking
control of his wheelchair, his limbs feeling heavy from hours in the link unit to probably even
wheel himself that far. She parks him at the end of a table and leaves him momentarily to
stand in the short self-serving line, collecting two trays of meals before heading back. "So,"
she starts as she settles a tray in front of him, cached with mounds of food that could feed two
men. The smell rivaled its look of tastiness and made his stomach rumble with hunger even
louder. He picks up a plastic spoon and dives in, shoveling his cheeks full like a rodent
disallowing himself the moments to breathe. "Slow down there, tiger. You’ll choke." She
warns through a chuckle. She has her own tray placed in front of her as she sits, piled with
less food but it was with a purpose. Since she first met the veteran, she's been noticing how
little he eats after every link session.

Whether he did it purposely or simply didn't have the appetite to eat an entire course meal,
she wasn't sure but she wasn't someone to question him about it forthright either. Simply
placing a tray of food in front of him was the next best thing she thought of to get him to eat
enough, and she was right. Jake eat about halfway through before she started talking again.

"What happened out there, Jake?" She asks, withdrawn and trying not to appear intrusive.
"After we got separated?"

He looks up at her as he shovels a mound of cilantro rice into his mouth, chewing more
slowly now that his hunger has been moderately satiated. He rests his spoon down. "I ran
until I could outrun the thanator, which isn't easy. It's like having a massive pussycat have the
zoomies over a plaything of catnip, only I'm the catnip and the pussycat wants to kill you
rather than play." She laughs at his comparison of the thrill and he continues. "He chased me
for a while... took my pack with him, sliced me pretty good on the leg until I—"

Grace suddenly interrupts, waving her hands in a frenzy. "Wait... wait wait, the thanator got
your Avatar? Is the Avatar okay!?"

"Yeah, it's fine, Doc... nothing a bit of military aid couldn't fix."

She looks at him wearily. "How did you get away then?"

"I drifted off the edge of a waterfall." He says matter-of-factly as he's shoveling another heap
of rice into his mouth, and Grace takes that moment to allow the time to understand what his
words meant.

"I'm sorry, you what—!?" Her sudden outburst collects the attention of those who remain
loitering in the canteen.

He gives them an apologetic look. "Are you going to let me tell this story or not?" She holds
her hands up in surrender and Jake stares for a moment until he laughs with skepticism.
Grace is a scientist, and as much as she wants to understand what happens she'll be
interrupting whether she means to or not. "Right... but yeah, I dropped off a waterfall—
patched myself up the best that I could, and then they found me." She looks at him confused
and he clarifies that it was Neytiri and Tsu'tey who stumbled upon him. Those names must've
shocked her because she doesn't try to interrupt him any further than she already has as he
continues to spill what happened. He recounted the best he could the scuffle he had with the
nasty viperwolves, brazing over the details of how utterly fucked he would've been with his
injuries, and he didn't sugarcoat any details about the two Na'vi who found him and kill him.
Well, he was only aware that Tsu'tey tried and didn't have any reason to believe that Neytiri
tried earlier.

He spent time dallying over the incident with the wood sprites, something that truly trumped
him, and neither dared to explain what it meant. Grace seemed perplexed over what she
heard, and something told him that she understood what it meant. All she dared to say was
that Eywa chose him for something, and what that something was would only tell in due
time. Grace had an inkling to ask if the Omaticaya would allow him to leave Hometree but he
told her how insistent they were to keep him there, especially now that Tsu'tey and Neytiri
were meant to train him to become one of them. She seemed a little uneasy by it but there
was nothing she could do.

"Neytiri," she whispers as Jake is finishing the last of his meal. Grace has barely touched her
dinner but most of her attention has been on him, she ate when it counted. "She and her sister
were one of my best students... how is she?"

"She seems to be doing fine. I think she hates me, though—as much as the other Omaticaya
do... she and Tsu'tey... I don't know. It's hard to tell with those two."

Her brow perks up with interest at that. "Tsu'tey has always been a little bit guarded, even at
the school. Give them a bit of time and they'll warm up to you, Jake."

"Are you sure about that?" He asks, and it stumps Grace into confusion. "Neither seems keen
on the idea that a dreamwalker is living among them, and anything I mention to make
conversation brings a sort of tension. It all leads back to your school, Doc... what happened? I
understand that they've died, and from what I've gathered it was most likely by Quaritch's
hand, but... Tsu'tey won't explain any further than the brief minimum. What happened?"

Silence lingers between them and Jake wonders if this was an opportune time to confront
Grace about it. She's gone still, eyes cold and void of any emotion. Calling her name snaps
her out of any trance she was in. "I think that's a story for another time. You done eating?"
She asks as she stands, and Jake nods. She gathers both of their trays. "You should get some
rest. I'll be seeing you bright and early tomorrow morning." And she departs, leaving Jake to
sit by himself. Perhaps mentioning her school wasn't the best of ideas.

He leaves the cafeteria minutes after she does, and by that time, he was only one of the few
remaining in the room. Grace won't ever know, but the moment he got to his bunkroom, his
stomach couldn't tolerate the food he gorged down. He spent the better part of the next half
hour huddled over a toilet bowl, vomiting everything he ate until there was nothing left but
mucus.

-+-
At breakfast the following day, the entire Avatar Program staff sat huddled together at the
tables, hooked to Grace's dramatized retelling of the story he told her. Jake simply sat there in
silence and listened, mulling over a cup of yogurt he couldn't seem to eat and only messed
around with a spoon. Norm is sitting on the other side of the table, fuming over the tale. If
Jake knew any better, he'd say Norm couldn't handle jealousy that easily. He startles when
Grace suddenly slams her hand down on his shoulder and lifts his head to look at her, zoning
in on the rest of the story.

"—the last thing we see is this Airman's ass disappearing into the brush with this angry
thanator coming after him!" The program crew laughs.

He shrugs, "not something you can teach."

Max shakes his head in astonishment. "That is awesome!"

"You know," Grace starts as she turns to him, "for reasons I cannot fathom, the Omaticaya
have chosen you... God help us all."

Jake zones out during the rest of her retelling, eventually finding a bit of motivation to eat his
yogurt when his stomach starts to feel empty. He doesn't get through half of it when Trudy
approaches from behind and tells him the Quaritch would like to have a word with him. He
looks at Grace with confusion, her expression reading the same. How did the Colonel find
out?

"Alright, thanks." He tells Trudy, wheeling himself around. Grace tries to stop him, on the
verge of saying something when he beats her to it. He knows what she's trying to say. "Don't
worry..."

Trudy leads him to the command center where the Colonel reported to be, expressing on the
way there how worried she was when they couldn't find him during the search yesterday and
apologizing profusely over not being able to run night ops. Jake understood the sentiment,
there were times when companions of his who were drafted into the Marines got stranded in
enemy territory and they couldn't do anything about it. They just had to wait it out until
morning, and luckily they survived.

She leaves him at the door leading into the command deck and he wheels in, stopping a short
way away from a 3D graphic display table where Quaritch and Selfridge are huddled around.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Quaritch turns with an impressed look and gives him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I hear you
made some progress with the natives, kid." He signals for Selfridge's attention. "Parker, this
is the kid I was telling you about, Jake Sully. The one who made it into native territory on his
first ride out." Jake cringes under his words.

"Right. Let's not dilly-dally anymore, yeah?" Selfridge rounds the table to stand next to Jake
and leans back. "Look here, Jake—I need you to find out what these blue monkeys want,
okay? We try to give them medicine and education. Roads, even! But no—they like the dirt,
and I wouldn't care except," he turns back to face the table and displays to Jake a virtual
image of Hometree, and under it the purple deposits of unobtanium. "Their damn village is
sitting on top of the richest unobtanium deposit two hundred klicks in any direction, and I
need you to get these damn monkeys to relocate!"

Jake studies the display, slightly amazed but he shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but as I've told
the Colonel, I'll tell you the same thing... I cannot accomplish what it is you expect me to do.
This—this thing you've got going on with the Na'vi, it's not my fight, okay? I may be learning
to become one of them under their guidance, but I'll always be a dreamwalker to them."

Quaritch snorts. "Standing your ground, I like that."

"Does Augustine know about this? What you're trying to do?"

Parker nods. "Yeah, she does, and she knows that she is on the next flight out of here if she
tries to cock-block me again from getting what I want."

Jakes rubs his face tiredly. He's starting to see how adamant they are on getting that
unobtanium deposit. If they're this pressing on trying to get his cooperation, he can only
imagine the next steps they'd take if he turned them down and the Omaticaya didn't listen. He
wheels around to the other side of the display table, looking at the ginormous tree from
different angles. "Why are you so sure that I can get the Omaticaya to relocate?"

"You said so yourself, Sully," Quaritch says, "you're learning under their guidance. If there's
one thing I learned in my time as a marine, you eventually take a liking to those training
under you. These natives may see you as an imposter now, but eventually, they'll warm up to
you. They will trust you. Use that to your advantage."

"I never said I'd go along with your plan, Colonel."

"No, but you are thinking it."

Jake shrinks under that admission. He was right, but going along with this might be the only
way to get them out alive.

"And if they won't go?"

Quaritch narrows his eyes. "I'm betting they will, otherwise they'll regret it."

"Listen," Selfridge starts, "killing the indigenous looks bad, but I've got a quarterly statement
to meet. It's one thing shareholders hate more than bad press... so, find me something to get
them to move with minimal loss taken, and everything will be in good hands."

Jake looks between the two men, contemplating. He really has no choice, does he? Well, he
does but they're not making this easy on him. "How long will I have to get this done?"

"Dozers will get there in less than five months," Quaritch tells him.

He nods. "Okay, if I do this... if I can get them to relocate, it has to be under my terms—those
are my only conditions. I won't do any reporting for you." Quaritch and Selfridge share a
look of contemplation before he's told that they agree, but Jake still feels a bit of uneasiness.
 With how insistent they are, just like the Omaticaya, things might not go so well for either
side.

-+-

Jake wheels into the link room not much longer after the conversation with Quaritch and
Selfridge. Grace is there getting the units situated but she doesn't notice him until she turns,
nearly bumping into him.

"Christ, airman." She exclaims, and he gives her an apologetic look. "How did the talk with
Quaritch go? What did he want?"

"Same thing he wanted two weeks ago." He wheels around to his link unit but doesn't yet
climb in, his hesitation telling Grace that they had to be serious for the next few minutes. "We
have five months until the dozers reach Hometree, Grace. They want me to try and get the
Omaticaya to relocate."

"Shit... what did you tell him?"

"I felt compelled to listen to them... they seem pretty insistent and I feel that things could turn
ugly if they don't get that deposit of unobtanium."

Jake can't tell what's going through her mind, her expression unreadable. "Dammit, Jake."
She begins to pace, thinking. "The Omaticaya... they're never going to listen. It's their home
for fucks sake!"

"There's got to be a way. Quaritch seems to think that they'll eventually trust me and listen to
reason."

She scuffs, amused. "They'll never do that. You're just a dreamwalker to them."

"Believe me, I know, but we have five months to figure this out. They're allowing me to do
this on my terms, not theirs." He starts to climb into the link unit just as Norm arrives, pulling
his legs onto the cool gel.

"Alright, change of plans then. I'm not about to let Quaritch and Selfridge micro-manage this
program any more than they have already. Tomorrow or the day after, we're going up into the
mountains. There's a mobile link at Site 26 that we can work out of for the time being."

Norm gawks at Grace with wide eyes, and Jake is feeling just as easily astonished. "The
Hallelujah Mountains?"

Chapter End Notes

Next Update: 01/23

 Chapter 9
Chapter Notes

I had this lovely person ask if she could become my beta reader last week and
ohmygosh! Props to her because she is amazing! I've never had a beta reader before so
it's certainly an interesting experience, and I have no doubt you guys will enjoy
everything to come!

Check out the End Notes for an art piece created by Uras!

Beta Reader: Mitzi

Twitter

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The Hallelujah Mountains—he’s heard so many second-hand tellings of the legendary

floating mountains from his brother, so he can scarcely believe that Grace wants to
temporarily relocate them there. It all seems so surreal to know that he's this close to
witnessing them. It was the place where he'd dreamed of flying countless times during his
stay in the hospital. Just the thought of being in the presence of something so grand has the
hairs on the back of his neck and his arms standing on end.

"You've heard of the mountains?" He hears Norm ask, and he turns to notice the look of
haughty skepticism that's directed at him.

Jake's brows furrow. "Yeah... Tommy used to tell me all kinds of stories about Pandora when
I was in the hospital." The look on Norm's face seems to dampen at his words. "He would
specifically tell me the ones about the Hallelujah Mountains, ‘cause I liked those the most.
His stories got me through some really tough patches."

He remembers that time of his life as if it were yesterday, full of painful memories that he
wishes he could forget. It was a purgatory of weeks stretching into months, bedridden in a
hospital bed where he was anchored in place by limbs he could no longer use. He would be
hit by bouts of depression in which he would long to end everything. If Tommy hadn't been
there to stand by his side through the most difficult period of his life, he's not sure where he
would've ended up. Whether he would've actually pulled the trigger or ended up as another
veteran cripple stranded on the streets, he'd never know.

Jake wonders if Tommy's stories are the main reason behind his almost desperate desire to
soar through the floating mountains, and perhaps not entirely because of the love for flying
their father imparted on him.

"Really? What else did he tell you?"

Jake regards Norm for a moment, not missing the underhanded implication. His attitude in
the cafeteria told him everything he needed to know. "Tommy's told me enough." He replies
stiffly.

Norm lets out a derisive little laugh that grates on every last one of his nerves. "Pandora isn't
a playground, Jake! You can't just rely on stories to pave the way for you."

"What the hell's your problem, man? Do you think I don't know that!?"

"I just think you're taking advantage of this program—you haven't even had any training!
And I've had three years!"

"Do you think I asked for this!? I never wanted this!"

"Then you should go back home!"

Grace slams her hand down against the hood of the link unit, the bang loud enough to silence
them and anything else Norm was going to say. "Knock it off! Jesus, it's like chaperoning a
bunch of kindergartners around here." She snaps her fingers at Norm's link unit and he clearly
understands the order that it is, agitatedly walking over to the pod without question. Grace
then turns to him, scowl still in place. "Lie down Jake, the link is ready. Village life starts
early." He does as she says, and before he moves to shut the link hood, Grace stops him.
"And Jake, don't do anything unusually stupid."

-+-

Jake's ears flick as they process the gentle sound of a knife carving away at something, and
moments later a sweet aroma wafts up to his nose. The smell is enough to wake him up fully,
shaking off the dredges of the neuro link transfer. Then he remembers that he's suspended
about a thousand yards up in the air, entangled in a woven hammock, and his whole body
tenses up in a mild panic. Jake tries to loosen up his muscles and mentally wills the hammock
to stop swaying, which takes a few seconds before it actually stabilizes again. He looks
around, and the hammocks on either side of him are void of the two Omaticaya who were
resting there the night before.

Jake hears the swish of a knife again, and the earlier aroma smells even stronger than before.
He turns as quickly as he's able to while remaining steady, finding Tsu'tey straddled on a
spoke of the inner tree trunk in relaxation. He's carving away the outer shell of a piece of
fruit, each cut almost perfect with how rounded and sharp his knife is. He watches him
curiously, wondering if the other is aware that he's awake.

He startles a little bit when Tsu’tey addresses him. "Eat this," the warrior tosses him the
sliced fruit and he catches it with a wobble of the hammock, juice flowing out and coating his
hands.

A melon tree fruit. It reminds him of an oversized and elongated kiwi, except with colors that
are a hell of a lot brighter than a bland green and brown. He noticed them being grown and
harvested in the Avatar Compound's garden back at the base, but he's never tried one before.
Now that he thinks about it, he hasn't really eaten much of Pandoran food at all.
He regards the Na'vi warily for a moment, Tsu'tey gazing back with an unimpressed stare,
silently urging him to eat the fruit. He's not sure why he's hesitant to eat it. It’s not like
Tsu'tey would feed him something inedible, especially if his own people, scientists, are
growing them in their own backyard. "Right," he mutters to himself and takes a bite out of it
like he would with an apple, tastebuds exploding with its delicious taste. He takes a larger
bite, because damn that’s good. "This is great, thank you." He demolishes the fruit within
seconds.

Tsu'tey abruptly stands rather than responding, which would be, y’know, the polite thing to
do, and urges Jake to do the same. "You are late," He says, and it catches Jake off guard.

"I—huh?" He clumsily climbs out of the hammock, cursing every time it sways a little too
much for comfort.

"Grace Augustine—she taught us the concept of your time," he informs him as he begins to
descend down the spiral columns, and Jake quickly runs after him, trying not to be left in the
dust by the Na’vi. "I have been waiting for two of your hours for you to wake up."

Oh. He didn’t realize how much time must've passed, and apparently neither did Grace. Their
morning routine hadn't exactly gone to plan, with their little screaming match and all. "Look,
I’m real sorry about being late, this morning had a few unexpected things come up—"

At the bottom of the spiral column, Tsu'tey suddenly comes to a stop and Jake runs straight
into his back with a little oof . "I do not particularly care for what the Sky People do in their
own time."

"Right... sorry." Jake brings his hand up to the back of his neck sheepishly.

Tsu'tey starts walking forward again without saying much else and Jake’s left to trail behind
him like a clingy child. While they walk to wherever Tsu’tey is leading them, Jake looks
around, taking in the community bustling around him. Hometree is as lively as it was the
night before, with the Omaticaya contentedly going about their day, his presence already
losing some of its novelty. Aside from the few children who think the sight of a dreamwalker
is the most fascinating thing they’ve ever seen, he’s left alone. He isn't crowded or
unexpectedly touched like he was when they brought him before Eytukan. But he can still
feel the stares, eyes burning holes into his back.

He curiously watches some young Na'vi women who are huddled together in a corner of
Hometree, singing melodies with soft notes and weaving what he imagines would become
baskets or satchels. One of the prettier women, whose voice seemed to ring out more clearly
and carry the strongest melody, notices him looking and offers him a gentle smile. Caught
staring, Jake hurriedly glances away and jogs to catch up to Tsu'tey, grinning slightly at the
faint sound of harmonized giggling behind him.

"So, what do you have planned for today?" He asks to distract himself. "I’m gonna take a
guess and say that we're starting my training?"

Tsu'tey turns to him, a slight look of consternation on his face. He must’ve heard the
giggling. "I am going to teach you to ride pa'li—a direhorse," he quickly corrects.
A direhorse? Damn, he would've loved to get his hands on a banshee for his first ride, but he
guesses that beggars can’t be choosers. He’ll take what he can get.

Tsu'tey leads him through one of the arches of Hometree and down a wide path devoid of any
of the tribe's members. It's just the two of them walking together for a while, continuing
down the road until they reach a small clearing where the direhorses are grazing. The forest
floor is almost entirely muddy and marked with a collage of hoofprints.

"Stay here." He's instructed.

Jake kneels into a crouch while Tsu'tey wanders off to collect one of the direhorses, leading it
by a woven bridle. It reacts with hardly any objection when disturbed from eating, although
its long dual antennae continue to wave over any flowers it trots past. Tsu’tey beckons him
forward to the middle of the clearing and he moves to stand next to the large creature.

He admires the direhorse, realizing how much it reminds him of the Clydesdales back on
Earth, despite its alien features. He got to see them once at some big-shot millionaire’s open
funeral procession, looking completely out of place against the industrial grays and artificial
neons of the city. They were beautiful, and it hurt his heart that they were almost practically
extinct. The direhorse in front of him was built strong though, especially with its six legs,
making the horses back home look like total daisies in comparison.

"He's beautiful," Jake whispers and he notices Tsu'tey looking at him, but he can't tell what’s
going through his mind.

He lets out a yelp as the horse's antenna knocks him aside the head, and Tsu'tey snorts. "She
is female."

"Right, she is beautiful." He adds cheekily, gently patting her side "Guess she didn't like me
assuming her gender... so, what do you want me doing?"

Tsu'tey doesn't get the chance to respond when their quiet peace is interrupted by the shouts
of two rapidly approaching Na'vi. They're noisily jumping through the branches of the trees
surrounding the glade, causing leaves and twigs to rain down underneath them and startling
the direhorses. The direhorses surrounding them scatter, but Tsu'tey keeps a firm grip on the
bridle of his horse, keeping her steady. The two young Na'vi swing down in front of them,
and Jake almost has to suppress an eye roll at their dramatic entrance. They really could’ve
walked down the path like any normal person would. He can see the moment of recognition
on their faces when they notice him.

Jake looks beside him and balks at the look on Tsu’tey’s face. "Are you two skxawngs!?" the
Na’vi seethes through his teeth.

The male leans over a little bit, out of breath. "We thought you were going to remind us that
we were receiving our pa'lis today, karyu. We finally decided to come straight here when we
didn’t see you at Kelutral."

"Is that so? After the display you just pulled, I'd suggest you weren't ready for one!" The boy
shrinks under his angered stare, and Jake doesn’t really blame him, poor kid. But the other
Na’vi is hardly deterred. Her attention has been laser-focused on Jake the entire time, rather
than listening to Tsu'tey's obvious reprimanding. "Future taronyus shouldn't need reminding."

"Karyu, what is this dreamwalker doing here?" the girl interrupts. Jake gets the feeling that
he's become the subject of conversation and he shifts uncomfortably.

Tsu'tey stares at her for a moment before looking over at Jake and starting introductions.
"Sully, this is Ka'ani," he gestures to the young male who shrinks when he looks over at him,
avoiding any of Jake's eye contact, "and that is Saeyla" the young woman scowls at him.
"Two more recent taronyu students of mine. Most of their training will be taught alongside
you."

Saeyla hisses in disapproval but says nothing more. Jake kinda admires her spunk.

"I recognize them from last night," he says, "they were part of the group your brother led."

"Yes, well... what my brother did was stupid. He should not have brought them—after what
they just did it is obvious they are not ready for such trials, still behaving like children."

"Karyu!" Saeyla and Ka'ani whine in unison, and Tsu'tey hisses to silence their complaints.

"Feel lucky I am even letting you continue with your lessons today... I trust the three of you
will get along from here on out, right?" he looks directly at Saeyla as he says it, and her
petulant expression is louder than words. Jake and Ka’ani don’t hesitate to nod, and after a
second Saeyla begrudgingly does the same. Finally, Tsu'tey instructs the two Na’vi to claim
their direhorses, then addresses Jake. "We will stay here for now and you will watch—learn
from them and then you will ride."

Jake stands further off to the side while he watches the two students. The direhorse Tsu'tey
continues to lead nuzzles at Jake's back, pushing him forward slightly and waving her
antennae around his head, tickling him. He can’t help but laugh softly.

Shifting away from the direhorse a little bit, he tries to focus on the students again.
Witnessing Ka'ani and Saeyla mount their direhorses is enlightening, to say the least. Their
attitude around the animals is drastically different from when they interacted with him, and
he would've thought they were entirely different people if he didn't know better.

Ka'ani is gentle with his mount, using a piece of fruit—he thinks it might be spartan fruit—to
befriend it. While it’s occupied with the snack, he mounts the horse and connects his queue to
the bulb at the end of one antenna, the creature hardly reacting other than a gentle shiver.
Saeyla, on the other hand, seems jitterish when her mount approaches, its tongue slithering
out to lick her. After a few minutes, it seems like she’s able to calm her nerves enough to
where she doesn’t feel uneasy. She leans into the direhorse's insistent nudges before jumping
onto its back, settling into place.

They make it look easy, and Jake knows for a fact that he won’t be so graceful. "They're both
naturals at this. I have a feeling that I’m about to embarrass myself," he laughs. He
remembers the time when his mother taught him to ride one of his aunt's smaller mares. The
second he got on the damn horse, it had taken off and his head had collided with the nearest
tree branch. He’d had a lump on his head for days, and Tommy wouldn’t shut up about it. But
he’s not about to tell Tsu’tey that. Instead, he settles on "I wasn’t exactly the star student
when it came to riding the horses back home."

"You will not know until you try, Sully. Come." Tsu'tey leads the direhorse back into the
clearing and Jake follows, nerves ratcheting up. While he holds the bridle steady, Jake climbs
onto the horse’s back under his instruction. "Take her antenna and the end of your braid—
your tswin."

Jake reaches behind him to grab hold of his braid and then brings it towards the antenna,
connecting the two appendages together. His eyes widen as he's overwhelmed by the sudden
overflow of connection. He can feel the animal’s breath whooshing in and out of its chest as
if it’s his own lungs—can taste the lingering nectar on its tongue. And most surprisingly,
rising in the back of his mind are hazy memories that aren’t his own. He’s never experienced
anything like this in his life. It’s really fucking weird but also kind of amazing at the same
time. The animal honks nervously and trots in place, but Tsu'tey keeps her still.

"Mawey, mawey 'eve... that connection, it is tsaheylu. The bond. Like any other mount, they
feel when you are nervous, so you two will need to understand each other. Feel her heartbeat,
her breath. Feel her strong legs."

Jakes closes his eyes and nods, relaxing slightly. Be one with the horse, he could almost hear
his mother's voice say.

"Through tsaheylu, she will understand your command. Inside," he touches his hand to his
head, "but for now, say where to go." Tsu'tey steps back, letting go of the bridle.

"Okay... forward—whoa!" The direhorse—or he guesses he should start calling it a pa’li—

launches into a gallop and Jake tries to hold onto the antennae for dear life, but he's thrown
off, landing face fucking first into a watered-down pile of mud. "Ouch." He can hear the two
young students laughing their asses off somewhere in the background and when he lifts his
head, vision slightly obscured with mud, he notices Tsu'tey stifling his own laugh. It’s weird
to see the joy on Tsu’tey’s normally stoic face, but it’s a nice kind of weird. Jake’s suddenly
glad he could make him smile, and he grins ruefully at the Na’vi from his place in the mud.
"Well, what did I say? Terrible."

"I don’t know, Sully. Your performance seemed quite average to me." Jake drops his head
back into the mud with a groan while Tsu'tey jogs past him, leading the pa’li back for another
round of Jake’s public humiliation. "We will try again."

He stands and rubs off as much mud as he can, but only succeeds in making himself messier.
Goddamn, there’s even some in his mouth, ugh. He pats his tongue and instantly regrets it as
the taste of more mud makes his nose crinkle up in disgust.

"Jake."

"Right, sorry." He climbs back onto the pa’li and forms tsaheylu, reattempting to guide her
forward, but this time with a mental emphasis on slow. She works her way up to another
gallop, and just as he’s getting excited, she shoots forward and he's thrown off like a ragdoll
once again. Pa’li: 2, Jake: 0. He looks over at Tsu'tey, shooting him a warning look before he
can even attempt to laugh.

That doesn’t stop Ka'ani and Saeyla from cackling even louder though, but he can’t really
bring himself to care as much. Tommy really hadn’t been kidding when he said Jake sucked
ass at riding horses.

He pulls himself up and collects the direhorse himself this time, mounting it with more ease.
But he gets thrown off again. And again.

And again.

For the better part of the next hour, he makes only the smallest amount of progress in riding
his mount and Tsu'tey is getting more and more agitated as time carries on. Jake is just
starting his bajillionth attempt when he hears the sound of hooves crunching foliage. Across
from them, Arvok comes riding into the clearing on horseback, another young Na'vi in tow.
Jake had noticed them watching from a distance, slightly obscured by the trees, for the last
fifteen minutes. He guesses they got sick of making fun of him from the shadows and were
coming to give him shit face to face.

"You should go away." Arvok hisses at Jake, and then pivots to his brother. "This alien will
learn nothing. A rock Sees more." He doesn’t need to speak Na’vi to get the gist of what he’s
saying.

Tsu'tey regards his brother coldly, but his attention then shifts to the young Na'vi behind
Arvok. Another student, Jake assumes, since he's carrying that teacher demeanor again.
"Atan! What are you doing? You should not be here! You should be training!"

Atan glances between the two brothers nervously. "Technically, I am, karyu. Arvok was
teaching me, but decided to take a detour."

"No excuses, go!" Tsu'tey hits the back of his brother's mount and the two gallop off through
the foliage.

"Geez, I’m getting the sense that not everyone here likes me," he remarks sarcastically.

"What do you expect? You are a dreamwalker, a Sky Person in a false body... come, I think
that is enough for today. There is more to be done."

Jake quickly intervenes. "No! I mean, I'd just—I'd like to try a couple more times. Please?"

Tsu'tey tilts his head and seems to consider his request for a moment. "Okay. You may try
once more."

Jake quickly thanks him and hurries to his mount's side, hopping on its back with ease. It's
the only thing he's seemed to perfect over the last hour. Tsu'tey watches him intently, and so
are Ka'ani and Saeyla, despite Tsu'tey’s attempts at urging them to go ahead and go back to
Hometree. They had better things to be doing than watching a dreamwalker fail over and over
again. Jake leans into the animal. "C'mon, you and me... we've got this. Right?"
 The pa’li bobs its head as if in agreement.

"I'll take that as a yes. Okay, forward—shit!" True to everyone's suspicions, he falls off the
direhorse and straight into a mud pile, feeling utterly defeated. He can't seem to fucking get
it, doing arguably worse than he ever did with the horse back on Earth, because at least then
he knew when to quit.

It seems like the land isn’t his home. It would always be the sky.

And he remembers hearing that before, remembers the gentle voice who had said it when he
was cradling his head. It takes him a second, but then it comes back to him. How could he
forget it? The person had raised him his entire life, even after his dad was long gone.

His mom.

Chapter End Notes

Chapter Seven received an art piece and it is so adorable! Here it is!

Next Update: 1/30

 Chapter 10
Chapter Notes

We're ten chapters in and things are just starting to pick up. If you left a suggestion from
the previously deleted A/N, a majority of you will see your ideas taken into account and
expanded on. Just know that it's made this one long slow burn featuring sexual tension!
Hope you're prepared to stick around for the ride!

Beta Reader: Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"C'mon, Jacob… there's something I'd like to teach you."

His mom stood leaning against the doorframe to the guest bedroom of his aunt's small farm—
it was one of the very few types of green space left standing on Earth. She was surprisingly
patient with his hesitancy as he considered her offer; she'd left him to his own comforts for
the last couple of days, with nothing more than a simple call for mealtimes. She understood
that he needed time to mourn on his own terms.

After all, he had lost the best friend that nobody else could compare with—his dad.

He had unexpectedly died while serving his country off the shores of Venezuela, their
temporary base unceremoniously ambushed by opposing forces. Any other details were
deemed classified by commanding officers, but it was clear that a lot more had happened on
that beach than they let on.

That day, he didn't need to see the two uniformed servicemen standing in their front yard to
know that his father was no longer with them, nor hear the painstaking cries of his mom,
which tore through his chest like a knife. His father hadn't responded to any of their letters in
the past month, and Jake had this unnerving feeling throughout the entire day. He knew that
something terrible happened. He just knew.

His father was gone.

And instead of a funeral, the directory immediately sent his body to be cremated, the
cemeteries being too crowded for some air force grunt to be buried there. It was the new
normal in light of overpopulation, and it wasn't uncommon for older cemeteries to be torn
down for additional housing projects.

His cremation would be the last time they'd get to see his face. That was their funeral, and
Jake only got a couple of seconds to spare a look at his father's face before the undertaker
covered his body with a black wrap and pushed the cardboard box into the furnace.
Even as an infant, he was never a crier. But that day, he bawled his eyes out. For the first time
in years, it wasn't just Tommy blubbering over something.

A week following his passing, his mom thought it would be best if the family were to spend
the next few weeks away from the city. According to her, they needed the distraction from the
neverending grieving and condolences—needed the moments of quiet peace that the
countryside could provide. Jake needed the distraction the most, but getting away from the
city meant visiting the aunt they hadn't seen since their eighth birthday almost four years ago.

"Jacob?"

Coming out of his thoughts, he blinked a couple of times and then looked up at his mom,
remembering what it was she asked a minute ago. It wasn't exactly a request that he thought
he had a choice in either way. "I'm coming, just give me a sec."

She left the guest bedroom with nothing but a simple nod before disappearing down the
hallway. He could hear her loitering around the front screen door, waiting for him.

Jake wondered what on earth she wanted to show him, and a streak of mulishness demanded
that he stay right where he was instead of going downstairs. There was only so much a city
boy could learn on a farm.

He climbed away from where he sat at the windowsill and met his mom at the front door,
where she didn't waste another second in leaving the house and leading them towards the
stables. Of fucking course. It had to be the one thing he didn't want anything to do with—
horseback riding. He crossed his arms over his chest petulantly. "So this something is
teaching me to ride a horse?"

"Of course," his mom exclaimed. "You can't stay cooped up in that room forever, Jacob. And
quite frankly, you need something to occupy yourself with."

"I'm doing fine on my own, Ma—I don't need to learn how to ride a horse." He pouts. He
knew he was being stubborn as hell, but he couldn't care less. "Won't exactly do me any good
in the city, anyway."

"Maybe you're right, but I'm your mother and I would very much like to teach you how to
ride a horse. Tommy did exceptionally well when I taught him the other day."

He remembered watching his mom show his twin how to ride horseback from the guest
room, laughter bleeding through the place he had cracked open the window as Tommy's
stallion galloped through the field. In those moments, Jake could only think about how happy
they seemed mere weeks after their father, her husband, had died. He couldn't help but feel an
ugly resentment bubble up in his chest, gnawing at his insides.

"That's 'cause Tommy is a nature geek, it comes naturally to him."

"Well your father isn't here to talk to you about aircrafts, and that's not something I can do."
Her face was tight as she said it, but she seemed to realize the harshness of her words, sighing
and letting her demeanor melt into something softer. "This is something I can teach you, so
why not have some fun while we're at it, yeah?"

"Sure. Whatever," he muttered. Jake followed her into the stables, where she led him to a
majestic-looking buckskin mare with a tanned hide and black hair. It reminded him of that
super old stallion movie with the horse called Spirit. Their aunt had played it for him and
Tommy once a few years ago. "I'm riding this one?"

"Yes, her name is Arion, and hopefully by the end of today you'll be best friends!" she shot
him a wide smile. His mom slipped into the stable, her hands rubbing over the mare's neck
and sides before going around the stall to unhook her reins. "Why don't you go wait up the
hill, Jacob? This is gonna take a minute."

Jake didn't wait for another second to high-tail it out of there, glad for the excuse to leave the
stuffy stable. He trekked up the hill and was surprised to find Tommy resting under the only
tree planted on the farm for acres, invested in an early edition volume on some alien moon.

"Hey, Tommy."

His twin looked up, startled. "Hey! I heard that Mom's finally got you riding a horse?" He
closed his book, his attention now focused entirely on Jake. He knew that Tommy wouldn't
miss the chance to watch him ride for the first time, and that soured his mood even more.

"More like against my will," Jake grumbled unhappily.

He laughed. "Lighten up, Jakey! You'll enjoy it!" Jake sat down next to his brother and let his
mind drift off while they waited, only half-paying attention to Tommy's words of
encouragement. After a little while he saw their mom making her way up the hill, leading
Arion with a carrot in her hand. Tommy grinned at him and shook his shoulder. "This should
be fun, good luck!"

Jake's expression belied just what he thought about that statement, and he shook Tommy's
hand off as he stood up. He walked over to his mom's side and she did a quick run-through of
basic horseback riding 101, emphasizing the difference in saddleless riding. Then she was
helping to hoist Jake over the mare's back and instructed him to keep a tight grip on her mane
and the reins.

Jake shifted uncomfortably on the horse's back. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Mom?"

"Arion is gentle, she'll take care of you. Just remember everything I've told you: be one with
the horse. Some horses will test you and others will teach you, so long as you remember to
stay calm, you've no need to worry. Got it?"

"Y–yeah." He stuttered, gripping Arion's mane tighter in his clenched fists.

She took a few steps back and Tommy joined their mom's side, eagerly watching what he
knows—what they both know will be a disaster. "Okay, just click your tongue and she'll trot
forward."
Trot? That should be easy enough, he thought.

He shot his brother and mom a nervous glance before doing as he was instructed, clicking his
tongue. Immediately, the mare launched into a full gallop rather than a trot, and he didn't
have any time to react before he was colliding face-first with a low-hanging branch on the
tree he and Tommy had been sitting under mere moments ago. He was thrown off by the
force, landing hard on his back while the mare trotted down the hill, unbothered by the
absence of weight on her back, that bitch.

"Jake!" He heard his mom shout and she hurried to his side, carefully helping him into a
sitting position. "Tommy, go get Arion—are you okay, Jake?" She checked him over for
injuries, hissing through her teeth. His forehead stung, littered with scratches from the
branches. "You're going to have some nasty swelling by tomorrow."

Annoyance flared up in him. "I thought you said she was gentle?!"

"She is! You were just too nervous is all, and being nervous isn't something you want. They
can sense that you know."

Tommy came jogging back with a trotting Arion in tow, her snout nuzzling against the back
of his head. "I just knew you were going to end up doing something crazy!" He laughed.

"Shut up, Tommy!" His brother's teasing fired him up like nothing else could. Even with his
head throbbing like a bitch, he wanted to try another round of riding, to prove Tommy wrong
at the very least. His mom must have seen the stubborn glint in his eyes because she started
warning him that another run-in with the tree could result in a concussion or perhaps a broken
bone. The words fell on deaf ears — he wasn't about to back down now. So he tried again,
this time at least trying to calm his nerves to some degree before he clicked his tongue.

He wasn't sure what exactly happened the second time around, but something had startled
Arion into stopping abruptly, the momentum carrying his weight forwards and off the horse.
At least that time it hurt a little less, lacking the speed to do any real damage.

Tommy was relentless in his teasing and Jake was determined to prove him wrong. But after
an hour of pure frustration and pain, Jake threw in the towel, brimming with barely restrained
anger.

"Ugh! This isn't working!" He cried as he picked himself up, dusting off the grass and hay
from his clothing. "This stupid fucking horse—" he saw his mom's eyes widen and her mouth
pinch at the cuss word, something she normally never abided. "Why did you want to teach
me to ride a horse anyway!? Because it's doing the opposite of making me feel better!"

"Jake—honey, these kinds of things take time. No one becomes a master in a day—"

"Well, it's stupid! I wish you hadn't tried to teach me! I wish dad were here instead of you!"

He didn't register the words he said until it was too late to take them back, and by then the
look on his mom's face had torn right through him. "Right… I'm sorry, apparently, I was
wrong to think—" she cleared her throat "—how foolish of me to assume that the land would
be your home. Clearly, it'll always be the sky."

-+-

His mom.

His sweet mom.

He hasn't thought about her in years—not since the months following her passing, but… how
could he ever forget her? The brief thought of her, on top of his built-up frustrations, has a
wave of tears burning the back of his eyes, but he fights off the urge to let them fall. He can't
cry now, not in front of Tsu'tey. Certainly not in front of Ka'ani and Saeyla.

Her gentle voice rings in his head. Don't cry over the past, it's gone. Don't stress about the
future, it hasn't arrived.

It's a piece of advice that's helped him survive over the years whenever he felt like giving up
—and he's felt like that more times than he can count.

He stiffens at the sound of someone approaching, and when he lifts his head, face caked with
layers of mud, he notices Tsu'tey kneeling before him. Judging by the poorly veiled
amusement on his face, he doesn't seem to notice his dampened mood.

"Are you okay, Sully?" the warrior asks through a snort, and with the corners of his mouth
curled back, the points of his fangs are somewhat visible. "That was a tough landing you had
there."

Jake narrows his eyes and sits up. "Sure, laugh all you want at the guy who can't get
something as simple as riding a horse right."

"No one is laughing, Sully." He could beg to differ, sparing a glance at the two young Na'vi
huddled at the edge of the clearing. They're stifling their laughter behind their hands, but
when Tsu'tey follows where Jake's gaze is directed, his smile drops a bit. He sighs, then turns
his gaze back to the avatar, staring sternly. "They are children, Jake—skxawngs. Do not take
them seriously. It is the effort that matters, and… you are not doing as bad as I thought you
would."

Jake huffs Tsu'tey's name in disbelief at that last part. That couldn't have been more of a lie if
he'd ever heard one. He honestly can't believe that the warrior is trying to sugarcoat his
subpar performance to make him feel better.

"Okay," he chuckles, "okay. Maybe you are terrible at riding pa'li, but you are making
progress. Much of what the Omaticaya are taught comes naturally to them, but you are a
dreamwalker. It will take time." Yeah, and that's what he's worried about. Jake doesn't have
the time Tsu'tey seems to think they have. Quaritch had laid down the ultimatum—dozers
would reach Hometree in less than five months. He needs to fucking nail down this taronyu
shit and get in their good graces before then.
He shifts to lean most of his weight on his rear, bringing up his elbows to rest on his knees. "I
seem to recall you mentioning that I wouldn't last more than two weeks as your student."

"This is only day one, Jake. There are plenty more days for you to justify what I said. But I
would not mind being proven wrong either. Ewya chose you for a reason, so do not give up
so easily."

And that was still an utter mystery to him. "Choose me for what, though, Tsu'tey? Making a
fool of myself?"

Tsu'tey frowns, and without a second thought, he roughly pushes at the side of Jake's head
with two fingers. Jake looks at him questioningly, baffled by the odd gesture. "You are hard
on yourself, Jake Sully. But—in time, the will of Eywa will reveal itself. You have to trust."

"Right," Jake whispers, though there's little belief in his words. Silence settles between them
as the warrior looks him over. He grasps at Jake's arm and brushes away at the hardened mud,
checking the bandage wrappings on his shoulder and arm, and then he lifts his foot in the air,
reminiscent of the night before. Jake falls back slightly but catches himself. "Find anything
you like?" he jokes, but Tsu'tey doesn't seem to catch it.

He drops his foot. "I think your wounds could use some rebandaging. You are bleeding again,
but… it is fine. For now." Tsu'tey starts to stand and after a second Jake follows his lead. "Do
you think you are done for the day or would you like to try riding the pa'li one more time?"

He's giving him a choice, huh?

Jake glances over his shoulder at the pa'li grazing next to the plants. Its tongue slithers out,
lapping up the flower's sap, completely unbothered by their conversation. Another try at
riding the pa'li… he doesn't know if he would even be able to get it right this time. He
wouldn't be surprised if he just embarrassed himself again. His mom was right about one
thing—the sky would always be his home. He doesn't fit down here on land, but if he doesn't
at least try, he'll never succeed.

"Yeah," he tells him, "one more try, and then… we can try something else today."

"Okay, one more try then," Tsu'tey confirms.

Jake cautiously approaches the grazing pa'li so as not to startle it. "Hey there, girl... hey.
You're enjoying that flower, huh?" he whispers through a gentle laugh. The pa'li backs up a
few steps, long tongue lathering over its snout where some nectar had settled. He patted her
snout, their eyes boring into each other. "We're going to try this one more time, and then
we're done — promise." The pa'li snorts, almost like it's laughing in disbelief, and Jake
chuckles. "Oh, c'mon, you can't go ganging up on me now!" He pats the pa'li's neck before
leaping onto its back, easily connecting his queue to the antenna.

Jake's acutely aware of Tsu'tey watching from the sidelines, kneeling against a fallen tree
trunk.
"Alright... what is it that mom said? Be one with the horse," Jake snorts, "easier said than
done. Okay, well..." Jake falls back on what the warrior told him on his first try.

To feel her heartbeat. Her breath. Her strong legs.

Jake keeps his heels down and pressed against the pa'li's sides, the two antennae wrapped
around his forearms. He makes sure that his grip is on the gentler side since this would have
to do without reins. He breathes deeply, relaxing, and thinks forward.

The pa'li takes off into a sprint and, miraculously, he remains seated upright against her back.
It shocks him that he hasn't fallen off, just as much as it surprises Tsu'tey, who doesn't try all
that hard to hide his pleased expression. A giddy grin breaks out on his face, and he lets out a
small whoop of victory. Hell yeah! He urges the pa'li to turn when they close in on a
waterfall, galloping through a small pond before changing directions and skidding to a stop
next to Tsu'tey.

He chances a glance over at the little area where Ka'ani and Saeyla are sitting. Neither of
them is laughing now, instead, they're gawking at him with wide eyes. Then, much to Jake's
surprise, Ka'ani launches himself up and begins cheering, throwing his hands in the air and
ululating a warrior's cry.

"Sit down, Ka'ani!" Saeyla seethes as she tugs on the other's braid, the force knocking him on
his rear. She's scowling directly at Jake, but he can't seem to care all that much, still riding the
high from his accomplishment.

He looks over at Tsu'tey, the warrior grasping onto the pa'li's bridle and wearing a
contemplative expression. "Not bad, Jake Sully, not bad. I almost thought that I would get the
chance to laugh at another failure."

Jake's mouth drops open a bit, feeling slightly affronted. But then Tsu'tey grins, dropping the
act. Jake huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes. "Ha ha, very funny, Tsu'tey."

"You did good. But remember that as I advance your training as a taronyu, progress is going
to have to be made much faster."

Jake internally groans, hopping down from his pa'li and disconnecting the tsaheylu. The pa'li
trots off when Tsu'tey releases her. "You're one of those teachers that wants nothing but quick
learners, aren't you?"

"Why do you think I said you would not survive two weeks with me? This is only the
beginning, Jake. Come, we will get you cleaned first and then change your bandages."

Tsu'tey leads him to the same river where he had tended to his injuries the day before. He was
immediately down to business once they arrived, pointing out how Jake's wounds were
bleeding more profusely than they had been earlier. After he took a quick dip in the river, the
mud coming off easily, the Na'vi worked to undo Jake's bandages, quietly mentioning that the
wounds were starting to heal sufficiently. Although, the gash on his calf would require
another day or two before signs of healing would start to show. At least he would have a
badass scar and a cool story left behind from it.
As nighttime rolled around, he was starting to feel the soreness in his muscles after the abuse
his body had taken during pa'li riding, most of the ache stemming from his repeated falls into
the piles of mud. By sunrise tomorrow he's sure that his blue skin will be littered with patches
of purple bruises that he'll be feeling for days afterward.

He's led to another communal tribe meal, but because it's a little earlier in the day, with the
sun still setting, fewer Omaticaya are present. Neytiri is there, huddled warmly by a small
cookfire where she roasts some fish over the flames. Her ear flicks, and she raises her head
when he and Tsu'tey are close enough to feel the flames heat up their skin.

She looks him up and down with a curious stare. "You look terrible, dreamwalker."

Jake only sits when Tsu'tey does first, feeling like a lost and out-of-place puppy. "And I feel
terrible, too. I haven't felt this sore all over since my basic training days." He quietly thanks
her as she hands him a speared fish and he holds it steady over the flames. He then abruptly
realizes that he has no idea how long he's supposed to cook fish for. He almost never had
seafood on Earth, and even if they did, it wasn't like they got it fresh for cooking. It came
with the territory of depleting oceanic resources, courtesy of global warming and ocean
acidification. This would be the first time he'd have the pleasure of tasting fresh fish, and not
that Long John Silver's crap that he was ninety-nine percent sure wasn't even fish.

"Basic training?" Tsu'tey asks, and when Jake glances over to hopefully gain some insight on
how long he should cook the fish, he's slightly horrified to witness the warrior bite into the
creature raw. He tries not to judge, maybe it's a Na'vi thing. Besides, everyone has their own
preferences. He guesses it's kind of like eating sushi. Yeah, he'll go with that. Sushi. But with
all the bones, scales, and gu— and yeah, nope, let's stop that train of thought.

He focuses on answering Tsu'tey's question instead. "Yeah, it's the time spent training before
becoming a soldier—or in my case, an airman." He tells him. "I suppose for you, karyu, it's
just another student." He smiles playfully at his use of a Na'vi word—at least he hopes he
used it in the right context. That would be really fucking embarrassing if he didn't, but he
swears that he heard Ka'ani and Saeyla using it a handful of times in place of using Tsu'tey's
name. He feels his smile fade a little as he flicks his eyes between the two Na'vi , the look on
their faces not too promising. Shit, nice one Jake.

"Your pronunciation is terrible, Jake Sully." Oh. But he did get it correct, then. He thinks?

Neytiri chuckles lightly. "Give him a break. Luckily he has me to teach him our language.
But for now, I suggest we go riding tomorrow!"

"Riding?"

Neytiri nods eagerly and Tsu'tey jabs him in the side with his elbow, directing his attention to
the fish that was now well overcooked. Goddamn it. He scowls and snatches the fish away
from the fire, bringing it closer for inspection.

At least it still looks edible. Hopefully. He takes a small bite and—nope! Definitely not! He's
come to the conclusion that it's either way too burnt or the general taste of the fish just
doesn't agree with his taste buds.
Neytiri interrupts his moment of disgust. "It is no secret to the clan that you learned to ride
pa'li today." Jake frowns. Ka'ani and Saeyla must have snitched the second they got back to
Hometree. Does that mean she knows how terribly he had failed before actually succeeding?
As if she heard his thoughts, she adds, "and rather beautifully, if I may say." She laughs. Jake
opens his mouth to retaliate to her teasing, but Tsu-tey beats him to it.

He hisses deep from his throat, narrowing his eyes at Neytiri. "Do not mock him, Neytiri.
Much learning needs to be done, but for a dreamwalker, he did okay."

He takes another bite of his fish, and then continues. "Besides, insulting his learning is an
insult to me. I am his karyu after all, and his poor performance falls on me if he does not
succeed. If I have to put up with him, then he will have to become the best student I have
had." Ouch. Jake tried not to take that to heart.

Neytiri rolls her eyes, and Jake notes that this version of Tsu'tey is different from the one that
was teaching him earlier today. He realizes that in the glade the warrior would mollify his
frustrations, making him feel more confident in himself. Right now though, he spoke like he
was a coach confiding in one of his fellow staff members about his athlete's lackluster
performance. Poof, mister nice guy was gone. Jake guesses that he doesn't want to appear too
soft in front of his intended. He has to hold in a derisive snort at the thought.

"Learning to ride pa'li is the first step to becoming taronyu. Even though the bond is not
lifelong as with ikran, it still must be nurtured—which is why I suggest we go riding!"

"There are better things Sully could be learning than going for a ride, Neytiri."

"Actually," Jake quietly pipes up, and both of their attentions are directed to him. "I would
like to go riding tomorrow if that's okay." In another world, Tommy is probably doing
backflips at the mere thought of Jake willingly volunteering to go horseback riding — the
same kid who despised anything to do with horses as a child. His mom too. But, Jake figures
the thrill of riding at high speeds would be the closest thing he could get to flying, and he'd
like to experience that high, even if it's just for a little bit.

Ultimately, the final decision falls onto Tsu'tey, and he considers it for a moment. "Alright,
fine. We will leave first thing when you wake, but I suggest you head off to rest now."

And Jake has no problems with that suggestion, he's utterly beat from today. He puts his
charred fish to the side and snags a handful of teylu from a bowl nearby before making his
way to the upper boughs of Hometree. He settles into his hammock, with a lot less wobbling
than that morning, he's proud to note, and rolls onto his side. After a few minutes of listening
to the tribe and the sounds of the forest, he's out for the count.

He's greeted by Grace's shock of red hair as he comes out of the neuro link, a cigarette
perched in her mouth.

"So, how was the first day of school, airman?"

Chapter End Notes

Next Update: 2/6

 Chapter 11
Chapter Notes

These chapters are appearing to become longer and longer as we progress LMAO which
is both good for us writers and you readers because that means more fun content is
included. Anyway, here's to an interesting chapter!

Beta Reader: Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Tsu’tey stares at the dreamwalker’s back as he walks away, his expression unreadable. His
eyes track Jake until his figure disappears up the inner spiral column, heading towards the
sleeping levels. He’s starting to feel rather exhausted after spending the entire day trying to
teach Jake to ride a pa'li. Although, he has to admit, he hadn’t actually participated in enough
physical activity to warrant feeling as drained as he did.

He wasn't the one continuously climbing onto a mount's back and plunging into the mud time
and time again. That was the dreamwalker's specialty. At best, he spent most of the day
standing on the sidelines watching and correcting Jake’s form wherever it needed correcting,
urging him to try again. Yet, Tsu’tey could not help but feel second-hand exhaustion just from
watching his attempts. While he may not have exercised his muscles, his head throbs dully in
response to his numeyu's many blundered ventures.

The dreamwalker has an inner drive, he cannot deny that about him. It is something that
Tsu’tey noticed early on, bearing witness to Jake’s persistent attempts even after his first few
failures. It is one of the few things he can admire about the skxawng. And if some of Jake’s
misfires brought a smile to his face, he is confident no one is going to bring it up.

In any case, Tsu’tey had emphasized to the dreamwalker that it was only day one of his
training. He hopes Jake understands the effort he will have to put forth, because the warrior
does not know if he can spend so much time solely on him again. No one ever said that
teaching future ay taronyu was an easy accomplishment, and now his attention is divided
between three novices. Teaching the other two to ride pa’li was easy, after all, he had
received a performance he has come to expect based on the students he has taught before.
But… the rest of the day with Jake? He felt himself slightly unprepared for the level of
attention he seemingly required.

He misses when teaching the younger ay taronyu used to be almost too simple of a task for a
future Olo’eyktan. He thinks about his three advanced students, and how quickly they had
progressed. He misses when—
Neytiri’s voice breaks through his train of thought, and he realizes he has been staring at the
spot where Jake disappeared up the spiral this entire time.

"You are thinking too much, Tsu'tey."

Her eyes burn into him, and he turns to face her with a deadpan expression, looking at each
other in a silent stand-off. Her stare eventually shifts to the slowly extinguishing cookfire,
which she deems more interesting than getting a response out of him when he’s being so
obstinate. He sighs. He's extremely tired, and he’ll be joining Jake in the upper boughs of
Kelutral soon, but for now, there are things that need to be discussed.

He supposes now is a better time than any other.

"My apologies..."

Neytiri blinks, momentarily silent. "What were you thinking about?"

His shoulders tighten and his ears pin close to his head as he lowers his gaze. Neither of them
can look at the other for long. He wonders if there will ever be a day when he will be as
comfortable with Neytiri as he was with Sylwanin. He hopes that day comes soon, and
preferably before their inevitable mating, which looms on the horizon like a storm cloud. He
shakes his head to clear off such ideas, the very thought of Sylwanin dampening his mood.
"My students, and... the dreamwalker, I suppose."

"The dreamwalker?" That seems to grasp her attention. "What about him? Is there already
something going on between the two of you that I should know about?" She says it with a
mischievous grin, her demeanor entirely playful.

He hadn't expected those words to slip out of her mouth, and it catches him off guard.
"Something goi—? That... that is not funny."

She laughs. "Oh relax, I am just playing. So, what about him?"

"I am not sure, but... I do not know why Eywa chose Jake. I cannot help but wonder about
him, about his purpose. But teaching him today—you said he has a strong heart, and—and
there is this drive about him that I cannot explain. I saw it just before he successfully rode his
mount. He remembered something, and he looked pained." Tsu’tey contemplates this for a
moment. "I believe there is something about himself that he is not revealing. Persistence such
as his does not manifest out of nowhere."

"Eywa is mysterious and her reasons are not always known to us. Perhaps this ‘something’
that he is not telling us is why Eywa chose him."

"I do not know, but I am— "

"Tsmukan!"

His and Neytiri's relative peace is shattered by an excited shout, and the next thing he knows,
the empty space in his lap is being occupied by a small bundle of energy. His expression
brightens when he looks down at little Tarsem, but he schools his face into sternness when he
sees just how filthy his brother is, covered in mud and algae. Arvok appears just seconds after
Tarsem, followed by a group of his students, each occupying a space around the cookfire.

"Maru took me fishing today!" Tarsem speaks in an excited but bumbled and gurgling voice,
his words distorted by the fingers he has wedged in his mouth. It is a habit he hasn’t entirely
broken from when he was still an infant clinging to their mother. Well, that explains why he
is a mess. "And—and she taught me to scale it!" He sounds proud of his accomplishment, a
huge milestone for a child of his age, and Tsu’tey beams at Tarsem, a proud brotherly smile
fixed on his face.

Although he is pleased, he looks up from his brother and momentarily directs a glowering
stare at Maru for allowing Tarsem to handle a knife. He is not quite yet of age for his first
knife, and he should not be using one until he receives his own. Maru shrinks under his stare,
her demeanor conveying a silent apology.

He looks back at Tarsem and a flurry of emotions flickers in his eyes and clenches at his
chest. "You did?"

He cannot help but feel upset that he wasn’t there to watch him—that he wasn’t the one to
show Tarsem himself. He glances over at Arvok, and he would not be surprised if his brother
is feeling the same way. As the next Olo'eyktan and one of the best hunters in the clan, their
positions among the tribe are demanding. He often does not have the luxury of leisure to
spend time with Tarsem.

His brother's voice cuts through his thoughts. "Yes, and we ate it!" Tsu’tey laughs and throws
his arms around the boy, getting the mess on Tarsem all over himself as well.

"That is amazing! Perhaps next time you can show me how you catch fish? I have to teach
Jake Sully how to use a bow and hunt—you remember the dreamwalker, yes?" Tarsem's eyes
widen with excitement, and he begins to bounce up and down in his lap. "You can show him
how a true taronyu fishes."

Across the cookfire, Saeyla scoffs at his words. Her face is twisted in a wave of anger that
she is hardly holding back. Everyone's eyes land on her.

Tsu'tey bristles slightly at her confrontational tone. Saeyla had always held so much emotion
inside her, and it was prone to exploding out. When he took her on as a pupil, he knew that
teaching her was going to be more of a challenge than his other students, and not in terms of
ability. It seemed that the dreamwalker's presence only complicated things further.

He stares her down. "Is there something you would like to say?"

"Why did you agree to teach that demon?" She hisses, and he can see a wetness welling up in
the corners of her eyes, hiding behind all that fury. Her anger startles Tarsem and he clings
tightly to his older brother, looking at Saeyla with wide eyes.

His annoyance rises, and his tail flicks agitatedly behind him. She had been at Kelutral when
he was assigned the task of training Jake, she is simply being stubborn and insensible. "I did
not agree to do anything, Saeyla."
She tilts her head to the side and her lip curls up slightly. "No?"

"It was the Tsahik's order and the will of Eywa—"

"The will of Eywa?" Is she going to start repeating everything he says now? He almost growls
in frustration. "Was it the will of Eywa when those demons poisoned our waters!? When they
killed my parents!?"

"Saeyla!" Atan and his other student, Takuk, hiss simultaneously. "That is your karyu that
you are speaking to!" The air is thick with tension, and the mention of Saeyla's parents turns
the mood somber.

Tsu'tey's ears drop low, and he frowns. He understands her anger. She was about Tarsem's age
when her parents died and she was left in the care of her older brother. Her mother Aytanin
and her father Bakteyo had passed when the Sky People first arrived, destroying parts of their
forest to build their ugly metal home. At that time, none of the tribe had realized that the
water was poisoned until it was too late. Mo'at had struggled to find a cure to heal her people,
and Saeyla's parents had died within days. For many of the elderly in the clan, it was the
mark of death.

Mo'at and the scientist dreamwalker, Grace, found a cure soon after, but for many members
of the clan, it was too late. The Sky People had already done irreparable damage, as they
always seemed to do.

Saeyla ignores the two Na'vi and pushes off Atan, who had placed his hand on her back and
was rubbing it up and down in an attempt to calm her. He is sitting close beside her, and
Tsu'tey notices the way their tails slightly intertwine. He had his suspicions that something
was going on between them, and this only confirms it.

"And what of my brother!? Of Sylwanin!? Your mate," Saeyla turns to Neytiri, but her gaze
quickly diverts before the young hunter can lock eyes with her, "and your sister! They both
died that day at that demon's school! I have nobody, karyu! The demons took everyone from
me and you—you are teaching one of them to become one of us!?" Her voice breaks and the
wetness in her eyes is now threatening to spill over. "How could you ever teach him after
everything those demons have done!?"

Her raised voice draws a cry from Tarsem and that’s enough to push him over the limit. "That
is ENOUGH !" He rises from his seated position after handing Tarsem to Neytiri, the little
boy curling up in her arms. He's beyond angry, and compounded with his tiredness, that
doesn’t mean anything good for any of them.

"Tsu'tey," Arvok speaks up, "she has a point—"

He suddenly spins to face him, eyes blown wide and all of his fangs on display as he growls
low. "I SAID ENOUGH!"

Everyone is silent now, and Saeyla has fallen still where she sits.
"You disappoint me, Saeyla. I expected better of you." She drops her head with shame. "I
understand your pain—you know I do, but I am not standing here complaining about it.
Because it is not up to me whether a Sky Person learns our ways or not. The Tsahik has made
up her mind and I expect you—all of you," he side-eyes Arvok, "to deal with it. You don’t
have to like him, but do not contest the word of the Tsahik or the signs sent by Eywa. You
should show more faith. Jake Sully is here for a reason, and while he is, we might as well
learn from him."

"What is there to learn?" Saeyla has quieted to a whisper, cowed. "They only bring death, and
he will—"

"Jake Sully is different. He is determined to learn our ways, and while he is, we can use it as
an opportunity to teach humans that there is another path beyond destruction. Jake Sully and
Grace Augustine—they care." Both of the dreamwalkers seemed to only display good
intentions towards the clan, even though things had turned ugly with Grace's school. He
sincerely hoped it would be different with Jake.

"How can you know?" Maru asks. She’s been quiet the entire time, but that is just like her.
Always silent. "You've only just met him."

Tsu'tey glances at Neytiri. "Because he has a strong heart."

-+-

"So, how was the first day of school, airman?"

Leave it to Grace Augustine to bombard him with questions the second he’s out from a link
session. He most definitely does not miss seeing her face as the first thing he lays eyes on out
of the link. She helps him to sit upright and pulls his wheelchair around to the edge of the
link, and Jake slides onto the cushion with ease.

"It was... something else alright." Jake rolls his neck and it sounds like a goddamn rice crispy
treat with how many times it pops. He winces. "Fucking exhausting, to say the least."

Her brow perks up, and she's so close that he feels suffocated by the smoke from her
cigarette. "Oh yeah? And what was so exhausting about today?"

"I learned to ride a direhorse. Apparently, it’s the first step to becoming a taronyu." He tells
her, and the look on her face tells him that she never expected him to be a horse guy. "Hey
now, you don’t have to go getting your hopes up. I failed miserably; fell in the mud and got
laughed at... it’s not so easy being the odd guy out."

She holds her hands up defensively. "Hey, I never said anything."

"No, but your face did." He shoots back.

"Alright, smartass." She snorts and gives him a gentle shove to his head. Then she's grabbing
the back of his chair, but instead of leading him to the cafeteria like she had last night, she
wheels him over to a table in the lab room. He groans when he’s parked in front of a camera.
"You finished pretty early today, so why don’t you get started on that video log before
grabbing some dinner? I gave you a pass on yesterday's log, but let’s not get in the habit of
skipping."

She's right. After getting separated from the group and being let into the tribe, he'd
disconnected from the link a hell of a lot later than normal. He hit the rack right after he left
the dining hall, and he didn’t have the time to create a video log. He figures that recapping
the events from yesterday wouldn’t hurt. He skirts around describing Hometree, only
recounting the bare bones, despite how fucking amazing it is. The last thing he needed was
Quaritch somehow getting a hold of his recordings and discovering a loophole to drive the
Omaticaya out.

At least Grace tries to pretend that she’s not eavesdropping on his recap of the day, occupying
herself with Pandoran samples that she studies in the far back of the lab. Not that he's falling
for it, given how damn nosy she is. He can see her hunched figure on the camera’s screen and
her occasional glances whenever he mentions something that seems to pique her interest. As
soon as he mentions his less than stellar interactions with Saeyla and the other Na'vi, she goes
still and Jake can tell that she’s listening more intently. Her whole air turns melancholic, so
Jake doesn’t linger on that particular topic for too long.

When he finishes it's late, but Grace still suggests that he grabs dinner. Jake's appetite is
practically nonexistent, but he tells her that he’ll get a small meal. Lord knows she would
hound him about it until he gave in anyways. His white lie satisfies her, and she doesn’t
notice when he leaves the lab and heads straight to his room to finally catch some shut-eye.

The next morning is laid back for once, and Jake manages to arrive in the link room without
incident. Norm has somewhat backed off his ass since their little confrontation yesterday
morning. He’s not sure whether Grace had something to do with it, but the PhD keeps any
snarky remarks to himself whenever their paths cross, which is pretty impressive considering
that includes virtually every minute not spent in a link unit or sleeping.

Grace is waiting for him by the door of the lab. "Hey there, airman... real quick before you
settle in the link. I'd like to test your knowledge."

"A test? I feel like I’m back in grade school. Why do you want to test me? And for what?"

"To see if you know who's who. You spent a whole day with the clan, but considering you
have zero experience with the Na'vi dialect, I have no doubt you'll have trouble with some of
them. Obviously, we don’t need to go over Neytiri and Tsu'tey, but just... humor me, yeah?"
He agrees, and Grace lifts a tablet with the Tsahik's face on it as he wheels himself over to the
link unit. "Okay, tell me who she is."

"She's the Tsahik, the interpreter of Eywa, and Neytiri’s mother. Mo'at."

She nods approvingly and swipes across the screen, displaying a picture of the clan's leader.

"He's the head of the clan, and Neytiri's father." He doesn’t really remember what his name
was. "Uh, was it Aye-too-can?"
"It’s Eytukan, but you're right." Grace shows him a picture of Arvok, explaining that if
something were to happen to Tsu'tey, he’d be the next in line to take his place as clan leader.
"It's important to know who everyone is and how to say their name, Jake. They're your ticket
to remaining in the clan. It's crucial to be on good terms with them."

"That's gonna be a little difficult, Grace. I'm pretty sure I was automatically put on the shitlist
by several of the Omaticaya. Saeyla and Arvok for sure."

Grace frowns. "Yeah, well… everyone has their reasons. Those two are particularly personal.
What we did to them—begging for forgiveness would never work." There it is again, the
indirect reference to her Na'vi school. Grace lays down her tablet, satisfied with her little pop
quiz, and instructs him to get settled into the link unit.

Once the connection is made and his Avatar wakes, the first thing he registers is the aching
pain and spasms of his muscles, and he groans. Damn. Even a small stretch hurts almost
everything in his body.

Tsu'tey isn't in his hammock or resting on the tree limb like he was yesterday, instead, Neytiri
is resting there in his place. She's staring at him intently, and as soon as she notices that he's
awake she stands up. "Follow, Jake Sully!" She urges. "Tsu'tey is getting the pa'li ready for
our ride."

Neytiri trots down the spiral column with a peppy stride and Jake follows not too far behind,
the Na'vi bringing him to the same glade where he learned to ride yesterday. Tsu'tey is
standing in the middle with three pa'li this time. Two of them are outfitted with some pretty
cool adornments that indicate them as a warrior’s mount, but all three are equipped with
woven saddles.

Tsu'tey looks at the two of them when they approach, bringing his hand up to his forehead in
greeting. "There is a lot to do today, so we will be gone for only a few hours. Let us not waste
another minute." He hops onto his mount's back, making tsaheylu, and Neytiri follows suit.

Jake climbs onto his pa'li, the saddle under him actually feeling a little uncomfortable after
getting used to riding bareback, but he feels more secure and less likely to fall off. He forms
tsaheylu and, when he deems that Jake is ready, Tsu'tey takes off in a spray of mud. Neytiri
launches forward with an ululating cry, her mount rising on its hind legs before sprinting off
after Tsu'tey.

Showoffs.

"Alright, let's go girl." He clicks his tongue while thinking forward, and he immediately
realizes that he should’ve had a tighter grip on the handle of the saddle before the animal took
off, because he very nearly gets thrown off. He refuses to go back to square one all over
again, and he’s quick to correct his posture and situate his legs against her sides.

The pa'li is fast, and he notices that when her four front legs work in unison, she’s much
quicker to catch up with the two Na’vi. He lets out a whoop of excitement and smiles over at
Tsu'tey, who smirks over at him and urges his pa'li to go faster.
If only Tommy and his mother could see him now. It’d be the biggest 'I told you so' ever.

He rides parallel to the two, slotting in between them as they race through the wide trail. His
heart is pumping fast and the wind whips against his face, but it's one of the best fucking
thrills he’s ever experienced. Through tsaheylu, he can feel the same emotions coursing
through his pa'li, along with her eagerness to ride faster. And who is he to deny her that
pleasure? He grins and encourages her forward.

He rises slightly from his saddle and leans forward as they pick up speed, easily leaving the
other two in the dust.

"Jake!" He hears Tsu'tey shout from behind him. "Do not ride too far ahead, you skxawng!"
But he doesn’t listen, and he knows that the pa'li wouldn't want him to anyways.

He chances a glance over his shoulder to gauge the distance between them; they’re pretty far
behind, but he can tell that Neytiri is enjoying the chase far more than Tsu'tey is. He looks
like he's giving her a reprimand that Jake knows he'll receive later. He faces forward with a
laugh, the forest racing past him in a blur of colors.

He's not sure how long they’ve been riding, or how far, but his pa’li eventually pants for
breath. It almost feels like he’s out of breath himself and so he directs her to slow down.
There's a small river a little ways ahead and the pa'li eagerly trots in that direction without
order, head dipping low to reach the water when they get there.

Jake looks around and he realizes that they’re alone out here. It seems like he's long since lost
Tsu'tey and Neytiri, but they shouldn’t be too far behind. He hadn’t been riding that fast,
right? He carefully disconnects tsaheylu and slips down from the saddle, giving her a gentle
pat as he moves to stand next to her snout.

"I think we might've lost them, girl." He laughs a little nervously. "Totally didn’t mean to do
that. They should be able to find us, right?" He was so fucked if they didn’t. Grace would kill
him if he couldn't find his way back to Hometree.

The pa'li huffs a hot breath and bobs its head, succeeding in directing a splash of water right
at Jake.

"Hey!" He pouts and kicks at the water, the pa’li startling slightly at the spray. She raises her
head quickly and flinches a few steps back, but she seems to recognize his playful attitude,
because she then proceeds to kick her two front legs to create a large splash, effectively
drowning him in water. He quickly admits defeat. "Okay, okay! I think you win that one."

She huffs, almost as if saying 'damn right' and Jake laughs.

A couple of minutes pass as they continue to wait by the river, and the two Na'vi still haven't
arrived. Anxiety curls in his belly, and it makes him wonder just how far ahead he rode, or if
he ended up taking a separate path than he meant to. He’s starting to get antsy the longer
they’re waiting there, practically sitting ducks.
His pa'li had been drinking from the river for the majority of the time that they were stopped,
but something seems to catch her attention. Her head raises in alert and her body falls
completely still. A snap of a branch sounds, and Jake notices too late that his pa’li is high-
tailing it out of there.

"Woah, hey—Hey wait!" He tries to get up and run after her, but there's no way he can keep
up. He's baffled to have been abandoned so abruptly. He thought that the relationship
between him and his mount had been going somewhere there. "What the hell?" He frowns.

But then Jake hears it, the low growl of an animal that’s familiar and terrifying. And he sees
it, the looming shadow of something large hovering over him. His blood turns to ice. No.
Nononono, not again. He slowly turns to face the stalking thanator, ears pinned close to his
head and eyes were blown wide with fright. He’s so utterly fucked. He had barely managed to
survive the first round with a thanator, there is no way in hell that he’ll survive another.

Jake drops low at its deafening roar, his first instinct to shield himself rather than to fucking
run. He covers his face with both his arms when its massive jaws come crashing down but—
he feels nothing.

No pain. What?

He peeks an eye open to peer through the gap between his arms, noticing a mass of dark blue
positioned between him and the thanator.

Tsu'tey has placed himself between the two of them, wedging a thick piece of wood between
its clamped jaws that he uses to try and fend it off. It’s already starting to splinter, and
Tsu’tey’s face is screwed up tight in a mixture of anger and concentration. His bow isn’t with
him, and Jake guesses that he left it with his mount.

"Jake, when I say run... run, okay!?"

"What—what about you?"

He snarls. "Just do as I say!" Jake wants to refuse—wants to declare that under no

circumstance would he leave Tsu'tey to fend off a thanator alone. But Tsu'tey's stare is firm,
leaving no room for argument. "Trust me!"

"O-okay..."

Tsu’tey pushes against the wood chunk and dodges away from its thrashing claws, each of his
fluid maneuvers keeping the beast away from Jake.

"RUN!"

One last shove is all it takes for the wood to crumble to pieces under the thanator's jaw,
giving them the brief opportunity needed to make a run for it. Tsu'tey grabs hold of Jake's
hand as he leads him along the side of the river, darting in between foliage they can use for
momentary cover as the thanator hunts after them. Each roar makes his heart skip a beat.
Jake is getting a horrible sense of deja vu as he hurriedly crawls under tree roots and pushes
through thick plants, each second narrowly missing the slash of the thanator’s claws. Tsu'tey
pushes Jake ahead and he slides under a thick root system, the warrior crawling in behind
him and just missing the snap of jaws.

The thanator stalks undeterred, snapping its jaws at the roots and tearing away at the old tree
system.

"Got a plan?" He asks him, winded from the chase.

"There are no branches low enough to climb in this area. But my pa’li is a bit further ahead...
if we can get to it—"

"Will it be fast enough?"

Tsu'tey can't look him in the eyes, because he knows he can't give him a truthful answer. Pa'li
can’t compete with a thanator. "We have to try."

Fuck. "Okay... I'm ready whenever you are."

They sit in waiting for a couple of seconds until the right moment when the thanator manages
to claw its way through the root system, head getting stuck between a few roots. Jake quickly
rushes out and makes a run for it, and Tsu'tey is close behind him, but he knew they’d never
make it. The thanator is strong, ripping itself from under the tree in a spray of bark and
launching itself over them.

The thanator skids to a stop between them and Tsu'tey's pa'li, their only ticket out of this
situation. Jake's heart drops when it sprints away at the sight of the thanator. Tsu'tey quickly
pushes him in another direction when the thanator surges forward, and as they run, Jake can
hear the current flow of a waterfall.

Deja vu all over again. He feels a flicker of hope.

"We're gonna have to jump!"

“What!?”

"Trust me!" Jake grabs the warrior’s bicep and surges forward. When they’re close to the
edge of the cliff, they both jump and plunge to the river below, the thanator almost following
their descent, but stopping right along the edge with a howl. Jake breaches the water's surface
and swims to the river’s shore, coughing up the water he accidentally swallowed. Tsu'tey is
already laying on the soil, panting from the adrenaline high. He looks at him with blown
pupils and raised ears, the warrior's expression nearly matching his from the shock of the
chase.

Holy shit.
Chapter End Notes

What did you guys think of this chapter? Another fun thanator moment, more lil' Tarsem
content, and background into why Saeyla dislikes, not just Jake, but the Sky People as
well. Appreciate any comments!

Next Update: 2/13

 Chapter 12
Chapter Notes

Nothing better than the start of a budding romantic relationship a day before Valentine's
amirite? Of course, there has to be a bit of a falling out right before any of that happens,
but I'm excited that I can now start writing that sexual tension!

Beta Reader: Mitzi

Twitter

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It seems like an eternity passes before the thanator loses interest in him and Tsu'tey. It had
done nothing but stalk along the edge of the cliff for the last few minutes, eyeing them and
the water like it was weighing its options. Jake had drug Tsu'tey off of the bank and back into
the water as soon as he had caught his breath, where they now clung to an exposed root that
extended towards the middle of the stream. He wasn't going to let that fucker even attempt to
reach them without getting itself wet.

Eventually it lets out one final frustrated roar, making his heart skip a beat, before sauntering
back into the foliage. Its guttural howls resound throughout the forest, slowly turning into
quiet echoes. Jake releases a sharp exhale of relief, thanking whatever deity is out there for
the thanator's convenient hatred of water. The sounds completely fade out, and Jake can only
guess that the beast is sniffing out something easier and tastier to chase down than a pair of
soaked Na'vi.

Holy shit is the only thought his peabrain is capable of forming.

Tsu'tey looks over at Jake, eyes wide, and then pushes off of the root without a word. He
starts swimming towards the river bank, and after a moment, Jake realizes that it would
probably be a good idea to follow him. The moment their feet hit solid ground, both of them
collapse onto the soft dirt, getting mud all over themselves. They lay there in silence, trying
to catch their breath. He cannot believe he just survived another round with a thanator—and
this time, unscathed.

His heart beats wildly in his chest, and it aches from how much adrenaline is pumping
through his veins. Jake looks at the warrior laying next to him, an incredulous grin spreading
on his face. He huffs out a disbelieving laugh, a manic feeling buzzing through his limbs, but
when he notices the scowl plastered on the Na'vi's face he snaps out of it. Jake's smile falls in
an instant. Oh Jesus, he's in some deep shit.

"You—" Anger causes the words to jumble in the back of the Tsu'tey's throat, unable to
reprimand Jake in the way he so clearly wants to. But Jake doesn't need to hear words to
know exactly what the warrior is trying to say. His ears lay back against his head, guilt
rushing through him. He's not gonna kid himself, this whole thanator mess is entirely his
fault.

Tsu'tey sits up and Jake follows his movement. The warrior settles for a furious hiss, cursing
in Na'vi. The sheer anger behind the sound is enough for Jake to involuntarily slouch in
shame, lowering his gaze. With a dull kind of surprise, he feels his tail fall still and wrap
around one of his legs. Tsu'tey's hand extends to make a clawing motion at his eyes as if he
were hollowing out his sockets, and Jake cringes away slightly, a grimace fixed on his face.

"You... you really are a complete and utter skxawng, Jake Sully! Do you realize that!?" When
he chances a look back up, Tsu'tey's eyes are practically blazing.

Jake hasn't felt this way since he was a child acting out after his father's death, being scolded
by his mother and Tommy alike. His passing had brought out a rebelliousness and stupidity
that he will always look back on with regret. It had landed him a few nights in the slammer,
but it had never been anything that resulted in a criminal record, which he's lucky for. Of
course, it helped to have a family friend in the police force who would drag his ass out of
trouble whenever he got himself picked up by a squad car. That didn't stop him from getting a
bad rep with the officers though.

Jake's train of thought is roughly interrupted by an aggressive flick to the forehead,

which ow. His eyes refocus on Tsu'tey. "Are you even listening!?"

He raises his hands up defensively. "Yes! Yes, I'm—I'm listening..." Jake cringes at the way
he stutters.

Tsu'tey hisses again as he moves to stand, trying to wipe away any mud from his body. When
Jake rises to his feet as well, he's suddenly aware of how close Tsu'tey is. So close that it
makes his skin crawl, their chests close to touching. He's sure that if he lifts his head, he'd
feel the Na'vi's hot breath. His domineering presence permeates the air, seeping into his very
skin.

"You are like a baby!" Jake feels even more abashed, which he didn't know was possible at
this point. He has a clear memory of the night Tsu'tey and Neytiri had found him lost in the
forest, fending off viperwolves. She'd called him a baby then too. "A baby! You do not listen!
I told you not to ride too far ahead! If you had listened, you would know that you were riding
into palulukan territory!"

"I'm sor—"

"No! Be quiet! I am talking!" He can feel Tsu'tey's eyes linger, and after a brief moment, his
braid is yanked, forcing his gaze upwards. He tries hard not to hiss in pain when their eyes
lock. They stare at each other, and Tsu'tey regards him searchingly. "A true taronyu does not
shy away from a lesson or lecture." Surprisingly, his voice is calmer than it has been in the
last few minutes. "Do you realize that you could have gotten yourself killed?"

Jake's stupid ego wants to refuse that he could have died—his Avatar body, sure, but he'd still
be alive in his actual body. Instead, he settles for a simple nod. Nothing more. He knew that
anything else would set Tsu'tey off even more.

"And not just yourself, but me as well! You said yourself that you were a warrior, yes?"

"I did—"

"Then start acting like one! And pray to Eywa that you do not get kicked out of the clan for
such a reckless decision!" Tsu'tey stalks away from him right after he says it, obviously
attempting to dissipate his anger. "Vrrtep... only Eywa knows why she chose to spare this
one."

Jake doesn't follow after the Na'vi just yet, the verbal lashing he'd just received leaving him
stock-still. He had really, really fucked up. It doesn't help that it's impossible to know what's
going through Tsu'tey's head. One moment he could be guarded, the next kind, and then…
this. Not that his anger isn't warranted, because it absolutely is. Jake takes a deep breath, his
exhale shaky. It's like all of his emotions have been simultaneously fired up, and he feels like
he's been put through the wringer. He dimly notices wet streaks carving a path down his face,
and he brings a hand up to touch the rivulets, confused. He stares at the moisture on his hand,
and it takes him a moment to realize that he's actually standing there crying. A wave of self-
loathing hits him.

What the hell has gotten into him?

He didn't even notice the tears, and he can only hope that he hadn't started crying when
Tsu'tey was looking at him with that intense stare of his. That would just be flat-out pathetic.
Get a grip airman. He roughly wipes away any remaining evidence before racing after
Tsu'tey, staying a few paces behind him as they make their way back to Hometree. Neither of
them talks, and the silence is deafening.

The absence of conversation gives his stupidly hyperactive brain way too much freedom to
replay his mistakes over and over again. God, why couldn't he just listen to some simple
damn instructions? It wasn't like it was that hard to stay with the group.

But the thrill of racing through the forest, it had been so tempting—so sweet while it lasted.
He hasn't felt that kind of freedom, that kind of happiness, in years. Of course, it had to get
the better of him. A few reckless minutes of adrenaline-fueled joy weren't an excuse to
almost get Tsu'tey killed.

In front of him, the warrior balances with perfection as he makes his way over the elevated
root systems. Jake, on the other hand, struggles to do the same. These roots are thinner than
any of the ones he's walked over before, and his lack of training is glaringly obvious. He
can feel Tsu'tey fuming ahead of him and he contemplates whether he should break the
silence. He goes back and forth on whether he should say something, anything, about the
whole debacle, but he's not confident that it won't just make matters worse. He makes the
executive decision to just keep his mouth shut.

His calves start to burn as he tries to keep pace with Tsu'tey, but the Na'vi is moving quickly
and Jake's body is still hurting from yesterday. Not to mention the injuries he still has from
the viperwolves and first thanator attack. Jake had really put his avatar through hell and back
in the short time he'd been driving it.

He focuses on paying attention to their surroundings, and he starts to recognize parts of the
forest. There's a gorge spanned by walkways of exposed roots just a little ways ahead, and he
remembers it from his first night in the forest. Thank god, they have to be close to Hometree.
The sooner they get there, the better. Jake doesn't know if he can keep up this pace for much
longer.

His ears flick as they pick up a faint shout of Tsu'tey's name, but it's far away enough that it's
jumbled in with the chirps of Pandora's insects and wildlife. Then he hears it again, and this
time it's unmistakable. It's Neytiri's voice. With the whole whirlwind of action and the tension
that followed, he'd kind of forgotten that she'd been with them at the beginning of the ride.
He hears the storm of hooves pounding the ground first, and then he sees flashes of blue
approaching through the foliage.

Jake can make out Neytiri drawing closer, and it looks like she's at the forefront of a whole
party of Na'vi. He realizes that Tsu'tey had probably sent her ahead to gather hunters. He had
probably anticipated that they would have trouble with the thanator. It was a smart move,
even though the hunting party might have very well come too late if they hadn't jumped into
the river.

Tsu'tey cups his hands around his mouth and lets out a distinctive call, drawing Neytiri's
attention toward the two of them. She steers the hunting party in their direction and their pa'li
skid to an abrupt stop in front of them.

"Neytiri," Tsu'tey says, sounding relieved. He brings his hand to his forehead. "Oel ngati
kameie."

Her eyes blow wide and she leaps off of her pa'li, rushing over to him and checking over his
limbs for injuries. She grabs his shoulders. "You are okay?" She spares a brief glance at Jake
before her attention is back on the warrior, but Jake doesn't miss the displeased stares from
everyone else. If looks could kill, the combined force of Arvok and Saeyla's stares would
have him six feet under by now. Ka'ani looks the most relieved and the other three, who he's
not familiar with, look weary. "Did the palulukan get you?"

"No, it did not. We managed to get away."

"How? What happened?" Jake isn't sure what's being said, but Neytiri's expression is one of
surprise.

Jake knows that he needs to explain himself, to apologize—do something to make this whole
mess right. He decides that now is as good of a time as any. He tentatively steps forward
between the two, his gaze focused on Neytiri, and he places his hand on her arm to get her
attention. "If I may—?" He's not even able to get more than those three words out when
Saelya suddenly yanks him away and manhandles him to the ground. He cusses, his eyes
blown wide, as his knees roughly hit the tree root under him, tearing at his skin. Saeyla has
an arrow nocked and directed right at his neck. From the corner of his eye, he notices that
Arvok has his spear raised as well.
"Stay. Away." Her English is a lot more broken than Neytiri and Tsu'tey's, her thick accent
warping her words.

Jake remains kneeled and moves his hands out by his sides in surrender. "Okay... okay. I'm
sorry." Not the right time to try and apologize, then.

Tsu'tey hisses at his student and brother, immediately placing himself in front of Jake. Even
though part of his vision is blocked by Tsu'tey's broad shoulders, Jake can glimpse the rest of
his students standing there, unsure of what to do. "What are you doing!?"

"Tsmukan, why are you protecting this vrrtep? Do you not see how dangerous he is now?"
Arvok hisses. "He almost got you killed!"

"But he did not! We have been over this, Arvok, do not make me explain myself again!"

Arvok wildly points at Jake. "Neytiri told us what happened! He led you right into palulukan
territory! He may as well have!"

Tsu'tey steps up to his brother, practically nose to nose. "Jake Sully is my numeyu, and you
will allow me to handle his mistakes as I see fit. Understand? Lower your weapons—both of
you!" Arvok challenges his brother through a stare, but Tsu'tey is both older and higher in
rank. He reluctantly listens, taking a step back.

Saeyla looks back and forth between them, and then carefully loosens the tension on her
arrow. "You need to stop defending him, Tsu'tey. The Tsahik and Olo'eyktan are not going to
let him stay after this."

"Perhaps, but the Tsahik's words are rarely ever wrong. It is not for us to decide."

Jake's had enough of them pretending like he's not there—they're very obviously deciding
what to do with him. He slowly stands, careful to avoid any sudden movements that might be
seen with ill will. Still, Arvok and Saeyla are on guard, watching him with a careful eye, and
Tsu'tey repositions himself to stand more firmly in front of him.

"Listen, I'm... I'm sorry that I got us both into this mess, okay? It was a lousy decision—"

Arvok hisses at Jake's choice of words. He looks like he's ready to descend upon him with a
vengeance, but Tsu'tey's hand is on his chest, holding him back. "Your idiocy could have
gotten my brother killed!"

"Stop. Let him finish, Arvok." Tsu'tey gestures for him to continue.

He swallows the growing lump in his throat. "You're right, and I'm sorry. It was entirely my
fault and... and it won't happen again. I'll be listening to everything he says from now on, and
I mean everything."

Tsu'tey looks back at him over his shoulder, expression solemn. "Alright, enough talking. We
should get back to Kelutral." He doesn't start heading back until he's made sure that Arvok
and Saeyla are leading the way, keeping them separated from Jake. He's silently grateful for
the distance, he wouldn't have wanted their accusing glares burning into his back the entire
way.

The hunters jump back on their pa'li, creating a protective formation around him and Tsu'tey.
Neytiri remains off of her mount, guiding it by the reins and keeping herself parallel to Jake.
The rest of Tsu'tey's students are keeping guard in the back, watching for any other creatures
that might still be out there.

Neytiri nudges his shoulder slightly. "Do not beat yourself up too bad, Jake." She whispers.
"Sure, what you did might have been foolish, but I'm sure mother and father will be lenient."
Neytiri lets out a little sigh. "This trip was supposed to be lighthearted, and you did not know
the danger you were riding into."

Jake chuckles nervously. "It's not just your parents that I'm worried about. There's a lot of
things relying on my being here... and Grace won't be happy if I ruin everything."

She blinks curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Hm?" Did he just—fuck. "Oh, I just... I mean—Grace loves the Omaticaya people and she's
trying hard to get back in your good graces. I can't take that from her." And while that was
certainly true, he couldn't mention any of the other things riding on his presence with the
Omaticaya. There is no way in hell that he would be staying with the clan if he let any of the
shit with the RDA slip.

"Oh. Yes, I suppose you are right." Her eyes unfocus for a moment, and it looks like she gets
lost in thought. "It may not seem like it but… she is missed." And that's certainly some food
for thought. Jake would have to tell Grace, and hey, maybe it would save him from some of
her wrath.

The journey back to Hometree seems to stretch on for way longer than it should, and it gives
him more time to berate himself. How could he have been so stupid? Pandora was nothing
like Earth—there's danger everywhere. He knows nothing about living in the wild, let alone
Pandoran rainforests. Tsu'tey and the Omaticaya were the experts for a reason. He should've
figured there was a reason why Tsu'tey told him not to ride too far ahead.

God, he hopes he won't actually be kicked out of the clan for this.

-+-

Tsu'tey presses lightly on the dreamwalker's shoulder, and he is pleased to see that his gesture
is clearly understood, because Jake immediately takes a kneel against the trunk of Kelutral.
He looks up at Tsu'tey with an uneasy expression. He is obviously anxious about what might
happen to him now that they are back at Kelutral, and with good reason.

"Stay here." He instructs.

Jake does not argue. He just listens, and Tsu'tey cannot help but admire how he keeps his
word. He had declared that he would follow Tsu'tey's instructions, and now he is backing his
claim. Whether this behavior would last, only time would tell. Tsu'tey still feels annoyance
simmer underneath his skin, but it has been dulled by how determined Jake seems to make up
for his errors. Today had given him a starkly different view of the dreamwalker, and Tsu'tey
had noticed for the first time how young he acts.

The thrill on his face while they were riding at high speeds—it had lit up his entire being. If
only it hadn't blinded Jake from seeing the danger of racing off alone. Thinking about the
dreamwalker's energetic spirit, Tsu'tey has the odd urge to smile, and he frowns harder to
combat the upward pull of his lips. Thinking about it, he wouldn't be surprised if Jake was
around Neytiri's age.

The title of Tsakarem is demanding, just as much as becoming future Olo'eyktan is, but
Neytiri still knows how to find joy where it counts. Tsu'tey often struggles to find the same
vitality—since the death of his parents at least. Perhaps that is why his ay numeyu excel, free
from the distraction of silly games. Nothing about himself is fun, and he demands results. His
free spirit is a thing of the past—snuffed out by grief and the responsibility placed on his
shoulders.

He blinks himself out of his thoughts. Eytukan and Mo'at will be expecting to talk with him,
and he should not keep them waiting any longer. "I will be back."

Tsu'tey whistles for Ka'ani to approach and instructs him to keep the dreamwalker company,
and not just for the purpose of guarding him. If his suspicions are right, and Mo'at will allow
him to stay with the tribe, Jake will need companions besides himself and Neytiri. Saeyla is
already proving herself to be an unlikely candidate, and his other students are too advanced to
spend much time with the dreamwalker.

Tsu'tey stalks up the center column of Kelutral to an upper level where the clan leaders
reside, and he brings his hand to his forehead once they're aware of his presence. "Mo'at,
Eytukan... oel ngati kameie."

"Tsu'tey," Mo'at addresses him," how is your training with the dreamwalker coming along?"

He tries not to visibly wince, her mention of Jake's training catching him by surprise. Surely
they knew what had just transpired in thanator territory? "His training has been going better
than I had initially anticipated. He is determined to follow your wishes—I am sorry but I... I
thought you would have wanted to hear about what happened in the forest, and not his
training?"

"Yes, we are vaguely aware of the situation," Eytukan speaks up. He stands behind his mate,
just off to the side. His attention isn't directed at the two of them but at the ground level of
Kelutral, where Jake can be seen shifting nervously on his knees." Neytiri rushed back to
Kelutral in hysteria and demanded a group of hunters, claiming that you two were in
palulukan territory. What exactly happened out there ?"

Tsu'tey shifts his weight on either foot." He rode ahead of us, and we lost him. In palulukan
territory. When we did find him, a palulukan had already advanced upon him, so I had
Neytiri come back to gather hunters while I tried to... save him."
Eytukan finally looks up at him, his stare uncomfortable in its intensity. "And you thought
putting your life on the line to save a dreamwalker was the best thing to do?"

"Jake Sully is my numeyu, Olo'eyktan Eytukan. His well-being is my responsibility—it is as

the Tsahik instructed, and under no circumstances will I leave any one of my ay numeyu
behind."

Mo'at raises her hand to silence the both of them, and Tsu'tey lowers his head in a form of
courtesy. "Enough. This dreamwalker is new to our home, he does not yet know Eywa'eveng
as we do. Tsu'tey, you were there, what do you think about his actions today? What was his
purpose behind disobeying you?"

And that is a good question with any number of answers. But what did he think?

He turns to look at the lower level of Kelutral. Jake has remained seated and Ka'ani is
kneeling next to him, trying his best to converse with the dreamwalker. Ka'ani is much
younger than him and Neytiri, so he hadn't spent much time at Grace Augustine's school
before the incident. His and Saeyla's English is abysmal, but Tsu'tey admires that Ka'ani is at
least trying.

Looking at the dreamwalker, he thinks back to the thrilled expression he had had—how
different it had been from any other look Tsu'tey has seen him wear. He turns back to Mo'at
and Eytukan, who both of them are waiting for his response. "It is now obvious to me that
Jake is younger—probably around Neytiri's age. I believe he wanted to have fun, but he
clearly did not think of the consequences."

Mo'at's expression doesn't change from its neutrality, but Eytukan seems displeased with his
answer. "Foolish dreamwalker!" He hisses. "His actions will get someone killed."

"Jake Sully is aware of his actions, and he regrets them. I think he will listen from now on."

"He better, or we will send his body back to the Sky People. You are his karyu, his actions
reflect on you—"

Mo'at stops her mate with a hand to his chest, turning so that Tsu'tey cannot see her face. She
whispers into Eytukan's ear quietly, and even when Tsu'tey strains his ears to listen he can't
pick up what they're saying. His curiosity is peaked when Eytukan looks at Mo'at with a
stunned expression. "He is?" Mo'at nods, whispering a few final words to him, and the
secrecy frustrates Tsu'tey to no end.

They are discussing Jake, but about what?

Mo'at faces Tsu'tey once again, and this time Eytukan does not argue with her. "Tell Jake he
is allowed to stay with the clan." Mo'at says. "You are dismissed."

He hesitates, considering whether he should question them about what they were whispering,
especially given that Jake is his numeyu. But he knows that if they wanted him to be aware of
whatever they discussed, they would have told him. He leaves without being told twice and
heads back to where he left Jake, signaling to Ka'ani that he is dismissed. He and Jake need to
talk.

Ka'ani briefly looks between the two of them, but Tsu'tey clicks his tongue and the boy
hurriedly scurries off, shooting one last glance back at them. He takes a seat next to the
dreamwalker and Jake's body stiffens.

"So... what's the verdict? Everyone getting what they want—me kicked out?" Jake asks, his
eyes flicking toward Tsu'tey and then back toward the ground.

He takes a deep breath, saying through an exhale, "No," and Jake's entire body visibly sags.
"They are giving you another chance. Provided you actually listen next time and do not try to
get us killed." Tsu'tey laughs softly, trying to relieve the air from the oppressive tension that
has been present since they walked away from the river. It would do no good to stew in
irritation any longer.

Jake rubs his hands over his face, peeking over his fingertips at him. "I'm really sorry,
Tsu'tey."

Tsu'tey places a hand on his shoulder. "Do not worry so much over the past, what is done is
done. I am... just glad we are both okay. It could have been much worse."

He notices a slight smile curl over Jake's lips. "Funny. My mom used to tell me the same
thing."

Tsu'tey returns his small smile, but he can't hold back his questions any longer. "What
happened back there? Why did you not listen?"

Jake's hands drop, and his fingers fiddle in his lap. "I wasn't thinking clearly—"

"Jake, I do not want excuses. Be honest."

"Honest?" Tsu'tey nods and Jake stares forward, his gaze distant. His mouth opens and closes
a few times, aborted attempts at forming words. He finally lets out a harsh sigh, "Okay—
okay. I'll be honest." Jake's hands are now raking through his hair, tugging at loose tendrils.
Tsu'tey wonders what could be agitating him this much, and part of him wants to offer the
dreamwalker some form of comfort, but he doesn't even know where to start.

"Remember how I said I was a warrior, and that I'm not anymore? My first tour out there—
my first... battle, I mean... I got injured and—" He lets out another harsh breath, "And now I
can't walk. Or run. I can't do anything. My human body can't do any of the things that you
can do, can't do the things that I... love anymore."

Tsu'tey isn't sure that he understands exactly what Jake is saying, but the thought of not being
able to move, to do anything, is horrifying. Tsu'tey feels his heart tighten. "But you
mentioned that you rode horses back on your home world?"

"That was before I got injured, and I hated it. My mom only tried to teach me after my
father's death but... you know the thing I actually loved? It was flying. I still love it, but the
 airforce doesn't let paraplegics fly." Jake's eyes took on a certain glint. "The sensation of
being in the air, moving at top speeds and doing aerial tricks—there's nothing like it. When I
was injured, I was in the hospital for months and..." Jake hesitates for a moment and Tsu'tey
can see him mentally shifting gears.

"My brother Tommy was the one that loved Pandora. He was the one that was supposed to
take the trip out here. He died before he got the chance to experience all this and the... the
Sky People needed someone to take his place in the program. So they asked me." Jake meets
Tsu'tey's gaze, and there's a bittersweet look within his eyes. "You probably wouldn't
understand, but to be able to wake up in a body that has the use of its legs? That can walk,
run, ride a fucking pa'li, and hopefully... a banshee? It's indescribable." It's like Tsu'tey has
opened the floodgates because Jake keeps going.

"The thrill I felt when we were riding so fast, it felt like I was flying again! And I didn't want
that feeling to ever go away!" Jake takes a deep breath, and it is at that moment that both of
them seem to notice that there are wet tracks on Jake's face.

Tsu'tey hears him mutter a small, "Goddamnit, not again". He looks panicked, immediately
going to wipe away his tears, but Tsu'tey stops him, holding his hands tight. "You know it is
okay to cry, right? Crying does not mean you are weak. And to have gone through all that—
you have been strong for so long." Jake's eyes are wide and teary, and Tsu'tey grasps his
hands tighter. "I am sorry... and perhaps you are not such a skxawng after all." Tsu'tey shoots
him a reassuring smile.

Jake laughs despite the tears flowing down his flushed cheeks, and something he cannot put a
name to wells in Tsu'tey's chest.

Perhaps he has underestimated this dreamwalker.

Chapter End Notes

Mitzi has a message for you guys: "if you guys ever want to scream at me abt avatar pls
dm me i am so down!" She would like more mutuals to talk to about Avatar, plus she's
incredibly chill and hilarious. Between writing these chapters and her editing them,
we're always geeking out about Sully and Tsu'tey that there's never a dull moment
LMAO. Hit her up if you need someone new or just want someone to talk to about
Avatar!

Here's her twitter: mitzidraws

Next Update: 2/20

 Chapter 13
Chapter Notes

A lot of time was spent dealing with Jake learning how to ride a direhorse so it feels
amazing to finally get away from writing anything dealing with a direhorse. Though this
means we'll be meeting Tsu'tey's ikran soon, and funnily enough, I haven't thought of a
name for his ikran yet. Your regular unique name sites aren't all that unique or suitable
for an alien mount.

Beta Reader: Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jake squirms uncomfortably in his wheelchair, looking at anything in the lab but the fuming
researcher right in front of him. Grace has been standing stock-still for the last few minutes,
staring Jake down with a heated glare and a twitching eye. It seems like she's at least
attempting to hold back her anger, but there's a vein on her forehead that looks like it's about
two seconds away from busting.

Jake had managed to avoid Grace's prying questions coming out of the link, attempting to
wheel away from the link room as fast as his goddamn chair would go while making some
lame excuse about being dog-tired. He hadn't even made it to the door before she had
cornered him, pinning him with an expectant stare and a raised brow. And Jake could almost
imagine steam shooting out of Grace's ears upon hearing what had gone down today. So the
absolute genius, and he says that with the utmost sarcasm, a precaution he came up with was
to make Grace promise she couldn't be mad with whatever spewed out of his mouth.

She takes a deep breath to ease her nerves, but when she opens her mouth to say something,
she just closes it with a snap and brings her hand up to rub her temples. Her hands drop in
front of her like she's about to reach out and strangle Jake, and her jaw works furiously. She's
definitely about to rip him a new asshole, but Jake points at her panickedly.

"You promised!"

She laughs through her anger, but it quickly dies out and her face goes deadly serious. She
starts to pace, and Jake tracks the path she's wearing into the floor with his eyes. Norm and
Max are standing on the side, watching in silence. They look like they're about to piss their
pants, and Jake's sure he doesn't look much different. Grace suddenly stops and pivots to face
Jake, her entire body language telling him that she's about to explode in his face.

Fuck. He braces for the worst of it.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind!?" She exclaims, and yup, that is definitely some spittle
that just flew directly into his eye. That right there is exactly why he had her promise she
wouldn't get upset. Clearly, that request was null and void.

He tries to save himself, repeating his earlier words. "You promised you wouldn't get upset!"
But he realizes that it's the wrong thing to say when her eyes narrow at him. Oh god.

Her arms flail outwards. "And you actually expected me not to!?"

Jake frowns, his lips pressing together in a thin line. Maybe, just maybe, he shouldn't argue.
He's already feeling like shit after being reprimanded by Tsu'tey, but Grace is beyond
displeased with today's events. Another round of yelling is unavoidable.

"Are you actually taking this program seriously, Jake!? Or the Omaticaya!? You have to
actually listen to them!"

He bites his lip hard. "You know, Tsu'tey already tore me a new one—"

"Tsu'tey may be your only shot at staying with the Omaticaya, but he's not what's keeping
you on Pandora, Jake! Do you realize that your actions don't just affect you? As one of the
few Avatar drivers here, your actions affect the entire program!" Jake slouches in his chair.
He really hadn't thought about that, and now it's just another thing weighing him down. He's
so tired, and he would like nothing more than to fall onto his bed and forget everything that
happened today. Grace's face is almost as red as her hair. "If something worse happened—if
Tsu'tey were killed, I'd have your ass shipped back to Earth in a heartbeat!" Jake feels his
heart drop when she says it, and his face twists up. That is the absolute last thing he wants to
happen.

He chances a glance at Norm and Max, and their expressions are telling him that they've
sided with Grace. Whether it's because they actually agree with her or they're too scared of
her wrath to say otherwise, Jake doesn't know. He looks back at Grace. "I'm sorry." And he
means it.

"I hope you are, because if you'd been kicked out of the clan, you would have ruined our
chances of saving them from those money-hungry fuckers in the administration and SecOps.
What would be left to stop Quaritch and Selfridge from expediting their goddamn schedule to
tear down Hometree?" Her eyes are boring into his, and he can see her hands shaking. He
suddenly realizes how scared she must be at the prospect of losing the only connection she's
had with the clan in years.

"You're right. Trust me, I know how much I fucked up." Jake clears his throat a little, tilting
his head to the side imploringly. "And, erm, you know—it might not seem like much now
but, they miss you. Neytiri misses you. She said it herself." Grace obviously hadn't been
expecting those words to come from him, and she was visibly startled. "I know how much the
Omaticaya mean to you, Grace. I wouldn't willingly do anything to ruin your chances of
getting back into the clan."

Norm and Max seem just as shocked as she does, but Grace actually looks like she's seen a
ghost. Jake can't help but wonder if she thought she would never get back in the clan—that
they would never forgive her for whatever had happened. Maybe she thought that today was
the nail in the coffin. He hopes that the weight on her shoulders is lifted, if at least a little bit.
She's silent for a moment before excusing herself, leaving the link room without another
word. His words hang heavy in the air.

Jake glances at the hand Max rests on his shoulder. "Why don't you get some rest, Jake? You
leave for Site 26 in the morning. I'm sure she'll have cooled off by then." Max looks at him
with a reassuring smile, but Jake only manages a slight twitch of his lips in return.

"Yeah, sure." At Max's suggestion, Jake suddenly feels the heavy weight of exhaustion
tugging at him and he heads to his bunk room with no pit stops. He isn't feeling entirely
hungry, but he manages to force down a small bag of trailmix stored in his room, and
although he should be recording a video log, he can always crank one out early the next
morning.

As he's laying there in bed, the events of the entire day run on replay in his head, and he
wants to slap himself. What in his right mind had made him think that running off had been
okay? He's not some reckless teenager getting himself arrested and thrown in a holding cell
anymore. Here on this planet, in this compound, things are actually serious. Fuck, he needs to
grow up.

He stares up at the ceiling for a long time, stuck in a limbo, but after a while he allows his
eyes to close. Sleep is surprisingly quick to come for him.

-+-

His dreams are plagued by images of Tommy in a flimsy cardboard casket, his body drained
of life and his eyes closed indefinitely. Jake is helpless to watch as he's rolled into the
incinerator, and the flames that engulf his brother don't stop there. They lick at Jake where
he's sat watching the last thing that he ever really loved being reduced to ashes. The fire
surges forward, and he tries to move, to turn away, but the hand of the RDA agent on his
shoulder keeps him firmly in place. Jake opens his mouth to scream, but nothing comes out.

Jake starts awake, breaths tearing out of his chest raggedly. There's sweat rolling down his
brow, and he hastily wipes it away. He takes a moment to calm down, and he puts his arm
over his eyes. Jesus, he couldn't even get a good night's sleep. He sighs and pulls himself up,
attempting to force the image out of his mind. Jake assumes that dredging up all those
memories the day before had gotten into his head, and being threatened to be sent back to
Earth probably hadn't helped. As he gets ready for the day, he tries to shake the unease that
lingers from the dream.

When Jake wheels himself into the lab, he's steeled himself for Grace's anger. What he isn't
ready for is for Grace to act like nothing happened the night before. "Ready to get out of
dodge, airman?" Jake can't contain his surprise at the lack of hostility in Grace's voice, but
he's not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.

He situates himself just at the edge of the workstation and deposits his duffle bag onto his
lap, crossing his arms over it in a relatively exhausted manner. He's only been with the
Omaticaya for two days now—not including his first foray into the forest—and he never
thought that all the shit he felt while in his Avatar's body would reach through the link. But
here he is, feeling more worn out than he should.
Grace is nudging the last of her logbooks into a duffle backpack; the sack is already
overstuffed with whatever a scientist might need for a prolonged expedition away from Hell's
Gate. It's a wonder how the zipper hasn't already popped off or how she'll even be able to
carry the damned thing on her own. It looks like it weighs a ton. Then again, she does have
her Avatar to help handle the heavy loads.

Behind her, Norm is helping to hurry along the other program staff with storing samples in
padded suitcases, and he hardly spares Jake a glance. His avoidance makes him want to laugh
because he can't believe that Norm's still holding any jealousy after witnessing the debacle
that was last night. But hey, maybe he was just as nervous about setting Grace off as he was.
The corner of Jake's mouth turns up into a smile, but it's gone just as quickly as it was there.

"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be," and he tries to sound upbeat, but he definitely ends up coming
across as sarcastic.

Grace gives him the side eye and she slips a cigarette between her lips, igniting it with a
lighter. She isn't being overtly confrontational, but Jake can tell she's still slightly miffed.
"Good, 'cause we'll be out there until we can find a way to handle this whole Quaritch and
Selfridge situation. No coming back aside from the regular supply run."

In all honesty, Jake is glad that they're getting out of Hell's Gate and away from their prying
eyes. If he had to pretend that he didn't notice Quaritch's eyes burning holes into his back at
the dining hall any longer, he might lose his mind. "Understood."

"Good," she repeats again, and she slings her bag over her shoulder with a strained huff,
stumbling a little bit as the weight throws her off. She scans her workstation one more time
and checks with the staff to make sure everything is situated. "Alright, c'mon people! Let's
get that Samson loaded—we're already running behind schedule!"

He cringes, reminded of the fact that he never got to tell Tsu'tey or Neytiri that his Avatar
would be waking up later than usual. Jake's not sure what either of them has planned for
today, but after the run-in with the thanator yesterday, he can only assume that any of their
lessons will be light in intensity. He hopes that neither of them are waiting for him by his
hammock because they'll be left hanging for god knows how long. It'll be a repeat of what
happened to Tsu'tey two days ago. He just hopes they're not too annoyed about it.

"Mind doing me a favor, Jake?" Grace makes her way toward the link room, urging him to
follow, and she signals for some of the staff to calibrate and monitor her link session. She
takes a long drag of her cigarette, and the small thing is almost completely used up despite
having just been lit. She really is a smoke-aholic, and Jake tries not to let his stomach churn
at the smell of burning paper. "Trudy was supposed to check in fifteen minutes ago, but she
hasn't yet—and as far as I'm aware, she's still set to fly us out to Site 26." She tosses her
cigarette out, and Jake's glad for the absence of smoke wafting into his face. "Could you find
her for me?"

Just what he wanted to do—go on a search party. "Sure, no problem."

"Try to make it quick," She warns. "We leave in twenty."

And Jake doesn't need to be told twice, already wheeling out of the link room before she even
finishes talking. He leaves his duffle bag behind for the staff to pack for him, that way
hopefully everything will be settled in the Samson by the time he finds Trudy. He checks the
armor bay first since he knows just how often she hangs out in there. Hell, if he didn't know
any better, he would think she slept there. Even if she isn't with her own aircraft, there's been
more than a few occasions where he's found her working on other pilots' aircraft for them.

She had told him once that mechanical work helps to take her mind off her troubles, and
honestly, he can't blame her. There used to be plenty of times when he buried himself in a
gym's machinery before he lost movement in his legs. Well, it was either a good workout or
getting himself into all sorts of trouble.

He checks for her between the aisles of gunships and AMP suits, but there's neither hide nor
hair of her. He spots Wainfleet bench pressing in the mini gym where the Colonel had spoken
with him for the first time all those weeks ago. He wheels himself up to him. "Hey, Corporal.
Have you seen Trudy around anywhere?"

The man peeks at him from under the power bar he has held high in the air, his muscles
hardly struggling with the hefty amount of weight he has stacked on. He grunts as he brings it
down and then up again. "What's it to you?" Jake doesn't even hide the roll of his eyes.
Jackass.

"Dr. Augustine needs her to report to the flight deck. We're leaving at 0800."

Wainfleet finally racks the bar and sits up, eyeing Jake up and down. "The Colonel requested
to see her a 'lil while ago—should be in the command deck."

"Right, thanks." He makes the lengthy trip to the command deck as quickly as he's able and
true to the Corporal's words, he finds Trudy where he was told she'd be. She's in the middle
of a heated conversation with Quaritch and some brunette woman, but from this distance, he
can't hear what's being said.

Trudy glances at him, and the Colonel follows her stare. His arrival prompts Quaritch to
dismiss the pilot with a wave of his hand and Trudy doesn't miss a beat, striding away
angrily. The Colonel offers Jake a solemn nod but the woman next to him just sneers. Trudy
pulls up next to Jake, and he turns his chair around to follow her brisk walk away. "Sorry
about that, Sully." She looks like she's in a hurry, and after taking a quick look at the watch
on his wrist, he realizes they're cutting it close to the twenty-minute mark Grace gave him.

"It's no problem. Grace wanted me to come and find you, we're supposed to leave soon." She
takes hold of the handles on his wheelchair, pushing him faster than he could wheel himself
to the flight deck. It still disgruntles him a little bit, and he has to stop himself from telling
her he can do it on his own. "That argument seemed pretty intense back there… everything
okay?"

"Yeah, just… Quaritch being an asshole—the usual." She tells him. "I'm one of his best pilots
and he's being bitchy over the fact that I'm assigned to work for the Avatar program. He'd
rather me stay here than be out there with you guys for the next few months." She blows out a
stressed breath.
Jake looks back over his shoulder and grins up at her. "Well, it looks like we've got one over
on Quaritch this time. If we've got the best pilot in the RDA with us, nothing could go
wrong." Trudy laughs.

She wheels him to the flight deck, stopping short at the pressure door for them to situate their
exopacks. Grace and Norm are already at her Samson, loading in the last of their duffle bags.

"There you are," Grace says, sounding relieved. "I was getting worried the two of you got
lost."

"Sorry for the holdup." Trudy apologizes. The three of them load into the aircraft, and Trudy
switches on the controls once the four of them are situated in the pressurized cockpit. Grace
and Norm's unconscious avatars are tightly strapped into the aircraft's open compartment
that's exposed to the Pandoran air. "Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Trudy exclaims
through the headset and she pulls back on the gears, the wheels lifting from the ground.

Jake feels a grin break out on his face as soon as they lift off, the loosening pull of gravity
settling into his skin with a wonderful kind of familiarity. The Pandoran rainforest rises into
view as they ascend, and within minutes they leave the barren landscape of Hell's Gate
behind. He keeps his attention trained on the outside terrain of the indigenous moon,
watching as a swarm of stingbats fly close to the aircraft. It reminds him of those old films
that showed footage of dolphins jumping through the waves created by small boats. Trudy
flies close to the cliffs' ridges and waterfalls, recreating the thrill of the ride she had
performed on their first round trip out there. In the distance, he can see Hometree sticking out
from the canopy of smaller trees. The smile doesn't leave his face once the entire journey.

"These are your turbines." Trudy has been teaching Norm the rough layout of the aircraft's
consoles for the last ten minutes. To Jake, it feels like her crash course is meant for
elementary school kids with how simplified she's making it. His hands itch to reach for some
of the controls. "And that's your RPM."

"Got it," Norm says.

"So what'd you learn so far?" She decides to quiz him.

"Erm," Norm points to different meter readings on the console, and Jake watches like he's
some classroom monitor supervising a teacher and her student. He can name almost all of the
controls displayed in front of them, but he isn't going to interrupt Norm's little lesson.
"Airspeed… there's your altimeter and your turbines."

Jake raises his brows, slightly impressed by Norm's memory retention. Good to know he
understands what's what.

Trudy chuckles, and she looks over at Jake with a wink. "Right—hold on tight, guys. It's
starting to get bumpy." The aircraft is thrust into a short burst of turbulence, and everything
settles after a couple of seconds. She continues her lesson with Norm. "It only takes tiny
inputs. Go 'head, put your hands on the cyclic."
Norm reaches over to grasp the gear, and Trudy lifts her thigh to brush against his hands. She
tries to be subtle with it, but Jake can see her movements from the corner of his eye. He has
to hide a grin behind his hand at the look on Norm's face. He looks like a deer in headlights.

"Feel how small the movements are? You barely have to think, and the aircraft reacts." Her
voice is honey-smooth.

Norm clears his throat before slowly taking back his hand. He's practically turned into a
tomato. "W-wow that's really cool."

Jake glances over at Grace to see if she's noticed the same thing he has, and she's looking
right at him. Jake makes a face, and suddenly both of them are trying their hardest to stifle
their laughter. Grace sticks her hand in her mouth and looks out the window, her shoulders
shaking imperceptibly. Jake's not much better, but from what he can tell, the two seated in
front of them are completely oblivious to their amusement.

A couple more minutes pass by and Jake stares at the monumental arches of rock that begin
to loom over them, and he knows that his face is completely awe-struck. Grace takes one
look at him and starts a whole monologue on Pandora's geology, explaining that the rock
formations were created due to magnetic fluctuations driven by unobtanium deposits and
proximity to the planet Polyphemus. Or something. Jake doesn't understand most of what
she's saying, but he lets the words wash over him.

Trudy gestures to her console. "Oh yeah, we're definitely close. Look at my instruments."

Jake leans over to look at the instrument displays that are fritzing out like crazy, holding
steady onto the back of Norm's seat whenever they enter a bout of turbulence.

"Yup. We're in the flux vortex," Grace adds.

The aircraft flies into a momentary cluster of clouds, and Jake feels less agitated by it than
Norm, who's holding onto the sides of his seat with a death grip. Jake almost laughs at the
sight. This isn't the first time he's had to fly through visual obstructions.

Trudy pipes in. "...and it's VFR from here on out."

"VFR?" Norm wonders, looking between the three of them. "What's that?"

Jake speaks up for the first time in a while. "Visual Flight Rules, means you gotta see where
you're going."

Norm gestures wildly to the clouds they're engulfed in. "You can't see anything!"

Trudy laughs, popping the piece of gum she's been chewing the entire flight. "Exactly, ain't
that a bitch." She veers the cyclic to the left and steadies the aircraft out, and Jake can just
make out the thin outline of a small mountain to the right. The cloud bank parts and his
breath catches in his throat. He has to remind himself to inhale, and he gawks at the
phenomenal view before them. The legendary floating mountains.

The Hallelujah Mountains.

The enormous islands of rock hover miles and miles above the ground, each overgrown with
forests and thick straggly vines. A few even have their own waterfalls which—the physics
behind that is way beyond him. It's amazing and just like the stories Tommy used to share
with him. Actually, that's a lie. This is better —nothing like either of them could have
imagined without seeing it with their own eyes.

Tommy really would have loved it here, and he just hopes that, wherever he is, he could see
him.

"Oh, my... God." Norm mutters.

Trudy glances over her shoulder, grinning at the looks on his and Norm's faces. "You should
see your faces."

He's not entirely sure why, but Site 26 isn't anything at all like he expected. Two little shacks
of airlift modules the size of buses certainly weren't it, but he supposes that if most of their
time is going to be spent in link units, then they don't really need anything more than that.
Besides, he's had to work with less before—Jake isn't exactly the picky type.

Trudy lands the aircraft in a small clearing, the turbines flattening out the grass below until
the engines are powered off. He slips on his exopack and pressurizes it against his face, and
he's the last to exit the cockpit after everyone else. Grace has already made her way inside the
shack, and Trudy's stayed behind in case Jake needed any help. Which is nice of her, really,
but Jake doesn't need coddling. He raises his eyebrows at her the next time she asks, and she
backs off with a sheepish smile and an alright, alright.

Jake slightly pivots his wheelchair to look out at the mountains, ogling at them for another
few seconds before Grace can yell at him to bring his ass inside. It's peaceful out here,
secluded. He honestly wouldn't mind spending a few minutes outside of the link just
watching the floating mountains—he could do with some moments of peace.

But there's also this inexplicable sense of adventure building up inside of him. This is what
he came to Pandora for—to experience the thrill of flying through the Hallelujah Mountains,
and not just in a Samson. He can almost imagine soaring on the back of a banshee, just like
Tommy had described in his stories. There's nothing more that Jake wants.

In the distance he notices something take flight, and he squints just enough to catch the
outline of two banshees with Na'vi riding on their backs. Jake quickly wheels himself
forward to get a better look, but the two riders dive down fast and disappear behind one of
the mountains. He continues to hear their ululating cries, and Jake's heart lurches. God, he
wants to ride one so badly that it's not even funny.

"Hey, Sully!" Trudy calls. She's standing at the shack's door. "Grace wants you inside."

Jake acknowledges her, sparing one last glance at the place where the two banshees
disappeared before following the pilot inside. He slides off the exopack and rests it on a table,
wheeling backward to allow room for Norm and Trudy to enter.
"Welcome to camp kiddos," Grace says from behind him, and she already has another
cigarette between her lips. Jake takes a quick look around, wheeling up to a mini fridge
sitting on top of a counter. Some photos taped to the glass are the first thing to catch his
attention.

There are five pictures, and each one was taken at Grace's school by the looks of it. He finds
himself smiling at the memories that aren't even his own, content with witnessing how
overjoyed Grace looks with the Na'vi children shown. He's known her for a little over two
weeks, and he's never seen her as happy as she looks in these pictures.

He shifts his attention to a group portrait taped to the corner, recognizing two of the Na'vi as
Tsu'tey and Neytiri. They're both so young, especially Neytiri, and if he had to guess she
looks like she's around thirteen. There's another Na'vi in the photo that he doesn't recognize,
but who bears an eerie resemblance to Neytiri. That must be her sister then. Grace is standing
in the middle of them, and in her arms is an infant, maybe a few months old. He notices that
Tsu'tey has this look of worry on his face while watching her hold the infant. A brotherly
worry. Must be Tarsem then.

The portrait gives him a rough guess about when the incident at the school happened. He's
more curious than ever about what happened, but there's a pit in his stomach that tells him
whatever it was, it was awful.

"Jake, let's go! You're already late for class." Grace warns, and Jake turns to look down the
small hallway leading into the other shack module. He wheels across the corridor into a room
where there are three link units, and he hangs a left to the unit at the end where Grace
indicates. "Unit One, Beulah. She's the least glitchy." She pats the gel bed in the unit before
moving over to the consoles, and Jake situates himself onto the unit bed. "Norm, I'm going to
need you to operate Jake's link."

Norm sputters. "What?" He turns to Grace, and the frustration he's held in since their little
stint in the link room a couple of days ago is rearing its ugly head. "Oh, come on!"
Jesus, here we go. "I've trained for three years, and I can speak the language fluently! He falls
off the fucking turnip truck and all of a sudden he's the cultural ambassador!?"

Grace sighs, and Jake just sits there in awkward silence, trying not to fidget. It's not like
Norm is entirely wrong, and Jake can't help but wonder why he had been chosen by the
Omaticaya. "It's not our choice, Norm."

"Yeah, well... you know what? I didn't exactly come here to wash the dishes while you're on
some interspecies booty call!" He stalks off, fuming.

He and Grace share a look, and Grace shakes her head at Norm's attitude. "Let's not worry
too much, yeah? He can't go far." She points to the link, telling him to lie down. "Let's get
you in—and Jake? Please try to not get in trouble again, yeah? You're already on thin ice with
the Omaticaya as it is. Don't do anything stupid. Be smart." She fixes him with an almost
motherly stare, her anger having dramatically cooled down since the night before.

"I won't... cross my heart and hope to die." Jake makes the gesture, and Grace breathes out a
small laugh.
 She shuts the unit cover, and after a few seconds, he allows his eyes to close, letting the
connection to his Avatar settle. The first thing he sees is golden eyes staring right into his.

Chapter End Notes

There's a brief cameo of Paz Socorro, Spider's mother, written in this chapter! Ninat also
has her own cameo a couple of chapters back but I never pointed her out. Neither are
named outright so it's easy to miss them unless you figure that, what may be an
unimportant side character, has some sort of a role in canon or the comics.

Thoughts on this chapter? Apologies for the slightly repeated scene in the beginning but
we couldn't very well ignore Grace's reaction to Jake's mishap.

Art created by Uras! Next Update: 2/27

 Chapter 14
Chapter Notes

A Na'vi featured from mobile game Pandora Rising and Animal Kingdom's Na'vi River
Journey ride is featured in this chapter, Txopu. I find it funny how I've ridden Na'vi
River Journey several times while I was at Disney and I never seemed to notice him,
unless I just have a shit memory. And if you haven't noticed, the title of the series the
AU is a part of, Way Tiretuä, is the title of the song featured during the Animal
Kingdom ride. It means 'The Shaman's Song'.

Beta Reader: Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

As the neurolink finishes its transfer, and before he even opens his eyes, Jake can hear Tsu'tey
and Neytiri's hushed voices right next to him. His ear twitches just the slightest bit—not
noticeably enough to alert them to the fact that he's settling into consciousness, but still
straining so that he can pick up their whispering voices. For once, he can actually understand
what they're saying to each other, given that they're not talking in their native tongue. For
some reason, Jake doesn't want to interrupt them just yet, so he keeps his eyes closed and lets
their voices wash over him.

"Are we sure he is not just pretending to be asleep?" It's Neytiri talking, and from the way her
voice shifts from one ear to the other, he figures that she's restlessly pacing around on the
branch above him. And, well, she's not too far off the mark with that.

Tsu'tey sighs heavily. "He is a dreamwalker, Neytiri, he does not actually sleep in this body—
you know this. He is just... running late. Again." Jake can almost hear the scowl in his voice.

"Careful, Tsu'tey... you are being awfully lenient about his tardiness. If I did not know any
better, I might think that you have gone soft." She laughs at her own teasing, but Tsu'tey
obviously couldn't find it any less amusing, hissing his annoyance at her. Jake fights back the
urge to smile at their bickering. Luckily, his back is facing toward them and his forearms are
covering enough of his face to hide his amusement. What he doesn't realize is that his tail
swishes just then, a small tell that he's awake, and the two Na'vi fall silent.

They hadn't caught him eavesdropping, had they? Well, one way or the other, he guesses the
jig is up.

Jake at least tries to pretend that he's just waking up, acting groggy and stretching his muscles
before turning onto his other side. When he opens his eyes though, he isn't expecting to see
Neytiri leaning literally half a foot away from his face, her golden eyes filling up his entire
frame of vision. Jake's heart skips a beat and he lets out an embarrassing squawk of surprise.
At the same time, his entire body flinches hard in the hammock, and he almost tips out as it
spins around, but it's just his luck that the damned thing tangles together tighter and traps him
in.

Neytiri is looking at him with wide eyes and raised ears, mouth slightly agape. She doesn't
fight the urge to laugh for even two seconds before she's bending over and cackling
unabashedly, clutching at her stomach.

"Go 'head, laugh it off!" Jake pouts from where his face is smushed tightly against the fibers
of the hammock. "Nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Tsu'tey pushes himself off the trunk he's been leaning on and maneuvers along the spokes to
untangle his hammock. "Are you okay, Jake?" He's fighting off his own grin, but at least he
doesn't seem to find it as fucking hilarious as Neytiri does. With some surprise, Jake notes
that there's genuine concern in his question.

Jake quickly removes himself from the hammock once he's been freed, steadying his balance.
"Yeah, 'm fine... sorry for being late." Whether they were aware of his eavesdropping or not,
the fact remains that they had to wait up for him longer than usual today.

"You apologize a lot." Tsu'tey points out and he stares at Jake for a moment, as if he's trying
to get a read on him. "Does your lateness have anything to do with that tawsìp in the Ayram
Alusìng?"

...What? Jake looks at him, puzzled. Tsu'tey has to know that he has no idea what those
words mean, but there's a look on his face that tells him he's being tested. He thinks hard,
trying to use context clues to figure out what the fuck he's talking about. It's only then that
he's reminded of the two Na'vi he saw earlier in the mountains.

"Wait, was that you two in the Hallelujah Mountains earlier?"

"No," Tsu'tey says straightforwardly, although he seems satisfied with Jake's answer. "But we
do have scouts that reported a sighting of a tawsìp landing."

Jake presses his lips into a thin line. "I probably should have warned you beforehand, but it
slipped my mind." He takes a deep breath. "My team needed to get away from the man in
charge. I hope you don't mind us staying there for a few months?"

Neytiri, once she's finally quieted down her laughter, shares a glance with Tsu'tey. He looks
like he's going to say something, but Neytiri quickly cuts him off. "I do not mind, and I'm
sure mother and father do not either." Tsu'tey's nose twitches in annoyance. It seems like he's
still slightly agitated by the whole ordeal.

He just sighs though, giving it up. "Let us get going, Jake. You are going to have a busy night
ahead of you, but first, there is something we would like to show you."

Jake raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"

Tsu'tey urges him to follow his lead. To his surprise, they're not heading towards the lower
levels of Hometree, but instead, they're going up. All the way up.

He follows them while they competitively trapeze through the inner spokes, and he can feel
his own competitive streak flare up. But his bouncing steps aren't as expert as their
movements, which are the definition of fluid and steady. Instead, Jake's arms flail outwards
and his tail swishes fiercely as he tries to find a steady balance. The branches are thinner than
the ones at the lower levels of Hometree, but he manages to keep up with them, getting more
confident as they continue upwards. As they reach the highest point—the furthest they can
journey without running smack-dab into the huge canopy of leaves—he treads under an
archway grown into the tree and out into the open, ducking under a few hanging branches and
vines. Jake stops short behind Tsu'tey to try and catch his breath, taking in the view.

He can see the forest at its fullest from all the way up here, and the view is nothing like what
he witnessed in Trudy's Samson. She likes to hover directly over the trees and next to
waterfalls, and while the view is just as cool up close, taking it all in from far away is a whole
'nother experience. He creeps close to the edge of the branch, taking tiny steps and leaning
forward to catch a better view of Hometree's base. The clan members are ant–like from all
the way up here and—and that is a long way down, holy shit. There's absolutely nothing there
to catch him if he falls. And yeah, he may be a flying guy, but he fucking hates falling. The
pit of his stomach lurches.

He steps back from the edge and pivots to look at the two Na'vi, who have their attention
focused on a nearby cluster of branches. "You said you wanted to show me something?
What's up here?"

Tsu'tey turns to him with a sly grin, but the look on Neytiri's face is probably just as curious
as Jake's. Whatever reason the warrior has for bringing Jake up here, she's just in the dark as
he is. "An eyrie."

"An... eyrie?" But that means—his eyes snap to a large section of foliage that begins rustling,
a huge figure moving within the cluster of leaves, and Jake catches a glimpse of colors that
are anything but green. Oh my god.

Tsu'tey makes a series of trills and clicks, and Jake's brain immediately compares it to a cat,
making him want to laugh. Next to Tsu'tey, Neytiri's face breaks out in a smile, and she sends
an excited look toward Jake before copying Tsu'tey's actions. The branches rustle some more
before a massive banshee bursts out with its wings spread wide, making it look even bigger
than it already is. Its body is covered in a distinctive cobalt color, marked with rippling black
and yellow bands. Jake takes an instinctive step backward, falling into an ingrained defensive
stance. "Holy shit." There's a rustle behind him, and he spins around just in time to see the
gaping mouth and fangs of another banshee, who screeches right in his face. It's considerably
smaller than the other one, but it's still massive compared to Jake's size. This one has a
turquoise coloration, swirled with black markings. "Holy shit." He repeats more emphatically.

Tsu'tey steps up to the bigger banshee and feeds it a scrap of meat that Jake just now realizes
he's been carrying, and the animal snatches it up playfully before gulping it down. He laughs
and strokes its neck. "Tam tam, Jekkah. Jake, these are our ikran."
Jake glances between both banshees, or he guesses he should start calling them ikran. His
stare apparently lingers too long on the small one, and it starts to agitate, leaning back on its
hind legs in a territorial display. Neytiri tsks at him. "Do not look into her eyes."

He quickly diverts his stare—he doesn't need to be told twice. But his eyes still find their way
to the ikran in front of Tsu'tey, refusing to stay down. "Erm, what are their names?"

Neytiri connects her queue to her ikran's antenna, the creature shivering at the neural
connection. "Her name is Seze." She climbs smoothly onto her back, sitting comfortably
against the saddle. It registers in his mind that they're about to go on a joyride with their ikran
while he's stuck on this goddamn branch watching them. Oh, he is so fucking jealous right
now.

Neytiri tilts her head towards the ikran in front of Tsu'tey. "His is called Jekkah—he is a very
well-behaved ikran."

Jake notices the wide grin on Tsu'tey's face as he continues to amuse his ikran, and he realizes
that it's the most overjoyed he's seen him in the few days he's known him. Tsu'tey connects
his queue to Jekkah's antenna, and his entire demeanor changes. It's lighter and more carefree
—it's like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

Tsu'tey glances at Jake. "One thing you need to know: ikran is not horse." He ducks under
Jekkah's head, and just like Neytiri, climbs onto his back. His banshee is starting to get
restless, knowing that it's about to take flight and shuffling in place impatiently. "Once
tsaheylu is made, ikran will fly with only one hunter in their whole life. To become taronyu,
you must choose your own ikran... and he must choose you."

Jake nods, feeling his own excitement rise at the prospect. It seems easy enough, but he has
to remember that a fact still remains: he's on a ticking time schedule. Becoming a taronyu—if
he doesn't fuck his chances up anymore—might just be his only shot to helping save the clan.
It's only then that they'll trust him. So he asks, "When?"

"When you are ready." And that vague answer doesn't help him at all, goddamn it. Tsu'tey
lowers a visor over his eyes and Jake half expects him to take flight right there, but he
doesn't. He just stares at him expectantly, waiting for Jake to do something. But what, Jake
doesn't know. After a few seconds, he huffs. "What are you waiting for? Climb on."

"I—huh?" He wants him to do what?

Neytiri hisses, but it's not with displeasure or anger. She's just as confused as Jake is right
now. "Tsu'tey, just what are you doing you skxawng?" And Jake's eyebrows shoot to his
hairline. He's never heard that word directed at Tsu'tey.

He doesn't even grace Neytiri with a comment. Instead, his eyes bore into Jake's. "You told
me yesterday that you love flying—that you wanted to experience the sensation again. The
only way you can become taronyu and bond with an ikran is if you complete your iknimaya...
it is a tough rite of passage and I cannot guarantee that you will be able to see it through.
But... I can help you experience flying right now. If that is what you want."
Jake's mouth hangs open and he glances over his shoulder to look at Neytiri, whose brows are
furrowed together. He turns back, his decision already made. And really, it isn't much of a
decision in the first place. It never would be when it came to flying. "Okay."

Tsu'tey extends his hand as soon as Jake makes his decision. He quickly grabs hold and the
warrior hoists him up onto the saddle behind him. His feet settle next to Tsu'tey's, but he's not
sure where to rest his hands. He doesn't exactly want to invade the other's space, and so they
hover awkwardly beside him.

Tsu'tey grins at him over his shoulder. "Hold on tight, Jake Sully." He turns back around and
lets out a distinctive call, leaning forward. Before Jake can ask him what he means, Jekkah
drops from the tree trunk and shoots into a dive. Jake lets out a startled shout and throws his
arms around Tsu'tey's middle, holding onto him with a death grip. All of his earlier
reservations are forgotten, and adrenaline rushes through him as he clings to the warrior. He
can just barely hear Neytiri shouting out 'skxawngs!' before Seze dives off after them.

Jake has his eyes screwed shut tight and anything that he wants to say is caught in the back of
his throat. The wind bites hard at his face as they launch downwards like a rocket, but then
Jekkah expands his wings and levels out into a steady glide. He can feel the flips in his
stomach settle as they continue to fly straight, and he wants to open his eyes but...

He hears Tsu'tey say quietly, "Open your eyes, Jake."

Jake shakes his head and swallows the lump built up in his throat. "I—I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because..." and this was utterly embarrassing for him to say, "because I'm fucking terrified."

He feels Tsu'tey's laugh reverberate throughout his chest, and only then does Jake realize how
tight he has his arms wrapped around him. He loosens his grip on Tsu'tey's waist a tiny bit but
doesn't move his hands from their place. "Is this the same fkew tsamsiyutsyìp who said he
loves to fly? How can you be scared?"

Jake shakes his head again, his forehead brushing against Tsu'tey's shoulder. "No, I'm not...
I'm not scared scared. It's just—I'm afraid that if I open my eyes, none of this will be real."

He feels a rough and calloused hand gently grasp his, practically engulfing it. "I promise you,
Jake... this is real, so open your eyes. Enjoy it."

It takes him a moment, but eventually, he manages to peel his eyes open. The first thing he
notices is how quiet it is as they glide through the air, with Jekkah only flapping his wings
ever so often to maintain altitude. They're a little ways away from Hometree, and a hell of a
lot higher above the trees than Trudy ever flies. His eyes widen as he takes in the view, the
land below them stretching out for miles and miles. It would be an understatement to say that
he's amazed.

"Wow." The word exits on an exhale, breathy and full of wonder. Tsu'tey's looking at him,
and when Jake meets his eyes, he laughs jovially. "See? That was not so bad, was it?"
Tsu'tey hikes himself up from the saddle and leans forward until most of his weight hangs
over his knees. Jake reads that as his cue to hang on tighter because Jekkah swiftly nose dives
towards the rapid river, wings drawn in close to his body. This time, instead of squeezing his
eyes shut, Jake raises himself up slightly and lets out an exhilarated whoop. Riding on the
pa'li had practically been a snooze-fest in comparison to the feeling he's experiencing now.

Once they're several feet above the water, Jekkah's wings expand back outwards, quickly
leveling them out. Spray soaks his face, shocking him into a laugh. He glances over his
shoulder to see Neytiri flying close behind them, although it looks like she's struggling to
keep up. As soon as she notices him looking back at her, she pumps a hand in the air and
releases an ululating cry. When Jake turns his gaze back forwards, he notices that they're
rapidly approaching a tree line. Jake anxiously grips Tsu'tey's waist tighter and he shouts to
be heard over the wind. "We're not gonna try flying in there, are we Tsu—Tsu'tey?!" The
Na'vi just laughs as Jekkah banks a hard left turn between the trees. They begin expertly
weaving through the tree trunks, and it's a maze game now that they're dodging the vines and
foliage of the forest.

They finally break out from within the forest and into the open air, a shadow looming over
them. Neytiri hadn't followed them into the copse of trees, but once Seze nose dives and
levels out in front of them, she gains the lead, causing Jekkah to momentarily draw back.

Jake taps Tsu'tey's shoulder. "Can you level out?" He asks him, and although he goes
unanswered, Jekkah seems to comply with his request.

Slowly, Jake moves his hands from Tsu'tey's abdomen to his sides, then carefully releases
him altogether to throw his arms in the air. He whoops as loudly as he's able to, unable to
contain the giddy laughter that follows. It's everything and more that he had imagined when
Tommy told him stories about flying on an ikran. He's oblivious to the fond look on Tsu'tey's
face as he stares up at him.

This is fucking amazing.

He drops his hands onto Tsu'tey's shoulders and looks at him. He's feeling a whole wave of
emotions that has his heart beating fast. But on top of it all, he's so damn grateful to Tsu'tey
for doing this for him. He didn't have to go out of his way to help him experience something
he loves, something that he can't do on his own anymore, but he did. In all these years after
the loss of his legs, no one's ever made that kind of effort—and not even Tommy had been
able to provide him with something like this. It had only ever been pity and I'm sorry's. Jake
had almost forgotten what this kind of gratitude felt like.

He blinks a couple of times when he realizes he's been staring too long for comfort, glancing
away. "Thank you... for this." Tsu'tey just smiles.

Jekkah flies them around for several more minutes before he starts his ascent towards
Hometree, latching onto the same trunk he dove off from. Seze perches next to them and
Neytiri climbs off with ease. Tsu'tey helps Jake dismount his ikran and when his feet touch
the tree, his knees feel weak from all the excitement, but he manages to keep himself
upright.
He can't believe that really just happened.

-+-

Around the clan's lunchtime, the three of them spend some peace and quiet by the river they
had flown over earlier. Neytiri has a small fire burning in a muddied clearing, roasting a fish
she had caught just moments ago while Tsu'tey sits next to her eating his own. Jake is not
sitting with them, instead finding company by the streambed with his younger brother who
had begged to come along. Apparently, Tsu'tey's brief mention of teaching the dreamwalker
how to fish had excited Tarsem a lot more than he had expected. And Tsu'tey had always had
trouble saying no when his little brother looked at him so pleadingly. Besides, Arvok was not
there to tell him otherwise. With Tsu'tey teaching the two young ay numeyu and Jake Sully,
he did not have much time to continue instructing Atan, Maru, or Takuk. So Arvok, despite
his annoyance at the new arrangement, had agreed to continue their training in Tsu'tey's stead.
And really, it was not like there was much more for Arvok to teach them—they were soon to
undergo their iknimaya anyway.

He watches quietly as Tarsem attempts to teach the dreamwalker how to fish. In spite of their
language barrier, Jake is picking up rather well on what Tarsem is saying, following his
visual cues. Nevertheless, Tsu'tey has to keep the karyu in him at bay when he witnesses
Jake's horrendous posture with a bow. Even with Tarsem's guidance on how to hold it, Jake's
grip is awkward on the small weapon, which is at least a third of his size. It is a rather
ridiculous sight, and behind the exasperation of a karyu, amusement bubbles up in his chest.

"A fish! Right there!" Tarsem whispers through a shout, and he points wildly at the swimming
creature.

Jake is kneeled to match Tarsem's level, directing a nocked arrow towards the water. He is
tracking the fish carefully, turning in slow movements. Tsu'tey can see one of Jake's eyes
close the moment before he releases the arrow, holding his breath. In one movement, he lets
the arrow fly, and it shoots through the water. Tsu'tey is unsure of whether the arrow actually
struck its target, but then he hears splashing water and Tarsem's excited squeals.

"You got it!" He is jumping up and down, shaking Jake's arm back and forth.

Jake jumps into the stream to collect the fish, yanking out the arrow. "It was right where you
said!" Tsu'tey chokes on a snort, entertained by how childish the dreamwalker sounded.
"C'mon, let's go cook it!" Although neither of them understands each other's language yet, he
points towards the fire, making a cooking motion, and Tarsem seems to understand then,
rushing to the small fire. Jake follows, and when his brother makes grabby hands for the fish,
he hands it to him. Jake watches as Tarsem recites the saho te irayo before spearing it on a
cooking stick and holding it above the fire.

Neytiri laughs quietly, and Tsu'tey realizes she has been watching the scene unfold as well.
"He is good with your brother." He hums in agreement, continuing to chew on a big chunk of
the fish. "Do you think—wherever it is he came from—that he has a younger brother?"

He looks at her thoughtfully, recalling what Jake had said the other night. "One Tarsem's
age? I am not sure, but he has mentioned that he has a tsmukan. Jake's age, I assume, if he
was supposed to come out here."

Neytiri's ears raise in curiosity. "Was? Is he not here?"

Tsu'tey looks away, keeping his eyes firmly on his fish. "He says he died."

Her ears droop and she mouths a silent, brief prayer to Eywa, and Tsu'tey turns his attention
back to his little brother and Jake. Tarsem has handed the fish over to him, and he is roasting
his prized catch while his brother chatters away next to him. But instead of watching it cook,
he is staring right back at Tsu'tey, almost in a daze. He seems unaware of how long he's been
staring because when Tarsem shouts to gain his attention, the fish is burnt. Again.

Jake frowns and his shoulders sag. "Aw man, I was hoping to eat that." Tarsem laughs at his
dramatic display of grief, while Neytiri chuckles before offering him the rest of her meal. He
accepts it, albeit a bit reluctantly. "So, what are we doing today? You said I'd have a busy
night?"

"That is right—night survival training." He maneuvers into a cross-legged position when

Tarsem crawls to rest in his lap, stealing a bite out of his raw fish. Tsu'tey hisses his
displeasure but doesn't further reprimand the boy when Tarsem pouts at him. Those damned
cute eyes of his, the boy certainly knows how to play the game. "Ka'ani and Saeyla will be
joining us."

"That sounds great… but I don't think Grace will be happy if I stay out all night. You gotta
know how she is. She's like a mother hen and I'm the poor kid with a curfew." Jake rolls his
eyes.

Hearing this hardly dissuades Tsu'tey. In fact, it makes him even more determined to keep
him with them overnight. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a troublemaker when he was
younger, staying out all night with Sylwanin to the great chagrin of their parents. "You will
just have to ask her then."

"I can't just leave my avatar and then come back again... it's not good for our bodies if we
connect so many times in such a short period."

"To me, it sounds like you are making excuses," His lips curl up in a sly smirk. "I thought
you said you would start listening to everything I say?"

Jake's mouth falls open in surprise. Neytiri's eyes blow wide and Tsu'tey can just barely hear
her go "ooo".

He sputters. "That's... that's playing dirty and you know it!"

Neytiri abruptly pipes in, splaying her arms out placatingly in each of their direction. "Is it
that difficult to consider seeking her out?"

Tsu'tey's nose twitches at that, feeling reluctant about going to see her in person. He still
holds a grudge against Grace for everything that happened at her school, and even if he
doesn't think it will ever go away, it has simmered down over the last few cycles. But how
could he ever forgive the person whose school Sylwanin was killed at? Seeing her is the last
thing he wants to happen, but if Jake is only going to come up with excuses, does he really
have a choice?

He sighs deeply and grumbles, "Fine." He hopes he won't regret this decision.

When they arrive back at Kelutral, Tsu'tey ushers Tarsem off with Neytiri while he goes to
search for a scout. He finds Txopu, one of their young sentries and guides, and asks him if he
has heard of the whereabouts of any uniltìranyu in the forest. He relays that two of them had
been spotted on the outskirts of their territory close to the burnt-down school, and just
hearing that dampens his mood.

He makes his way back to Jake. "Come. Fortunately for you, they are not too far outside of
our territory. We will ride there." He smirks. "And try not to ride off into palulukan territory
this time."

"Hey now, that was uncalled for!" He exclaims offendedly. Then he lets out a long-suffering
sigh. "Will I ever live that down?"

Tsu'tey smiles innocently. "No, Jake. You will not." The dreamwalker just groans.

He and Jake depart soon after that, riding through the forest. It takes the better part of a half
hour to arrive at the old school, and throughout the ride, Tsu'tey can feel tension building up
in him at the prospect of seeing Grace again. Eventually, they find her and some new
dreamwalker hunched over a patch of fungus. Tsu'tey hangs back while Jake quietly
approaches them, a devious smile on his face.

"You guys having fun with those little mushrooms of yours?"

Grace jumps, whirling around and spewing out a string of curses. "God, what the fuck? What
are you doing here?" Grace proclaims, a hand clutching at her heart. "How—how did you
know where we were?"

"First day out here, remember? You said the Na'vi were probably watching us."

She stammers over her words. "How did you even get here? And why are you here?" Tsu'tey
watches as Jake points over his shoulder directly at him, and Grace turns to gawk at him. The
weird looking dreamwalker has a similar expression on his face. "Tsu'tey." She breathes out,
bringing her hand to her forehead. The man behind her does the name, but Tsu'tey neither
returns the gesture nor acknowledges them. Instead, he turns so that his back is facing them
as he leans against his pa'li.

He never said he was above stubborn pettiness.

His ear flicks and he listens to Jake give a quick rundown on the conversation they shared at
the river. Grace sounds skeptical about it at first, arguing that come nighttime he'll already
have been in the link—he can't help but wonder what this "link" is—for well over the advised
time. But Jake just explains how insistent Tsu'tey is that he goes with them tonight. His lips
twitch up at that.
 Ultimately, Grace only seems to agree on the condition that Jake takes the next day to rest
outside of his avatar. Tsu'tey can hear the heavy reluctance in Jake's voice before he agrees.

"Thank you, Grace." Jake sighs.

"Erm, if you both could just... give me a moment?" Tsu'tey's body tenses when he hears
someone approach from behind, someone that he knows isn't Jake. He blinks rapidly to keep
his face from screwing up unpleasantly when Grace steps in front of him. "Tsu'tey. Can we
just talk for a moment?"

His silence gives her all the confirmation she thinks she needs, and the expression on her face
speaks volumes. "How are you?" More silence. "Not up for casual talk then, huh? Right...
listen, I just wanted to say that I'm—"

"Come, Jake. We are leaving." He ignores Grace's gutted look.

He pushes away from his pa'li before climbing onto its back, and as Grace attempts to
communicate with him again, he just shouts Jake's name louder. His raised voice finally spurs
Jake into action, as he hurriedly mounts his pa'li with an apologetic look toward the two. He
manages to get out a quick apology before riding off after Tsu'tey.

For the first few minutes of the ride, it's silent.

Finally, Jake turns to him with an irritated look. "What was that back there?"

Tsu'tey simply shrugs. "It was nothing."

"That didn't seem like nothing," Jake presses and Tsu'tey's jaw clenches tight. "All she
wanted was to apologize for whatever happened that night at the school."

Tsu'tey shakes his head. He doesn't want to hear it. "Something like that—you cannot just
apologize for what happened. Neytiri's sister, my... yawntu—she died there. She is the
dreamwalker responsible for everybody that died that day. That is not something you can just
forgive."

"And what about me, huh? I'm a dreamwalker. So where do I stand in your grudge?"

His expression softens at that. "You have not killed anybody." Tsu'tey directs his attention
forward again, effectively ending the conversation. What he misses is the pained expression
that flickers over Jake's face.

Chapter End Notes

tawsìp: skyship
Ayram Alusìng: Hallelujah Mountains
fkew tsamsiyutsyìp: mighty little warrior
saho te irayo: prayer of thanks

Thoughts on the chapter? I hope you've enjoyed it!

Next Update: 3/6

 Chapter 15
Chapter Summary

NOTICE IN THE END NOTES, PLEASE READ.

Chapter Notes

I apologize that this chapter wasn't uploaded when it was meant to be, but it's better late
than never, amirite? Nearly 7k words worth of interesting and hilarious content and I
particularly enjoy this chapter quite a lot!

Beta Reader: Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When they get back to Hometree, Tsu'tey dismounts and strides off without another word,
and Jake is left standing in the middle of the clan, sticking out like a sore thumb. He can see
the tension in Tsu'tey's stiff shoulders and the way his tail swishes aggressively. Jake is smart
enough to not make himself the target of all that ire by approaching him. And yeah, he knows
that Tsu'tey isn't actually mad at him, but from experience, he's learned that it's best to allow
his temper to simmer down first.

When Tsu'tey passes Neytiri their shoulders collide, but he still doesn't say anything. Instead,
he kneels down to hug Tarsem, who's been trailing after Neytiri. He begins speaking in their
native tongue, but Jake's pretty sure that he's murmuring gentle reassurances. And he has a
sneaking suspicion that Tsu'tey's words are just as much for himself as they are for Tarsem.

Neytiri eyeballs the warrior and then directs her inquisitive stare at Jake, asking a silent what
the fuck is up with him with just her expression. He shrugs noncommittally and she narrows
her eyes. Neytiri moves toward him and leads Jake a few feet away, out of earshot. "Did
something happen that I am unaware of?"

"I mean, kind of." Jake rubs the back of his neck nervously. There's a nagging question eating
away at him, but he doesn't know if he should open his mouth and say it. He waffles back and
forth for a second, but his curiosity wins out and he decides to just bite the bullet. "Can I ask
you... something personal?"

She tilts her head in consideration, lips pursing. "That depends on what it is. But ask
anyway."
"Okay, um..." He spares a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that no one's listening
to their conversation, and he notices that Tsu'tey's now entertaining Tarsem with a carved
figure of... a red ikran? At least he thinks it's an ikran—the huge crest on its head is throwing
him off. Jake tears his gaze away and looks back at Neytiri. "What exactly happened? At
Grace's school, I mean."

Her ears flatten and she begins shaking her head. "Jake, I am not sure that—"

"Please? I just... Tsu'tey won't tell me what happened, and neither will Grace. And—and it's
killing me that I don't have a clue about what went on." He knows he's practically begging
her for answers, but he's desperate at this point.

Her nonexistent brows raise and she looks him up and down. "You seem perfectly fine to me.
And it certainly doesn't look like you are being killed."

"What? No, it's an id—you know what? Never mind." he interlocks his hands and brings his
index fingers to his nose, taking a deep breath before he decides to try again. "I'm not a
scientist like Grace is. In fact, there's probably no good justification for my presence on
Pandora besides my own selfish reasons, and Grace has every right to send me back home.
But if I can somehow fix this—? Grace won't see me as some useless tag-along anymore. I
owe this to her. If I could somehow convince Tsu'tey to—"

Neytiri raises her hand and his blabbering is cut off. "I am going to stop you there. Tsu'tey is
not the only one that lost someone that day, and there are many others that would be upset if
Grace joined us again." Jake's ears droop. She's right, and he's reminded of Arvok and
Saeyla's hatred toward humans. Goddamn it, he'd been undermining everyone else's pain,
including Neytiri's. But she surprises him when she says, "You want to know what happened?
I will tell you."

Neytiri gestures for him to follow, and he walks by her side. She leads him to a secluded part
of Hometree and urges him to kneel before taking a seat herself. Jake braces himself for
whatever she's about to say.

"My sister, Sylwanin..." It's the first time Jake's actually heard her name, "A few nights
before the incident, she stopped coming to Grace's teachings because she was angry about the
Sky People's destruction of our home. She wanted to do something about it, and I remember
hearing them plan one night."

Her eyes are distant as she's talking, wide and unblinking like she's in a daze. "Tsu'tey tried to
convince her that retaliating would not do any good. I suppose he thought that he had swayed
her because he was expecting her to show up at the school the next day. When she never
came, he broke down and told Grace about all their plans... and I think she knew something
bad was going to happen. She told us that she would be back soon and that we should stay
put. We watched as she laid down and her dreamwalker body went lifeless." Neytiri's eyes
start to gloss over, and Jake almost wants to tell her to forget it—that he doesn't really need to
hear the story, but he can't just stop her now that she's started.

"Sylwanin and a couple of hunters came running in shortly after—decorated in their warpaint
and boasting about the metal machine they set on fire. Then the Sky People appeared." She
takes a deep breath. "Grace woke up in the middle of it all, pleading with her Sky People to
stop, but they did not listen to her. They knocked her over the head, and she was gone again,
leaving us to fend for ourselves. So many died. Sylwanin, Saeyla's brother, and Tsu'tey's
parents when they came to defend us."

She blinks rapidly once she's finished talking, trying to get rid of the wetness in her eyes. He
doesn't blame her—what she had just described sounds like a hellacious nightmare, and
Jake's own heart feels impossibly heavy. He clears his throat. "I'm... so sorry about what
happened. I think Grace wanted to try and stop them before anything happened, but... I can
see why the clan would blame her."

"Yes, and for a long time, I have thought the same. Lately, though, I have come to terms with
what happened." She shakes her head once, snapping herself out of her stupor and waving her
hand in the air. "Do what you will with what I told you. Now, why not do something
productive while we wait for the sun to set?"

Jake nods. "Sounds good to me. And Neytiri—thank you."

-+-

Neytiri touches her fingertips to her lips and stares directly into his eyes, pronouncing the
syllables of the word so slowly that you'd think Jake is slow or something. Which, he might
actually start to believe that he is slow if he can't start getting these goddamn words right.
"Seyri, it means lips."

Finally, easy money. He nods once and copies her. "Seyli," he says with absolute confidence.

Neytiri tsks and Jake groans dramatically. She repeats it more distinctly this time, tapping her
lips. "Sey-rrrii. Ma Eywa, but you are terrible with the rolling sound of the tongue. We will
have to practice that more."

Jake whines petulantly and waves his hands in the air. "This is why I fucking failed Spanish!
I don't have the Latino in me for this." He has to contain his laugh when he sees the blank
look on Neytiri's face.

"Jake, I did not understand a single thing you just said. Now repeat the word again." He tries
one more time, trying to put more emphasis on the "r" sound. He keeps his eyes on Neytiri,
watching her reaction, and her slight smile tells him he must've said it properly. He lets out a
triumphant yes and pumps his fist in the air, while Neytiri rolls her eyes, a small smile
betraying her amusement.

"Good. Now," she touches her fingertips to her nose. "Ontu. Nose."

"Ontu." Okay, he's gettin' the hang of it.

She touches her ears, "mikyun," and then her eyes, "nari."

"Mikyun," she nods approvingly, "and... nali." She shakes her head and urges him to try
again, but he just butchers it even further. He can't figure out what that sound in the middle of
the word is for the life of him. "Navi." Wait, that isn't right. And oh, he realizes that it's one of
those hard "r" sounds agai—without warning, Neytiri whacks him across the head.
"Hey!Ow." He says indignantly.

Neytiri tsks her tongue again. "How can you finally get seyri right but not nari?"

"Hold on, hold on! I think I've figured it out, just lemme try again." His eyes narrow, trying to
get a read on her poker face. "Naaaa...ri ?"

She raises what would've been an eyebrow. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

He purses his lips in thought. "I'm telling, erm... nari."

She stares at him momentarily, which does little to relieve his unease, but then she smiles. He
slumps over in relief. "Very good. Let us continue."

Neytiri continues to teach him more of their words and phrases—simple ones with an
everyday use like rutxe or irayo. One thing he knows for sure is that the language is a
goddamn pain, but... you know, he's never been very good at languages in general. He wasn't
kidding when he said he failed Spanish, and then some. In any case, he figures that it's like
learning the gears of an aircraft or field–stripping a weapon. Just repetition, repetition.

The hours pass by quickly, and Jake manages to avoid getting smacked again by the time he
realizes that the sun's set. It's kind of hard to tell when the planet that they orbit is massive in
the night sky. But the two other moons within view are a lot closer than they were before and
the sky's turned a dusky violet.

Tsu'tey interrupts their little tutoring session, carrying two rolled-up hammocks against his
back and a water-filled gourd slung over his shoulder. And Jake's relieved to see that he's in a
considerably better mood than he left him. "It is getting late, Jake. It is time to get going."
When Jake springs to his feet, a hammock is tossed into his arms and he catches it with an
off-balance shuffle. "I hope you are well rested for tonight." There's a smirk on his face while
he says it. They both know Jake won't be getting any shut-eye in the foreseeable future.

"Hell yeah I am, I've never been more rested." And that's a bald-faced lie. But he has more
than enough pent-up energy to make up for it.

Tsu'tey nods approvingly, already stalking away. "Good, then let us get going."

Neytiri fist bumps his shoulder. "Good luck out there, Jake."

"Thanks," he starts to walk away but immediately stops, turning back and eyeing her with a
suspicious stare. "Wait, why am I gonna need luck?"

"Who knows," she shrugs her shoulders. "The ay numeyu he takes on these night survivals
rarely ever come back in one piece." He scoffs. "Yeah right, good one." But Neytiri's face is
deadly serious, and it's tinged with a hint of pity. Wait, what the fuck? His body goes stiff and
the color drains from his face, his blood running cold. He shoots Tsu'tey a worried glance,
only to see the warrior giving Neytiri an exasperated look in return. When he whips back to
face her, she dissolves into a fit of laughter. "I am joking, skxawng." She breaks off in a
giggle. "You looked as if you saw another palulukan. Do not worry, you will be in a tree most
of the night, watching as the others sleep like babies. Now go follow your karyu before he
leaves you to fend for yourself." It's only then that Jake notices Tsu'tey's already walking off.

Fucking Neytiri. "...right." He gives her one last betrayed look before jogging to catch up
with Tsu'tey.

They meet with Ka'ani and Saeyla at one of the entrances to Hometree and Jake greets them
with a small wave, shifting the hammock to hang over his back. Ka'ani looks pleased to see
him, waving back enthusiastically while Saeyla just rolls her eyes, ducking to avoid his
flailing hand. Both of them are carrying their own hammocks as well.

Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun.

Tsu'tey leads the way through the forest while Jake falls several steps behind the group. He
stares closely at Ka'ani's back, trying not to look down at his own feet as he balances along
the roots. He keeps up a mantra of one foot in front of the other, and it works for the most
part. He only loses his footing once or twice whenever his foot catches on another root or
vine. Finally, Tsu'tey stops in a small clearing and takes a knee, feeling the soil with a light
touch.

"Nantangs," he whispers, then gestures for Jake to kneel beside him. Ka'ani and Saeyla hover
over them, getting a look in too. "What does this tell you?"

Jake looks at the soil and studies the tracks embedded within it, casting his gaze around the
clearing. The entire patch of mud is caked with footprints. "Well, there's obviously more than
one. A pack maybe? They seem fresh, so I definitely wouldn't wanna stick around, especially
since we don't have anything to defend ourselves with."

Tsu'tey's lip twitches upwards in approval. "Good, we should keep moving." Tsu'tey begins
leading them further into the forest, steering them in a different direction from where the
tracks lead.

The next few hours pass by identifying track marks, fruits, and gathering supplies. During it
all, Tsu'tey looks like he's in his element, moving with confidence and guiding them with
ease. It's almost captivating, the way he takes charge so seamlessly. Jake wishes that he had
that kind of self-assurance—that kind of surety in every one of his actions. But as it is, he
keeps his eyes on Tsu'tey and tries to listen to what he says. And fuck if that doesn't prove to
be easier said than done. Jake keeps finding his gaze wandering off without his permission,
landing on the glowing plants around him. It's ethereal, the way everything pulses with life,
and he has a hard time believing that all of this is real. Jake imagines that even in its prime,
Earth had nothing on Pandora.

Even when he isn't looking at the rainforest around him, Jake's hyperactive brain keeps
fixating on the gleaming freckles on each of their faces. Tsu'tey's are the most complex,
swirling upwards and outwards in an angular pattern. He's saying something about one of the
plants in front of them, but Jake's eyes just keep landing on those goddamn glowing dots.
They're fascinating, is what they are. But Jake has enough self-awareness to realize how
weird it is to just stare at a guy's freckles, and he manages to pull himself together.

Lapses in attention aside, he's doing pretty fucking good at this whole night survival thing so
far. He's able to understand most of the tracks, picking up on how to read the breaks in plant
limbs and the small details indicating the direction that the animals are heading in. But when
an eerie hoot sounds through the forest, Jake startles, jumping right into Tsu'tey's side.

The warrior places his hand on Jake's shoulder. "Relax, Sully. The call was far off, and it was
nothing but an tspìng—a flightless bird." Tsu'tey flicks his arm. "And do not think that I did
not notice you staring off at the tawtsngal. You must pay attention to how you carve this fruit
off of the tree properly."

He smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, got it. Don't stare at the pretty glowing things."

Saeyla snorts from where she's already carving the squid fruit into triangular pieces. "Is that
what you think of our syuratan? That they are 'pretty glowing things'?"

Jake's eyebrows furrow together. "What's that?" Ka'ani looks up from the fruit slices he's
wrapping into edible leaves, chiming in. "It is the... bright things. On face of Na'vi, our
pattern. You stare at Tsu'tey's syuratan a lot." He smiles innocently.

And okay, what the fuck, that traitor. Jake sputters, heat rising to his face in embarrassment
because that sounds... really bad. He chances a look over at Tsu'tey, and the warrior's
browline is practically in the atmosphere.

"What the hell? I—I do not! If anything, I'm being the perfect student and giving him my
undivided attention." He jabs his finger toward Ka'ani. "You're the one who keeps mooning
over that cannonball fruit, even though it would take us forever to crack it open!"

Ka'ani hisses playfully and moves lightning fast, pulling at Jake's tail in retaliation. "Hey!"

Then both of them are being smacked on the head by Tsu'tey, while Saeyla hides a smile
behind her hand. "Concentrate! Ma Eywa, it is like I am in charge of two ay 'eveng." He tries
to sound harsh, but his eyes twinkle with amusement. "If you want to ' survive' the night, we
must move fast."

The two of them manage to reel themselves back into the task at hand, and eventually, they
finish the job, following Tsu'tey as he leads them off again.

What surprises Jake though, is Saeyla's own curiosity at the life around them. As they make
their way to whatever destination Tsu'tey has in mind, she keeps running her hands over the
flora around them, a small, nostalgic smile on her face. She would go up to the prettiest ones,
quickly picking or carving them and putting them in her traveling pouch. Tsu'tey looks
disgruntled every time she stops, but he doesn't say anything about it—he just urges her to
hurry up, which is odd in and of itself. Jake can't help but wonder if there's a story there.

But with her curiosity, she also has a tendency to not recognize the dangerous ones. That—
Tsu'tey does reprimand. But she's also sneaky about it, only going up to the plants when his
attention isn't on her. Most of the time though, Ka'ani adeptly smacks her hand away before
she can touch whatever it is, telling her off in their native tongue and sighing exasperatedly.
She's doing it again right now, but when Jake looks over, Tsu'tey has Ka'ani occupied with
identifying the scratches on the tree trunk next to them.

Saeyla's reaching up to pluck at a flower at the top of a prickly plant, and Jake moves next to
her. "Are you sure that getting that's a good idea? Or would Ka'ani be smacking your hand
away right about now?" Saeyla scowls at him, continuing to stretch up on her tippy toes to
grab at the petals.

She struggles to come up with the words, but she manages. "How would you know plants
here? You are dumb dreamwalker."

Jake raises an eyebrow. "Hey, all I know is that Ka'ani has to keep shooing you away from
these things. I thought that all Na'vi knew what's dangerous and what isn't."

She hisses at him. "I know what is danger. I am working around it—" But as she's saying it,
Jake picks up on a buzzing sound, and his eyes zero in on the spines at the base of the plant,
which are vibrating slightly. Jake's eyes widen, and he immediately tackles Saeyla to the side,
the Na'vi letting out an indignant " Wiya! "

Right as they tumble to the side, several of the spines shoot out toward where they had been
just moments before. Jake looks over at where Saeyla is jumbled in a heap next to him, and
her eyes are wide. "I—I thought I avoided the ay fyìp..." She trails off lamely.

"Goddamn," Jake breathes out, his eyes just as wide.

Tsu'tey rushes over, cursing in Na'vi. " Saeyla, what did I tell you? Do not even attempt to
collect the flowers on the harmful plants! You are going to injure yourself!" He pinches his
nose-bridge. "Do I need to keep you next to me at all times?"

Saeyla picks herself up, her eyes fixed on the ground. "No, karyu." He stares at her for a few
seconds, before declaring, "Good. Now let's go."

When they start jogging after Tsu'tey, Saeyla pinches Jake's arm to get his attention. "Do not
think this makes you less dumb. But…" She looks like she's tasted something sour. "Th—
Thank. Thank you. For that." She immediately picks up her pace, running up next to Ka'ani,
and Jake just laughs. Damn, he thinks he's finally gotten through to the kid. And hey, it only
took a near-fatal encounter to do it.

Finally, they pull up to a small alcove that's situated next to a broad river. There's a small root
structure that's arching over their heads, making a sort of shallow cave. They all sit down at
Tsu'tey's instruction. "This is a good temporary shelter if for some reason you cannot climb.
For now, I want you all to practice listening to the calls of the forest and identifying them."

Tsu'tey instructs them to listen closely to the sounds around them, picking individual ones out
from the humming buzz of the rainforest. It's like some type of zen moment, and Jake finds it
really fucking difficult to listen to something so lively without falling into a daze. It looks so
much easier for the other two, their ears easily flicking toward the sounds they want to pick
up. They're calling out the names of different animals, and like ninety percent of their guesses
are right. Meanwhile, Jake's just getting hit with a whole damn tsunami of sounds. Tsu'tey
must notice the trouble he's having, because he leaves Ka'ani and Saeyla to it, coming over
toward Jake instead.

Tsu'tey kneels next to him on the ground, and Jake startles when he places a hand on his
chest. "Breathe slowly. You have to calm your body first." His hand is warm on Jake's
sternum, and he has to stop himself from leaning into the touch. Tsu'tey mirrors the
placement of his hand on his own body. "It is important to hear what is around you rather
than relying only on what you see because, like us, predators can be deceitful." And that just
reminds Jake of the thanator, because that fucker was certainly deceitful. "What do you
hear?"

His ears flick rapidly and his face screws up in concentration. He remembers Grace once
telling him that Avatar senses aren't as heightened as the Na'vi's. And the next time he sees
Grace, he's gonna tell her that's a load of bullshit, because he's hearing everything at once and
—

"Jake, listen to me—I need you to focus," Tsu'tey's voice is quiet. "Focus on one thing at a
time. Block everything else out... what do you hear?" Okay, okay. He's got this. He closes his
eyes. Slows his breaths. He lets the sounds wash over him, and through the wave of noises,
he begins to focus in on one.

Above he can hear the prolemuris moving around in their nests. They're chattering rapidly,
and it sounds like they're not too far off. Jake lets his attention drift to the next thing, and he
starts relaying what he hears. Behind them, the viperwolves. A herd of pa'li and hexapede.
And—he stifles a laugh, "Ka'ani's stomach."

Tsu'tey obviously doesn't expect Jake to answer with that, because a laugh is startled out of
him. It surprises him that he's able to make Saeyla laugh too, but Ka'ani's shoulders rise to his
ears in embarrassment, shooting him an apologetic look. Any other creatures Jake fails to
point out, Tsu'tey helps him to identify. And Jake thinks he's doing pretty good for his first
time, but he also has a feeling that they'll be revisiting these lessons another time.

Once Tsu'tey deems them ready to move on, he herds them out of the makeshift cave and
towards the treeline. He directs them to stand in front of a ginormous tree and—yeah, Jake
has an idea of where this is heading.

Tsu'tey rests a hand on Jake's shoulder "You said that you were a warrior, so you know that
you might not always make it back to Kelutral. In these forests, high ground is your best
option for surviving through the night."

Jake nods and shifts nervously, reminded of the basic wilderness training he'd received in the
air force, an exercise that all of the cadets had to go through in case they were ever stranded
in enemy territory. Jake fights off a shudder. Venezuela was the only place he'd ever used that
training, and it was a wasteland of industrial architecture with hardly any forest anywhere.

The time that he'd been stranded there, and the days that led up to the bullet shooting into his
spine, hadn't been the prettiest. It's when he'd made his first kill with the gun in his hand, and
not with munition from his turret. He still has nightmares from his time there, and Jake thinks
that those days will always haunt him.

"Yeah, I—" he clears his throat, trying to get rid of the lump there. "I had similar training
back home."

Tsu'tey squeezes his shoulder. "I can assure you, whatever training you had there, it is nothing
compared to what I will teach you." He has a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Har har, I doubt it's that much different."

Tsu'tey looks at him skeptically. "Shall I make this night's training harder?"

"Okay, I'll shut up."

Tsu'tey releases his shoulder and briefly addresses his students in their native tongue.
Whatever he says fires them up, because they start to ululate a warrior's cry. He waves his
hand and they immediately start to scale the tree, climbing it effortlessly.

"Come on, it is your turn." Tsu'tey starts to climb the tree, his hammock fitted snugly against
his back, but Jake's rooted to the forest floor, watching them with wide eyes. Tsu'tey is about
halfway up the tree when he turns to notice that Jake hasn't moved a muscle. "Jake, what are
you doing?" He swings his weight onto one hand, gesturing down at Jake with the other.
"You are going to get eaten by a nantang if you stay down there for much longer."

Jake snaps out of it with several blinks. He sighs and moves to dig his toes into the bark and
grip at the vines, struggling to find the leverage to sustain his weight. "You do realize I don't
have grippers for feet, right?"

He can see the unimpressed bewilderment written across Tsu'tey's face. "Is that supposed to
be funny?"

Damn, tough crowd. "It's a joke from back h—never mind, why do I even try..." Jake grunts
as he hauls his weight upwards, carefully placing his feet in the grooves of the bark. It's a lot
harder than what he's used to doing, and by the time he reaches the upper level of the tree, his
skin is coated in a sheet of sweat. He's breathing raggedly as he flops onto the branch, rolling
over to catch his breath while the three Na'vi watches him with amusement. Those fuckers
had gotten up here at least ten minutes before he did, and they look positively peachy.

"I'm—I'm good. Totally fine, don't worry 'bout me. Not like I almost just fell off the tree from
exhaustion."

"About time!" Ka'ani laughs as he rests his hands on Jake's shoulder. He shakes him
excitedly, and Jake damn near falls off the branch. He shoots the boy a hasty grin and
extricates himself as quickly as he can before Ka'ani can shake him right off the tree.

Tsu'tey declares that this is where they'll be resting for the night, and honestly? Jake can't
complain. His feet are killing him, and he's glad to finally get some rest. He sits against the
trunk and stretches his muscles, wincing when his joints audibly crack.
Tsu'tey settles next to him. "Perhaps I severely underestimated how difficult this would be for
you." He leans over and grabs one of Jake's hands to inspect his fingers. As Tsu'tey runs his
fingers over the scrapes on his hands, Jake grins and scoffs blithely. "What? Difficult? That
was totally a piece of cake."

The warrior rolls his eyes, muttering, "You and your insensible tawtute babble." He flexes
Jake's fingers, inspecting their muscle response, and then he does the same with his foot. And
yeah, this seems familiar. "Your hands and feet will need to become tougher if you want to
survive out here. I am sure Neytiri will have some fun with that."

Jake presses his lips together and hums. "More tree climbing and hopping, I assume?"

"And some falling." Tsu'tey grins and Jake feels his own smile waver. He's gotta be joking,
right? The look on his face says he's not. Outstanding.

Ka'ani's been looking at him like he wants to ask something for a while now, so Jake turns to
him and gives him the 'go ahead' look. "What is home like?" Even with his broken grammar,
Jake understands the question.

"My home?" Jake asks, caught off guard. He wonders what good it'll do to talk about Earth.
Because if he's being honest, sometimes he wants nothing more than to forget about his home
planet. After all, there was nothing waiting for him there. But out of the corner of Jake's eye,
he sees Tsu'tey's ears perk up in interest, and even Saeyla looks intrigued, even though she's
still not facing him. Right. Of course they'd be curious about it. "My home—it used to be
beautiful... according to history, anyway. Most of our land was destroyed because of constant
warfare. Too many people, not enough resources."

His tail sways behind him and in his brief silence, Jake hears Tsu'tey quietly translating for
the others. "Homes are built too close together and everything is this ugly shade of gray.
There's hardly any green there." He sighs. "I don't know, it's just a pretty bleak place to live.
Sure, there were a few nice things here and there, but dino nuggets don't really make a happy
life. I'm glad I won't be going back—"

"Dino... nuggets?" Ka'ani tests with a confused stare.

Saeyla ignores him and chimes in with her own inquiry. "Why not go back?" She directs the
rest of her question at Tsu'tey for him to translate. "Most Sky People leave after a few cycles.
That is how it works." Her question feels like stones weighing him down, and he finds
himself reluctant to answer. All of them are finally getting along, and he doesn't want to ruin
that. So he just says, "Doesn't matter all that much. Besides, there's a lot of people that stay
here longer, you just don't see them since they stay in Hell's Gate."

At his answer, their little group lapses into a contemplative silence. Tsu'tey's the first to say
something, addressing Ka'ani and Saeyla in Na'vi. Both of them reluctantly begin to unravel
the hammocks, and Jake guesses that it's time to hit the rack. He moves to set up his own
hammock, but before he can even shake it out, Tsu'tey stops him. "Come with me." Jake
follows the warrior as he jumps onto an adjacent branch, making his way over to the trunk of
the neighboring tree.
"I want you to climb to the top of this one." And oh Jesus Christ, he thinks he might pass out.
His muscles are already aching with exhaustion, and he doesn't know if he can do any more
tree-hugging tonight. "You were slow last time—not using the right hand or footholds. If you
are slow, it is easier to be preyed upon. You need to become faster." Tsu'tey takes Jake's
hammock, slinging it over his shoulder, and then signals for him to begin. Okay, let's do this.
Jake steps up to the tree and grabs the first vine within reach. As he raises his foot to step up,
Tsu'tey immediately makes a sound of displeasure. "No, you are doing it wrong."

Jake feels his body go stiff when Tsu'tey steps up close behind him—close enough for Jake to
feel his body heat and the breath on the back of his neck. Tsu'tey rests his hand on the back of
his, guiding his hand higher and to the left, then does the same with his right hand. He can
feel his face flush when Tsu'tey helps to guide his leg to a higher perch. He can't even bring
himself to turn around because he knows Tsu'tey will be looking at him. And really, has
Tsu'tey always been this damn touchy?

He swallows the lump in his throat. Get a hold of yourself, airman.

"Try climbing now." Tsu'tey sounds the same as ever, and Jake has to stop the nervous laugh
that bubbles up in his throat. Of fucking course Tsu'tey doesn't think anything about what he
just did. He's just teaching him, and Jake's the one making it weird. Besides, when he lifts his
weight, he can already feel the difference in his own climbing. "See? If you climb like that,
you will cover more distance. Now you just need to move faster. Go again."

Jake lifts his hands higher, following where Tsu'tey directs him, and then moves his other leg
to the next foothold. He goes still again when he feels a hand on his waist, and his stomach
does a flip. Why the fuck is he so nervous? He snaps out of it when Tsu'tey instructs him to
start climbing again. But not even half a second later, his face catches on fire when Tsu'tey
gives him a push to get going. And by push, Jake means that he pushes on his thighs, his
hands momentarily pressing upwards. Oh my god. Jake releases a breath through his nose,
and tries to concentrate on clambering up the trunk.

"Good! You are doing good. Now, continue climbing until you reach the top." Jake nods,
repositioning his hands and opposite leg one more time. Finally, Tsu'tey backs off to give him
some space, and when the night air hits his back, he shivers.

It takes him a few minutes until he reaches the top, out of breath and cooled by sweat, but he
gets there and that's what matters. He jumps when he sees Tsu'tey sitting there waiting, a
smug grin on his face.

"I—weren't you just down there?" He asks.

His smile grows wider. "I did not ask you to climb a tree for nothing, Jake." Okay, and now
he's intrigued.

Jake tries searching the warrior's face for clues, but he comes up with nothing. "Why did you,
then?"

"You will see." Tsu'tey helps him up by grasping his forearm, and as soon as emerges from
the leaves, Jake's hit with one of the most stunning sights he's ever seen, including the flight
from this morning. From the tree, there's a good view of Polyphemus, their neighboring
moons, and thousands upon thousands of stars. From below, the forest looks like an entire
system of glowing veins, with everything intertwining together. "I found this secret spot
many months ago when I brought my ay numeyu out here. They do not know about it, but I
am sure there are other spots like this."

Jake side-eyes the warrior, watching as he gazes up at the night sky. "But... you brought me
here?"

For a second, Tsu'tey doesn't say anything. "You are a man from the stars. I thought it was
fitting." He tilts his head towards Jake. "Besides, I think you needed something to lift your
spirits."

Huh? "What are you talking about?"

"Jake, I can see that you are hiding hurt. I know that you did not tell me everything yesterday,
and you entirely avoided Saeyla's question tonight. I am... willing to listen to whatever it is.
When you are ready."

All Jake can do for a moment is stare at Tsu'tey in shock. He can't believe that the prickly
warrior he first met really just offered to... to listen to his trauma. And when he puts it that
way, it sounds so incredibly strange. But under it all, his chest warms up at the prospect. He
doesn't know if he'll ever be able to take him up on it—to actually talk about all his ugly shit.
But it's nice to have the offer on the table. Really nice. "You know, Neytiri's right. You really
are going soft. Especially compared to the first night I met you."

Tsu'tey narrows his eyes. "So you were listening to us this morning."

"Guilty." He dissolves into laughter, and soon Tsu'tey does too. After a moment, he manages
to catch his breath. "But... I appreciate it. I really do." He pauses. "And... if we're going to be
sentimental here, there is something I want to say..."

"Oh?"

"Neytiri told me about what happened... at Grace's school." Jake's half-surprised when
Tsu'tey doesn't try to stop him, but the Na'vi also isn't looking at him anymore. "I know that
it's easy to blame Grace for what happened. She's a dreamwalker, and so am I—which means
that we're the aliens invading your home. Humans killed your parents and... and they killed
Sylwanin, too." At her name, Tsu'tey finally looks at him. "But that doesn't mean it's Grace's
fault. You're the next... the next, um—"

"Olo'eyktan." He provides.

"Yes, thank you... the next oh–low–aye–tan—" He's given a displeased look, but Jake forges
ahead anyway. "Grace is trying really hard to make up for something that she blames herself
for, even though she tried to stop the RDA that day. As the next clan leader, you can convince
Mo'at and Eytukan to give her another chance." He waits a beat to study Tsu'tey's reaction,
but it's hard to get a read. "I—I know this is asking a lot, especially coming from me. But, if
 you could just... give it some thought? It'd mean a lot to her... and to me. I won't even bring it
up again until you've made your decision."

He's quiet for a long time. "That is a lot to ask, Jake Sully. I will think about it—but it is no
promise that I will actually talk to Mo'at and Eytukan."

Jake clasps the warrior's shoulder, looking up at him earnestly. "That's all I asked. Thank
you."

They finally head back down to where Saeyla and Ka'ani have already fallen asleep, and
Tsu'tey helps to set up their hammocks, giving him one last lesson about the best spots to
sleep overnight. Despite the exhaustion weighing him down, Jake doesn't let his eyes close.
Instead, he occupies himself by drawing shapes between the constellations in the sky. And
Jake's pleasantly surprised to find that a few of them are pretty similar to the ones back home.
He swears to god that two of them look just like Orion and Gemini.

Come first light, Tsu'tey's the first to wake. He seems startled that Jake's up before him, but
he's quick to remember that it's only because he quite literally couldn't go to sleep. Jake
doesn't wanna waste another minute of possibly invoking Grace's wrath, and so he urges
Tsu'tey to hurry the other two along as they repack their hammocks.

It's a groggy walk back, and Jake has to fight the urge to collapse right there. He's probably
been in the link for nearly twenty-four hours now—twenty at best, and he's secretly glad that
Grace made him promise to take the day off.

As the entrance to Hometree comes into view, Tsu'tey sidles back up to him. "You did good
out there. And—you did not run off even once! I think that is improvement."

Jake snorts. "Ha ha, very funny."

Tsu'tey grins at him. "Just know that your real training starts now, and I will not go easy on
you."

Chapter End Notes

There will be a slight hiccup in the upload schedule. Mitzi and I will be taking a break
for a couple of weeks. Chapters 1 through 8 will be rewritten again (still the same
format so no major changes), but Mitzi will provide her own edits to improve them.
We're both going to be focusing on them for a bit but we plan to have the next chapter
up by the 27th.

Apologies again for the late chapter but I hope all the content was worth the wait!
Thoughts? I appreciate any comments! Mitzi surely had me cracking up terribly with her
reactions to a specific touchy someone XD
 Chapter 16
Chapter Summary

WE'RE BACK.

Chapter Notes

Apologies for the late update, but we are back to your regularly scheduled updating! The
improved chapters for one through five are posted if you want to go back and reread
them. We're still working through the last few. Enjoy this chapter!

Content Warning: bloody nose and repeated vomiting

Beta Reader: Mitzi

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Trudy stares at the underside of the bed above her, spacing out and letting her mind wander.
She's the only person awake at this hour, and she's also the only one in the bunkroom since
neither of the scientists returned to their beds last night. Norm and Grace had agreed they'd
be staying up in case something happened to Jake while he was in the link. They wanted to
be there in case they needed to do an immediate ejection. Whatever that means. She's been
working with the Avatar Program for a while now, but she's never really understood the
mechanics behind the whole thing. To her, it seems like some kind of impossible magic.

The last she checked, Grace had passed out against Jake's link and Norm was drooling onto
his hand, seated at a lab desk with the camcorder running. Trudy thinks there may be a few
hours worth of him sleeping on the camera's drive, and she laughs at the thought of it.

She lies there for a few more minutes before deciding to get up for her morning workout
routine. A couple sets of crunches and pull-ups are enough for her to feel satisfied, but she'd
be lying if she said that she didn't miss running a few laps or lifting weights in the main
compound. Trudy takes a quick shower and when she's done, she makes a mug of coffee for
herself and two more for Norm and Grace. After staying up so late, they're gonna need it.

Trudy steps into the link shack, taking in the sight of Grace still sprawled out over the link
unit, and then at Norm, who's now curled into a ball in his chair. She smiles at the sight,
heading over to him. Trudy places his mug on the desktop beside Norm, but the loud clink
startles him awake.
She snorts at his disheveled appearance, his hair sticking every which way. "Sorry 'bout that
sunshine." Norm just grumbles in response, still half asleep. Trudy looks towards where
Grace is slumped over, gesturing with the mug in her hand. "I guess Sully's still in the unit?"

"...Yeah," he mumbles. Norm kneads the exhaustion out of his eyes with a heavy sigh, trying
to blink the cloudy film out of his vision. He glances at the time displayed on the monitor and
his face screws up in a combination of annoyance and worry. "He's going on twenty–four
hours now."

Trudy pulls up a chair and settles next to him. "I take it that's not good?"

"Nope, it's definitely not." Norm breathes heavily. When he looks at Trudy again, she just
points to the scalding coffee that's sitting next to him, untouched. He reaches for it eagerly,
murmuring his thanks. "It's actually good that she's making him take a break for the day."

"Yeah? And why's that?"

Norm blows against the plume of steam coming from his mug, and Trudy can see the gears in
his head turning. He's probably thinking of a way to dumb down all the complicated science
jargon that he'd normally reply with. Trudy's a pilot, not a scientist, and he knows that. "Erm,
the link—it's like a virtual reality, only... augmented. The longer you're connected, the harder
it is for you to understand which reality is real. Then there's the physical strain it puts on your
cerebrum, which is the thing in charge of your consciousness and awareness. That's why
Grace likes to implement the ten–hour rule."

"And what's the ten–hour rule?"

"The recommended time avatar drivers should normally be in the link. Anything over ten
hours and you risk damage to yourself—mentally and sometimes physically." He says it
matter-of-factly, but his eyes are crinkled in concern.

Trudy blinks hard, an expression of unease flickering across her features. "But you said
Sully's been in there for almost twenty–four hours?"

"Yep. See that shutdown button?" Norm guides her attention to a red ejection control. "In
training, the instructors taught us that using that switch severs the neural connection between
the avatar and avatar driver. It's usually more dangerous because the neural link is literally
severed rather than eased out of, but if he's in there any longer—"

"You'll have no choice but to use the eject button." Trudy finishes for him, and he sighs.

"Exactly." A heavy silence settles between them. The implications behind Norm's rundown of
avatar linking are serious, and they're both aware of it. Service members, whether it's marines
or air force pilots, are some of the toughest guys out there. Trudy takes pride in the family
she's made among them—well, excluding Wainfleet and Fike. But this is something
completely out of their ballpark, and she knows that it's uncharted territory for Jake too. She's
not sure if she can stomach seeing him suffer through what Norm described.
Norm finishes his coffee without another word, but Trudy can't bring herself to finish her
own. She chucks the entire thing into the sink instead.

Half an hour passes before Grace starts to rouse from her place against the link unit, her hair
a matted mess. She hisses and massages her arms, which are probably pretty sore from the
awkward angle they've been in all night.

"Mornin' boss," Trudy hums, but Norm frantically waves his hands, stopping her from saying
anything else. She shoots him a confused look, but he just shakes his head with wide eyes.

He leans over to Trudy and cups his hand around her ear, whispering, "You do not wanna
engage with Grace when she first wakes up, trust me." Trudy hasn't spent a morning with the
Avatar Program in the two years she's been stationed here, but Norm's been working with her
for going on three weeks now, including early morning training. If he says not to engage, then
Trudy's not gonna engage. It becomes clear just how much Grace isn't a morning person
when she walks right past Trudy and Norm without so much as a good morning, her face
sour.

Trudy glances at Norm, shooting him a kind of "damn, you were right" look, and laughing
under her breath.

Grace waltzes back into the shack fifteen minutes later, dressed in fresh clothes and hair
damp from a quick wash. She still doesn't address them, taking a quick look around and
noticing the third mug of coffee Trudy made. The contents of the cup are probably cold by
now, but she takes it anyway.

She leaves again, and Trudy and Norm share another look. A moment later, she's back with a
warmed-up coffee that's been laced with a few shots of espresso. Grace takes a gulp before
she finally addresses them. "Flyboy's still in the unit?"

"Yeah," the two of them say simultaneously.

Grace curses. "Goddammit, I shouldn't have agreed to let Tsu'tey keep him out there for so
long."

Norm tilts his head curiously. "Didn't you say that Tsu'tey used to be a student of yours?"

"Yeah, I did... and he always ended up getting what he wanted." She sighs harshly and shakes
her head. "I shouldn't have given in to him. He doesn't actually understand how risky this is."
Nobody says anything else after that, the mood somber.

The stifling silence is broken by the whirl of a link shutting down. Norm and Grace shoot
each other a wide-eyed look, and then Grace makes a beeline for the link unit, throwing the
awning open before it's entirely shut down. Her face drains of color when Jake continues to
just lie there, eerily lifeless. She looks at the nearby monitor, and after scanning it for a few
seconds, she lets out a confused sound.

"His vitals are normal. He should be responsive right now."

And that's the thing—as Trudy watches from the sidelines, Jake shows no signs of waking up.
Grace places a hand on his face. "Jake?" She says, gently tapping his cheek.

No reaction. Fuck.

Grace tries again but with a little more force, making his head lull to the side. "Jake?"

Again, no reaction.

Trudy shuffles uncomfortably, anxiety mounting in her chest. She's useless to Jake right now,
and it sets her on edge. Besides her, Norm doesn't seem much better. Grace's breaths are
coming faster than before, but unlike the two of them, she's already responding to the
situation.

"Norm, hand me that flashlight." She throws an arm behind her, frantically wiggling her
fingers until she feels the small light in her hand. She clicks it on and pulls Jake's eyelids
open, shining the light directly into his eyes. "Pupil response is normal..."

Trudy folds her arms against her chest. "That's good, right? Normal pupils... wh-what's that
mean?"

"It means we wait for him to wake up." Grace bounces her foot agitatedly, but as soon as the
words leave her mouth, she's immediately retracting them. " Argh! Norm, get me some
Narcan."

"Narcan!? But he's not taking any drugs or pain reliev—"

"Just fucking do it!"

His mouth snaps shut. "On it."

Norm hastily rummages through the cabinets, causing a bunch of instruments and petri dishes
to topple from the shelves. He starts muttering to himself when he can't find the Narcan,
reducing the workstation to a complete mess. He whispers a mantra of "I'm looking" and
"Where's the fucking Narcan?".

Grace looks up from where she's been monitoring Jake. "Norm, we don't have all day here!"

Trudy decides she's had enough of just standing around like a dud, and she steps in to help
him look. She leans over and begins searching through one of the drawers Norm missed, and
within a few seconds, she finds a container of Narcan nasal sprays. She hands one to Norm,
who shoots her a grateful look, and then he quickly gets it ready for Grace to use. As soon as
it's in Grace's hand, she administers it to Jake.

Now, all they can do is wait. And for a couple of minutes, nothing happens.

Then, Jake abruptly takes a breath, sucking in a lungful of air.

The breath catches in the back of his throat, and he dissolves into a coughing fit. Grace
immediately springs into action, with Norm right behind her. "Easy there, flyboy." Grace puts
her hands under his back and lifts him until he's seated upright. His body sags forward, but
her grip is tight on his shoulders, and Norm presses his hands against his chest. Trudy stays
back, not wanting to crowd him even more. "Just take it easy." Grace's voice is quiet—
soothing. Trudy's never heard the scientist sound so gentle before, and it's a little bit jarring.

Jake breathes heavily. "Wha... wha 'appen?" His head lulls with exhaustion, and he makes a
poor attempt to look around the shack.

Grace presses her lips together before saying, "What happened is that I was a fool for
allowing you to stay in the link for so long."

"Huh—? Oh, right..." He almost falls out of consciousness again, but Grace and Norm's
frantic shouts immediately draw him back. "'m sorry." Trudy inhales sharply when she sees a
trail of blood begin to roll down from both of Jake's nostrils, running over his mouth. In a
daze, he brings his hand up to touch the blood, his face contorting into confusion when he
sees the red smear on his hand.

Grace leans him forward, pinching the soft part of his nose, and tells him to breathe through
his mouth. "Trudy, can you find me some tissues?" She asks, and Trudy doesn't waste any
time, moving into the adjacent room and scanning the area. It doesn't take her long to locate a
box, and she runs back into the link shack with it in hand.

Grace pulls out a few and holds them against Jake's nose. "Just keep breathing, Jake. You're
okay."

Jake continues to float in and out of consciousness as Grace and Norm hold him upright, and
Trudy moves to sit at the end of his unit. He's completely out of it, and even though she'll
never admit it, it scares her. But he's awake, and Grace looks relieved, so he's gotta be in the
clear. She pushes down her unease and pats Jake's leg reassuringly, even though he probably
won't notice it.

Grace pulls the tissues away after a couple of minutes, the blood having died down.

"'Ey, doc?" He hums, and then sways dangerously. "Th…thanks." All at once, his eyes roll to
the back of his head and he slumps against Grace.

Grace is nervous about Jake passing out again, but she says there's nothing else they can do
except keep him hydrated and let him recover. After she checks his vitals one more time,
Trudy helps her move Jake into the bunkroom and Grace hooks him up to an IV. He's been
resting for a few hours now, situated and tucked under the covers.

As soon as she's done helping them out, Trudy escapes the shack, putting on an exomask and
settling into a chair on the porch outside. She doesn't think she can stand being in there any
longer, twiddling her thumbs and waiting for Jake to wake up. At least Norm and Grace can
monitor him, but Trudy? She's better off getting herself out of the way. It's an eerily familiar
feeling to the one she felt all those years ago when she'd first found her little sister collapsed
on the floor of their kitchen.
Trudy shakes her head, trying to remind herself that what Jake is going through is only
temporary. She reaches into her pant pocket, pulling out a small photograph of herself and
another smiling girl—her sister. She smooths her thumb over Maribel's face, a small smile
pulling at the corner of her lips. Trudy misses her like hell, but being on Pandora is a
necessary evil. It's the only way their family could ever afford to pay for her treatment.

She's knocked out of her thoughts when she hears harsh coughing from inside the shack.
Trudy twists around and peers through the window behind her, where she can see into the
bunkroom. Grace still hasn't moved from Jake's side, leaning against the mattress with her
chin propped against her palm, watching as he sleeps. As Trudy looks through the window,
Jake twists and turns fitfully. She knows that he probably has a head-splitting migraine right
now, and she winces in sympathy. Grace leans over to run a hand through his damp hair,
murmuring something softly.

Trudy turns away quickly, feeling like she's watching something she shouldn't be. Grace has
never been an ooey-gooey person, and from what Trudy's seen, she's always kept her
emotions on a tight leash. It's weird to see her mothering the airman the way she is now, but
Trudy knows that he's starting to grow on Grace. She puts up a front, tries to hide under her
dry sarcasm, but all of that's been stripped away now.

Trudy doesn't want to fall into the same trap of affection. She's here for the job, to get her
paycheck sent back to Earth, and that's it. But Trudy also can't help but feel like she's fighting
a losing battle. She plunks her head against the wall, sighing hard.

After a few more minutes of staring at the floating mountains, Trudy heads back inside to
grab a couple of weights from under her bunk. At least that'll keep her occupied, and stop her
thoughts from straying into dangerous territory.

Just as she walks into the room, Jake leans over and spills his guts into a bin that Grace is
holding up for him. Trudy wrinkles her nose. Eugh, poor guy.

She walks past them, patting Grace's shoulder, and starts rifling through her drawer. "Still not
doin' too good?"

Grace looks up from Jake, grimacing. "No. Anytime he dozes off, he wakes up coughing or
throwing up. I'm gonna have to give him something to help him sleep." Jake tries to sit up,
but Grace pushes him back down. "Hey, take it easy, airman."

Trudy finally gets a hold of her weights, shoving them into a small bag with a sweat towel.
She goes over to the mini fridge to grab a bottle of water, and Grace waves a hand toward
her. "Hey, can you grab a second one for Jake?". Trudy tosses one over and Grace quickly
uncaps it, holding it to his lips. Jake takes tiny sips, but as soon as he swallows, he's leaning
over the barf bucket again.

Jake groans, slurring out tiredly, "This fuckin' sucks..."

Trudy tries not to laugh at the petulance in his voice, but Grace just sighs. "Yeah, next time
you'll listen to me."
"Why don't you tell Tsu'tey that?" Jake grumbles, arm thrown over his eyes.

"Really, airman? Making jokes?" He moves his arm and opens his mouth to retort, but his
face promptly takes on a green tint. Jake makes grabby hands for the barf bucket, and Trudy
takes that as her cue to leave.

As she's passing through the door, she hears Grace say, "Here, take these."

"Thanks, mom ."

"Please don't call me that, you make me sound old."

Trudy can't hold back her laugh this time.

-+-

When Jake wakes up, he feels more rested than he has in a while. In fact, he can't remember
having slept this well since before being honorably discharged. He can still feel the remnants
of a dull migraine pushing at the back of his skull, but that's about it. Jake looks around the
bunkroom, taking in the state of things.

Surrounding him are piles of bunched-up tissues and wrappers, and to the side of the bed is a
small bucket. Jake has the fuzzy memory of gripping onto its sides while throwing up, and a
wave of embarrassment courses through him. But right now, the bin is washed clean, and
Jake is really fucking grateful for that. When he moves his arm, his skin pinches
uncomfortably, and his attention is drawn to a needle that's in the crook of his elbow. His eyes
follow the tube to a makeshift IV pole, which is situated next to the slumped form of Grace.
The scientist is passed out next to him, a thin blanket thrown over her shoulders. Across from
Jake, Norm is laying on one of the bunks, fast asleep.

Fuck. How long has he been out? His memories are all blurred, and Jake can't remember
much of what happened after he laid down in the hammock at Hometree.

He moves to sit up, his muscles trembling weakly, but he manages. A wave of unease washes
through him when he can't move his legs, even though it's like he can still feel them. There's
this sense of phantom movement as if he still has his avatar's limbs. It was the same feeling
he'd gotten countless times in the VA hospital when he'd just been paralyzed. Jake does his
best to suppress the sensation, scanning the room again instead.

Jake spots his wheelchair, and luckily, it's within reach. He slips the IV out of his arm and
pulls the chair towards him. He releases a grunt of effort as he swings himself into the seat,
and the sound makes Grace stir beside him.

"And where do you think you're going, mister?" She says through a yawn.

He stalls for a moment, brows furrowed. A day has definitely passed by now, and that means
he's done with his promised time off. "To the link?"

Grace snorts. "The hell you are." She stands and grabs a small flashlight, holding his head
back while she checks his eyes. He feels his head start to pound again. "You need more rest,
flyboy."

Jake swats the light in her hand away. "Haven't I gotten enough rest?"

She puts her hands on her hips, eyebrows raising in disbelief. "Jake, do you not remember
what happened?"

"No? Enlighten me."

"You were unresponsive for ten minutes, and your body was practically dead weight. Not to
mention all the vomiting and nose bleeds." She looks at him like this is supposed to ring a
bell, but Jake mostly comes up blank. "There's a reason why I don't let my drivers spend so
long in the link—the possible side effects can be incredibly damaging. I mean... look at you."
She pinches his shirt before dropping her hand to her side. "You look like you got hit by a
truck."

He finds that a bit offensive. "Gee, thanks doc." Jake tilts his head towards the door. "Can I
go?"

"No. You're gonna spend the rest of the day taking it easy. And you're gonna eat something,
it's been two days."

What? If he was in his avatar, Jake's sure his ears and tail would've shot straight up. "Two
days? That's how long I've been out?"

"Well, let's put it this way: If I didn't give you something to sleep, it would've been a lot less
time than I would've liked—"

Jake shakes his head. "Grace, are you being serious?"

She gives him a look. "Yeah. A day and a half." Jesus, Tsu'tey is gonna fucking kill him. "So
there's no point in starting up the link. The day's already almost over."

Jake slumps back in his wheelchair, defeated. Now that he thinks about it, he is kind of
hungry. "I guess I could eat."

"Good choice, airman."

Grace grabs the back of his chair and hauls him to the kitchen, parking him at the table. He
says nothing as she pulls out two microwave meals. The pictures he'd seen on the fridge
earlier are now on the table, and he stares down at them.

The memory of his conversation with Neytiri comes back to him. "She told me what
happened at the school. Neytiri, I mean." Grace snaps her head towards him, a look of shock
written on her face. He's thrown her off guard. "You tried your best."

Her face twists up. "My best wasn't enough."

"It was a no-win situation."

The microwave beeps and she pulls out the packages, trading the pictures for the meals.
"They called me sa'nok, you know. It means mother. A scientist stays objective—can't be
ruled by emotions, but I poured ten years of my life into that school. Learn from my
mistakes, Jake. Don't get too attached."

Grace leaves him alone at that, and Jake stares at the plate in front of him.

She's right. This line of work? Your emotions can get you killed, and Jake has the bullet scar
and a wheelchair to prove it. But Jake hasn't been on this planet for long, and he's already
captivated by it. He can feel himself sliding down a slippery slope, and he doesn't think that
he'll be able to stop it. Then there's Neytiri and Tsu'tey. Jake can feel a kind of friendship
forming between the three of them. It leaves him with a complicated tangle of emotions,
especially when he adds Quaritch's plan into the equation.

He clears his throat, shakes the thoughts from his head, and starts eating.

Jake feels full after the first package and hardly eats the other, but as he sits there, he starts to
feel sick again. He covers his mouth with a fist and wheels over to a trash bin as fast as he
can. Jake gags, but he's determined to keep the little bit of food that he ate inside of him, and
he manages to keep it down. Barely.

Goddamn.

He lifts his head slightly when he hears the door to the airlock open. Trudy's standing in the
doorway, eyebrow raised. "Don't let Grace catch that, or she really won't let you back into the
link."

He laughs humorlessly, straightening up. "Trust me, I won't. Getting banned from using my
avatar is the last thing I want." And that's the truth. He came to Pandora to get a taste of the
freedom he used to have, and without his avatar, that'll go up in smoke. Even if he's only been
with the Omaticaya for a few days, he's felt more liberated than he has in years.

Trudy leaves the doorway and leans on the table. "How are you feeling?"

"Peachy keen." He says sarcastically. Jake takes the second plate of food and throws it in the
trash, the goddamn smell making him queasy. Trudy tracks the action, her eyes narrowing.

"Sure. How about we get serious?" He looks at her warily. "This isn't the first time I've
noticed you struggling to keep your food down—and I mean outside of the whole linking
ordeal. Are you sick or something?"

Where the fuck did she get that idea?

Jake furrows his brows. "I'm not sick, just... still feeling the after-effects from cryo. Can't
keep down my food, 'is all."

Trudy frowns but doesn't press him on it anymore. After a few beats of silence, she claps her
hands on the table and stands back up. "You know," She says abruptly, a conspiratorial smile
spreading on her face, "I have to take Letty out for a spin. Been a couple of days. Wanna take
a ride?"

Jake looks at her incredulously. "You named your aircraft Letty ?"

"Yeah, why not?" She laughs. "Letty's a badass character in that old Fast and Furious movie.
Seemed fitting."

He snorts, a smile creeping onto his face. "Alright, fine. A short ride."

Trudy shrugs her shoulders. "Sounds good to me. Gotta be back before Grace notices because
technically you're supposed to be resting." She shoots him a wink.

She helps him into the aircraft's cockpit, situated in the co–pilot's seat, and once the room is
air compressed, he tears his mask off. Trudy starts up the engine and engages all the
necessary controls, and within seconds they're in the air. And just like that, all of the
weirdness and stifling gloom from the day melt away. Jake laughs breathlessly as Trudy starts
doing a handful of different maneuvers, taking him on a joyride.

They're a little ways away from the shack, flying in empty space, when she turns to him with
a pop of her bubblegum. "Here, why don't you fly?" She says it so casually that Jake doesn't
understand what she means at first. He has to replay the words in his head because there's no
way in hell that she just offered what she just did.

It takes Jake a second to get his mouth to work. "Are you being for real right now?"

Trudy laughs at the look on his face. "'Course I'm being for real, you're the only other one
here that knows how to fly. Why not get used to Letty?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm paralyzed?"

"Have you forgotten there are no foot pedals?" She bites back."This ain't the air force, and
I'm not a commander. Those assholes were ableists."

Jake lets out a disbelieving laugh. "Alright, if you insist. Hand over the controls!"

Once the steering is set for co-pilot, he flexes his fingers over the gears, letting the familiar
sense of calmness wash over him. It doesn't take long for Jake to realize that the controls are
a lot more sensitive than what he was used to when he flew his fighter jet. Trudy guides him
through it, but Jake has to remember to make smaller jolts, or else they'll be crashing nose-
first into the side of a floating mountain. Which... may or may not almost happen a few times.
But Trudy just cackles whenever Jake jolts too hard like she's on an amusement park ride or
something. In any case, he ends up getting the hang of it pretty quickly.

Jake's maneuvering the Samson around one of the mountains when Trudy cuts in. "What did
you fly? In the military, I mean."

He hesitates. His jet was technically classified intel, and if Jake was on Earth, he'd probably
avoid her question. But he's on Pandora now, lightyears away from the US Air Force and any
 officers that might hunt him down for divulging his aircraft model. Besides, this is Trudy he's
talking to. Fuck it. "A Sukhoi—a prototype variant of the Lockheed."

She tilts her head curiously. "A Sukhoi? I've seen my fair share of aircraft, but I've never
heard of that one."

"Yeah, 'cause it was a Russian fighter jet. Under the books." He glances over at her, and she
looks impressed.

"Man, that's some tough shit... but how'd the air force get a Russian jet?"

He grins. "States and Russia made some deal after they joined forces. One of them was the
Sukhoi." Trudy whistles her amazement, shaking her head.

Sometimes, Jake still wonders why they stationed someone fresh out of the academy to be a
test flier for a prototype jet. There had to have been a lot more cadets that were a better fit
than him—cadets who were more advanced and skilled.

But when he was assigned, he wasn't about to question their decision. The Sukhoi was the
fastest jet the US Air Force had. Hell, it was probably the fastest motherfucker any military
had, either as a prototype or already in service. The speed on that thing had saved his ass
more time than he can count. The only time it wasn't fast enough to save him was in
Venezuela.

Jake is pulled from his thoughts when Grace's voice crackles over the radio.

"Trudy, Jake, so help me god, if you don't get your asses back to the shack right now I'm
going to—" They look at each other with wide eyes, and then burst out into laughter.

Busted.

Chapter End Notes

Thoughts on the chapter? A little different seeing Trudy's POV in the first half. I hope
you've enjoyed it!

Next Update: 4/3

 Chapter 17
Chapter Notes

It's not Wednesday, right? My calendar says that it's Monday! o_O We're just going to
pretend that it's Monday!

a message from mitzi: i’m afraid that i’m the culprit behind our late update. i pulled a
jake and was spilling my guts up because i got the stomach flu :,) we will update on time
this upcoming monday i swear on jake’s pinky toe pls believe me

another side note: Mitzi has been added as a co-creator!! She's certainly deserved it!
This AU wouldn't be where it's at without her.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Four eclipses have passed.

Four eclipses and four days in which Jake Sully's dreamwalker body has been left lifeless and
devoid, unmoving in his hammock.

Jake told him that he would only be absent for a day, and Tsu'tey had heard him making that
promise to Grace himself. But on the day of his return, there is nothing. No smart mouth, no
curious eyes, and no Jake.

At first, Tsu'tey thinks that he is playing games again, pretending to sleep so that he can
eavesdrop on him. But when he leans down to pinch Jake's ear in retaliation, there's barely
even a twitch. He assumes that the dreamwalker is simply running late again, as he so often is
—which Tsu'tey will have to train out of him. No good taronyu is ever so perpetually late. So
he settles against the trunk next to the dreamwalker's hammock, cooking up the reprimand
he'll give Jake.

Except, as the morning stretches into the afternoon, Jake still does not wake up.

"This shows a complete lack of respect, Neytiri!" Tsu'tey's tail lashes back and forth, and he
can feel a growl building up in the back of his throat. "He understands that we start training
when the sun rises, and he has been with us long enough to know better! Now he is holding
back both Ka'ani and Saeyla as well!"

Neytiri's own tail flicks agitatedly. "Perhaps Grace and the other ay tawtute have him
assigned to something else right now."

"Grace is not his karyu, I am!" Tsu'tey snarls." If he truly wants to learn our ways, then he
would understand that. He wouldn't be wasting my time!" He tries to ignore the pang of hurt
that courses through him. Jake had done well at the night survival training, and he'd shown so
much motivation and drive to become better. It had impressed Tsu'tey, as hesitant as he is to
admit it. But it is true. It was why he pushed him to keep up with Saeyla and Ka'ani, even
though they have a lifetime of experience over him. Tsu'tey can see a spark inside Jake, and
despite everything, he wants to see what the dreamwalker can do, what he can become.

Tsu'tey had even thought that there was a camaraderie building between them—had offered
to lighten the burden that Jake carried. And now, the dreamwalker is throwing all of that back
in his face.

"Are you two talking about Sully?" Saeyla emerges from the opening beside them, with
Ka'ani following right behind her. Her eyes widen when they land on Jake's prone form." Do
not tell me that he is still asleep! Are all dreamwalkers so lazy?" Her nose crinkles in distaste.
While she walks towards Tsu'tey, Ka'ani bounds over to the hammock and begins poking at
Jake's face.

He looks up at Tsu'tey curiously. "What is wrong with him? It has been a day, so why does he
not wake?"

"Apparently, Jake comes and goes as he pleases." Tsu'tey glances at the dreamwalker's body
once more. If he did not know any better, he would almost believe that Jake is resting
peacefully. But the dreamwalker is somewhere far away right now, doing who knows what.
"We cannot wait for him any longer, let us go."

Neytiri stops him. "But what if he wakes and you are not here?"

"Then set up a sentry. I cannot hold off on my lessons." He gestures toward Ka'ani and
Saeyla. "How are these two ever supposed to excel if we stop everything for a single
dreamwalker? They already have a lot of work cut out for them."

Ka'ani and Saeyla share an affronted look. "Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"

And so another eclipse comes and goes.

When daylight shines, Tsu'tey finds himself beside Jake's hammock again, only to be met
with more stillness. His anger still simmers underneath his skin, but it is quickly replaced by
a niggling feeling, burrowing deep within his chest.

What if something is wrong? What if he is in danger?

The thought bounces around in his head as Tsu'tey waits, but he pushes it off. The skxawng is
most likely fine, probably doing whatever task Grace deems so important. But the troubling
thought lingers, and it makes Tsu'tey fidgety and uncomfortable. He leaves the hammock
soon after, giving a curt nod to the sentry stationed near Jake before going to find his ay
numeyu. Later that day, after a particularly intense training with Saeyla and Ka'ani, he takes
Tarsem out to scout for some tumpasuk —his favorite fruit. Tsu'tey tells himself that it is for
his brother's sake, and not for his own peace of mind.

By the third eclipse, he cannot fight off the worry any longer.
"Tsu'tey, you are going to wear a hole in the ground." Neytiri's arms are crossed over her
chest, her eyes tracking Tsu'tey as he paces back and forth.

"Why else would he abandon his dreamwalker body so suddenly? Especially after our
successful night training?" He whirls back around. "Something must have happened!"

She places a hand on his shoulder." Let's not jump to conclusions. Our scouts have not
reported anything unusual at their camp." She looks him up and down with a critical gaze,
and Tsu'tey tries not to squirm. "I did not know you had grown so attached."

"I—" He stops, at a momentary loss. Why does he care? Jake has only been with the clan for
a short period, and he's been at the center of many problems within that time. He's a
troublemaker, by all definitions. But as Tsu'tey's numeyu, Jake has somehow managed to win
over his respect—and his affinity.

It's like Tsu'tey's head has been dunked under freezing water.

He cannot believe himself. It is one thing to respect him, but coming to like a dreamwalker,
after everything that's happened? After what the Sky People did to Sylwanin? He needs to
remind himself of what's important, and what's important is not Jake Sully. As long as he isn't
causing trouble or posing a threat to the clan, Tsu'tey should be indifferent. He is simply
teaching him under Mo'at and Eytukan's orders.

Tsu'tey clears his throat. "I do not care about Jake. I care about what he might be doing right
now. What if this is some plot to spy on the clan?"

Neytiri looks at him disbelievingly. "Really, you think this skxawng could pull that off?" She
rolls her eyes. "Besides, what information would he get from up here? The gossip passed
between ay ikran?"

"You can never know with these vrrtep."

"Why do I have a hard time believing that applies to Jake?" Once again, she fixes Tsu'tey
with a searching gaze, which he is getting tired of. He is not some herb that she needs to
examine. "I have not heard you call him that since we first rescued him from the ay nantang."

He crosses his arms over his chest defensively. "So what? And would you stop looking at me
like that?"

Neytiri smiles innocently. "Like what?" She glances to the side casually, gaze roving over
Jake's hammock before meeting Tsu'tey's eyes. Her face is lit with some newfound
understanding. "Jake is a fascinating dreamwalker. I can admit that I have grown to enjoy his
presence, even though he has not been training with us for long. I believe that we can learn
as much from him as he learns from us." Neytiri then proceeds to tug at one of Tsu'tey's
braids, making him hiss and swat her hand away. "You do realize that it is okay for you to feel
the same, right?"

Tsu'tey stares at the ground. "Perhaps. But what if we are making a mistake by not keeping
him at arm's length?" He lifts his head, eyes hardening. "As future Olo'eyktan, I cannot afford
to make such errors. I will be his karyu, not his friend."

Her expression turns conflicted. Neytiri hesitates as she opens her mouth, but then her resolve
seems to harden. "Tsu'tey, you cannot keep blocking people out. Jake may be a dreamwalker,
but ever since my sister's death, he is not the only one you have denied friendship to. Perhaps
this is your chance to open up again."

Tsu'tey's face becomes stormy, blistering anger sweeping through him. "I did not ask for your
advice in friendship. If I wanted that, I would be visiting Utral Aymokriyä right now." As
soon as the words land, Tsu'tey knows that he should not have said them. Neytiri's reaction is
immediate, her ears falling flat against her head and her eyes widening in shock. Her mouth
gapes open, unable to form sound. But it doesn't take long for rage to twist her features.

He inhales sharply, his anger leaving him all at once. "Neytiri I—"

She raises a hand. "No, you have made it clear that you would rather speak to a ghost than to
me. Anything else you have to say will be told to Sylwanin, and Sylwanin only."

Neytiri stalks off, leaving him standing dumbly next to the dreamwalker's unmoving body.
He blows a heavy breath through his nose, but that does nothing to dissipate the annoyance
that flares in his chest—annoyance at himself.

Tsahey! What is wrong with me?

He tries to search for Neytiri, but she is nowhere to be found. Tsu'tey will just have to wait
until she decides to show her face at Kelutral again. He sighs, going to search for Ka'ani and
Saeyla. It is still early enough that he hasn't delayed their lessons.

A storm of emotions rages within him throughout the day. But the most frustrating thing of
all is the persisting concern he feels for Jake. He and Neytiri's conversation had done little to
prove that the dreamwalker is not in some kind of trouble. Tsu'tey tries to think back to Jake's
conversation with Grace, searching for some idea as to why he is not back, but he comes up
blank. Then, an offhand remark that the dreamwalker had made comes to mind, and his blood
freezes.

Jake had said that Grace was worrying too much, that she should not be so concerned about
his tawtute body being affected. It hits Tsu'tey then. Remaining in his dreamwalker body for
too long may have injured Jake's actual form.

Tsu'tey is flooded with anxiety. Is he the reason that Jake hasn't come back? Had he been
wrong to convince him to train all night? He tries to calm his spiraling thoughts. Neytiri
herself had said he was thinking too much, and he is probably doing it again. Even then, he
cannot get the notion out of his mind, and Tsu'tey finds himself snapping at his ay numeyu
more than usual during training.

Before the fourth eclipse descends, he manages to corner Neytiri and apologize to her. She is
stubborn in her anger at first, but Tsu'tey doesn't really blame her. He had been an utter
kurkung. When he tells her exactly that, she seems to soften. Somewhat.
"Do not dare take your frustrations out on me again, Tsu'tey." He cannot tell if the look she
gives him is joking or threatening. "Or I will string you up to the tallest branch of Kelutral by
your tail. Besides, what I said still stands."

Her words follow him into slumber, and Tsu'tey sleeps fitfully that night.

The next morning, he wakes wearily, tiredness still dragging at his limbs. Beside him,
Neytiri's hammock is already empty, but it is not an uncommon occurrence for her to wake
before him. He stretches his limbs, allowing his head to roll lazily to the other side, and his
body freezes.

Jake's hammock is empty.

Tsu'tey immediately leaps out of his own, hastily strapping on his sheath and wrapping his
cummerbund around his waist. He scans the area, but the dreamwalker is nowhere in sight.
Panic pulses against his ribs and his heart beats fast. Tsu'tey races down the 'ìheyu snayì and
shoots out of the base like an arrow.

And just off to the side—there he is.

Jake is sitting with Neytiri, speaking with her about something. Tsu'tey rakes his eyes over
him, scanning for any lingering wounds or scrapes. As far as he can tell, Jake is okay. He is
alive and animated, so very different from the unsettling stillness from the past few days. It
doesn't take long for him to spot Tsu'tey, and when Jake meets his eyes, his mouth turns up in
a boyish smile.

He lifts his hand up in greeting, shouting, "Hey Tsu'tey, long time no see!"

Unbidden, relief floods through him, making his shoulders slump. When he realizes what he
is doing though, he straightens quickly. Why should he be relieved? If anything, anger would
be the more appropriate reaction. This skxawng has left them for four eclipses, and that is all
he has to say?

Tsu'tey schools himself, walking quickly towards the two of them. As soon as he's near Jake,
he squats down and grabs his ear tightly within his fist.

"Where were you!?"

-+-

Jake had been wasting away at Site 26 for four goddamn days, and he'd finally managed to
get Grace to let him link up again, despite her stubborn resolve to keep him out for a week.
Even though she grumbled about it, Grace couldn't argue that Jake had already significantly
improved. And the second he'd opened his eyes in his avatar, he'd felt nothing if not
refreshed.

But now, all he feels is the iron-tight grip Tsu'tey has on his goddamn ear.

"Ow, ow, ow! What the fuck Tsu'tey!?" Jake tries to pry his hand off, but it won't budge.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jake can see the warrior seething. "Where were you!?"

Jake winces as he tightens his grip slightly. "Hey—fuck, ow! If you let go of my ear, I can tell
you!" Tsu'tey releases him, leaning back on his haunches and staring at him intensely while
Jake rubs his poor, aching ear. He knew Tsu'tey might be mad that he'd been gone for so long,
but he'd at least expected a civil welcome back. Not for the warrior to try and pull his ear
clean off his head. He's acting like Jake had burned something down before he left, instead of
ending on a good note.

He looks at Tsu'tey with a mixture of confusion and betrayal. "No hi? How do you do? I
missed you, Jake?"

Tsu'tey frowns harshly. "I... I did not miss you." Jake raises an eyebrow. There was definitely
some hesitation in the warrior's voice just now, and he can't keep a small smirk from
spreading on his face. That's why he's being so brash—Tsu'tey totally missed him.

Jake decides to humor him. "No? I've been gone for four days and—nothing?"

The warrior narrows his eyes at him. "I am busy, Jake. I have no time to worry over you."

Neytiri snorts loudly and both pairs of eyes dart to her. "I am sorry, just—" She laughs behind
her hand before continuing, "Do not let this skxawng deceive you, Sully." Tsu'tey looks like
he's about to enter fight or flight mode at her words, shifting nervously on his feet.
Apparently, Neytiri determines that he's more of a flight risk, and she stands up to grasp the
warrior's shoulders tightly. Her grip is strong enough that Tsu'tey hisses, batting at her hands.
"Future Olo'eyktan here is putting on a brave face. I think that he worried more than he slept.
Not to mention his foul mood the entire time you were gone. He said some rather rude
things." She squeezes her hands again, making Tsu'tey wince and release a pained noise. And
oh, Jake just knows that was targeted. "He went on and on about—agh!"

Tsu'tey winds his arm behind Neytiri and pulls at her tail, making her jump back. "Don't you
have somewhere to be?" He seethes through clenched teeth, his tail swishing agitatedly. "I
recall you saying that there are baskets that need to be weaved." Neytiri doesn't seem the least
bit intimidated, putting her hands on her hips and giving Tsu'tey a challenging look. While
they have their little staring contest, Jake busies himself with one of the yovo fruits Neytiri
had set out, trying not to stare at the two of them.

If Neytiri's words are anything to go by, then something definitely went down while Jake was
gone. He wonders exactly what Tsu'tey said that's making Neytiri badger him so much now,
but he figures that it couldn't have been something too bad. Funnily enough, their bickering
almost reminds Jake of him and his brother, back when they'd constantly tease each other and
fight over the stupidest shit. And oh god, if they're anything like how he and Tommy were
when they got into it, then they'll never get anything done as mated clan leaders.

"Aish!" Neytiri throws her hands up. "You need to lighten up, Tsu'tey! Maybe Jake can teach
you a thing or two about that, because Eywa knows you will not listen to me." She fixes the
warrior with a look.
Tsu'tey tsks in annoyance. "Hayalovay, Neytiri!" He seems to relax when she finally turns to
leave. As she's walking off though, Neytiri glances back at Jake, shooting him a
conspiratorial wink. He tries not to laugh at the constipated look that passes over Tsu'tey's
face when he catches the exchange.

"So you did miss me, huh?" He teases, making Tsu'tey groan.

"I might have been... concerned. You left for four eclipses without a word or message to go
by." His voice takes on a sharp and angry edge, his tail lashing behind him. Tsu'tey grabs a
yovo fruit and waves it at Jake accusingly. "You still have not answered my question. Where
were you? What was the reason behind all of this?"

He sighs. "Grace was keeping me cooped up in Site 26. Trust me, I would've come back
sooner if I could, but she refused to let me link up right after my bad reaction."

Tsu'tey shoots him a confused look. "Bad reaction?" But then a look of horror crosses over
his face, making his ears flatten against his head. It's like his whole mood does a 180, and it
almost gives Jake whiplash. "Was your real body hurt because I kept you out too long? Aish,
how could I do this? I did not think—"

Jake sucks in a surprised breath. He's thrown off guard by Tsu'tey's change in attitude—by
the way he genuinely looks so guilty. This is probably the worry that Neytiri was talking
about when she was teasing Tsu'tey. "Hey, no, no. It's not your fault." Jake lays a hand on his
shoulder, but Tsu'tey just looks at him doubtfully. "Grace told me that I could strain myself
by staying out, and I made the decision to do it anyway. If anything, the fault lies on me, not
you." Jake gestures at his avatar. "Besides, I'm here and I'm completely fine, right? The side
effects only lasted a day, Grace was just being cautious."

Tsu'tey still looks uncertain, but after a second he nods."I will not keep you out so long
again."

"I guess Grace isn't the only one giving me a curfew now." Jake jokes, sending him a grin,
and the tension seems to bleed out of the warrior. It's kind of touching how concerned Tsu'tey
actually is. It makes warmth rise in Jake's chest.

"So, what's on the agenda for today? More training?"

Tsu'tey tilts his head in consideration. He mulls it over for a few seconds before giving Jake a
resounding, "No."

He sputters. "Why not!? Please do not tell me that it's because I need rest! I've had enough of
that already!" Jake is going to lose his fucking mind if he can't get rid of all the pent-up
energy that's been building in him for days now.

The warrior pins him with a firm look. "After what you just told me, I do not think that it is
wise for you to exert yourself yet. I will not be responsible for this happening again."

Jake groans loudly, hands smacking against his face. "You and Grace—I can't fucking win for
losing! You know, I wouldn't be here right now if I wasn't up for it." He stares at Tsu'tey
incredulously. Jake can just imagine the smug look Grace would give him if she ever heard
the Na'vi agreeing with her. And—oh. A lightbulb goes off in Jake's head. "I think I see it
now."

Tsu'tey snorts before biting into his yovo fruit. "What is it that you think you see?"

"You and the way you teach your students." Now this has the warrior's attention. His ears are
pricked up, curiosity written all over his face. "In a lot of ways, you take after Grace and the
way she teaches." A mischievous glint enters Jake's eyes. "It makes sense that you and others
would call her... sa'nok. Maybe I should tell her that her 'eveng is taking after her." He ends
up laughing at his own teasing. But Tsu'tey doesn't. He narrows his eyes and stares Jake
down.

"You think yourself so amusing—"

"Hey, you have to admit that I'm a little funny." Jake bites his bottom lip, trying to hide his
smile, but it doesn't work.

"Alright, funny guy." Tsu'tey stands and tosses the remnants of his fruit to the ground. He
opens his arms wide. "You want training?" Tsu'tey tilts his head, a devilish smile slowly
spreading over his face, and Jake doesn't know if he likes that look. "I will give you training."

Yes! Jake mentally cheers in victory, standing up quickly. But at the same time, he's a little
wary about what Tsu'tey has in store for him. Especially after that look. "This doesn't involve
falling out of trees... does it?"

He gives Jake a coy look, making him sweat. Then the edge of his lip twitches upwards,
betraying him. "No, it does not."

Jake breathes heavily, relieved. Thank fuck! "You know, for a second there you looked like
you were gonna say yes. Are you still trying to make good on your bet that 'I won't survive
two weeks as your student.'?" He does a poor imitation of the warrior, and Tsu'tey's browline
shoots up. "Well, I'll have you know that I've been here a week and—"

Tsu'tey murmurs something between a cough.

"What was that?"

"Huh?" He feigns, his ear twitching slightly. "Oh, I just said you have only been here for five
days. Not a week. Maybe your training today should be changed to counting lessons." He
grins cheekily, making the corners of his eyes crinkle.

Jake lets out a surprised laugh. "Hey! Don't be a smartass. I was including the days I've been
off too."

The warrior hums. "Whatever you say, Jake. Come, we cannot stand here and debate your
counting abilities all day."

As they walk together, more and more of the Omaticaya start coming out of the woodwork.
They're gathered around thick roots and sitting in small alcoves, chatting amongst themselves
and staring at Jake. There's a handful of Omaticaya who're unbothered by his presence, going
about their morning as usual, but enough of them stop to look at Jake that it's a bit unnerving.
It's almost like he's been transported back to his first day with the clan.

He whispers to Tsu'tey. "They're all staring? I thought we got past this."

The warrior gives him a deadpan look. "What did you expect? You have been gone for four
days and now you are suddenly back." Tsu'tey looks at a group of whispering Na'vi and rolls
his eyes. "I think half of our clan believed that you had disappeared into thin air, never to
come back. The gossip will be unbearable."

Jake hums to himself. That would explain it.

Following Tsu'tey, he weaves through the milling traffic, doing his best not to trip over
someone's tail or run into anyone. With the path Tsu'tey is taking him now, Jake is seeing a
lot more of the tribe than he has before, and he cranes his head to look at everything. There's
a bunch of Na'vi carrying massive baskets of fruit on their backs, dropping them off at small
groups who're slicing and packaging the food into wrapped leaves.

He and Tsu'tey walk down a small slope, and the roots of Hometree fall back to create a large
open space. At the center, there's a cluster of some of the biggest weaving looms Jake's ever
seen, extending all the way toward the ceiling. Surrounding them is a large group of Na'vi,
both men and women. They all have items they're working on, and as they weave they sing a
soothing melody. Neytiri is one of them, working on a basket and swaying side to side as she
sings. He opens his mouth to ask Tsu'tey about it, but before he can say anything, a gaggle of
children start to swarm behind him.

"Look, it is the dreamwalker!"

"Where has he been?"

"Do you think he would play with us if we ask?"

He doesn't know what they're saying, but their not-so-subtle giggles tell him everything he
needs to know. Jake smiles and tries to glance at them over his shoulder, but the second his
head turns they all scramble to his blindside, their giggles getting louder.

"Careful, Jake," Tsu'tey warns. "You have a pack of young ay nantang hunting you."

Jake raises a finger to his lips. "Shhh." He sends the warrior a wink, but Tsu'tey just shakes
his head in wry amusement. It only takes a few seconds before Jake's tail gets pulled, a
chorus of laughter sounding behind him. The slight pain causes his tail to instinctively swing
over his shoulder, away from grasping hands. But other than that, Jake doesn't let himself
react, continuing to walk after Tsu'tey.

A child comes creeping up on his left and he whips his head around to look at her. She
quickly darts back behind him, shrieking. Then he hears feet pattering into a run behind him,
a voice shouting, "Tseyek Suli!" And he knows that voice.
Tarsem.

That's his cue.

Jake suddenly turns around, arms raised and fangs bared like he's a predator, roaring at the
children. They all scream with laughter and scatter, and Jake quickly locks onto his first
target. He runs after the little girl who tried to be sneaky earlier, and she leads him on a chase
through the giant looms and carved totems placed throughout the space. The weavers exclaim
and yell as Jake pursues her, but he's careful not to step on or break anything. Jake threads
through the obstacles, but she's small enough to speed off way fucking faster than him,
laughing all the while. So instead, he pivots on his feet and scans through the chaos for his
next mark. Tarsem is hiding behind Tsu'tey, peeking at Jake through the gap in the warrior's
legs.

Target found. He bolts.

Tarsem's eyes blow wide as he breaks away from Tsu'tey, running away from the looms and
towards an open communal area. Jake sprints after him, letting out another roar. But fuck, he
either severely underestimated how quick the boy is, or how slow he is. The other avatar
drivers would probably be on the floor laughing if they saw him getting schooled by a kid.

Jake puts on a burst of speed and manages to grab him, throwing his arms around Tarsem's
middle and lifting him into the air. "Got you!" Tarsem screeches for Tsu'tey, but the warrior
only responds with hearty laughter. He comes up to where Jake is lifting his brother in the air
and starts tickling Tarsem's sides, making the boy dissolve into a fit of breathless laughter.

The boy kicks his feet in the air."Srung si! Srung si!"

A second later, Jake is getting swarmed by little reinforcements, all of the children from
before coming to save the day. As a group, they tackle Jake and knock him over, giving
Tarsem the chance to escape. The kids climb all over him like a pack of puppies, letting out
little whoops and ululations of victory. He's totally outnumbered.

Jake laughs at his predicament, but it's abruptly cut off when a shadow moves over him.
When he awkwardly cranes his neck to look up, he comes eye to eye with a seething Arvok.

Shit.

The children let out gasps and there's a chorus of "kä, kä, kä!"s. The group scatters in record
time, abandoning Jake. Little traitors.

"Tarsem, come." He commands and Tarsem sulkily drags his feet as he walks over to Arvok's
side. The Na'vi picks his brother up and positions him against his hip. After giving Tsu'tey an
accusatory glance, Arvok stalks away without another word.

Jake sighs. That's gonna be a work in progress. He's finally getting through to Saeyla—at
least he thinks he is—but for Arvok it might take some time. He stands and dusts himself off,
the gentle sound of laughter catching his ears. Back by the looms, Neytiri and a few of the
other Na'vi are trying to hold back their own giggles.
The corner of Tsu'tey's mouth is tilted up in a smile. "Come, Jake. Chasing children around
does not count as training." The warrior leads him to a clearing just outside of Hometree.
Even out here, there are a lot of Omaticaya around, doing various tasks like harvesting and
fishing, walking their pa'li, and carving weapons. Tsu'tey leads them to a clear section, and
off to the side is an array of weapons.

"Since you were so insistent," He says, moving to pick up a bow from its plinth, "I will teach
you how to wield a bow." He tests the string by pulling it taut, his muscles flexing with the
fluid movement. Tsu'tey's physique is almost intimidating, with his biceps and deltoids
rippling as he holds the position. Jake's avatar isn't exactly scrawny, but it might as well be
next to the warrior. When Tsu'tey relaxes his hold, Jake realizes that maybe he should've been
looking at the bow and not the warrior's muscles. His face heats up. Jesus, flyboy.

"The bow you used to catch fish with Tarsem was smaller, meant for someone his size, so it
was obviously going to be awkward. But your form was still an utter disaster."

Jake sputters. "Gee, thanks." He's handed the bow and a single arrow, but right off the bat, he
feels totally out of his element. Jake has no idea what to do, and he stands there lamely.

Tsu'tey gives him an expectant look, but when Jake just shrugs, he sighs. "Draw the bow." He
gets his own bow and nocks an arrow. "Look at my form and imitate it."

Jake is awkward with the weapon, unsure of how exactly he needs to nock the arrow, but he
draws the string back anyway. He studies the line of Tsu'tey's shoulders, how his fingers curl
around the string, how his arms fle—and no. That's enough of that. Jake tries adjusting
himself, but his posture feels all sorts of wrong, and that's confirmed by Tsu'tey tsking.

"No. You are doing it wrong." Tsu'tey criticizes. "You need to look at my form more closely."

Jake only allows himself a cursory look, because if he ends up staring again, he's gonna die
on the spot. He shifts his hands and arms a little bit, glancing over at Tsu'tey expectantly. Jake
withers a little bit when the warrior lets out a harsh breath.

He puts his bow away and comes up next to Jake. "Try again."

Jake draws back the string and Tsu'tey moves closer, lowering the arm that's holding the bow
and smacking his other elbow up. The warrior leans back to give him a quick once-over and
then proceeds to press against his abdomen. "Your hand positions were better, but you need to
keep your arms more poised. Like this. Otherwise, you will not hit your target."

Jake nods, falling into his rookie mindset. It's just like learning the ins and outs of a gun
during basic... except harder. A lot harder.

"Again." He draws back the string again, his biceps already burning. Jake thinks he has it this
time, but of course, Tsu'tey replies with a displeased, "No." Goddamn perfectionist.

Jake lets out a long breath through his nose. He tries relaxing his arms a little bit to see if that
helps, but the arrow drifts slightly in his hold. Fuck. Tsu'tey makes a sound of frustration and
smacks Jake's stomach lightly.
 The warrior rests his hands against his own abdomen. "Txur nì'ul," he says forcefully.
"Stronger. Again."

Jake readjusts, but when Tsu'tey tsks again, he groans. It's gonna be a long day.

Chapter End Notes

Utral Aymokriä: Tree of Voices

tsahey: exclamation of frustration
kurkung: asshole
‘ìheyu snayì: spiral staircase
hayalovay: until next time
sa’nok: mother
‘eveng: child
srung si, srung si: help, help!
kä, kä, kä: go, go, go!
txur nì’ul: more strength

Thoughts on the chapter? Mitzi wrote Tsu'tey's POV and it's far better than anything I
surely would've written! I hope you've enjoyed it!

mitzi’s ramble on the eclipses in this fic: i’m kind of a science nerd so i’ve done a fair
bit of “research” on the astrology of Pandora. Since Pandora is a moon of Polyphemus
and there are two suns in the system (Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B), it has
frequent eclipses. There’s also some really funky day/night cycles going on, and i’m not
even gonna get into the seasonal wackiness that happens. But for this fic, we’re
gratuitously molding the eclipse cycle to fit the day/night cycle. aka eclipse=night.
 Chapter 18
Chapter Notes

skipping a bit of time here bc things need to progress! but keep in mind that this is still
slow burnin' XD these skxawngs are still gonna be mutually pining for a while yet.

a comment from mitzi: the slow burn is now actually beginning to burn. huzzah

See the end of the chapter for more notes

For the first time since Jake's been on Pandora, he finally falls into a normal routine.

A month of learning the clan's ways goes by in a flash, and Jake manages not to run into any
more trouble in that time. But ever since his return, Tsu'tey's made an effort to keep Jake on a
short leash. The warrior's strict training schedule doesn't leave Jake with any time to even
think of fooling around.

"You need to make up for lost time, Jake. As a dreamwalker, you already have much more to
learn than any true Na'vi would."

Not that Jake minds it—it's a nice change of pace from being cooped up in Site 26. Training
is right up his alley, letting him expend all of his pent-up energy. And god knows that he has
a fuck-ton of it.

The morning when Jake first came back, Neytiri told him that Tsu'tey had been frustrated that
his absence hindered the training of his other students. But Jake wasn't about to be the weak
link that held Ka'ani and Saeyla back, so he gives as good as he gets. It was the only thing
he'd been able to get out of Neytiri before Tsu'tey had chased her away, and he doesn't want
to press them about what happened in the three days he'd been gone. Still, Neytiri turns into
his go-to person to complain with whenever Tsu'tey starts being stubborn about things.

Exhibit A: his refusal to teach Jake anything else until he got his form with a bow down.
With some persuasion from both him and Neytiri, and a lot of extra practice with his bow,
Tsu'tey finally lets him advance to in-forest training with the other two. He's a stickler for
perfection, but it's an intoxicating challenge that Jake meets head-on.

If Tsu'tey wants only the best, then Jake's gonna give him the goddamn best.

Every day, it's been reading the trails and tracks of the forest. His ability to detect even the
slightest smells and sounds has improved by leaps and bounds, but he's still not the best with
noisy environments. Their little group had passed by an RDA mining operation by chance,
and the rigs were loud. While the others had been peering through the treeline, the abrasive
sounds felt like they were cutting right into Jake's brain. Tsu'tey didn't realize how badly the
sounds were affecting him until he turned around to find Jake sitting curled into himself, his
hands cupped over his ears. Once the warrior dragged him away from the site, Jake had the
wherewithal to be embarrassed about his little episode, but he brushed it off. That night,
Grace told him that it would just take a little more time to let his avatar mature before his
senses got settled.

Needless to say, they steer clear of any mining rigs after that.

But it isn't only Tsu'tey who's been taking him out for forest training. If he doesn't want to fall
behind Ka'ani and Saeyla, Jake needs to put in the extra work. So when those two are taking
breaks, he and Neytiri are going out to get extra practice. When they come back to Hometree
after their first outing, Tsu'tey's face curls up in distaste.

"Why would he need extra forest training from you?" He crosses his arms over his chest, and
if Jake didn't know any better, he would say that the warrior looks like a pouting kid.

"It seems like he needs the expert help of the clan's Tsakarem to keep up. Perhaps your
lessons are not good enough?" Neytiri laughs and dances away when Tsu'tey swipes at her.

Jake watches with amusement as they bicker, but from then on their teaching turns into
something of a competition, and he's the poor schmuck who's stuck in the middle of it. It
doesn't take long for him to realize that there's a big difference in how they teach him. Where
Tsu'tey pushes them relentlessly to become better hunters, Neytiri prefers to slow things
down, to engage with the forest in close proximity. Even if that means spying on some
viperwolves.

He has to admit that their cubs are pretty fucking cute.

Whenever Neytiri takes him into the forest, she's always talking about Seeing. "You will hear
everything even when you hear nothing," she tells him. "You will see even when your eyes
are closed." And Jake never really knows what she's talking about. He tries to understand
though, tries to get the idea through his thick skull.

But it's a lot of shit that he just can't fully comprehend. She constantly lectures about the
movement of energy and the spirits of animals, and Jake has a feeling that his inability to See
is why Tsu'tey hasn't allowed him to make a kill. So he tries to understand this deep
connection the People have with the forest, even though he feels like he can't grasp the depth
of it all. It's challenging when he's from a dying planet, where beliefs are nothing more than
myths and the idea of Mother Nature is a fairytale to laugh in the face of.

Jake's starting to realize that Earth might've been a goddamn hellscape.

It's when one of the clan elders passes away though, that he finally gets an inkling about what
this "flow of energy" means. It happens two weeks into his stay with the People, and in that
moment, they all seem to interlink in their grief—like they're sharing the burden of loss
between every member of the clan. They bury her in the earth, among a bed of flowers. And
Jake can't help but think that it's a much better way to go than being dumped into a cardboard
box. He tries not to linger on that thought.
Tsu'tey, with one hand placed on Jake's shoulder, leans over and explains to him. "Energy
flows through all living things. All energy is only borrowed, and one day you have to give it
back." Neytiri kneels to place an atokirina' in the grave, and the warrior continues to whisper
to Jake. "Her body will return to the land that gave her life. The atokirina' will guide her spirit
to reunite with the Great Mother."

He thinks he gets it.

Maybe.

Lessons in Seeing aside, Jake has actually come to enjoy his time spent training with Tsu'tey.
The warrior is demanding, but Jake's always loved a good challenge. And whenever he gives
him that disbelieving and daring look, does Jake really have a choice other than to prove him
wrong? Especially when the peanut gallery is watching, with their expectant eyes trained on
him.

Saeyla and Ka'ani occasionally train with Arvok when Jake needs more time learning
something than they do. When it's just the two of them, it's like Tsu'tey turns into a different
person. He's a little more free, a little less caring—like the title of future Olo'eyktan doesn't
matter when he's with a dreamwalker. Jake likes that side of him, and in a dark little corner of
his mind, he wishes that Ka'ani and Saeyla would train with Arvok more.

He tries not to acknowledge that stupid dark corner.

When he finishes his lessons on the forest floor, Tsu'tey leads him to the highest canopies of
the trees. It's there that Jake realizes just how much Tsu'tey had been holding back before,
because he's never been so fucking sore after their lessons. Tsu'tey says it's to "strengthen his
hands and feet," but half the time it feels like he's trying to fucking kill him. When Jake
attempts to bring up this itsy bitsy concern, Tsu'tey cuts him off with an explanation of how
it's necessary for him to be conditioned if he's gonna survive the forest.

It's either learn quick or die, so he has to trust his body to know what to do.

Jake was in the goddamn air force. He went through the hell that was basic—he can handle
some tree climbing and hopping. So he sucks it up and does his reps while Tsu'tey watches
him with a little shit-eating grin.

And Jake will wipe that smug look off of his face.

When he's not being put through his paces, Tsu'tey and Neytiri teach him about their culture.
She continues to instruct him in the language, and he can even speak a few whole phrases
now. Whenever they have some downtime, Tsu'tey starts explaining the clan's oral history to
him, which Jake thinks is pretty cool. From weaving the loom to recounting stories of the
past—everything has a song to it.

His favorite is one of The First Songs—the first Na'vi recordings. Neytiri had sung it around
the cook fire one night, and Tsu'tey translated it for him, explaining the song's story about the
first Toruk Makto.
It's about these two young brothers from the Omaticaya clan, Entu and Ralu, and their
companion Tsyal from the Tawkami clan. Back then, the Tree of Souls was in danger of
being destroyed by the eruption of a nearby volcano, Afkew'txep—the mighty flame. So the
two brothers and the Tawkami girl set out on this big quest to gather five artifacts from the
different clans. Artifacts that would help them tame a Toruk, the king of the sky.

Entu became the first Toruk Makto, and he was able to tear a section off the Tree of Souls
with the Toruk's claws before it was completely encased in the lava. He planted the branch,
and from the remnants of the original tree, the new tree grew. But in the process, the Toruk
was badly burnt, and it ended up giving its life to save the Tree of Souls. In a way, it reminds
Jake of the mythological stories he and Tommy would read together, the ones about the great
heroes like Alexander the Great and Bellerophon.

Jake wishes that he could share the Na'vi legends with him now. That they could pretend they
would be the next Entu and Ralu, even if it would never happen in a million years. Instead,
he and Tsu'tey go to look at the skull of the Toruk together, sharing stories until most of the
clan is already asleep in their hammocks.

-+-

The morning that marks a month of Jake being with the Omaticaya clan, he's surprised to find
himself waking up before Tsu'tey. The same guy who's been adamant about keeping a strict
schedule. Jake almost can't believe it.

After weeks of waking up with a shadow looming over him, being the first one to rouse feels
strange. For a while, he just sits there against the trunk, at a loss for what to do. The warrior
is sleeping soundly, his face smoothed over and the tip of his tail swaying contentedly.
Tsu'tey never looks so peaceful when he's awake, and Jake finds that he doesn't really want to
disturb him. He tears his eyes away from the rare sight and looks around the area. Neytiri
isn't in her hammock, but that's normal for her. She usually isn't up here when he wakes up,
not unless it's one of her days to teach him, which seems to be happening less and less.

After a few minutes of waiting pass, Jake sighs and leaves to find Neytiri. She'll at least
occupy his time until Tsu'tey decides to return to the land of the living. He makes his way
down to the center of Hometree, where he knows she'll be. She usually spends this time
practicing her archery in the fields or sitting by the loom with Ninat and Beyral.

It's odd to be walking through Hometree alone, but he's been here long enough that he can
navigate through the levels easily. And just like he thought, Neytiri is seated near one of the
looms. As if anticipating his descent, she looks upright as he enters the cavernous room,
meeting his eyes as he walks over to her.

"You are up earlier than usual," she says, browline raised. "Tsu'tey is still sleeping?"

"Yeah. I didn't have the heart to wake him up." Jake rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.

Neytiri laughs, scooting over so he can sit next to her. "Smart move, Sully. He is a menace
when someone else rouses him. Although, I wonder if you could escape his wrath. He always
seems to be much more lenient with you."
Jake snorts. "Definitely not. He'd probably wake up with fists flying if my ugly mug was the
first thing he saw."

"Ugly? You cannot be serious." She scoffs at him, rolling her eyes. "And Tsu'tey would not
lay a finger on your face." Jake opens his mouth to ask her just what she means by that, but
she fishes the beginning of a leather bracelet out of her basket and tosses it at his face. "Take
this, it is a sad excuse for a bracelet. You need to work on it."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," he grumbles. Jake thumbs the poorly twined leather strands, sighing
hard. It's his first weaving project, and he sucks at it. His fingers feel way too clunky to be
handling the fine pieces of leather, let alone to be braiding them together.

While he sets to work on the bracelet, Neytiri carefully carves at a chunk of wood,
murmuring a low melody. She's been working on a new bow for the past few days after hers
broke during a freak hunting incident. It's a little mind-boggling to Jake that everything in the
clan is made with so much care and time. Even carving something as straightforward as a
bow can take weeks, but the end product is always well-made and beautiful. All of the
Omaticaya believe that if something is done the right way, it won't have to be done again.
They'll spend as much time as they need in order to perfect whatever they're making. It's a far
cry from the instant production that humans value, with all of Earth's manufacturing
capabilities. Anyone back home could get something made and shipped to them with the
click of a mouse, but here's Neytiri, patiently carving a brand-new bow.

Meanwhile, Jake can hardly make a tiny-ass bracelet.

He doesn't get far before Tsu'tey comes trudging down the column, looking surprisingly
exhausted for someone who'd been snoozing away just a few minutes ago. Jake leans over
and whispers to Neytiri, "Why does he look so tired?" A second later, Tsu'tey spots them,
hurrying over to where they're sitting.

Neytiri glances over at the warrior before returning to her project. "He and my father met last
night to discuss some matters with the clan. They stayed up late talking ab—"

She's cut off when Tsu'tey reaches them, whacking Neytiri lightly across the head. Jake
doesn't escape the warrior's annoyance either, getting his ear tugged sharply. "Aish! Why did
you two not wake me?"

Neytiri hisses and rubs the back of her head, but Jake just shoots Tsu'tey a smirk. "Future
leaders need their beauty sleep."

He narrows his eyes. "I hope you were not trying to get out of training."

"Who? Me? I would never defy the future Olo'eyktan like that." Jake widens his eyes
innocently.

Tsu'tey cracks into a smile. "As long as we have that clear."

The warrior crouches next to him, resting on his haunches and peering at Jake's little project.
Tsu'tey makes a tsking sound and begins to instruct him. Jake watches as Tsu'tey takes the
bracelet and folds the thin pieces of leather in half, using his fingers to explain how to knot it.
He begins to weave the four parts together, and about two seconds in, Jake's brain clouds
over with confusion. Tsu'tey is clearly braiding at a slower rate than he normally would, but
his fingers are still moving quickly.

Jake tries to keep up with the movements, but as his eyes linger, his focus begins to waver.
Tsu'tey's hands are adept and skilled, and they're a lot more intriguing than the bland leather
strips. They look like they've experienced years of hard labor, and there are veins that jut out
from under his skin, going all the way up his arm. His eyes travel to the warrior's biceps—the
same ones that flex with strength whenever Tsu'tey has to catch him from falling.

Which has been a lot. Tree-hopping is harder than it looks.

Jake's gaze eventually wanders to those full lips and—No. Nonono. What the hell are you
doing, airman!?

And that's also something that's been happening a lot. More and more, Jake will find himself
staring at the warrior when he shouldn't be, and he really doesn't know what's gotten into
him. He stubbornly ignores the fact that this has happened before—had started back in the
barracks of the air force. Nothing had ever happened then, and nothing would ever happen
now. Besides, Jake's probably just intrigued because Tsu'tey is blue and alien.

Yeah. That's it.

He glances briefly towards Tsu'tey, checking to see if he noticed, before immediately averting
his gaze. Luckily, it doesn't seem like he picked up on Jake's staring. He turns to look at
Neytiri next, but she's still staring intently at her bow, and he breathes a sigh of relief. What
he doesn't notice is the tiny smile she's trying to hide.

Tsu'tey grabs his attention. "Now, you try," he tells Jake, handing over the beginning of a new
set of braided leather.

Fuck. He hasn't even been paying attention.

"O-okay..." He begins to braid the leather, attempting to remember how Tsu'tey had done it
before, but it's useless. He knows he's fucking up.

Tsu'tey holds his hands still, shooting him a look before he starts unraveling the few awkward
braids Jake had managed to do. "Have you even been paying attention? Aish, you skxawng.
These are all wrong." Tsu'tey shakes his head and gives the leather strips back. Then, he
places his hands over Jake's, directing his fingers through the right motions.

Jake can't even concentrate, his heart doing goddamn jumping jacks every time his fingers
brush over his. He tries his best to control his stupid body, but it's obviously not getting the
memo. It doesn't help that Tsu'tey is such a tactile person. He's not sure if it's a Na'vi thing or
just a Tsu'tey thing, but it's really fucking distracting. He tries to direct his gaze away from
their hands, but it lands on the warrior's face instead. Which doesn't help. In fact, it does the
opposite of help. The warrior's face is leaned in next to his, those golden irises and full lips
up close and personal. His face is intent and concentrated, his brow muscles slightly furrowed
as he continues to guide Jake's hands. His heart's advanced from doing jumping jacks to
burpees.

He doesn't realize that his hands have gone lax until Tsu'tey turns to face him, an exasperated
look on his face.

"Jake, you are still not paying attention."

Jake turns his head away quickly, swallowing the lump in his throat. "'M sorry." His cheeks
burn, ears tucking close to his head without his permission. Jake actually wants to sink into
the ground. "This is just…uh, really hard. Y'know? Maybe we should move on to something
else." Neytiri has to bring her hand up to hide her laughter, and Jake shoots her a dirty look.
When he turns to look at Tsu'tey again, he's surprised to find a fond smile on the warrior's
face.

Neytiri abruptly gets up and moves behind Tsu'tey, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Ma
Tsu'tey, you are purring. I suggest that you go for a walk before Sully notices." And even with
all of his lessons in Na'vi, Jake doesn't really catch what she says. But whatever it is, it makes
Tsu'tey tear his eyes away, looking like a deer caught in headlights. His face twists into some
unreadable mix of emotions, and then he's off. Jake's never seen him walk away so quickly.

What the fuck did she just tell him?

He gives her a suspicious look, but Neytiri just shrugs. She picks up Tsu'tey's lesson where he
left off, and it turns out to be a lot easier when it's Neytiri teaching. Probably because there
aren't as many... distractions. It takes him a few tries, but once he ties off all of the leather, he
has a pretty solid wristband that's about the size of Tarsem's wrist. Maybe he'll give it to the
little guy.

After almost an hour passes, Tsu'tey returns, his face schooled into something a lot more
composed than before. He offers a hand to pull Jake up, proclaiming that "You will get
cramps if you sit like that any longer." The warrior takes him on a hike through the forest,
giving Jake a chance to stretch his legs.

They have their bows strapped over their shoulders, running through the tree branches high
above the forest floor. "Come on, Jake! I thought my training had made you faster!" He
laughs, the sound animated and spirited. He catches an overhanging tree limb and vaults
himself over to another branch, continuing to run once he lands.

Jake hypes himself up before doing the same, albeit less gracefully. He's got tougher feet
now, and he's finally able to keep pace with Tsu'tey, but he's still gotta be careful. The amount
of times he's almost fallen off of a branch because he got too cocky is a little embarrassing.

Ahead of him, Tsu'tey speeds up before leaping from the branch. He plummets to the ground,
and Jake's breath catches in his chest. He rushes to the edge, where he watches Tsu'tey
freefall for a few terrifying moments. But then the warrior grabs the midrib of a massive palm
leaf, slowing his descent. After being slightly lowered by the plant, he lets go and falls a short
distance before grabbing at another.
And then he catches another.

And another.

It's like a game of pinball, and Tsu'tey keeps it up until his feet finally make contact with the
ground, falling into an effortless crouch.

A nervous laugh tears from Jake's throat. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

He doesn't expect me to follow after him, does he?

Tsu'tey is so far down that Jake can barely see him, but when he hears a series of trills and
clicks echo through the grove, he knows that's exactly what the warrior wants him to do.
"Sully, hurry up!" He cries out.

Jake takes a step back from the edge and quietly murmurs to himself, "Nope... this is insane."

He fucking hates freefalling.

But Tsu'tey will never let him live it down if he chickens out.

He steps away from the edge, shouting at the Na'vi below him, "You know, there's probably a
safer way to do this!" Then he takes a deep breath, pushes off the branch, and launches
himself over the edge with a yell. Jake's little leap of faith isn't nearly as graceful as Tsu'tey's
was, his arms and legs flailing about in the air. It doesn't help that his stomach lurches into his
throat, stopping any sound from coming out. In the air force, at least he has a goddamn
parachute and a chair. Now, there's nothing to catch him but these goddamn leaves.

He smacks face-first into several palm leaves and vines, which makes his bow slip from his
shoulders and clatter to the ground. Jake cartwheels through the foliage, his descent hardly
being slowed, and Tsu'tey jumps backward when he collides with a colony of giant
mushrooms. His weight drops him off of the fungi and straight to the ground, face-planting in
the dirt.

Nicely done, flyboy.

He tries to pick himself up, but his vision spins wildly and throws his balance off, knocking
him right back on his ass. Jake lets out a mix between a laugh and a gasp, adrenaline
pumping through him.

When Jake's vision stops reeling he stands up again, with a lot more success than the last
time. He tries to play it off, focusing on brushing off the dirt from his stomach and plucking
the twigs from his hair. Jake swats at the mossy vines tangled around his torso, but it takes an
entire fucking waltz routine just to get himself untangled.

He finally chances a look at Tsu'tey, and the warrior's eyes are wide as saucers. When their
eyes meet, Tsu'tey presses his lips together tightly, the corners of his mouth trying to lift up in
a smile. A strangled laugh slips past his lips.

Jake's eyes narrow. "What?"

Tsu'tey lifts his hands up, still trying to fight a smile. "Nothing."

He snatches his bow from the ground and straps it to his back again, but Jake's ears flick at
the sound of another muffled laugh. He whips around to pin Tsu'tey with an accusing stare.
"Hey, don't you dare laugh at me! You didn't give me anything to go off of!" Jake crosses his
arms over his chest, and he knows that he's acting like a pouty kid, but he can't find it in
himself to care.

"It is just..." Tsu'tey trails off, waving his hand in the air vaguely.

"Just what?" He presses.

"Your landing, it was—" he breaks off into another laugh, "—flawless. The best landing I
have ever seen." At that, he bends over at the waist and dissolves into a fit of laughter. It
comes from his chest, loud and unrestrained. Tsu'tey hardly ever laughs so freely, and it
makes Jake's chest warm.

But he also can't let this slander stand.

The warrior doesn't notice when Jake's ears pin back, his tail whipping behind him and his
legs tensing.

"Alright, you asked for it!"

He launches himself straight at Tsu'tey, his arms wrapping tight around his middle. The force
knocks him off balance, but instead of hitting the ground like Jake thought they would, they
keep falling backward.

The two of them plunge down a steep incline, somersaulting through bushes and foliage.
Tsu'tey takes the brunt force of each impact, wrapping around Jake and shielding him from
most of the collisions. When they reach the bottom, the momentum throws them through the
air and directly into a prickly bush. Tsu'tey makes a resounding oof at the impact, landing flat
on his back. Jake falls right on top of him, smacking into his chest and knocking the breath
out of the warrior for a second time. Somehow, Jake’s bow is still intact and attached to him,
but Tsu’tey’s is nowhere to be seen. It’s probably lost somewhere along the slope.

Jake groans. "Owww."

"Kalweyaveng!" Tsu'tey gasps. "Why are you saying ow!? You are the one who pushed us
over the ledge!"

"I didn't realize there was a hill!"

Jake lifts his head up to look at Tsu'tey, and after a beat, they both break out into laughter.
Jake wheezes, plunking his head against the warrior's upper chest as he gasps for breath.
They're both a sweaty disaster, piled on top of each other with twigs sticking out of their hair,
but they just lay there and laugh. It takes a few seconds before they can get a hold of
themselves. When Jake looks back up, Tsu'tey gives him a look that's equal parts amusement
and exasperation. But then Tsu'tey's nose twitches and his face twists into confusion. His
smile fades, and he sits up quickly, tilting his head up to smell the air again. Jake curses as he
falls off of Tsu'tey and to the side, right into the prickly branches of the bush. The warrior's
eyes get wide, and he looks down at Jake sharply, shock written all over his features.

"What? What's wrong?" Anxiety lances through him. That look can't mean anything good.

"Jake, I..." His mouth opens and closes a few times, unable to form words. "Are you—?" But
before he can get the question out, both of their ears swivel toward the sound of snarls and
chitters in the distance.

"Ay nantang," Jake breathes.

Another vicious snarl echoes through the forest, but this time, a painful cry follows it—the
painful cry of a Na'vi. Tsu'tey hurries to stand, and he does the same. All it takes is a
panicked glance between them, and then they're both rushing toward the sound. It doesn't
take them long before they run into the pack of viperwolves. At the center of the frenzy is a
distressed Na'vi that Jake's never seen before. Tsu'tey puts a hand on Jake's chest before he
can blunder into them, pushing him back.

"Go to the other side, and stay out of sight." Tsu'tey whispers, "I will handle this."

"But—"

"Jake, listen to me." Tsu'tey fixes him with an intense stare. "You are not ready to make a kill,
and you have not been taught to use your bow as a blunt weapon. It is best if you stay back."

He lets out a noise of frustration, but he knows that look. Tsu'tey's not gonna budge on this.
"Fine."

Tsu'tey nods before turning back to the pack of viperwolves. He lets out a series of trills and
clicks, and the Na'vi that's surrounded snaps her head up. She replies in kind, releasing the
same sounds as Tsu'tey had. And within the blink of an eye, Tsu'tey is hurtling toward her
with his knife drawn. He fights like a demon, whirling around and slashing at any of the
viperwolves that get too close. None of his attacks are fatal, but they push the animals back,
creating more room for the two of them. The other Na'vi isn't as ferocious as Tsu'tey, or as
skilled, but she holds her own.

They move towards one of the bigger trees at the edge of the clearing, and Jake can see what
they're trying to do. The two of them want to get into the treeline—to make a run for it. Jake
follows, moving towards the tree with them and slowly creeping closer. But right as they get
to the trunk, a viperwolf launches itself at the other Na'vi. She's not quick enough to counter
it, and the creature knocks her over. Tsu'tey whips around, tackling the viperwolf to the side
and moving to plunge his knife into its chest.

At that moment, another viperwolf takes the chance to leap at Tsu'tey, its claws stretching
toward his neck.

Jake's heart skips a beat, and before he knows it, he's leaping out of the trees and smacking
his bow down onto the viperwolf. It yowls and scampers off, drawing Tsu'tey's attention to
 Jake. He looks at him, eyes wide, and the viperwolf under him squirms free. It snaps at
Tsu'tey's arms, but the warrior is quick to pull back and kick the creature away. They need to
get the hell out of dodge, and Jake doesn't waste any more time.

"Come on!"

He launches himself up the tree, sticking his hand down to give the injured Na'vi an extra
hand up. She stares at him for a second, but when the viperwolves growl and advance
forward again, she takes it. Tsu'tey's right behind her, and the three of them scale the tree as
fast as they can. When they get to a large enough branch, they haul themselves onto it and
just sit there, breathing hard. Tsu'tey sheathes his dagger, plunking his head against the rough
bark. The Na'vi hisses as she shifts her weight, holding her hands against her side. And Jake
finally has the chance to get a proper look at her.

She's wearing a loincloth that's threaded with more beads than actual fabric, and her cloth top
is adorned with the same beads, as well as some decorative bone fragments. The design is
intricately made, and it's held taut by a choker. Her braided hair is full of the same beads, and
the headband across her forehead has been knocked off-kilter. The entire outfit is completely
different from what the Omaticaya people wear.

She has to be from another clan.

When she turns her head, her queue comes into view, and Jake can't help the horrified little
sound he lets out. It's half the length that it should be—like it's been cut off.

Her head snaps to him, and she lets out a furious snarl, leaning over to reach for her knife.
Tsu'tey's quick to put his hand on hers, stopping her from doing anything. "Kyuna?" He
moves in front of her, effectively blocking Jake from her line of sight. "What are you doing
here?"

His question is ignored, and instead she—Kyuna—directs a shaky hand at Jake. "Why are
you with a vrrtep?" She spits out the last word, and Jake understands enough Na'vi now to
know that she just called him a demon.

Fatigue suddenly overcomes her, and her eyes roll back into her head. Tsu'tey is quick to grab
her shoulders and keep her from tumbling to the ground, and Jake moves to help him
reposition her against the tree trunk. He scans over her one more time, and he realizes that her
injuries are more severe than he thought. When his eyes land on her queue again, he lets out
an involuntary shudder.

He looks up at Tsu'tey, horrified. "Who is she?"

"An old... friend," he answers, sounding conflicted. "She is of the Anurai clan."

Chapter End Notes

Afkew'txep: a volcano from the time of the First Songs, called the mighty flame.
kalweyaveng: son of a bitch

introducing na'vi Kyuna from JC's Avatar Wii/PSP version! she and her brother Rai'uk's
story will be slightly rewritten in the next chapter to match this story's narrative. hope
you enjoyed this chapter and ACTUAL sexual tension for once!

Next Update: 4/17

 Chapter 19
Chapter Notes

check out the end notes for art created by Uras! also, minor schedule change noted
below.

a sidenote from mitzi: some of you guys were a lil confused abt the pheromone situation
so I went ahead and made an explanation here! If you want to read it, knock yourself
out. But it's not necessary to look at if you don't want to! Hope you enjoy the new
chapter <3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

At Tsu'tey's words, Jake's ears prick forward in interest.

He'd heard of the Anurai clan a few weeks ago, back when Tsu'tey was translating the old
Toruk Makto legend. The Anurai had been one of the five clans with an artifact that helped
Entu—a bone flute that called the Toruk to him.

The warrior had pulled out a piece of jewelry, letting Jake turn it over in his hands. "This is a
ceremonial necklace made out of bone fragments. It was created from the remains of a
palulukan, and it is an excellent piece of craftsmanship." He stared at the necklace
nostalgically, a whirl of emotions flashing over his face. "It was given to me by a Na'vi from
the Anurai clan. His name is Rai'uk. I have not seen him or his sister in a very long time."

Jake's brain stalled on the first half of what the warrior said. "Wait, back up—did you just say
he made it out of thanator bones?"

"That is what you focus on?" Tsu'tey rolled his eyes. "But yes, he did. The Anurai are one of
the few clans that worship the palulukan, and they make many tributes to the beast."

Jake felt his mouth drop open, brows furrowing together in disbelief. His mind was
immediately flooded with about a million questions, but the only one that made it out of his
mouth was, "Why the fuck would they worship that hellspawn?"

A surprised laugh bursted out of Tsu'tey, and he shook his head. "Do not ask me, I dislike the
creature almost as much as you. But it is simply their way."

At the time, Jake didn't give the clan much more thought. His peabrain was too captivated by
the mental image of a mega ikran to really give a damn about the other stuff. But now he
wishes he'd asked a little more about them.

The morning of their first expedition into the forest, Grace had hinted that there were more
clans besides the Omaticaya, spread out all over Pandora. It hadn't really interested Jake then,
since she made it sound like none of them were close enough to run into.

But here's Kyuna, right in the middle of Omaticaya territory.

There has to be a damn good reason for her to travel all this way, and if their first meeting is
anything to go by, it doesn't look like it's for some vacation. But that's not the thing Jake's
most concerned about. The look on her face had been one of pure hatred, stronger than
anything he's ever seen on Arvok, which has to be some kind of record. Up to this point,
living with the Omaticaya has been difficult enough, but now there's gonna someone else to
stir up the pot. He can almost envision the anti-Jake club Kyuna and Arvok will form, but
hopefully she's not here long enough for that to actually happen.

He doesn't need any more people looking at him like he's some kind of scheming villain—
scratch that, a demon. A vrrtep.

Jake pushes the thought away—that's something he'll deal with when they get to it. Next to
him, Tsu'tey is already standing. "We must get Kyuna back to Kelutral and to the Tsahik.
Mo'at will be able to help with her wounds."

After a cursory check of the immediate area, Tsu'tey descends the tree first and helps Jake
with gently lowering Kyuna. She hasn't moved an inch since losing consciousness, and it's
like he's handling an unwieldy sack of potatoes. There are a few close calls when she almost
slips out of Jake's grasp, but he manages not to drop her. Tsu'tey finally touches down on the
ground, instructing him with a, "Gently, Jake—there you go." The warrior firmly grasps her
waist to keep her steady, and after her entire body is securely in his hold, he drapes her in the
cradle of his arms. As soon as she's settled, Tsu'tey turns on his heel and takes off.

By the time Jake gets his feet on the ground, Tsu'tey's already vanished from view. Jesus
christ. How the fuck is he so fast even with all of Kyuna's dead weight?

Jake spares a second to adjust the bow on his back, and then he's chasing after the warrior.
"Hey, wait up!" He calls out, but Tsu'tey doesn't reply. Jake's not even sure that Tsu'tey heard
him, considering that he's already so far ahead. He breaks into an all-out sprint, pushing his
legs to go as fast as they can.

He only manages to catch up with the warrior once he's right outside of the main entrance to
Hometree, and by then Tsu'tey is pushing his way through the crowd that's forming around
him. Jake follows closely behind him, trying not to get lost in the swarm. Curious eyes are
fixed on the future Olo'eyktan and the stranger he carries, but he ignores them all. Instead,
Tsu'tey releases a distinctive call, one that Jake's heard him use whenever he wants to get
Neytiri's attention. When he still doesn't catch sight of her, he bellows, "Ma 'tiri!"

Even though they're in the central space of Hometree now, there's no sign of her. He cranes
his head around to help Tsu'tey look, but she's not in any of her usual spots.

"Ma 'tiri!" Tsu'tey calls again, even louder than before. The warrior is starting to look
panicked, his eyes searching the area rapidly.
Finally, Neytiri appears from around the other side of Hometree, jogging towards them with
her pa'li in tow. "I hear you! Aish, why are you shouting!?" She hands her reins to a passing
Na'vi, murmuring a quick word to him before running the rest of the way over. "What has you
screeching like an ikran?"

"Where is your mother?" He gestures to the Na'vi in his arms, and it makes even more of
Kyuna's blood smear over his chest. At the sight of crimson Neytiri's face falls, her ears
pinning back in shock. "Please, we need Mo'at."

"Ma Eywa, what happened!? Who has been injured?" She breathes out in horror. Neytiri
moves in closer, and she lets out a small gasp when she sees Kyuna's lax face. "Kyuna? What
is she—!?"

Frustrated, Tsu'tey cuts her off with a hiss. "Neytiri, the Tsahik! Now!"

Neytiri rushes up to her parents' quarters, screaming for her mother. Tsu'tey follows her, and
Jake scrambles after the both of them, not wanting to be left behind with the crowd of
whispering Omaticaya. They go up the spiral staircase, but instead of heading the usual way,
they turn onto a separate branching pathway. They emerge near a cluster of marui hanging
from the lower branches of Hometree, and Jake realizes that he's never been up here before.
He's seen the large structures from the hammocks above, but the only Na'vi that are ever in
this area are families with small children. Neytiri bounds across one of the large branches that
connect the structures, and it doesn't take long before she turns into one of them. The marui is
bigger than the rest, and a lot more enclosed. The inside is small, but almost cozy—a lot
different from the airy hammocks that they all sleep in. Mo'at's various tools and ointments
are laid out all over the place, and on one of the walls is Eytukan's bow, hung on a wooden
display.

Mo'at emerges from behind a cascade of beaded curtains, a confused expression contorting
her features. But as soon as she sees the prone body in Tsu'tey's arms, she's whirling around
the marui and gathering her supplies. Mo'at doesn't question why he's brought her someone
from another clan—she just gets straight to work. "Lay her here." She points to the ground,
and Jake does his best to keep out of the way as Tsu'tey transfers Kyuna to a mat on the floor.
Mo'at drops to her knees, laying out a basket of leaf wrappings and several bowls of paste.
Neytiri takes her place in front of her mother, holding onto Kyuna's hand tightly. Tsu'tey
crouches on the other side of Kyuna, his face pinched.

Jake is so wrapped up in all the commotion that he doesn't even realize Eytukan is standing
next to him until there's a hand on his shoulder.

"Sully, what happened?" It's the first time that he's actually heard the Olo'eyktan speaking
English, his accent heavy but his words clear. It catches Jake off guard.

His mouth opens and closes a few times. "I... we were just training." he explains, "We heard
her shouting and when we found her, she was surrounded by ay nantang."

"And she was alone?" Eytukan asks.

"Yeah." At Jake's reply, he and Mo'at share a look. They only glance at each other for a few
brief seconds, but it looks like they share a whole conversation in that time. It's almost as if
they know—or suspect—the reason behind Kyuna coming here.

Tsu'tey is deathly silent, watching as Mo'at works, but Neytiri is the polar opposite. She
brings Kyuna's hand up to her cheek and begins frantically murmuring a prayer, tears forming
in the corners of her eyes. And that's Jake's cue to leave. This is too personal, too intimate for
him to be sticking his goddamn nose into. So he excuses himself from the room to give them
space, making his way back down to the lower level of Hometree.

He leans against the staircase, foot tapping impatiently and tail flicking in agitation. Ka'ani
isn't here to keep him company, out training with Arvok and Saeyla, and he isn't sure where
Tarsem is. Aside from them, Jake doesn't have many friends in the clan. He's not exactly Mr.
Popular with the Omaticaya, and the longer he stands here like some loner, the more fucking
obvious that becomes.

After a while, he lets out a harsh breath and heads towards the weaving concourse. He plucks
Neytiri's basket from the rest, carrying it over to one of the looms at the very corner of the
room. He plops himself down, pulling out his small wristband.

He may be shit at weaving, but at least it'll give him something to do.

Surprisingly enough, the repetitive action of braiding beads into the leather calms his nerves.
At least, it helps a little bit. A few hours pass, but when Tsu'tey and Neytiri still haven't come
down, he decides to go back up to check on them.

When Jake gets to the marui again, he hears Neytiri hiccuping softly, and it makes his heart
twist. After a second of indecision, he decides that it's best if he doesn't go blundering in
there. Instead, he stays near the entrance of the marui, watching the scene from his place
outside. Neytiri is still kneeling at Kyuna's side, while Tsu'tey paces behind her. There are
tear tracks running down Neytiri's face, and as he watches, she gently strokes her hand over
Kyuna's forehead. Off to the side, Mo'at is stirring a new batch of whatever paste she'd used
before, murmuring to her daughter soothingly.

They're so occupied with their worry that none of them even notice his arrival. He's never
seen Neytiri or Tsu'tey in such a torn state before.

The longer he watches them hover over Kyuna, the more he realizes just how important she
must be to them. In his entire time spent training with the Omaticaya, they'd never mentioned
her, and it leaves him wondering just what had happened. She may hate Jake's guts, but he
really fucking hopes that she's gonna be okay. For Tsu'tey and Neytiri's sake.

Sighing heavily, Tsu'tey rubs his palms across his face. As he peers between his fingers, he
notices Jake, who releases a small curse and tries to hide behind the wall of the marui. Jake
doesn't want him to think that he's been spying on them, especially on something so private.
But when he pushes his back to the side of the marui, the tip of his tail ends up poking
through the open edge. He tries to snatch it up, but a moment later, a tug on the base of his
tail makes him jump about five feet in the air, yelping slightly.
"You are very fond of eavesdropping, aren't you?" The warrior has already made his way
outside of the marui, coming to stand in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest.
The stance makes Jake shift nervously, but then Tsu'tey sends him a gentle, albeit exhausted,
smile. Jake's shoulders sag in relief.

"I didn't want to barge in on you guys." He whispers quietly. Jake scans Tsu'tey's face,
studying the worried little creases that line his forehead, and the tiredness in his eyes. "Is your
friend gonna be alright?"

Tsu'tey casts a sidelong glance in her direction, his browline creasing even more. A part of
Jake wants to squeeze his hand reassuringly or pull him into a comforting hug, but he resists
the urge. "Mo'at thinks that she will be fine, but... her injuries, Jake..." He shakes his head
slightly, reaching out to grip Jake's shoulder tightly. "They were not from ay nantang alone."

"Wait, what?"

"She has a knife wound, which is probably why the ay nantang were circling her. They
smelled her spilled blood and thought she was easy prey." Tsu'tey looks away, dropping his
hand from Jake's shoulder. "It may have been inflicted from a Na'vi blade, but that is unlikely.
None of the clans are in conflict right now."

Jake's eyes widen. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Tsu'tey meets his eyes again, lips thinning. "We will not know for sure until she wakes up.
She will be able to tell us what happened then." He sighs harshly. "This is not how I imagined
our reunion."

Jake stares at the ground, the implications of this new information running circles through his
mind. If it was really one of the RDA grunts that did this to Kyuna, then whatever happened
was up close and personal. With a gunshot, any trigger-happy moron could release a round
and hit a random target. But a knife? That's deliberate. No wonder she called him a demon.

"She's brave, you know." Tsu'tey looks at him like he already knows this, but he also seems
curious about whatever Jake has to say. "To have fought off the viperwolves like that,
especially when she was already injured."

The warrior laughs softly. "She has always been brave, even when we were little."

"How do you guys know each other?"

Tsu'tey's shoulders tense, and he's quiet for a moment. When he begins to speak, his words
are subdued. "Grace's school had been with us for many cycles at the time, and Mo'at wanted
to give the other clans the opportunity to learn from Grace's teachings. She invited the
Anurai, Tawkami, and Tipani clans to send some of their people for a season each cycle. The
Tawkami would have nothing to do with it, but the other two clans agreed. Kyuna and her
brother Rai'uk were some of the few that stayed.

Rai'uk. That was the name of the Na'vi who'd given Tsu'tey his ceremonial necklace.
"Both of them were older than me, Sylwanin and Neytiri, but we had so many things in
common. When they came to stay with us each season, the five of us were inseparable. They
were great hunters—are... great hunters." Tsu'tey releases a harsh breath. "But just like
Sylwanin, both Kyuna and Rai'uk were enraged by the Sky People destroying our home.
They joined the war party that destroyed several digging machines. When the Sky People
showed up at the school to retaliate, one of them severed her tswin before Rai'uk could stop
him. They managed to flee, but we have not seen them since. The Anurai have cut off all ties
from us, and the Tipani are hesitant to open any communication."

Jake frowns heavily, his heart sinking. "I'm sorry..."

The whole thing is so much worse than he thought, and it makes anger course through him.
It's fucking barbaric what the RDA is doing just to make a buck. Are they even here to ensure
the survival of humanity? Or are their wallets so far up their asses that they're blinded by
greed?

He leans past Tsu'tey, peering over the warrior's shoulder to look at the injured Na'vi. All of
Kyuna's wounds are smeared with a paste and bandaged, similar to how his own wounds
were patched up a month ago. His have healed nicely, but the thanator had left him with a
pretty nasty scar on his leg. Jake wouldn't be surprised if Kyuna's scar too. She bled a lot, and
Tsu'tey wears the evidence to prove it. She's lucky they made it back on time.

Tsu'tey inhales sharply and Jake's head tilts to look at him. When he realizes how close the
movement puts their faces together, he pulls back quickly, stuttering out an apology.

For a moment, the warrior looks like he's just remembered something. Then he stares at Jake
with this indecipherable look. It's the same one he'd worn back in the forest, right before
they'd heard Kyuna's cries. "Can I ask..." Tsu'tey pauses awkwardly, his gaze flitting back and
forth between the ground and Jake's face.

Jake ducks his head to meet the warrior's downturned eyes, but Tsu'tey's gaze just skitters
away again. He's never been this reserved about something, and it's making Jake really
fucking curious. "What?" His tail agitatedly twitches behind him. "Ask what? Tsu'tey, c'mon!
You can't leave me hanging like this!"

Tsu'tey clears his throat. "It is just… back in the forest, when we fell down the hill—I thought
something smelled... off."

"Smelled… off?" He asks. "I don't understand, what do you mean?" As far as Jake's
concerned, everything had been fine—except for maybe the whole "tumble down the hill"
thing in general. And laying right on top of the warrior for god knows how long. Oh Jesus,
what if he smelled like shit? Maybe he should apologize for tha—

He's stopped mid-thought by Tsu'tey. "Your scent. It was different from any other Na'vi or
dreamwalker I have met." His scent? Why would his—oh. Yeah. Grace had told him about
that after his first avatar drive. But Jake doesn't think that a different scent is that big of a
deal. Besides, she said it's only a little different from regular Na'vi, just because of—his tail
falls completely still.
Oh.

Oh.

The warrior is looking at him searchingly, and whatever happens on Jake's face must give
him some kind of confirmation, because his eyes widen.

Which means Tsu'tey knows.

It seems like an age has passed since Grace explained to him the biological difference in his
avatar, and Jake had almost forgotten all about it. It was a shock, yeah, but he'd come to terms
with it quickly. If anything, his whole reaction had been kind of lackluster. But really, how
else was he supposed to respond? His avatar's biological differences wouldn't have any
impact on him.

At least, that's what he thought at the time. Looking at Tsu'tey's wide eyes now, Jake feels
like an ice-cold bucket of water has been dumped on him.

Everything's changed since then. He's spent more time with the Na'vi than with humans over
the past month, and Jake can feel his realities starting to get mixed up. It's like the dream is
outside of the link, and this—this is the real world. Jake's gone and tangled himself up with
Omaticaya, and now he's hopeless to pull himself back, to stay objective. Because there's a
small part of Jake's heart that's being taken over by Pandora, and he doesn't think he can stop
it from happening. He cares about how well he's doing in training, cares about the People,
cares about becoming one of them.

And above everything, he cares about what Tsu'tey thinks.

Jake shouldn't—shouldn't give a damn about any of it, but he can't lie to himself.

And now Tsu'tey knows, which probably means the whole clan will find out too. What the
fuck are they gonna think? Grace told him that if they ever found out, they'd be pissed that a
dreamwalker is intersex. Like he's tarnishing something sacred.

Jesus, he's gonna be a fucking pariah.

Panic shoots through his entire body and Jake's thoughts begin to spiral. But then Tsu'tey's
hand rests on his shoulder, startling him and effectively drawing him out of his mental freak-
out. "Nga lu tamìng syawn fa fì tsu'o te hena tìrey." The warrior whispers, which doesn't help
him at all. After a second, Tsu'tey seems to remember that his Na'vi still isn't that good yet,
and he switches back to English. "You are tutétan... blessed to carry. Aren't you?"

Tsu'tey rests a hand on his midsection, and all of Jake's nerves go haywire in that instant. He
doesn't stop to think about the fact that Tsu'tey doesn't sound mad, or disgusted. No, his
goddamn brain is still circling around the idea of the whole clan hating him, of throwing him
out to the viperwolves. Jake feels like a cornered animal, and he needs to just get away.

"Jake?"
He pulls away quickly, taking a few unsteady steps back. "You should be with Kyuna." He
needs some space. And he fucking needs it now. He quickly heads back down the spiral
column, vaguely aware of the footsteps following him.

"Jake, come back!"

"I told you to go be with your friend." He says through gritted teeth. "We don't need to talk
about this—this thing."

The footsteps quicken, and the next thing he knows, Tsu'tey is standing in front of him,
stopping him from taking another step. He ushers the both of them into a hollow beside the
staircase. "Why are you acting like being tutétan is a bad thing? It is a gift, Jake!" Tsu'tey
reaches a hand out to reassure him, but he jerks his shoulder back.

His breaths are coming faster now. "It might've been a gift if I was actually one of you guys,
but I'm not! I'm not Na'vi!"

"Jake—"

"The clan is gonna hate me, Tsu'tey!" Jake talks over him, unable to stop the words now that
they're flowing out of him. "Grace told me about male carriers—about tutétan. She said
they're sacred to your people, and that I shouldn't have this. It's something that's meant for
one of you, not a dreamwalker. It's wasted on me, and how many people are gonna despise
me for that? I'm already an outcast as it is!" His tail lashes behind him.

Tsu'tey manages to grasp both of Jake's shoulders. "Ma Eywa, Jake. Calm down, you are
thinking too much." The warrior's eyes soften, and he squeezes Jake's shoulders. "I do not
despise you, do I?"

"I—" He trails off lamely. "Don't you?"

Tsu'tey laughs in surprise, shaking his head lightly. "No, of course not. Why would I hate you
for something that is a blessing?"

Jake huffs out a breath, his heart slowing down. "Okay, yeah I—okay." But the anxiety still
curls under his skin, and all of his doubts are still swimming around in his head. "That's just
you though. What about the rest of the clan? I know that it's not gonna be all sunshine and
rainbows with everyone. It just gives them more of a reason to hate me."

Tsu'tey's face is conflicted. "Perhaps. Not everyone may understand it as Eywa's will." His
eyes get a steely glint to them. "But I am future Olo'eyktan, and the clan respects that. No one
will mistreat you if you're under my protection."

Jake shakes his head. "I don't know..." He rubs his temple, feeling a headache coming on. "I
just—this is uncharted territory, right? It would be better for everyone if this doesn't get out."

"But—"

"No, Tsu'tey. Blessing or not, I just—I don't think I can deal with any more whispers behind
my back. Besides, you guys don't need anything else to worry about, with this whole Kyuna
situation that's happening."

The warrior stares at him for a few tense moments, his nose scrunching up in indecision.
"Okay," Tsu'tey finally concedes. "I understand. I will not tell anyone." And the warrior looks
completely earnest about it.

Jake blinks, relief flooding through him. He'd felt things spiraling out of control back there,
and it had scared him shitless. He's a little embarrassed by the minor breakdown he just had,
but mostly, he feels exhausted. It could've been worse though. After all, Tsu'tey did just
promise not to tell anyone, and he doesn't actually hate Jake.

He thinks he can count that as a win.

"Thank you."

-+-

It takes two more days before Kyuna finally wakes up.

In that time, he and Tsu'tey fall back into a normal routine. They train like usual and for the
most part, nothing feels out of the ordinary. The only sign that their conversation ever
happened is the warrior's occasional stares. Tsu'tey always does it whenever he thinks Jake
isn't looking, but he catches him red-handed several times.

"Tsu'tey." He'd hissed under his breath on one occasion. "If you start acting all weird, I'm
gonna lose it."

The warrior had raised his hands in defense. "What? I am not acting weird. That is your
imagination." But Jake swore that he saw a light dusting of purple on Tsu'tey's face.

In any case, he doesn't tell Grace about it—about any of it. The last thing he needs is to be
yanked out of the program because she thinks the Omaticaya are gonna attack his avatar or
something. And that's not even getting into the whole Kyuna situation. After what Tsu'tey
told him, Jake doesn't want to bring her up in front of Grace. All it would do is dredge up bad
memories and old hurts, and he doesn't want to do that to her. He knows what it's like for
people to pour salt on an open wound.

The morning that Kyuna wakes up, Neytiri is the first to find out. She comes sprinting over to
where he and Tsu'tey are eating breakfast, with Ka'ani and Saeyla sitting across from them.

"Ma Tsu'tey, Kyuna is awake!"

Tsu'tey shoots to his feet, then offers a hand for Jake to pull himself up. He turns to his other
two students. "Ka'ani, Saeyla. Go find Arvok for training. There is much to discuss with
Kyuna, and I won't be able to teach you today."

"Karyuuu," Ka'ani whines. "But Arvok has been running us ragged! And why is Jake allowed
to accompany yo—"

"Aish, do not argue. Just go."

Ka'ani and Saeyla trudge off dejectedly, going to find Arvok. Once they're gone, the three of
them make their way to Mo'at and Eytukan's marui. As they go up the spiral column he asks
Neytiri, "How is she?"

"She is doing fine." Neytiri huffs and he can tell there's another story behind her tone. "She is
being stubborn though... refusing to eat until she speaks to both my father and Tsu'tey."

Jake's brows furrow. "That can't be good. She definitely has some serious news." As they
near the marui, he slows down. "Maybe I should stay back. We didn't exactly have the best
first meeting."

Neytiri looks at him seriously. "If this has anything to do with the Sky People, then you need
to be involved." She grabs his arm and pulls him forward, giving him a look. "And she is not
some rabid nantang that will attack the second she sees you."

Yeah, right. Jake has trouble believing that.

Tsu'tey and Neytiri enter the marui first, and he follows behind them, hiding in the back.
Kyuna is propped up towards the side of the room, blankets covering her torso. When she
sees Tsu'tey, her face brightens a little bit, losing some of the dourness from before.

"I see you, Tsu'tey." He returns the phrase while she looks him up and down, smiling slightly.
"You have grown into a mighty hunter since I saw you last. Those ay nantang did not stand a
chance." Jake does his best to follow along, and he thinks he can get the jist of what they're
saying. There's a lot of it that's lost to him though.

Tsu'tey smiles back, crouching down next to her. "Ah, but you were fending them off quite
well on your own." He gestures at the leaf wrappings that stick out from under the blanket. "If
you did not have that wound, then they would have been no problem for you."

Her face gets somber then, and she looks toward everyone else in the room. When her eyes
land on Jake, they widen slightly before narrowing into slits. She releases a low hiss, moving
for the knife laying beside her. Tsu'tey pushes her chest back into the blankets, and she makes
a betrayed face.

Oh god, here we go.

"What is this vrrtep doing here? I thought I had imagined his presence—that I was delusional
from blood loss." Her voice shakes with anger, and her eyes burn with fury." You would let a
dreamwalker into Kelutral after everything that has happened? After they did this to me?"
She pulls the stump of her queue into view, displaying it for everyone in the room to see.
Tsu'tey cringes at the sight, inhaling sharply.

Mo'at steps forward, calm as ever. "We have not forgotten all the pain that has been caused
by the Sky People, nor have we forgotten that awful day." She glances at Jake, and he shifts
uncomfortably. It always seems like she can see right through him. "But circumstances have
changed. There was a sign from Eywa, and he is learning how to become one of us."
 "How could he ever become one of the People? That is foolishness!" She makes an
aggressive motion with her hand, like she's warding off evil. "Do you not learn from your
mistakes? It was your acceptance of ay vrrtep that led to disaster in the first place!"

"You speak out of place child!" Mo'at snaps back and fixes her with a look. "It is up to us to
decide whether it is a worthy endeavor or not."

Neytiri sits beside Kyuna, across from Tsu'tey. She grabs her hand, looking at her pleadingly.
"Our clans have not spoken in many cycles, Kyuna, and much has changed. Why have you
come back now? What happened?"

"I will not say another word until this vrrtep leaves the room." She looks at Jake accusingly.
"It was his kind that inflicted this wound upon me. For all I know, he may be working with
that txanfwìngtu Sean Wallen."

Tsu'tey shakes his head, confusion written all over his features. "Kyuna, what are you talking
about?"

"I have come to ask for the help of the Omaticaya. The Anurai clan is in danger."

Chapter End Notes

nga lu tamìng syawn fa fì tsu'o te hena tìrey: you are blessed with the ability to carry life
tutétan: intersex
txanfwìngtu: bastard

thoughts on this chapter? tsu'tey rightfully knows his secret now and Ooo boi! kyuna?
your inner saeyla is showing.

Mitzi has finals coming up so she and I will be pushing chapter twenty back by a week!
(aka: there will be no update next week)

Art
Art
 Chapter 20
Chapter Summary

high tensions! intrigue! protective tsu'tey! stubborn jake!

this chapter has it all ;)

Chapter Notes

check out the end notes for art created by Shadow_Ink!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Hrrap? What kind of hrrap do you speak of, child?" Mo'at asks, her eyes crinkled in a mix
of confusion and concern.

Jake mentally thanks Neytiri for her lessons in Na'vi, because he can follow along well
enough to understand that Kyuna had just dropped some pretty bad news. Hrrap—it means
danger. And the Anurai are in it. He's not all that surprised by the realization, but it still sends
an uncomfortable shiver down his spine.

It doesn't help that Kyuna's burning holes into him with her eyes. If looks could kill, he'd be
six feet under by now. Jake shifts uneasily, his eyes barely meeting hers. "This vrrtep has no
business meddling in my people's affairs."

"Kyuna, you said that the ay tawtute are involved, didn't you? That is why you have come to
us for help." Neytiri squeezes her hand even tighter, finally drawing Kyuna's eyes towards
her. "If that is the case, Jake could help you. He might know something—"

"That is exactly my worry, tsumuketsyìp. With a false body, he could be anywhere. Revealing
our secrets to the enemy!" She shakes off Neytiri's hand, scowling even harder. "Have you
not thought about this possibility? Of the great risk he poses just by standing here?"

Tsu'tey makes a disapproving noise, shaking his head vehemently. "Of course we have
thought about it—we have scouts watching him. He has been at the Ayram Alusìng for a
month, and his tawtute body has not left once."

"Tsu'tey, I do not want him involved," she starts to say, but the warrior isn't listening to her
anymore. He's already turning towards Jake. "Tsu'tey—!"
"Jake," he murmurs. "Is there any reason for the Sky People to be in Anurai territory?" His
eyes are searching Jake's face, his own expression hesitant, almost guarded. Jake decides that
he really fucking hates that look, and a small amount of annoyance bubbles up at Kyuna for
putting that inkling of doubt on the warrior's face.

But as much as he wants to immediately give them all the information they need, no amount
of wracking his brain makes an answer come to mind. "Uh, I mean—not that I know of?"
Kyuna's eye twitches, and he notices it. Jake stumbles over his next words as he rushes to
clarify his vague response. "Augustine's program is in another division separate from security
and military operations. Avatar drivers aren't really involved with those, um, other warriors.
Grace makes sure of that."

For a beat, Tsu'tey continues to gaze at him intently. But he must see the honesty written on
Jake's face because his tense shoulders sag slightly. The movement is so minute that Jake
almost misses it, but he feels a warm wave of satisfaction course through him—Kyuna's
accusations hadn't swayed Tsu'tey's trust in him.

The warrior turns back to the injured Na'vi, spreading his hands wide. "You see, Kyuna? You
can trust him." He turns his head to look back at Jake, a small and teasing smile on his lips.
"And Jake is a terrible liar. I would know if he had been dishonest just now." Jake grins back
at Tsu'tey, but a disgusted noise draws both of their attention back to Kyuna.

Her nose is crinkled up in distaste, eying the two of them. "Trust? Is that not what the
scientist asked for too?" Her English is surprisingly good, just as clear as Neytiri and
Tsu'tey's. Her biting words in Na'vi almost made Jake forget that she'd learned English at
Grace's school too. She scoffs, switching right back to Na'vi. "Where did trust lead us? Ay
tawtute have caused too many deaths... taken so much," her voice breaks a little on the last
word, but she keeps going, "and you want me to trust?"

Jake shakes his head. "Grace did her best—"

Hissing, Kyuna makes a move to stand, but Neytiri quickly pushes her back. "Do not act as
though you know! You were not there!"

"You're right," Jake frowns. "I'm sorry."

"Saying sorry does nothing!" Kyuna snaps back. "The damage done by you demons is far
past a sorry ."

His ears flatten slightly, her words carving a hole in his chest. "Y'know, I might be able to
help repair some of that damage. If I may?" He looks at Mo'at, waiting for her permission to
continue. When she nods, he begins to speak tentatively. "Augustine has been here much
longer than I have—she knows how those guys operate, a lot better than I do. She has to if
she wants to keep the Avatar Program up and running."

Tsu'tey's ear flicks, his expression looking like a warning. After their last conversation about
Grace, the warrior had been less inclined to curl his nose up whenever Jake mentioned her.
But that doesn't mean he's fully come around to her yet, and Jake doesn't think he's even
brought up his request to Eytukan yet. He knows that it'll take some time. "Jake—"
He waves his hands out in front of him. "I'm not saying that you guys should ask for her
advice about the situation! Just—maybe I can get some kind of intel from her?" A chorus of
protests explodes all at once, and he has to raise his voice, frantically waving his hands again.
"Hey, hey, just hear me out, alright? I don't want to interfere with your personal feelings
toward her. But… I can poke around, ask her about some stuff on the down low. I wouldn't
tell her that it has anything to do with you guys. I'd just chalk it up to curiosity."

Mo'at approaches him and places a hand on his shoulder. "Would you have the discretion to
do this without raising her suspicions?" She asks. "Involving her would only complicate
things further."

Jake swallows the lump in his throat. "Yeah—yeah, I would. There's also this pilot I could
ask, Trudy. She probably wouldn't think anything of my questions." He hesitates for a split
second, biting his lip. "Augustine explained to me why the RDA is cutting down your trees
and digging up your land. As far as I know, they have no reason to go toward Anurai
territory. They're searching for a specific mineral, and there was no mention of unobtanium
prospects in regions outside of the forest. Most of the deposits are in and around Omaticaya
territory." He suppresses the urge to glance at the earth beneath his feet, where the
unobtanium they seek is. The dozers won't arrive for another four months, but Jake still has
no plan, no clue what he's gonna do when the Colonel's deadline expires. The more time he
spends here, the more he realizes that they'll never leave Hometree. All he can do is pray that
when the time comes, the Omaticaya will trust him.

Kyuna's eyes sharpen in mistrust as she notices how his eyes dart back and forth. "You are
hiding something." She seethes. All eyes are on him now, waiting for a response.

"I—" His chest tightens and he takes a small, calming breath. "I know as much as I just told
you. That's it. We left the main base because Grace didn't want to risk any information getting
to the head of security, and we're cut off from almost everyone else. Y'know, Grace cares
about this forest and your people—"

"Pxasìk!" At Kyuna's outburst, Jake inadvertently takes a step back. "I will hear no more
from you!" She turns to the others. "Can you not see it!? This vrrtep deceives you, and you
fall for it! Who is to say that he was not put here to report back to the other ay vrrtep?"

Tsu'tey gets up with a hiss and he runs his hands through his braids. "He is not, Kyuna! Have
you not been listening to him?" His voice is raised in frustration. "They left their metal home
weeks ago! You are consumed by your anger and you are on edge from your painful journey, I
get that. But Jake was not a part of what happened, and you cannot blame him."

Kyuna looks hurt for a moment, but she quickly hides the emotion. She crosses her arms,
looking off to the side. "I will say no more until he is gone. You might be fooled, but I am not.
" Some of her vitriol has burned out, but her eyes are still hard.

"Kyuna, please—"

"I will not repeat myself. He goes," she nudges her head in Jake's direction, deliberately
switching to English, "or I will remove him myself." She lays a hand on her knife, letting
everyone know exactly what she means by remove.
Tsu'tey lets out an enraged hiss, but she doesn't back down in the face of his challenge. "You
will not lay a hand on him."

"Then he leaves. You might let him discover your secrets, your weaknesses, but I will not let
him gain any information on my clan."

Tsu'tey gives her an angry glare and then abruptly turns away. The warrior places a hand on
Jake's shoulder, an apology in his eyes. "Jake…"

"I understand. I'll be right outside." It's clear that fighting with Kyuna is taking a toll on
Tsu'tey, and Jake doesn't really want to put a wedge in their friendship. And Jake gets it, gets
Kyuna's distrust of dreamwalkers and anything to do with humans. So he figures that it's time
to beat a hasty retreat.

"Ngaytxoa," Tsu'tey whispers, his voice soft.

Before exiting the marui, Jake gives Kyuna one last glance, and she never takes her eyes off
of him. As soon as he turns around the corner though, he runs right into Tsu'tey's three older
students. All of them hastily pull away, trying to pretend that they weren't standing there
eavesdropping, and he cracks a small smile at the thought. When they realize it's just Jake,
they settle down and breathe a collective sigh of relief. Maru grabs his arm, pulling him to
the side. Next to them, there's a seam in the marui that they were probably spying from.

"Is it true?" Maru whispers, looking at him with wide eyes. "Are the Anurai under the attack
of ay tawtute?"

Jake purses his lips. "That's what it sounds like. I'm not sure what the whole story is though."

Atan is bent down in a crouch, peering through the seam while Takuk leans over him,
straining to see as well. They look ridiculous, and if Jake didn't know any better, he would
say they were Tsu'tey's younger students, not his older ones. Jake cocks an eyebrow. "You
know, if they look in this direction, they'll probably be able to see you peeping into the
marui."

Takuk hurriedly shushes him. "Quiet! They might hear you." Jake rolls his eyes. It's a miracle
these knuckleheads haven't been caught already. He turns to Maru instead.

"Do you think..." He starts, "Could you maybe translate what they're saying for me?"

Maru considers his request for a moment before agreeing, shooting him a sly smile. Still
concealed behind the marui cover, the two of them crouch down and spy through another
nearby seam.

"Alright," Tsu'tey says, and the irritation in his voice is crystal clear. He can only see the
warrior's back, but Kyuna's face is clearly visible from this angle. She's still tense, but a lot of
her anger seems to have bled out of her. Mostly, she just looks dead-tired. "You received what
you wanted. Are you going to speak now?"
"What has changed, Tsu'tey?" She asks, her voice imploring. "Why are you so easily trusting
the ay vrrtep again?"

The warrior sighs. "Jake Sully is different, Kyuna. He is not like the other Sky People. If you
gave him a chance, maybe you would see that too."

"I find that difficult to believe. All I see is a threat to the safety of your home, the safety of
your family. You made a vow to protect all your loved ones after Sylwanin's death. That is
why you left her murderer with a physical reminder of you." She shakes her head. "What
happened to that Tsu'tey, the Tsu'tey I remember? "

"That is still me, Kyuna! The only difference is that I am no longer blinded by my grief and
rage. I see things clearly now, and I follow Eywa's signs. Perhaps you should do the same—"

"How am I supposed to follow Eywa's will when I cannot even feel her anymore?!" Kyuna
cries out, her voice cracking and shattering. Maru's translation turns hesitant and somber, and
she can't look Jake in the eye. "His kind are the ones that ripped me from her grasp!"

"Kyuna…I—"

Jake shrinks away from the marui, his ears tucked tightly against his head. He gets to his feet
and walks away without another word, leaving Maru to stare after him. He just—he doesn't
think he can listen any longer. He'll let Tsu'tey fill him in later.

He ends up lying on the ground against a trunk for the remainder of their meeting, twirling
his knife in his hand and staring up at the sky. It's been an hour or two when he notices
Tsu'tey rapidly descending the spiral column, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor. The warrior
walks right past him, too preoccupied with whatever is running through his mind to notice
that Jake is sitting right there. "Tsu'tey?"

Tsu'tey startles and turns abruptly, searching for the person who called his name. His posture
relaxes once he notices Jake.

"Is... is everything all right?"

Tsu'tey sits next to him, massaging his temples. "No, it is... worse than we thought. I will tell
you what we discussed, even though Kyuna might skin me if she finds out." He chuckles
dryly, but his small smile fades quickly. "The Anurai are in a dire situation."

Jake twiddles his thumbs, his stomach churning. "Are there actually humans in their
territory?"

"Yes, there are." Tsu'tey breathes deeply. "Kyuna said about six seasons ago, the ay tawtute
began constructing a camp not far from their valley. Metal homes that house a lot of your
people. For a while they did nothing, but eventually, they started to raid their villages. Killed
some of their people." The warrior's expression turns stormy then.

"Why?" Jake asks. "Do they want something? Is it the mineral they look for here?"

He shakes his head, murmuring a quiet no. "Kyuna says it's their artifacts."
"Artifacts? What do you mean?"

"Ceremonial bows, necklaces, totems... things children receive from their family. The
traditional items that are made after completing their Iknimaya."

Jake takes that in for a moment, turning over all the new information in his mind. He recalls
the conversation he had with Quaritch and Selfridge in the command deck weeks ago. He'd
snatched a look into Selfridge's office and Jake remembers seeing a bow hanging on his back
wall, but that wasn't the only thing there. There was also something that looked like a
dreamcatcher, and Jake had never seen anything like it in Hometree. He'd thought nothing of
it at the time, but now the realization is like a slap in the face. The dreamcatcher sitting pretty
on his office wall was probably an Anurai artifact, looted from its original owners. Of
fucking course that goddamn sleazeball was in on it.

But this entire situation? It makes sense that neither he nor Grace has heard anything about it.
Because the corporate dirtbags in charge of this affair probably don't want it to get out—don't
wanna put a goddamn stain on the RDA's reputation. If Jake had to hazard a guess, he would
bet all his money that the entire operation they're conducting out there is under the books.
Black market shit. Illegal.

He groans loudly as the realization settles in, and his face falls into his hands. If Selfridge is
involved, the Anurai are in some deep shit.

"What is it?" Tsu'tey asks.

"I—erm... it's just," he takes a deep breath. "The boss at Hell's Gate—his office has artifacts.
A bow, a dreamcatcher. Things like you said. I thought they were just your people's things,
taken when the school incident happened. But now..." Jake looks at Tsu'tey pointedly, and
understanding passes over the warrior's face. "This man, he's a greedy guy—does things for
money. If he's stealing artifacts, he probably believes there's some kind of value to them...
what else did Kyuna say?"

"Does a 'Sean Wallen' sound familiar to you?"

He thinks for a moment, releasing a frustrated sound when nothing comes to mind. "No.
Since Grace kept me pretty close, the only guys I know are other avatar drivers and
scientists."

"Kyuna says that Sean Wallen runs the metal home in their territory. Before she came here,
she and her brother were scouting the base. They overheard him arguing with someone about
'destroying the Anurai'. She told me that Wallen is overly aggressive and rash, and it's only a
matter of time before he disobeys his orders. Their scouting party tried to kill him then and
there but..."

Jake sucks in a breath. "Is that how she got the knife wound?"

"Yes. Her brother urged her to escape and come straight to us for help. She fears that their
attempt may have simply fueled his motivation." Tsu'tey sighs hard. "Eytukan is reluctant to
send help. After so many years of severed ties, and the possibility that this may come back to
hurt us, he thinks the Anurai are out of line to ask for our help. But Mo'at and Neytiri are
persuading him to change his stance, and I believe they will be able to win him over. The
most likely outcome is a war party being sent to help them."

Jake's heart drops. "You'll be going, won't you? I want to help too—"

Tsu'tey quickly shakes his head. "No, I cannot allow that. If you go, Kyuna will not be the
only one you have to deal with. The Anurai will not treat you kindly."

Frustration wells up in Jake's chest, and he leans into the warrior's space. "Tsu'tey, can't you
see how much of an asset I would be? I know how humans operate, how they fight. Fucking
hell, I'm probably the most qualified person for this war party!" Jake looks at Tsu'tey
pleadingly. "This could help me prove myself. Prove that I'm not an enemy—a demon!"

"Jake, you are not going! End of story!" Tsu'tey doesn't allow him to speak any further as he
stands up, stalking away.

He releases a string of curses that would make his mom roll in her grave. "Goddamn it!" He
doesn't understand why Tsu'tey is turning a blind eye to how useful he could be to them.
Sure, the Omaticaya have dealt with humans for far longer than the Anurai, but Jake is
fucking one of them. If they go without him, there's a high chance they might not come back.
The thought of Tsu'tey laying on the ground, bleeding out because of some jarhead marine or
hired gun sends a shock of terror coursing through him.

Jake grits his teeth. He's gonna join that war party, one way or another.

It only takes three days for Kyuna to get up and going again, and Jake is kind of impressed by
how tough she is. She refuses to rest as much as Mo'at or Neytiri would like her to, and Jake
hears all about her stubbornness from Neytiri. But apparently, she's pretty insistent that they
leave as soon as possible. Jake avoids talking to Kyuna himself, especially after what
happened in Mo'at and Eytukan's marui. It's like they're a couple of stray cats, circling around
each other with their tails puffed up. He sees her walking around Hometree a lot like she's
getting familiar with a place that's been irrevocably changed, even though it's probably
mostly the same. There's only so much change a giant tree trunk can experience in the course
of only a few years, but Jake guesses it's about perspective or something.

But even though they never speak, he doesn't miss the intense stares she gives him. It doesn't
matter if she's huddled beside a cookfire or surrounded by other Omaticaya, her attention is
always on him.

It's really fucking unsettling.

It's like she's constantly assessing a threat—a target that she needs to take out. And Jake
knows that he should probably try and speak to her again, to make a case for himself.
Especially if he was going to be worming his way into the delegation being sent to the
Anurai. But sue him if he's a little intimidated, alright? He's sure anyone would be scared of
approaching a pissed-off Kyuna who's making death threats with just her eyes. Tsu'tey is
quick to pick up on this, and he's almost always with him, like a personal bodyguard.
Admittedly, it is pretty sweet of him, and Jake finds himself enjoying the extra time with
Tsu'tey maybe more than he should.

But it's also putting a goddamn wrench in his plans to talk to Eytukan.

Jake's given up on trying to convince Tsu'tey, but the Olo'eyktan? He's a reasonable man, and
Jake knows that if he explains the situation to him, he'll be able to go with the war party.
Whether Tsu'tey likes it or not. But it's kind of difficult to speak with the Olo'eyktan, in
private, when the warrior is hanging off of him like a koala. Jake ignores the little voice in
the back of his head that says he'd really be enjoying this if he didn't have underhanded little
plans to carry out.

An opportunity finally presents itself when Neytiri asks for him to gather some of her
mother's medicine and bandages. Saeyla had an accident while she was out training with
Arvok—nothing major, but Tsu'tey had immediately gone to check on her.

Jake thanks every higher power out there for Saeyla's tendency to touch plants that she
shouldn't be touching.

He gathers some of her medicines into a basket as fast as he can, and then rapidly descends
the staircase. Eytukan had gotten back from a hunt a little while ago, but Jake has no idea
where he's gone. He darts through the several areas in the bottom level of Hometree, trying to
find the Olo'eyktan without drawing any attention. After a few minutes, he finally spots him,
field-dressing one of their kills in a small group of senior hunters.

Bingo.

He moves away from the pillar he'd been shielding himself with, but as soon as he takes a
step forward, he's whirled around and slammed into the tree bark. He lets out a startled gasp
and drops the medicine basket with a clatter. A hand quickly covers his mouth and a knife is
pressed against his throat.

In front of him are Kyuna's blazing eyes. He makes a muffled sound, and she drops her hand
slowly. "Do not make a sound. If you shout or call out for help, I will cut."

"Kyuna? Wh–what are you doing!?"

"I should be the one asking you that, vrrtep!" She whispers harshly, pulling them into an
alcove. Her knife stays at his throat the entire time. "You skulk around Kelutral, hiding in the
shadows and doing the opposite of what you should be doing. I know you are up to no good,
you demon ."

Shit. He'd been trying to be sneaky, but now that plan is blowing up right in his goddamn
face. "Okay... okay I know that it doesn't look the best, but I was just trying to talk to
Eytukan! I needed to get away from Tsu'tey for a little while to do that. I wasn't trying to pull
anyth—"

Kyuna hisses and pushes her knife harder against Jake's neck, and he can feel a trickle of
blood trail down from the small cut. "Why would you need to get away from Tsu'tey to do
that?" Her eyes have a dangerous glint to them, and Jake knows he's walking on eggshells
right now. One wrong move, and poof. No avatar. No training with the Omaticaya. No
Tsu'tey.

"Kyuna… I know it's hard to believe, but I'm not out to destroy the Na'vi. I gain nothing from
it. In fact, I'd be losing almost everything that's important to me." Her expression twists into
something like disbelief, but she doesn't interrupt him. "As a human... I—I can't walk. So
being here with Omaticaya has been like a dream. And—I want to help you. Help the Anurai.
I was going to speak to Eytukan about joining the war party that's being sent out tomorrow."

For a moment, she looks taken aback, her ears flattening against her head and her eyes
widening. The knife against his throat falls slightly, and he takes in a big gulp of air. Hope
rises in him. Maybe he did get through to her. "You—" her face shutters, and then gets hard
again. "No. You lie. That is all ay tawtute do. Your kind has no sympathy, not when they
could do something as cruel as cut my tswin."

"Not all humans are like that. Whoever did that to you... they're an awful person. You don't
deserve everything you've been through."

Kyuna snarls. "You are just saying that to get out of this!" But Jake can see the smallest sign
of doubt lining her face.

Jake raises his hands slowly. "Please, I can help you take down this Sean Wallen guy. Just
give me a chance."

Kyuna stares at him for what seems like ages. But when she shakes her head and bares her
fangs, Jake feels his heart drop. "I gave a dreamwalker a chance once, and it cost me
everything. Perhaps you are a good man, but I cannot risk making that mistake again." She
raises her knife. "Take comfort, Jake Sully, this will not kill you. It will simply kill this false
body."

She brings down the knife, aiming it for the center of his chest.

Jake moves the fastest he's ever moved in his life, gripping her wrist tightly with both hands.
Kyuna lets out a surprised grunt, but Jake doesn't give her any time to regroup, raising his leg
and kicking it harshly into her midriff, narrowly missing the bandages wrapped there. She
stumbles back with a pained cry, and Jake moves to dart out of the alcove.

He barely gets a foot out before he's being tackled to the ground. "Fuck!"

Jake twists around, trying to wrap his legs around Kyuna and flip them over. But she's putting
all of her muscles into keeping him down, and he only manages to roll them halfway. One of
his hands pushes at her chest, while the other grips her knife hand. "Kyuna, don't do this! I
don't want to fight with you!"

The only response she gives him is a vicious bite to the arm that's holding her knife away
from him. He yells harshly, yanking his arm back to his chest, and it gives her the opening to
try and plunge her knife into him again.
He has a split second to think: This is it. I'll never link up again.

Then there's a yell behind him and all at once, the weight is knocked off of him. He
scrambles away in time to see Tsu'tey throw Kyuna against the ground, using his weight as
leverage.

It doesn't take Kyuna long to recover, and the two of them stare at each other, caught at an
impasse. Tsu'tey positions himself in front of Jake, and he extends one hand behind him
reassuringly, silently telling him to stay back. In the warrior's other hand is his own knife, and
he brandishes it warningly. "Do not make a stupid mistake, Kyuna! You forget that you are
not in Anurai territory. If you kill him, you make an enemy today rather than an ally!"

Kyuna falters then, the doubt that Jake had seen before rising back to the surface. " Why do
you protect him like this?" Her voice is strained, a mess of confusion and hurt. " You know he
will not truly die even if this body does! This is a precaution, for myself and for you!"

"Because Eywa forbids it!" Tsu'tey shouts, fury lacing every syllable. "But it does not take a
connection with Eywa to see that what you are doing is wrong! Even if you do not think you
can believe Jake, please, can't you place your faith in me? I am not a fool, and I trust him for
a reason."

The Anurai warrior releases a shaky exhale, looking back and forth between Tsu'tey and Jake.
"I—" Jake thinks he sees a light sheen coating her eyes, but none of the wetness falls. She
straightens up abruptly, sheathing her knife and avoiding everyone's gaze. A crowd has
formed around them, and Kyuna shifts uncomfortably when she seems to realize it. " Fine.
But only because I've always been right to place my trust in you, Tsu'tey. This is not for him."

Kyuna glances at Jake one last time before pushing through the crowd, disappearing around
the corner. When she's gone, Tsu'tey kneels in front of him, grabbing his arm to look at his
injury. He turns it back and forth gently before breathing out, "Thank Eywa, it is a superficial
wound." When he notices the cut on his throat, he hisses softly, tilting Jake's head up slightly.
"Tsahey! I cannot believe her!" He pulls Jake into an embrace, and he practically melts into it.
"You are okay... you are okay."

Jake pulls back a little, smiling shakily. "Can't get rid of me just yet. Looks like you're stuck
with me for the long haul." A laugh makes its way out of the warrior, and he shakes his head.

Tsu'tey helps him gather the spilled medicine bowl, grabbing some of the items before they
drop it off with Mo'at. After he'd taken so long to get back with the bowl, apparently the
Tsahik had sent Tsu'tey to go looking for him. And it's a good thing that she did, or else he'd
be minced meat right now. When they get to the Tsahik, she's already speaking with Eytukan,
a troubled look on her face.

And fuck, he'd never been able to even talk to the Olo'eyktan.

When Mo'at notices him and Tsu'tey, she walks over swiftly. "Sully, are you alright? Eytukan
caught wind of what happened."

"Yeah, just a little banged up. Nothing I can't handle."

Mo'at nods. "Good. I still need to tend to Saeyla, so Tsu'tey will have to care for your
wounds." The Tsahik shakes her head, her lips pursed. "Kyuna was out of line once again.
But we will be speaking to the clan tonight about how we will move forward."

Eytukan grumbles, his eyes hard. "I still think that we should not be sending valuable
warriors off to their clan. Especially after what Kyuna just did."

"I do not think she will attempt anything else," Tsu'tey says. "She has been… very conflicted.
But I believe she finally listened to what I said."

Mo'at chimes in, fixing her husband with a look. "And the actions of one insolent girl do not
reflect the whole clan." Mo'at looks back at them. "Go, dress your injuries. We will speak at
eclipse."

Tsu'tey leads him away, and Jake looks back at Eytukan regretfully. Even with everything
that just went down, he still wants to go with the envoy to Anurai territory. Because even if
the Anurai doesn't want his help, he wants to be there to watch Tsu'tey's back when the
gunfire rains down.

And that leaves Jake with only one last-ditch effort.

The warrior helps Jake bandage his forearm, and then helps to apply a solve to his throat. He
tries not to let his breath hitch whenever he smooths his fingers over the sensitive skin, but
it's kind of hard not to. Tsu'tey's eyes are focused on the job at hand, and the yellow iris is
dappled from the shadows of the leaves above them. Jake tries not to stare, and so he finds
his mouth moving instead.

"You were pretty badass today, coming in and saving the day like that."

Tsu'tey looks up, a confused expression on his face. "Badass?"

"Oh, like... really cool and tough." Jake laughs nervously, and Tsu'tey tuts when it makes him
smear the salve. But there's a small smile on the warrior's lips.

"I was only doing what needed to be done." He gets this earnest look. "I meant it when I said
you are under my protection. Nothing will happen to you under my watch."

Fuck. Jake doesn't know what to say to that, other than a small, "Thank you." He'd be
returning that favor whenever they got to Anurai territory. He'd make sure of it.

Eventually Neytiri comes to get them, leading them to the place where her parents would be
speaking. They end up standing in the center of Hometree, surrounded by a small group of
hunters. Looking around, Jake spies Maru, Takuk, and Atan in the group. Kyuna is there too,
standing in front of Mo'at and Eytukan with her head bowed down.

Mo'at hushes the larger crowd of Omaticaya that's formed around the rest of them. The only
sound that remains is the crackling torches. "My People, we have received terrible news, as
I'm sure many of you have heard through whispers and rumors. Our brothers and sisters of
the Anurai clan are under attack. They are being threatened by a rogue group of ay tawtute,
and we have been asked to aid them." Whispers roar to life at that, but Eytukan holds his
hand high in the air, and everyone falls silent again.

He steps forward. " Despite... recent events, we have decided to send a group of our warriors
to help them. We will abide by our alliance of ancient times, and honor our values to support
the brothers and sisters of Eywa'eveng. They will stay for a single battle, and then return
home to us. This is a monumental request that the Anurai has asked, and our decision has not
been made lightly." Eytukan looks around the space, his gaze finally landing on Tsu'tey.

" My successor, Tsu'tey, will be leading this party."

Tsu'tey steps forward, releasing an ululating cry that the other hunters join in on. Eytukan
begins listing off the names of everyone that would be joining him, all of them having
volunteered for the journey. Neytiri looks sullen from her place beside her parents. She'd
asked Eytukan to join the party too, but he had shot her down. He'd told her that they were
already sending the clan's next leader on an excursion; he didn't want to send both. Tsu'tey's
three older students are called as well, each of them looking proud. They'd recently passed
their Iknimaya, and were considered full-fledged hunters now.

Jake waits until the din dies down, and after the last name has been called, he steps forward.
He ignores the confused look Tsu'tey shoots him, taking a deep breath and meeting Eytukan's
eyes.

"I'd like to go as well."

Tsu'tey hisses furiously and Kyuna gets this constipated look on her face, but she otherwise
doesn't say anything else.

"Jake, no! We had this conversation—"

He cuts Tsu'tey off. "Yeah, and I understand where you're coming from. But these are the Sky
People—my people!" He doesn't miss Kyuna muttering under her breath. "Just because we're
the same species doesn't mean I agree with them. I have insight that no one else here does. I
can tell you how they fight, what their weak points are, where to hit them hard. I forgive
Kyuna's actions today, and I want to help her clan." And even if that's only half-true, no one
else has to know.

"Jake," Tsu'tey says, moving to stand in front of him. "What she did was wrong! You
shouldn't be forgiving her so quickly, much less volunteering to go to a clan that is just as
likely to kill you than welcome you!"

"If I were in her situation, I would have done the same. She was just looking out for her clan,
and yours. I had a team once—a family. They were killed, and I wanted to avenge them, but I
couldn't. So I get it, I get her anger." Jake shakes his head. "It's fine if the Anurai don't like
me, I'll have all of you guys to watch my back. I can take a little heat. And I'm pretty
confident they won't do anything once they realize I'm actively helping them take down Sean
Wallen."
 "Jake… Tsu'tey is right." He faces Neytiri, the one person he thought would have his back in
this. "Tensions are very high. Yes, there is a small war party that will surround you—but they
might not be able to protect you at all times." He frowns, but she does have a point.

"I can handle myself. I was a warrior—I flew planes, but I still received the same training for
on-ground combat too."

"Jake," Tsu'tey says, grasping his shoulder tighter, effectively drawing their eyes to meet.
"Rutxe, just stay here..."

His eyes are pleading, but Jake isn't gonna budge on this. He shrugs off his hand and takes a
step forward to Eytukan and Mo'at. "Allow me to go with Tsu'tey, please. Let me prove
myself to your people. I will only go with your permission."

Mo'at regards him for a minute, and then she turns to face her mate. They share a silent
conversation, and Mo'at is the first to speak. "What would Grace Augustine think of this?"

Jake's heart skips a couple of beats. He hadn't considered her opinion on the matter. She still
has no idea that Kyuna is even here, and he's made a point not to mention her in his video
logs. But if she knew what was about to happen, his ass would be grass. There are so many
risks that he's taking right now, and it would have her pulling her hair out in frustration.

Which is why he won't tell her. She doesn't need to know.

Not yet.

"Grace... doesn't know, and she won't. She'd probably try to stop me, but even then... I'd just
find another way."

Mo'at looks at Eytukan, nodding slightly. The Olo'eyktan steps forward once again, his voice
booming through the room with the finality of a judge's gavel. "It is decided! Jake Sully will
be joining the war party. Sleep well tonight, you will all leave at first light."

Chapter End Notes

hrrap: danger
tsumuketsyìp: little sister
pxasìk: screw that
ngaytxoa: sorry
rutxe: please

thoughts on this chapter? shit's bout to hit the fan, i can tell you that LMAO.

mitzi: we're finally making a major divergence from the canon plot! guys... get ready to
step into the world of the Anurai >:) things are about to get exciting
Art
 Chapter 21
Chapter Summary

this is one big chonk of a chapter, we hope you guys enjoy it!!!

🤭
off-topic comment from mitzi: the big boy edits are back on avatar tiktok and it’s filling
me with life love and happiness. long live the jake sully big boy edits

ALSO: read the end notes pls regarding changes to the schedule!

Chapter Notes

Shadow_Ink created more lovely art from last week's chapter so check out the end notes
for it!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jake is up bright and early the next day, standing in the center of Hometree with the rest of
the war party.

The morning had been tense as they prepared, and Jake halfway thinks that Tsu'tey's been
avoiding him. The warrior won't meet his eyes, always seeming to busy himself with
something whenever Jake attempts to come over to him. And then there's the scowl that's
been plastered on his face the whole time.

So yeah, he might be a little pissed.

It makes his chest heavy, but Jake isn't exactly sure how to make it all okay. It's not like he's
sorry for weaseling his way into the war party, because he's not. It's something he would do
all over again if he was given the chance. He'll just have to... to corner Tsu'tey or something
on the trip—get him to understand why he has to come with them.

The majority of the group is prepared to leave, with their ay pa'li saddled and ready. Jake
finishes tying the few items he's bringing with him to his pa'li, and he pats her side fondly,
looking around the group. Most everyone has finished saying their goodbyes, and now the
warriors are mingling with each other as they wait. Maru, Atan, and Takuk are whispering
excitedly amongst each other, while the older warriors like Beyral mill around in a small
group. The only person they're waiting on is Tsu'tey, but he's currently being held hostage by
none other than Tarsem. He's kneeling at his brother's eye level and he has a small smile on
his face, which is vastly different from his demeanor earlier this morning. The little boy is in
the middle of saying his long-winded goodbyes, and every time Tsu'tey attempts to pull away,
Tarsem seems to find something new to say.

Finally, Tarsem launches himself at Tsu'tey, burying his face in his chest. "Tsmukan, do you
have to go?"

Tsu'tey runs his hand over his brother's head fondly. "This is something I must do parultsyìp.
But I will be back before you know it, I promise." Jake catches the word promise, and it
makes his stomach churn. In the air force he'd learned never to use that damn word—realized
that he could never utter something so binding when he was about to go into a battle. He
shakes his head. This time will be different. He's gonna make sure that Tsu'tey keeps his
promise to Tarsem.

Jake startles when he hears Tsu'tey tell his brother, "Come, say goodbye to Jake as well." He
looks at him with wide eyes, but Tsu'tey's gaze is focused on his brother.

Tarsem immediately bounds over to Jake, latching onto his leg. "Bye, bye," he mumbles,
looking up at Jake with his cheek smushed against his thigh.

He laughs at the sight, leaning over to ruffle the boy's hair. Tsu'tey has been trying to teach
him English, so he's able to communicate with Jake better. Everytime Tarsem speaks the
language, it brings a smile to his face. "Bye kid, don't get into too much trouble while we're
gone."

Tarsem nods before turning back to his brother. "Potec... ma Jake!" He says it with a
furrowed brow line and pouty lips.

"I promise I will protect Jake." Tsu'tey reassures him, his eyes flickering up to Jake for a
moment. Then he places a hand on his heart, a mock-hurt expression overtaking his features.
"But what about me? Will I not need protection too?"

His brother scrunches his nose in concentration. "You stwong... no need... potec."

Tsu'tey smiles. "That's right, a future Olo'eyktan must be strong and protect others." He
scoops the boy up and places a kiss on his forehead. Then he hands him off to Arvok, who's
been waiting off to the side. When he walks back towards Jake, hope rises in his chest.
Maybe Tarsem was an olive branch, and the warrior's finally come back around.

That hope is crushed when he says, "I wouldn't need to offer my protection if you had just
stayed like I asked." Jake opens his mouth, but he's cut off before he can speak. "Stay with
the group as we ride. I cannot have anything happening to you before we even reach Anurai
territory." He passes Jake without another word, walking towards the place where Kyuna is
waiting for him next to his pa'li.

Jake is left standing there, his heart sinking. Fuck.

When the warrior finally climbs onto his mount, Kyuna hoists herself up and settles behind
him. The rest of the Omaticaya follow suit, mounting their own pa'li. "Ma Na'viya!" Tsu'tey
holds his bow aloft, and the war party looks upon him. "We ride! Kivä ko!" Kyuna wraps her
hands around Tsu'tey's middle as his pa'li rises on its hind legs. Then he takes off in a spray of
mud, and a war cry erupts between the others as they ride after them.

Showoffs.

Jake turns to give Tarsem one last look. Neytiri's there too now, standing next to Arvok and
the small boy. He waves to the two of them one last time before turning his attention to his
mount. He strokes her neck, whispering, "This time, let's try not to outrun them, girl," and the
pa'li appears to bob her head in agreement. She takes off in a sprint after he thinks forward ,
and they swiftly catch up with the rest of the group.

It's a long, long day of riding after that.

They travel until dusk, setting up a makeshift camp beneath a grove of trees that are next to a
river. Jake almost falls to the ground the second he dismounts, and he lets out a curse. No one
had ever told him that his ass would be so sore after doing nothing but sit on a goddamn pa'li
all day.

A couple of small fires are lit, giving them the warmth they need and a place to cook the fish
they catch. As soon as she's done eating, Kyuna skulks over to a secluded corner away from
the rest of them and curls under some palm fronds that she's using as a blanket. Jake watches
from the corner of his eye as she twists and turns for a while, her back facing the group. He
never thought she'd be so... standoffish with the rest of the Omaticaya as well. The entire day
she seemed like her mind was far-away, and apart from her planning with Tsu'tey, she was
oddly quiet. But Jake isn't complaining. If she's busy thinking about what's to come, then
she's less likely to maim Jake.

His attention is turned away from the Anurai warrior when Tsu'tey sits next to Jake. He hands
him a roasted fish, looking off to the side. "Eat this," he says gruffly, and Jake takes it from
him readily.

"Thank you." After a full-day of riding, it tastes like the best thing he's ever put in his
goddamn mouth. But Jake only takes a few more bites before setting down the skewer and
turning towards the warrior. "Tsu'tey... I know you didn't want me to come, but I need you to
understand why I did it."

The Na'vi looks at him for the first time in what feels like a whole day, and his expression
looks hurt. "You deliberately ignored me, and for what? To make this foolish decision?"

Jake lays a hand on his shoulder. "Foolish? I think it's the best decision I've made in a while."

"What—"

"You didn't want me to go because you think I'm needlessly risking my safety, but I'm not.
I'm doing it to make sure you're safe—" Jake coughs, catching himself, "t-to make sure the
whole party is safe. I know how humans operate, and if I didn't come along, you guys would
be going in blind." He takes a deep breath. "I can raise the chances of you coming back home
to Tarsem in one piece."
Tsu'tey's face falls, but at the same time, understanding seems to wash over him. "Oh. Jake,
I…"

Jake looks at him imploringly. "Don't stay mad at me, alright? I have a damn good reason for
being here, after all."

The warrior scowls. "Aish, do not give me those eyes. Alright, alright." He shakes his head.
"I still believe you should have stayed behind but... I understand." Tsu'tey clears his throat.
"Now eat the rest of your food. It is getting cold."

Jake smiles triumphantly, relief coursing through him. He happily complies with Tsu'tey's
request, munching on the perfectly roasted fish. "You know, for a guy who likes his fish raw,
you know how to cook a damn good filet."

Tsu'tey laughs, and Jake's heart lifts at the sound. "I have to, when you are incapable of
cooking your own without burning it."

Despite making amends with Tsu'tey, Jake finds it difficult to just close his eyes and unlink
that night. He keeps worrying that something might happen to his avatar now that they're
away from Hometree, even if he has a whole party to protect it. But when Tsu'tey offers to lie
by his side, some of his worry slips away. It finally allows his mind to calm down enough
that he can slip out of the neural connection.

Grace gives him an odd look when he pushes the hood of the link unit open, but he ignores it.
"Long day today, flyboy. Tsu'tey running you into the ground with training?"

Jake laughs dryly. "Yeah, you could say that." He doesn't let himself look at her as he
maneuvers himself into his wheelchair. "Did a lot of long-distance stuff today. He's trying to
build up my endurance." Which isn't entirely a lie. He can almost feel the phantom pains
from riding all day, a testament to his lack of fucking endurance. In any case, Grace seems to
accept the answer.

When morning comes, they ride at first light and continue until dusk again. Kyuna and
Tsu'tey set a harsh pace, and everyone else has no choice but to keep up. The one time Takuk
is caught in a complaint, Kyuna snaps back harshly.

"Do you want to arrive at a clan that's already been devastated by Sky People?"

Takuk wilts. "I... N—no. I don't—"

"Then we will keep the same pace." Tsu'tey gives her a disapproving look, but Kyuna keeps
her eyes straight ahead.

So with the exception of one meal break in the middle of the day, they don't stop. The pattern
continues the next few days, and by nightfall on the fourth day, they arrive in Anurai
territory.

A small line of mountains looms in front of them as they approach, stretching into the clouds
and spanning the horizon in front of them. They guide their pa'li through a dip in between the
peaks, and they emerge into a wooded valley, split in the center by a small river winding
outwards from one of the hillsides. The view is beautiful, almost idyllic, especially with the
veins of bioluminescence weaving through the dips and bends of the valley. But from their
viewpoint, Jake can see the river get smaller and narrower as it extends into the distance. The
copses of trees die out the further in the valley they are, with the land looking barren and arid
as the river dies out.

He wasn't sure about what sort of place the Anurai lived in, but it's safe to say that it wasn't
this. Maybe that's because, in the back of his mind, he'd thought all Na'vi lived in big-ass
trees. But he guesses it's just an Omaticayan thing.

As they ride up on the village, Jake takes in everything around him—there's a system of
marui pods linked together between the trees, but most of the living areas are on the ground
level rather than elevated. Positioned around the area are huge totems made out of bone and
wood, and they seem to make something like a path. The whole system stretches around
them, and the area is full of liveliness and chatter. Their village has just as many people—if
not more—than that of the Omaticaya. Most of them are gathered in and around their
dwellings and campfires, working on various projects.

He overhears Kyuna saying, "This is it." For the first time since he's been with her, she looks
like she's finally at ease.

Jake canters until he finds himself next to Tsu'tey, while the others slow their pace behind
them. By now, the Na'vi have noticed them—noticed him. A few of them point to where his
hands grip the antennae of his pa'li, undoubtedly whispering about the extra digit that
shouldn't be there. He thinks he catches a few murmurs of "vrrtep".

This should be fun.

There's a large tree at the center—nowhere near Hometree's size— but it's still massive in
comparison to the ones around it. Looking around, Jake realizes that the village radiates
outwards from the central location of the tree, surrounding it. A portion of the trunk has been
hollowed out, but it's not overly complicated. It seems like its only function is to act as an
alcove for a family—probably the family of the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik.

"Ma tsmuke!" A voice calls out.

A Na'vi emerges from around the corner, running towards Tsu'tey and Kyuna. The
resemblance between the two is uncanny, and it hits Jake that this must be her brother. He
looks more menacing than Tsu'tey did when they first met, and he thinks he's an inch or two
taller.

"Rai'uk!" Before Tsu'tey can stop his pa'li, Kyuna jumps off and runs straight into her
brother's arms for an embrace.

Tsu'tey hops off his mount, and Jake follows suit, as do the others. He tries to stay shielded
behind Tsu'tey, only peering over his shoulder enough to get a better look at Rai'uk. His attire
is more elaborate than both of them combined. Leather gauntlets hug his forearms and biceps,
and he also has one wrapped around his left calf. There's a brace around his middle, attached
to an over-shoulder strap. His necklace has a dreamcatcher design to it, but instead of it being
fashioned with feathers, there are four claw bones.

Rai'uk's braids have been shaved into a thin mohawk and at his hairline are another two
pieces of bone weaved in. All of the leather he wears is studded with stones and pebbles. In
his hand, he carries a massive club that looks like it's been carved out of some sort of bone.
Jake eyes the weapon, and moves more firmly behind Tsu'tey.

He does not want to be on the receiving end of that thing.

When Rai'uk breaks away from his sister and turns to face Tsu'tey, recognition flashes in his
eyes. "Tsu'tey? Oel ngati kameie tsmukan!" An easy smile dons his face, and it seems to
transform his tough exterior. "Look at you, you have grown so much! For having been such a
scrawny kid, you have put a lot of muscle on your bones. We will need that strength in the
coming days."

Tsu'tey groans, but a small grin tugs at his own lips. "Of course I have, I have much to live up
to and much to protect." He opens his arms wide. "I present to you the envoy sent by
Olo'eyktan Eytukan. We are here to help defend your clan."

Then Tsu'tey moves to the side, and Jake doesn't move quick enough to stay behind him.
Rai'uk's gaze is immediately drawn to Jake.

He glances at Tsu'tey. "And who is this attempting to imitate your shadow? I do not remember
seeing him before." Rai'uk looks him up and down.

Well, here goes nothing. He tries to introduce himself in Na'vi, stumbling over the words even
though he'd rehearsed them in his head about a million fucking times. "Um—H-hey. My name
is Jake. He raises his hand in a little wave, and the warrior's eyes zero in on his hand.

Just like his sister, his anger is quick to rise. Rai'uk glares at Tsu'tey and points angrily at him.
"What is this?" His voice echoes with bitterness and confusion. His grip tightens on his club,
raising it slightly, but Tsu'tey pushes his hand down. Rai'uk's eyes narrow. "Why have you
brought this dreamwalker here?"

"Kyuna says Sky People are attacking. He can help—"

Rai'uk angrily waves him away, hissing. Instead, he looks to his sister. "I sent you to get help
from the Omaticaya, and this is the help you bring us?"

"Do not speak to me that way, tsmukan!" Kyuna throws her hands up. "I argued with them
against it, but he is very stubborn."

Rai'uk turns back to them, looking down his nose disapprovingly. Which only highlights how
fucking tall this guy is. "This demon must go. We do not want him here." He speaks clearly
in English now, but Jake holds his ground.

"I am afraid that is not for you to decide." Tsu'tey steps up close to Rai'uk. "Where is your
Olo'eyktan? Your Tsahik?" Rai'uk's nose twitches and his ears flick, and Jake can
immediately tell that something's up. Tsu'tey picks up on it too, and his ears lay flat in
agitation. "Why have they not come to greet us yet, as would be appropriate?" He asks
slowly, disbelief creeping onto his face. "Did they even know that Kyuna was rallying our
people? Do not tell me that you sent for us on your own terms!?"

Oh jesus.

Jake's ears flick as they pick up the sound of faint footsteps, and then his tail is being
grabbed. He spins around to find a young girl, carrying a basket of herbal leaves in one arm
while the other holds Jake's tail. She's dressed elaborately, with a small headpiece adorning
her forehead. The girl looks at Jake curiously, and he almost sighs in relief at the lack of
hostility in her demeanor. If anything, she looks like she's equal parts intrigued and excited,
and Jake can definitely roll with that.

She giggles at his small, "Uh, hey."

"Hello, Kiralu." He hears Tsu'tey say, his hand coming up to his forehead in greeting.

His tail sways out of Kiralu's hand, but she just smiles and returns the greeting to Tsu'tey. She
pivots to address Rai'uk, a scolding tone entering her voice. "Sempul will not be pleased."

Rai'uk exhales heavily. "He is a stubborn man, we needed the help one way or another."

Appearing from the alcove in the tree are two Na'vi whom he can only assume are the
Olo'eyktan and Tsahik, and... holy fucking shit. An actual thanator. That's just—just walking
behind the Olo'eyktan calmly. Jake thinks his eyes might be bugging out a little right now. He
can't imagine the damn thanator that had tried to kill him ever heeling behind someone like
the one in front of him is doing now.

After a second or two of gawking, Jake focuses on the two Na'vi approaching. The
Olo'eyktan is dressed just as richly as Eytukan, but it's the Tsahik who captures his attention.
He finds himself staring at the two ram-like horns she wears atop her head and the heavy
claw bones she wears as earrings. Even her staff is lined with sharpened bone fragments, and
Jake is beginning to sense a theme here, with all the bones and shit.

They stop in front of them and the thanator releases a low growl before settling on the
ground. It looks even more threatening when he's not running for his life, able to finally take
in all of its features. And Jake swears that the thanator is eyeing him like he's its next meal,
its bristles rattling slightly. He shifts nervously.

"Kyuna!" The Olo'eyktan shouts, his eyes blazing. "Did you convince Rai'uk of this
ridiculous plan!? Going and begging for help that is not needed—you have both disobeyed
my commands!"

Rai'uk steps up. "Olo'eyktan Entok, I have warned you many times that these ay vrrtep are
planning something, and they are planning something big! We needed the help of the
Omaticaya! They have dealt with Sky People for far longer than us!"
Entok growls in frustration. "... You are certainly your father's son. He never knew when to
back down, either. And now you have dragged a demon into our home. You have put us in
more danger than we were in before!"

The Tsahik speaks up. "What is done is done. We need to discuss our next steps and maybe
then Tsu'tey will be able to explain why he has brought a vrrtep with him." She glances at
Jake, disdain written all over her face. "And he stays out here."

Tsu'tey looks especially reluctant to leave Jake alone, but there's nothing to be done about it.
Jake gives him a nod, and when Tsu'tey disappears into the hollowed tree, he stays in the
company of the warrior's three students. Kiralu directs their envoy over to a place where they
can finish caring for and tie up their pa'li. It doesn't take long, and soon their group is seated
around a fire.

Jake startles when Kiralu plops down in between him and Maru. "Do you speak Na'vi,
dreamwalker?"

"Uh... small bit?" Jake manages to say, but when Maru cringes, he sighs. "Not a lot, I can
listen to it better than I can actually speak it though." Kiralu's brows furrow at his use of
English, but Maru steps in, translating what he'd just said.

"Perfect, it seems she can translate for us! I have many questions about dreamwalkers, and I
was hoping you could answer them?" As Maru translates, Jake's confusion rises.

"But... why? Everyone here wants nothing to do with me." He looks around at the milling
Anurai, all of them seeming to glare daggers at him. "They'd sooner knock me over the head
than talk to me."

Maru's browline raises at Kiralu's reply, and she forgets to translate in favor of asking Kiralu
something herself. Jake waves his hand in between them. "Hey, a little context?"

"Sorry, sorry. It is just—she says that she is a pacifist, and that she does not look at things the
same way as most of her clan. She does not hunt or eat meat. It is unusual, since the Anurai
are known for their fierce palulukan maktoyu. Even the artisans learn how to hunt with a bow
and arrow."

Huh, the more you know. "Alright, well ask away."

She asks a lot of trivial little questions about his avatar, and all of them are pretty easy to
answer. When she's done asking him stuff, Kiralu tells him a lot about her family and the
clan. Entok and Ukawla are her parents, and the leaders of the clan. She's their youngest
daughter and has no interest in conflict. Then there's Morang, their eldest daughter. They see
her entering the hollowed trunk soon after they begin talking, her own thanator trailing
behind her. Her attire is decked out in feathers, and she wears a woven crown atop her head.
Kiralu says that she's proficient with a flaming bolo and is set to be the clan's next
Olo'ekytan. She's their only other palulukan makto, and apparently her father's favorite.
Following behind her was Kalun, the middle child. She explains that he is their Tsakarem,
which takes Jake by surprise. He never thought that the roles could be reversed. He wears a
complex red and white shawl, and Jake wonders just how long it took to string together all of
the tiny beads that make it up.

When Tsu'tey finishes with their meeting, it's well into the night. He exits the hollow with a
tired expression, but when Jake tries to ask him what happened, he just holds up a hand. "Our
discussion can wait until after we get settled for the night." Kiralu leads the party to some of
their spare marui pods, then excuses herself for the night. The marui is pretty cramped and
small, meant to house just one person, but Kiralu had told them it was the best they could do
on such short notice. Once she leaves, it's just them in the pod.

"Well?" Jake asks him. "Am I allowed to stay?"

"Yes, I was able to convince them that your knowledge of the Sky People could help them.
Just... try not to get yourself in trouble, Jake. There is only so much I can do to protect you."

"I promise."

He smiles small. "Good, now get some rest. Rai'uk and Kyuna will be taking us out to scout
the Sky People's base tomorrow."

He's so antsy to get back in action that he barely sleeps that night. Jake gets up extra early
and somehow manages to convince Norm to help him start up the link unit, even at the
ungodly hour he wakes him up at.

"Jake... man, just why do you need to link up at six in the morning? I was having the best
dream..."

Jake rolls his eyes. Ever since he'd been sick after his 24 hour stint in the avatar, Norm had
mellowed out again. They've mostly been tiptoeing around each other, but it feels like he's
slowly coming back around again. "Hey, don't blame me. Blame the guy who's training me."

Norm grumbles, but he's too tired to question Jake any further, which is just what Jake
wanted. He hoists himself into the unit as Norm drearily presses the buttons, trying not to let
his eyes fall shut. "Don't go falling asleep on the link unit, Grace will have your ass if she
sees you doing it."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't expect me to wake up this early again." Norm closes the unit decisively
on Jake, and within seconds, he's transferring over to his avatar.

The first thing he notices is that he's really warm . He blinks his eyes open slowly, relishing
the comforting heat, like a blanket's been draped over him. But when Jake shifts slightly, he
freezes.

The warmth isn't coming from a blanket.

It's coming from the body wrapped around him.

Jake feels heat rise to cheeks, and he slowly raises his head. Somehow, Tsu'tey had rolled
over and off of his sleeping mat, and is now wrapped tightly around Jake. His arm is slung
around Jake's waist, pulling him in against the warrior's chest. He can feel his breaths puffing
hotly against his neck, and Jake's face heats up even more. They'd put their mats right next to
each other last night, since the marui was so small, but never in a million fucking years did
Jake think that this would happen because of it.

And the thing is—Jake almost doesn't want to move.

Goddamn it.

Tsu'tey didn't do this on purpose. There's no way he did. It was probably just because of their
cramped quarters… and—and Tsu'tey's promise to protect Jake. Like a subconscious thing. If
Tsu'tey wakes up like this, it'll be awkward as hell. And Jake really doesn't want things to be
tense between them again, not with everything that's happening.

So Jake reaches down slowly, gently grasping Tsu'tey's wrist. He tries moving the warrior's
hand, but the second he gets it to shift slightly, Tsu'tey grumbles and grips Jake's waist tighter
than before.

"Jesus, c'mon Tsu'tey." Jake whispers, gritting his teeth.

It takes a while, but Jake finally manages to extricate himself from the octopus that is Tsu'tey.
It takes a bow quiver to finally get him to let go, and now he's hugging it in the place of Jake.
The sight is so ridiculous that Jake can't hold back his laugh, and the warrior stirs at the
sound.

Tsu'tey sits up blearily, looking at the bow quiver in confusion before directing his
bemusement towards Jake. "Why... why was I sleeping with this?" The warrior scowls when
Jake laughs harder. "And why are you laughing? What did you do?"

Jake waves his hand, "Nothing! I just uh, I just woke up and you were sleeping there like
that. Hugging the thing like a teddy bear."

Tsu'tey's browline furrows. "What is a teddy bear?"

"Just a human thing." Jake coughs, trying not to think about the fact that he'd been the teddy
bear just a moment before. "C'mon, let's go meet up with Kyuna and Rai'uk."

The two of them are out of marui in no time, meeting the siblings outside. Kyuna looks
resigned when she sees Jake walking next to Tsu'tey, while Rai'uk looks at him skeptically,
his arms crossed. But neither of them say anything, not with Tsu'tey right there. They set off,
with Rai'uk and Kyuna leading them away from their dwelling and to a part of the valley
where the trees are dense. They leave without their pa'li, traveling on foot so they won't be
spotted. When they finally arrive, the first section of the compound they encounter is some
kind of poaching site. They stick low within the shrubbery, spying on the men who are in the
middle of stacks of cages. All of them are full with captive creatures; viperwolves,
hexapedes, prolemuris. You name it, and they have it trapped within some bars.

He watches in horror as they torture one of the viperwolves with electric batons, his ears
laying flat at the gut-wrenching cries it releases. Jake flinches harshly when a gunshot
echoes, putting the animal out of its misery. The men's laughs reach his ears and his stomach
lurches. He looks next to him, to where Kyuna and Rai'uk are grimacing, but the worst thing
is—they don't look shocked. They've seen this happening before. No wonder none of the
Anurai want him here.

What they're doing at this base is pure fucking cruelty.

His focus is diverted by another shriek, and a metallic rattle reverberates through the valley.
He crawls closer to get a better look, separating some of the vegetation to peer through.
Tsu'tey moves to lie down next to him, close enough that Jake can feel his warmth again,
reminiscent of this morning.

God, has he always radiated heat like this?

The shriek can be heard again, and it snaps Jake's attention back to the task at hand. There are
two men standing in front of a cage with an ikran. It's a beautiful one too, brightly colored
blue with purple accents and black markings. As he watches, one of the men aims his rifle
and readies to shoot. But at the same time, a misstep by Kyuna causes a twig to snap.

Jake immediately signals for them all to lie still and not make a sound when one of the men
turns in their direction.

"You heard that, right?" the guy with the aimed gun says.

"What are you on about?"

"I thought I heard something just now... did you not hear that?"

"Hear what? Lucus, I swear to god. You touch one strange plant, and it drives you insane."
Then the man receives a call over an ear comm, the noise crackling slightly. Jake strains his
ears to listen, but he's not close enough to pick up anything. "Sean wants us to return to base.
God, that guy is so goddamn paranoid, he really needs to get laid or something."

The soldier groans, throwing his gun over his shoulder. "What's up with him now?"

"He thinks the blue monkeys are plotting something, and now he's moved his hairbrained
plans up by a couple of days."

"And what about this banshee? Do we just leave it?"

"Of course dipshit, where do you think it'll go? It's secured! So let's get moving before Sean
starts yelling into my ear again."

"Alright, jeez."

Jake's been holding his breath, melding into the background with the others. Kyuna, on the
other hand, looks poised to strike at any moment. When she moves, he flings a hand out in
front of her.

She hisses softly, but listens.

Behind them, an engine roars to life, and Jake lifts his head to scan through the undergrowth.
A small gunship's rotors start to spin, and then they ascend into the air. He doesn't get up until
he's certain the gunship is too far away to see them. Standing alongside him, Kyuna pushes
him roughly in the chest. "Hey—!"

Tsu'tey moves quickly to close the gap between them, separating Jake from Kyuna while
Rai'uk does the same.

"Why did you stop me!?" She cries out, gesturing erratically in the general direction of where
the men were standing. "We had an opportunity to kill them!"

He moves Tsu'tey a little to the side, not willing to yield to her. "Why? Did you not hear them
just now? Sean is aware that your clan is preparing retaliation! He and his patrols must have
noticed our arrival! The fact that he hasn't tried anything while you've been gone is really
lucky, but we need to be careful now."

"They are just a few demons! Sean will not miss them!"

"Kyuna, you're missing the point!"

When she hisses again, Rai'uk moves more firmly in front of her. His gaze is assessing as he
looks at Jake. "Maybe he is right. Hear him out Kyuna."

He's thrown a little by Rai'uk's agreement, and it looks like the other two are as well. But
Jake isn't gonna waste this opportunity to speak. "I've met men like Sean before, back where I
come from. If you try something before we have a plan, then he'll hit your clan hard and fast,
and you can kiss your home goodbye!" Jake gestures to the poaching site. "He's keeping track
of his men. He'll pull the trigger if they're killed out of the blue, in their own base."

She bares her fangs at him for a moment before turning away, hissing. But he can see that his
words are reaching her. "Aish! So what do we do?"

"We have a couple of days before they attack your clan, tops. Our best bet is to hit them
before they hit us."

"And how do we do that?" Rai'uk says skeptically.

"I don't know. I'd have to see their base first, then we can come up with a plan." The ikran
screeches and knocks against the cage's bars, swaying its prison from side to side. He looks at
it, and the ikran returns his gaze. It looks like a fighter, and Jake knows then and there that he
can't just leave it in its cage. "But first, I need to do something."

All of the men have left the area, and there doesn't seem to be any cameras in the section that
the ikran is located in. He looks at the cage door. No manual opening is possible since the
lever is jammed, so he'll have to pry it open with force. It takes him a moment, but he
eventually spots a stave resting against some crates, its carved point thin and resilient enough
to fit between the door's narrow opening. He grins.

That'll do.
He crawls over to the stave, making sure he stays behind cover. He picks the tool up and
quickly makes his way towards the ikran's cage. Tsu'tey calls after him, "What are you do
—?"

Jake shoves the spear into the little opening, unsettling the ikran, and then pulls firmly to try
to pry it open. His muscles strain, but the door only creaks open a little bit. "God damnit!
Fuckin' open!" After a few seconds of straining harder, it finally breaks with a loud metallic
clang.

"Jake!" Tsu'tey exclaims.

Jake is thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the ikran. He stays completely still as the
ikran stares at him, flapping its wings in a territorial display. Tsu'tey charges in front of him
with his fangs exposed and a vicious hiss. He extends his arms in front of him, attempting to
wave the creature off. But the ikran's wings spread wide and it extends its fangs, screeching
as it stands on its hind legs.

"Reeyah! Kä! Txìng fìtseng!"

The ikran screeches again and flaps its wings before slamming them to the ground, but it
makes no move to attack. Instead, it takes off and disappears through the trees, leaving a gust
of wind in its wake.

"Holy shit." Jake murmurs.

Tsu'tey turns to face him after taking a breather, letting his arms drop in heavy relief. "Next
time, at least tell me before you pull something so risky. Unbonded ikran are unpredictable,
Jake."

"It worked out though, didn't it?" Jake laughs breathlessly. "Little buddy is free flying now."

Rai'uk bounds over to the two of them, with Kyuna close behind. His browline is raised, and
the way he looks at Jake now is entirely different from before. "I do not know if that was
stupid or brave of you." He shakes his head. "May we leave now? There is still much work to
be done."

Rai'uk guides them further up the valley, towards the mountain edge. It doesn't take long
before the main compound looms into view. Sean Wallen took some serious care to conceal
his base so that it wouldn't stand out, but Rai'uk and Kyuna locate it with ease. Considering
that humans have only been here for six seasons, the base is pretty big. There's huge barbed
wire fences, watchtowers, and snipers on every corner. The hexbots he sees melding the
metal are what explains the quick construction. From this distance, he can see shacks but not
much else.

It only takes him a few minutes of assessment before he's come up with a recon plan.

Jake whispers, "Any of you have something that can knock someone out?" Rai'uk and Kyuna
both raise their clubs, and he sighs deeply. "How 'bout nonlethal?"
Kyuna rolls her eyes, but Rai'uk reaches deep into his pouch and takes out a vial containing a
dark purple liquid. "We have these in case of an ambush or capture," he says as he hands him
the vial, taking care not to spill it. "It puts someone to sleep, and they cannot recall what
happened after they inhaled it. Our valley doesn't grow many of the plants used to make this,
so we do not use it often. Make the most of it."

"Perfect."

Tsu'tey reaches out and grabs his shoulder. "What are you up to, Jake?"

He grins. "Nothing good. You guys stay back."

The warrior stumbles over his words, but Jake doesn't give him a chance to respond before he
sets off in the direction of one of the watchtowers. He needs to be clever about this, so he
moves lithely through the shrubbery, stopping whenever a laser passes over his head. It's slow
going, but he manages to get all the way there without being caught.

He dives under a cluster of bushes when he spots a sentry patrolling a nearby door to the
watchtower, watching his movements carefully. Looking up at the side of the watchtower,
he'll never be able to climb it—the walls are too smooth. He'll have to reach the top by going
through the inside.

"All right, Jake, you got this," he whispers to himself. He tears a small portion of his
loincloth and tilts the bottle Rai'uk gave him onto the fabric, soaking it with the fluid. When
the sentry gets close, he launches himself forward and tackles the soldier to the ground. Jake
rips off his mask before he can alert anyone and shoves the cloth into the sentry's face,
covering his nose and mouth. He struggles against Jake, but within seconds he's out like a
light.

He cautiously grabs the man's rifle, and he has to stamp down the unease that rises in him.
He'd been carrying a gun on his first excursion into the forest with Grace and Norm, but
now? Now it was serious. The last time he'd been in a situation like this had been Venezuela.
But now isn't the time for his memories to come flooding back.

Jake snatches the man's keycard, swiping it across the pad and swinging open the door.

And he's in.

He ascends the tower as quickly as he can, trying not to let his feet make a sound on the
grated metal stairs. Jake holds his breath the whole way, and he finally releases it once he
gets to the top of the tower. He cracks the door to the parapets open slightly, scanning the
area. There's a single guard patrolling the walkway, and he waits until he gets close before
dragging him into the stairwell and repeating the same process he had earlier. Once that's
done Jake lays low, placing the rifle on the edge of the parapet. He turns off the laser and
peers through the scope, getting a layout of the base.

It's like a goddamn maze in there. If the Anurai had attacked on their own with no plan, they
wouldn't have stood a chance. He looks at their artillery, taking in the small swarm of AMP
and Skel suits. The crates of ammunition and barrels of gasoline. Every section of the base is
 closed off by an electric gate that needs a manual override, not to mention the laser turrets
spread out across the area.

Sean Wallen has fortified the hell out of this place.

But towards the back of the compound, right near the walls, are energy generators. There's a
few grates inserted into walls of the compound, releasing the waste produced by the
generators. And that's it. That's the weakness here. All it would take is a few well-placed
arrows into the compartmental holes of the machines, and boom . No more power for this
godforsaken base. They'd be severely handicapped, not to mention that oxygen distribution
into any buildings that aren't blown to bits would halt. The entire operation would have to be
moved.

He guides the reticle over the area one more time, trying to memorize all the details he can.
But when it moves over one of the men's faces, his breath catches in his chest. A boy's face is
staring right back at him, one that hasn't haunted his dreams in a long time. "No..." he
whispers, closing his eyes tight.

Why the fuck are these memories coming back now? He thought he'd worked through his
triggers, but there's the goddamn face of the boy he... the boy he killed with the gun in his
hand. And yet, the bullet he planted in his chest wasn't fast enough to stop it's brother from
burying itself in his spine. The kid had terrible aim, but some kind of cosmic karma had
ensured that his shot ricocheted right into the bundle of nerves in Jake's back.

Jake lowers the gun harshly, taking a deep breath. When he raises it and looks through the
reticle again, the child's face is gone, morphed back into a middle aged man.

His ear flicks as the sentry's comm behind him clicks on. "Ethan, status report... Ethan?
Damnit, Ethan, I swear if you're sleeping again..." Fuck.

Jake lays the rifle down and repositions Ethan to make it look as if he'd actually taken a break
to rest, then rushes down the steps of the watchtower. He drags the other guard to the bottom
of the stairs, sitting him up and laying his rifle across his lap. When Jake slips out of the door,
he drops into a slide through the thick grass.

They'd have no clue that he was ever there.

When he gets back to the group, Tsu'tey wacks him across the head. "You were in there for
too long! Never do that again!"

He smiles rakishly. "Sorry, but I think I might have a plan."

Chapter End Notes

parultsyìp: term of endearment for children
kivä ko: let's go
kä! txìng fìtseng: go, leave this place

thoughts on this chapter? it's another big one! got to see Jake's recon training surface but
also a glimpse into his trauma. plus a cuddly Tsu'tey! next chapter will be a special one
before things start to heat up XD

Mitzi and I will be changing the upload day to Wednesday. there will no longer be any
updates on Monday. we're also pushing chapter 22 out another week.

Art
Art
Art
 Chapter 22
Chapter by amunet (dabiforlife)

Chapter Summary

ARE YOU SURPRISED?? IT'S AN ACTUAL CHAPTER!!

Chapter Notes

HELLO!! miss me??

so, this chapter has been sitting in Google Docs since late May. I pulled an all-nighter to
rework a couple of sections, but ultimately not much has changed other than the removal
of two end-bits because they felt out of place. it's also not edited aside from 30%
(roughly) of the chapter. Mitzi worked on it before we went on break but it's not finished
entirely. Mitzi's schedule is still busy so... for now, you're stuck with me!!

also, Monday was my 21st birthday!! my grandmother gifted me with a computer setup
and a desk, so editing this chapter and writing the one-shots that were requested have
been incredibly easier now (everything before has been written straight from the
comforts of my bed and Macbook).

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jake's declaration that he has a plan doesn't seem to inspire much faith in Kyuna.

"Really? You have a foolproof plan, just like that?" She crosses her arms, looking at him
dubiously. "I find that hard to believe, dreamwalker."

"I didn't say foolproof, now did I? But it's a damn good start." He's already moving deeper
into the cover of the vegetation, and he gestures for the rest of them to follow. "C'mon, let's
put some distance between us and the grunts, then I'll explain everything."

Once they get far enough away, Kyuna doesn't hesitate to voice her doubts about his "so-
called plan".

He lets out a sigh. "Look, I identified their weakness—open generators that are near the
outskirts of the base. If we divert their attention and draw them away from our actual target,
then a group of warriors can get close enough to blow those generators into smithereens."
Kyuna scrunches her nose up in confusion. "What are smithereens?" She shakes her head, not
even waiting for an answer. "Actually, I do not need to know. What I do know is that this
sounds risky. There are many ways your plan could go wrong, and I will not lose good
hunters and warriors by following some vrrtep into battle."

Rai'uk looks contemplative. "If we tell Entok about Jake's idea, then perhaps we could
eliminate the flaws in his plan." He looks at Jake shrewdly. "It seems promising."

Kyuna whirls around towards her brother, a betrayed look on her face. "Are you really
agreeing with him now? Intentionally drawing the attention of the ay tawtute will put our
warriors in much more danger! It is stupid!"

Jake wouldn't say he's a genius, but he's goddamn smart when it comes to battle strategy. He
wasn't placed in a special operations squadron for nothing. So he might not have the
fundamental skills that the Na'vi use to survive in the wild, but he's still aware of how things
are done in the military world. And he's getting really tired of explaining that to Kyuna.
Maybe she's a visual fucking learner.

"Do you have any other ideas?" His voice raises, his shoulders squaring up. "Because this
seems like our best shot to me!"

Tsu'tey cuts in, putting a reassuring hand on Jake's shoulder and looking imploringly at
Kyuna. "I have told you before— trust him. If you give him a chance, he will rise above your
expectations and amaze you. Even if he is a stubborn skxawng at times." He can't help the
fond huff from escaping him. "There is much more to him than you think, and he knows the
minds of his fellow tawtute warriors. I believe he can guide your people to victory."

Kyuna falls silent at his words; her face is a storm of emotions. Jake wishes that he knew
exactly what Tsu'tey had said because she doesn't argue any further. Instead, she utters, "Fine.
But only if my brother agrees."

Rai'uk gives Jake that look again, and he doesn't know what to think of it. When he speaks,
he switches the conversation back to English. "He went inside the base and made it out
unharmed—that is something none of us could do. And Tsu'tey is not dumb, he trusts this
dreamwalker for a reason. So yes, I think that he is our best chance of winning this battle
right now." Rai'uk nods decisively. "Come, let us head back to the clan. We need to explain
Jake's plan to Entok and Morang, then we will prepare the warriors."

Rai'uk leads the way back to the clan village. But Jake can't stop thinking about what Tsu'tey
might've said to Kyuna to get her to calm down. It shouldn't bother him as much as it does,
but the Anurai warrior hasn't given him a glance since then, and he can't keep his curiosity in
check. He quickens his pace to catch up with the warrior.

"Hey," he whispers, "what did you say to Kyuna back there? She's been remarkably civil
since then."

"Nothing but the truth," Tsu'tey responds.

Jake huffs at the vagueness of the answer. "Care to elaborate?"

"I just called her to reason." The warrior shrugs his shoulders casually. "Should you not be
thinking about filling in the gaps in your plan?"

Jake rolls his eyes. "Alright, alright. I guess I won't question your ability as a Kyuna-
whisperer then." Tsu'tey shoots him a look that practically says I have no idea what you just
said, you weirdo. Jake just laughs.

When they get back, most of the clan is already bustling with activity under the midday sun,
and with it comes more whispers of "vrrtep". The distrust stings more than he ever thought it
could when he first stumbled into the world of the Omaticaya—back when he'd been dragged
to Hometree that fateful night. God, he remembers how much he hadn't wanted to be taken to
the Omaticaya's home. Being hauled through the forest by Tsu'tey and Neytiri, he'd thought
that braving the forest would've been better than being taken to Hometree. Jake had never
expected that his avatar wouldn't be killed on the spot. So it's safe to say that the glares and
whispers had been the least of his problems. But now, they burrow into his skin, cloying and
sharp.

He can't help but wonder what might've happened if he'd never been taken to Hometree. If
he's being honest, he'd probably be one avatar down and on the next shipment back to Earth.

When they reach the central tree, Jake notices that the clan leaders are already waiting for
them near the entrance. He makes an attempt to advance, but Kyuna's club stops him. The
sharpened bones attached to the weapon bite into his chest, making him wince. It was enough
to send a clear message without causing any real harm. "Stand back."

Slowly, he takes a step back, his hands raising in a gesture of submission. Though Jake
couldn't help but mention, "But I have the plan?" He tries not to sound disappointed or sulky.

Tsu'tey couldn't help by chuckle at the amusement he found in it. "It will only take a couple
of minutes, you skxawng... Stay here," he instructs him. But where else could he go? Jake
doubts any of the Anurai would allow him to wander far.

Rai'uk and Kyuna accompany the warrior into the alcove, while Jake remains where he was.
As other Na'vi stroll into the alcove, he recognizes one of them as Entok's oldest child,
Morang. The other two were a seasoned warrior and a young woman who seemed to be their
age.

Was this some kind of council meeting?

He turns to find Maru standing next to him, her face etched with a scowl. Her arms were
crossed, and she mutters something under her breath that he couldn't quite hear. A little
further back, he notices Atan and Takuk standing there as well and watching, but for a
different reason—they were clearly curious.

Takuk lets out a disappointed sigh. "Aish! All these private discussions. If we are not to
participate, what was the point of even coming?" Atan purses his lips, clearly sharing the
same sentiment.
He makes a speculative comment, "Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we have
just completed our iknimaya."

Jake nearly misses the subtle jab about the Na'vi missing his newly tamed ikran. When he
looks back at Maru, she's no longer there. A moment later, he hears the twin cries of the boys.
Turning around, he notices that Maru has both of their ears in her grasp.

"Any louder, and Karyu will hang you by your tails," she warns them, but the longer she
holds onto their ears, the louder their whining becomes. She eventually releases them.

"It's because of me," Jake explains, his frown deepening. The two boys regard him with
curious stares, but Maru hasenough common sense for all three of them to grasp his meaning.
"They don't trust dreamwalkers, but because I have a plan that might help stop the Sky
People, Tsu'tey has to convince them to trust me first. And that's going to require some pretty
heavy persuasion..."

It's silent for a moment, neither of them willing to comment after his remark. There's an
uncomfortable silence for a few beats, but then Atan breaks it. "Well, I do not have a problem
with dreamwalkers."

Takuk snorts. "Most of us do not. Not when he has been learning our ways." He glances at
Jake appraisingly before grinning at Atan. "Besides, your 'eve'eylan has more than enough
dislike for the both of you." He laughs as he shakes Atan's shoulders. "Who knew a single
Na'vi could carry so much hate!"

Atan's face flushes darker. "Saeyla is not my 'eve'eylan."

"You know that's not true, you skxawng," Maru grumbles. "The entire clan knows there is
something going on between the two of you. We are not blind." Her witty remarks cease, and
Jake redirects his attention to the... council. "Shall I translate for you?" She offers.

Jake laughs, "Thank you." He needs to learn their language quickly, and he already feels
guilty about using her for eavesdropping purposes.

"Jake has thought of a plan that might be helpful to us," Tsu'tey informs them, and Jake could
hear murmurs spreading amongst the group. He and Maru exchange knowing glances. Even
though they were only acquaintances, in a sense, they both understood the underlying issue—
it all came back to the fact that he was a dreamwalker.

When one of the recent arrivals speaks up, the whispering stops. "Why should we pay
attention to this vrrtep?"

Maru briefly informs him that his Na'vi's name is Tsu'mong, a close friend of the Olo'eyktan.
She recalls a brief encounter with him before the accident when the Anurai occasionally
visited. He used to be happy and carefree, but these days he seemed... monotonous.

"Excuse my tone, but we have discussed this before," Tsu'tey responds irritably. "He knows
how they work because he is one of the sky people." He tries to elaborate, but the Olo’eyktan
interrupts him by forcefully striking the rear of his spear against the ground, and he bows his
head submissively.

Entok scoffs. " Boy, that is exactly what has us concerned. We do not know anything about
him, but we do not need to know anything to understand that he is a vrrtep. They are all the
same!"

Ukwala circles around him, shooting a sidelong glance at Jake when she stands behind the
warrior, aware that he is listening. She then returns to her position in front of Tsu’tey. "Do not
forget that it was your people who invited that vrrtep into your clan. It was foolish of us to
have agreed to Mo’at’s invitation. The Tawkami clan understood their danger when they
declined to learn their teachings, but us? And the Tipani? We were blind, but we are not blind
anymore."

"Yes, it was a grave mistake on our part, but we are moving past it. Some of us are, at least,"
Tsu’tey mentions, indirectly alluding to his brother and Saeyla. "Jake is not like those vrrtep
who attacked the school. I—Jake is a warrior like the Sky People but he is not like them."

Whispers start up again among the gathered Na'vi.

"A warrior?" the second newcomer, Swin'ara, asks. Maru informs him that she is one of
Kiralu’s best friends but doesn't provide much else.

"Y–yes... what? Does that mean something?"

"It's a prophecy," Ukwala explains, and Jake couldn't help but wonder what that meant.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, but continue."

"Grace wanted to teach, and Jake wants to learn. A similarity they share is that they both
want to help! When ever have the other Sky People shown us that much interest? They only
destroy, but those like Grace and Jake can be trusted," Tsu'tey argued.

Tsu’mong sighs. "If I remember correctly, you despised this scientist after the accident."

"Yes, but being with Jake this past month has taught me to trust her again," Tsu'tey admits.
Hearing Tsu'tey say that gives Jake a glimmer of hope that Grace might be accepted back into
the clan soon. He'll have to question him about it again once they head back to Hometree.

"You pose a convincing argument, Tsu’tey, but we are not so easily swayed," Entok responds.
Tsu'tey shifts uncomfortably under Entok's words. "We, thus far, have been able to fend off
the vrrtep. We can easily attack them ourselves. Why should we..."

As Jake rests a hand on her shoulder, Maru stops translating. "What?"

He says, "I've heard enough," and walks right into the alcove despite Maru's protests. All
eyes are fixed on him, and before he can advance any further, Tsu'tey steps in front of him.
"You can't just go after them—!"

Tsu’tey's hands were on Jake's chest, pleading with him to step back, but Jake won't budge.
"Jake, you must leave. I am handling this—"
Jake's eyes bore into Tsu'tey's. "Not good enough," he says firmly. He then looks back at the
Anurai. "I'm sorry, but you can't just attack them without a plan. You don’t even know the
base—"

"Jake!" Tsu'tey hisses,

"Sempul," Morang speaks up for the first time. "I would like to hear what this dreamwalker
has to say." Entok and Ukwala exchanged a look before he was given the opportunity to
speak.

He gives Tsu'tey a smug and half-assed grin. He eases into it by saying, "We saw their base
today. You wouldn't stand a chance if you went up against them without a plan." He swallows
the lump in his throat and casts a weary glance between the Na'vi. So far, so good; no one is
tearing at his throat. "That base is heavily fortified. Guards on every corner, barbed fences—
you wouldn't be able to get in without suffering injuries and possibly heavy losses. Not to
mention the... the metal suits and electric gates and turrets they have guarding and sectioning
off the place."

Jake took a momentary pause, then noticed an unused roll of leather hide, spreading it over a
slab of rock that served as their table. He spotted a small container of dark liquid that was
thick enough to act as temporary ink. Their eyes never wavered as he prepared his knife and
began making a crude but accurate sketch of the base. He paid close attention to every detail
– the turrets, electrified gates, AMP/Skel suits...

The loss of even one small detail might prove fatal.

He quickly scans the sketch and says, "Okay," deciding that it's satisfactory enough to begin
discussing his strategy. He shows three places between the longest walls and the eight corners
of the base. "Those eleven spots each have a watchtower with their own sentry. Although I
didn't notice any cameras, this is the location you'll want to handle first. If you can take out
those eleven men simultaneously, your chances of alerting the entire base go down
significantly."

"But what about inside?" Jake looks towards Rai'uk. "How does that handle those who are
inside?"

"Blowing the generators blows all the power; we've established that. Which means those
electric gates and turrets are disconnected too. It'll be easier to get inside. But an explosion
that big will alert the entire base. Now, I'm under the impression Sean Wallen and his men
attacked your home many times. Were any of them wearing metal suits?" There are a few
scattered nods. "Good, then you know how to handle those. The basis of this plan is that it
gives you the advantage of a surprise attack, but they have guns. Guns have a higher
advantage over arrows. But if we attack at night, you will also have the advantage because
they can't see as well in the dark as we can. Plus, you have thanators." He takes a deep breath,
giving the sketch another once over. "Anyway, that's the basis of a plan I have. It surely beats
charging in there blind."

He raises his head from the sketch and looks at the faces that are returning his gaze. It's a mix
of perplexity and confusion between them. "What?" Did they not believe he had a strategy
that was truly foolproof?

Kyuna clears her throat. "That's that plan you thought of in just a few moments?" He nods,
and she hums decidedly. "Not bad." He'll take that as a win.

Then he hears what sounds like a cat purring, and when he turns to face Tsu'tey, he realizes
that it's coming from him. The warrior keeps his gaze unwavering, a glint in his eyes, and
smiles just a little. Glancing behind him, he notices that his tail is swaying rather fast, too.
What is going on with him, he wonders.

Tsu'tey murmurs something that sounds like narlor, and Morang can be heard chuckling until
her mother slams her cane against her arm. Is there a meaning to the word narlor? "What?"
Jake asks him.

Tsu'tey croaks, clearing it. "Nothing."

It was significant that Entok seemed satisfied with the attack strategy he provided—at least,
he thinks Entok is satisfied. His plan wasn't thwarted the second it was presented, and they
were actually paying attention to what he was supplying.

That could possibly be a positive step in the right direction.

"All right," Tsu'mong says, crossing his arms. "Kyuna is right. Your plan is not half bad. For
a vrrtep. Anything else?"

"Erm, these eleven watchtowers," he points to the spots again, "you'll want your best archers
to handle them. The surrounding area has enough trees nearby to provide a vantage point. I
don't see how that should pose a problem. But once those men are taken care of and the
energy generators have been blown, that will—that... will..." He pauses and lifts his head,
looking directly ahead.

It's that young boy again—the child he killed. As if his existence hadn't been stolen, he
watches him frolicking alongside Na'vi children, having a good time. But then the boy turns
to look at him, and— "Ven a jugar conmigo, Jake!" the boy says. Jake's eyes are wide as he
stares unblinkingly. He receives a wave from the boy, beckoning him to come over. "Ven a
jugar!"

He shakes his head, murmuring a quiet, "No."

"Jake?" A voice from somewhere next to him says. "Are you okay?"

The boy beckons him again, "Ven a jugar!" He mumbles another quiet no.

"Jake? Can you hear me? Jake!" Jake blinks for the first time in a few minutes when
someone's hand is placed on his shoulder. The boy vanishes, like a mirage disrupted.

There were no more frolicking children around. There never was.

He breathes a sigh of relief, turning to look at Tsu'tey's concerned face. "I'm fine... I'm fine
..." He doesn't look convinced, and Jake isn't sure he'd believe himself either. "Sorry, let's go
over this plan again."

They didn't go over the plan any further than they already did. They saw that something was
plaguing Jake's mind, and Ukwala was courteous enough to dismiss the meeting. If they were
to go over the plan any further, he needed to get his mind in the right headspace first. And
right now that wasn't it.

Jake felt exhausted after the meeting as a whole, especially after that brief incident. He
doesn't know why he is experiencing these mini-PTSD episodes. Perhaps it's the prospect of
going into battle, assuming Tsu'tey doesn't decide to bench him. But he doesn't believe he
will. Jake is still their best set of eyes in a world unfamiliar to them.

He sits by himself against one of the trees, working on a new jewelry piece. It helped calm
his mind, but not enough. Earlier, Kiralu had started to teach him how to make one of their
traditional necklaces, and ironically, it doesn't consist of any bone fragments. It was
something simple but extravagant, and he was able to pick up on how to make it quite easily.
But his thoughts and worries were keeping him from getting the fifth row right.

Out of frustration, he throws the necklace to the ground, beads flying everywhere, and he
covers his face in shame.

"Whatever has a poor necklace done to you?" He peeks through his fingers up at Tsu'tey, his
face flushing.

"It's not the necklace this time," he tells him. "It was me."

Tsu'tey takes a seat next to him, and Jake immediately feels his radiant warmth. "Should I be
worried?

"No, I wouldn't think so..." Silence lingers between them.

He fixes his gaze on the dirt curling around his toes, unable to look him in the eyes. He tries
to speak, but his throat is blocking the words from coming out, and it's challenging. The
remnants of his latest episode are still at the forefront of his mind, haunting him. It's as
though the young boy's laughter is still resonating in his ears. Tsu'tey must have noticed his
struggle because he tells him to take his time, which he does. He needs a few more minutes
before he can utter those few words. "Remember when... when you taught us night survival?"

Tsu'tey laughs something musical to his ears. "It was not long ago, so of course... I
remember." He nudges his shoulder, and Jake has to catch himself before he can tip over like
a bowling pin.

Jake continues, "Towards the end of the night, do you remember what you told me?" He
finally lifts his head to look at him, and his breath catches in his throat when Tsu'tey is
already staring back. He's silent, though, waiting for him to finish speaking. "You said—you
said you would wait until I was ready to talk... and that you'd listen."

His ears are pinched close to his skull. He whispers, "Jake..."

"I'm worried, Tsu'tey. I thought—" he pauses to laugh at his own moronic thoughts, and that's
when he feels the burning tears threaten to spill "—I'm scared, can you imagine that? I
thought I'd gotten over these triggers, but..." he takes his head.

"I must confess, Jake—I do not understand what you speak of. What do you mean by...
triggers ?"

"No, I wouldn't have thought so," and the moment those words leave his mouth, he curses
himself for his own lack of sensitivity. He moans heavily with exhaustion and wipes at his
eyes, saying instead, "I saw him today."

"Who did you see?"

Jake takes a deep, rattling breath and casts his gaze upward, staring instead at the sky painted
with the colors of a setting sun. He sees a few ikran fly overhead, and he wonders if the
Anurai have their own eyrie like the Omaticaya do. "The boy who gave me the injury that
took away my ability to walk," he hears Tsu'tey's breath hitch with a hint of anger, but it's
quick to disappear once he finishes his sentence. "The boy that I—that I killed."

He feels a hand brace at the nape of his neck, holding him tenderly there. He faces Tsu'tey
again. "You are ready to talk about it?"

"No," Jake forces out. "I doubt I'd ever have the courage to discuss something so... horrific. I
don't want to frighten you off with my demons."

"That could never happen." It sounds like a promise.

Jake's smile is brief. "I appreciate that, but... it's just—my brother had no clue what occurred,
and he was with me during my stint in the hospital. I think he knew I was lying to him,
though, because I told him it was only a stray bullet. He never asked to know more." He feels
Tsu'tey's hand tighten around his neck, a reassuring gesture, and it feels like a hefty burden
has been lifted from his shoulders. Then his hand descends to rest on the small of Jake's back,
goosebumps rising all over his body. He clears his throat.

"These memories haunt me. When we came upon that mining rig a few weeks ago, I told you
it was the sounds that hurt—and it was! But the sounds brought me back to that day, and I—"
he sighs heavily. He looks at Tsu'tey again. "When we go against the Sky People, if
something should happen to me—if I freeze up—I need to know that you have my back.
Don't let these demons control me."

Tsu'tey takes his hand and holds it tight. "You have nothing to worry about when I am here. I
told you it is my duty to protect you, and I stand by that."

He thanks him quietly. "I've never been much of a churchgoer, even when mom took us there
every Sunday. What good was faith in a God who might never appear in a world as grim as
Earth? I'm still struggling to believe in all this Eywa jargon, but I have to believe that there is
a reason these memories are flooding back."

"Eywa does not work that way, Jake. Her reasons are only known to her."
 "No, but you can always assume. Tsu'tey, I told you there was a reason I disobeyed you. Part
of it is because I feel like I owe it to those who sacrificed their lives to save mine. I cannot
have that happen again. I cannot lose my... lose my friends again. The Sky People are my
people; there's a responsibility there. If I hadn't demanded to come here, you wouldn't have
known of the base's weak point. You would have gone in blind. Tarsem would have lost a
brother and a clan their future Olo'eyktan. The people would blame me just because we are of
the same kind and I... I have nobody, Tsu'tey. My parents and my brother are gone. I won't be
here for long, and eventually, I'll have to leave. Grace will be staying here, and I'll be alone
again. But if I can make the most of ensuring that the friends I make survive , then maybe I
can make the most of forgiveness for what I did that day."

"Jake, you should not have to ask for forgiveness. You did what you had to do to survive."

"You're right, but it shouldn't have happened anyway at the cost of a child's life! What kind of
man does that make me? A selfish one? A vrrtep?"

"No, Jake. It makes you one with a greater purpose than any of us can imagine. You may not
have an Eywa where you come from, but you say there is a God. Perhaps this... God knew
what he was doing when he allowed the forces to save you that day."

"But they didn't save me, did they? I still lost the ability to walk."

"Do not allow that to define you, Jake. Because you are far greater than that."

Perhaps Jake really needed to hear that.

Chapter End Notes

'eve'eylan: girlfriend
narlor: beautiful

thoughts on this chapter? things probably feel fast-paced between this chapter and the
last, so imma try to slow things down before shit hits the fan.

if you haven't seen it yet, I posted the first (albeit shitty imo) chapter of Tsu'tey's
narrative "An Empty Land," which occurs before the events of this AU. there's also a
Jake-centric one-shot called "Touch of Reality" that's been posted. check those out if
you haven't already, and look forward to more one-shots once they're finished and ready
to be posted!! and don't feel shy to request something you want to see written!! my
weeks are very open to fit in some writing. it's the perks of having one course each day
this semester.
 Chapter 23
Chapter by amunet (dabiforlife)

Chapter Notes

sorry for getting behind in posting this chapter. my classes decided to torment me with
two projects and an exam due around the same time, so this is a bit of a shorter chapter
because of that.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jake presses the button of the camera with a small click, watching as the little red light
flickers off. He's done with his video log for the day, and he lets out a jaw-cracking yawn,
stretching his arms above his head until the muscles burn pleasantly. When he drops his arms,
allowing his head to sink into the cradle of his hand. His eyes unfocus as he stares into space,
letting the events of the day replay in his head. He's distantly aware of Grace working behind
him, as she has been for the past hour. She's slouched over a microscope, studying whatever
little germs or plant guts she's decided to put on the slide today.

He and Grace haven't communicated much since he unlinked. Not that he had anything
interesting to say about his day, but he was eager to start recording his evening's video log.
They hadn't communicated much since he had unlinked from his avatar. Not that he had
anything particularly interesting to say about his day, and he wasn't planning on saying zilch,
but rather he was eager to start recording his evening's video log. He couldn't help but feel
that she might think he was withholding something. His recent log entries had become
increasingly succinct, lacking the detailed descriptions and observations that had
characterized his earlier reports. If he were honest, the day's escapades were difficult to
capture in a few minutes of video, and the ten to twelve-hour link sessions offered far more
insight than his abbreviated log entries.

And he couldn't exactly be honest, anyway.

Grace has been respectful of his privacy so far, but there was an underlying tension that she
could see right through him. It had been nine days since the first night when she had
questioned why his log was so brief. Jake knew that beneath her facade of calmness, a
simmering volcano of curiosity and concern was waiting for the moment when it could erupt
in a torrent of questions and demands for answers.

His eyelids flutter in response to Grace's exaggerated sigh, his attention shifting to her as she
addresses him. She breaks the silence with a pointed question, "Busy day, flyboy?" She asks.
His most extensive video log in several days had indeed been quite lengthy, and it was
apparent that Grace was taking notice.
A gentle smile tugs at the corners of Jake's lips as he leans back in his chair, his fingers idly
toying with the left wheel. With a thoughtful expression, he muses, "Quite... sooo." He spins
the wheel casually, turning to face Grace. "A whole lot of the same... shit," he admits,
feigning a mild frown.

He knew that Grace was astute, and she could easily read between the lines. She could sense
that there was something on his mind. There was a pause, an extended moment of silence that
hung in the air like a question mark. She turns to face him, but she says nothing, her
demeanor an invitation for him to share. Maybe he can craft a lie, something to put her off
the scent. Or perhaps it was time to open up, to let her in on the secret he's been keeping from
her. If something were to happen to his avatar, if he were suddenly ejected from the link, it
was better she knew, right?

He meets her gaze, and he can see her unwavering patience, her readiness to listen. Yet, the
words remain unspoken, caught in his throat as he hesitates. "Never mind," he began, his
voice trailing off momentarily. Then, with a subtle shake of his head, he continues, "I... I need
to catch some rack." The words come out as a deflection, a retreat from a conversation he's
not ready to have.

Jake makes a feeble attempt to retreat and catch some much-needed sleep, but Grace's
determination flares and she refuses to let him evade the conversation any longer. She hauls
his wheelchair back, causing a jolt that nearly sends him toppling from his seat. He's
momentarily taken aback. "The hell—? Grace!"

And said volcano is starting to erupt.

Her patience has worn thin, and she doesn't mince her words. "Jake," she insists, her tone
firm, "enough of this... this beating around the bush. It's time to be truthful for once."

"Tru—?" Jake laughs through a scuff. "I've been truthful since day one!"

With a deep sigh, Grace ventures a guess. "Did you get in trouble with the Omaticaya again?"
She raises a brow. "Or did they kick you out of the clan?"

Jake is momentarily taken aback by her guesses, surprised—while also not—that she would
jump to such a conclusion. "What?" He shakes his head vehemently, his eyes wide with a mix
of shock. "No, Grace! It's not like that! Will you let me get some sleep now?" He attempts to
wheel himself away again, but Grace's grip on his chair remains unyielding. "Grace, let. Go.
Nothing happened."

"Not until you tell me the truth, Jake." Her eyes lock onto his.

"Let go," he demands again, his tone more forceful now, a subtle note of warning in his
voice. "It's not something I can talk about right now."

The link area is suddenly interrupted as a groggy Norm shuffles in, clearly disoriented by the
commotion. Norm lets out a wide yawn, his voice groggy as he asks, "What's all this yelling
about?" But neither Grace nor Jake acknowledges his inquiry; their attention is consumed by
their bickering exchange. Trudy is there too, hidden behind the hall that connects the two
shacks.

Grace's patience has been exhausted, and she isn't one to back down. Her resolve hardens.
She gives Jake an ultimatum. "One more chance, Jake," she says firmly. "If you don't tell me
right now, I'm shipping you on the first plane back to Earth."

His eyes widen with fear at the prospect of being forcibly removed from Pandora. He's heard
that one before—when he'd nearly gotten Tsu'tey shredded in two by a thanator. She was
serious then, but he's not sure how serious she is now because they didn't have a month of
progress shoved under their belts. But this program is Grace's baby project, and Jake is just a
disposable liability at this point.

A liability who is also their best shot. So how serious could she be?

Like he said, this project is Grace's baby.

Finally, with a trembling voice and a deep breath, he blurts out two names: "Kyuna and
Rai'uk!" Norm and Trudy, who have been silently observing the scene, exchange bewildered
glances. They've never heard those names before.

Norm's confusion deepens, his curiosity piqued by the significance of the names. "What do
those names mean?" Once more, his question goes unanswered.

Grace, her expression shifting from shock to a mix of horror and anger, finally releases her
grip on Jake's chair. Her voice quivers as she demands, "Where have you heard those names,
Jake?"

His shoulders slump in defeat, and he feels filled to the brim with a profound sense of
heartbreak. "They hadn't told me the entire story about what happened at your school.
Tsu'tey... he told me when..." his tone is laden with regret and sorrow as he hesitates. Just rip
off the band-aid, Jake. "Kyuna came to Hometree a week earlier, asking for the Omaticaya's
help. Eytukan sent a group of warriors to assist, and I... I joined them."

Grace's horror deepens, and her anger boils over. She raises her voice, shouting in disbelief,
"You went to Anurai territory!? Are you out of your damn mind!?"

He takes a deep breath and pinches hard at the bridge of his nose. "What would you have
wanted me to do, Grace?" He pauses briefly, giving her a moment to contemplate his words.
"Turn a blind eye, knowing the Anurai were in danger and I could do something to help?" He
asks. The answer, to him, was clear. "I cannot, in good conscience, do that when—"

She retorts sharply with her hands thrown wildly in the air. "Yes, Jake! You can! And that's
exactly what you should have done! The Anurai's problems aren't yours to fix." Her words
were a fervent plea for him to prioritize their mission over some side quest.

"Grace, it's the RDA that's causing these problems," he argues. "This isn't just some clan
waging war on another clan. We're sky people, and that makes us responsible... I feel
responsible."
Her expression softens. "It's not your place to feel responsible when there isn't anything you
could have prevented." She imparts a hard truth to him, "Jake, your emotions in this are
running way too deep," she tells him, her gaze locked onto his. "You have to remember that
in missions like these, you're expected to come and go. And I know you were taught this—
especially as an airman. Scientists and soldiers have to stay objective, or else you get hurt."

He's fully aware of the standard protocol, but he also knows that he's not a typical case. He
counters her argument, saying, "But that wasn't the case for you."

"You're right, it wasn't." Grace sighs, her shoulders slumping. "By then, it was too late for
me. I'd already invested so many years of my life into this project," she confesses. "But it's
not too late for you, Jake. You can still avoid making the same mistakes I did."

This conversation felt familiar, but not for the same reason.

Though he doesn't verbalize it, he knows that it might already be too late. The sense of
responsibility he feels, not just to the Avatar program but to the people and the land, runs far
deeper than the time he's spent here. In his heart, he knows that he can't simply walk away,
even if it means making sacrifices and facing consequences he's not yet fully comprehended.

The die has been cast, and he's acutely aware that there's no turning back.

The tension in the room lingers long after their heated confrontation, leaving Grace and Jake
both feeling too restless to consider sleep. Norm was the only one who was tired enough to
catch a couple more hours of rest, but Trudy stayed behind to be their mediator in case
another argument should arise. It's also Trudy who breaks the silence, sensing the need to do
something to ease the palpable discomfort. She busies herself by preparing cups of fresh
coffee, the aroma filling the air as the hot liquid brews. She places a steaming cup in front of
Grace, but when she offers the warm mug to Jake, he declines with a grateful nod.

He instead opts for a refreshing bottle of water instead, the clear liquid seems like a more
suitable choice for him at this moment.

As they sit there in the small kitchen, the only sounds are the gentle sips from Grace's coffee
cup and the rhythmic swish of Jake's water bottle. Minutes pass in further silence before
Grace's curiosity gnaws at her to beg the question, "Why do you feel it is your responsibility
to help the Anurai?"

Jake takes a deep breath. He starts with the condensed version—the more appropriate
reasoning, "Kyuna mentioned that a man named Sean Wallen is planning to wipe out her
clan. Apparently, he and his men have been stealing their artifacts, which may have some sort
of value I guess." He pauses, then adds a crucial piece of information that sends a chill down
Grace's spine. "And it's not just Wallen. Selfridge may be a part of that dirty operation too.
He has a bow hanging in his office, among other artifacts."

"I was aware of the artifacts, but I always thought that bow in Selfridge's office came from
when my school was massacred," she says, then she questions the name. "Sean Wallen, you
say? What the hell is he doing all the way out there?"
Jake's own curiosity is piqued when he realizes that Grace seems to be familiar with the man
in question. He asks, "You know him?"

"Yeah," she began, "He and Quaritch were buddies before Sean was stationed at the Lockhart
base with a position as head of security. Supposedly, he fell off the grid six years ago." She
pauses, her thoughts racing as she connects the dots. "If this operation he and his men are
conducting is off the books, away from the RDA's radar, then it makes sense. People like
Wallen and Parker—they will do anything to make a buck, but shareholders hate bad press."

Jake can't help but smile wryly at her last statement. "Yeah, I've heard that one before," he
mutters. He continues to explain the more in-depth version, though he gives her the shorthand
version. "I feel like I owe a debt. Not just to myself, but to them." He casts a glance at the
pictures of the Omaticaya pinned to the miniature fridge. His heart lurches at the image of a
younger Tsu'tey smiling with an infant Tarsem. He clears his throat to hide any evidence that
his emotions were seeping through, turning back to face Grace. "In the Air Force, there was
nothing I could do to stop my team from dying... but this time, I can help Tsu'tey and the
others from dying in an attack they have no control over."

She reiterates what she imposed earlier, "Jake, you're in way too deep."

"I know," he admits.

"And I'm not just talking emotional-speaking. You're going against RDA orders. Parker gains
too loose too much if this gets out what you're doing—he'd want to keep this under wraps.
But if Quaritch finds out? Then I'm not the only one who threatens you with a trip back
home, and the only difference is that he keeps his word."

Jake presses his lips into a thin line. "It's a risk to take, Grace."

She sighs. "But I understand." She leans in closer, her expression softening as she continues,
"And I admire what you're trying to do, really. Even if I feel like you're going to turn my hair
gray decades early." Her support doesn't come without a request for reassurance. She presses
him to promise that his Avatar will make it back in one piece.

Jake's response is confident, asserting, "I know what I'm doing."

She, however, is not entirely convinced. Pandora is not the same as the world they left
behind. "This isn't the sky, Jake. Don't fuck it up."

The night passed restlessly for Jake, a jumble of thoughts and emotions keeping him awake.
He's not entirely sure why his sleep had eluded him, maybe it was the thoughts of 'what ifs'
should the conversation with Grace have taken another turn. But when he links back up to his
avatar hours after the first light of day, he's greeted by an unexpected feeling of well-rested
clarity.

Tsu'tey is already up and about, tending to a small fire where their midday meal is slowly
cooking. He notices that Kyuna and Rai'uk are there as well, not paying him any attention as
they're occupied with their own tasks: carving into their weapons. Kyuna is methodically
sharpening the bones of her club with a focused intensity, while Rai'uk meticulously carves a
bone into the shape of a knife's blade.

He still feels a certain discomfort in their presence, but that unease is mitigated somewhat by
Tsu'tey's constant promise of protection. Against anything. He can let go of some of his
worries, trusting that he won't allow anything to harm him. Neither recognizes that he's
awake until he's shifting against the itchy bedding into an upright position, and neither
immediately greets him. Not that he's looking for a 'hello' or a 'good morning', but he can feel
their stares burning into his skin, especially the siblings'.

Tsu'tey serves him a portion of the cooked meat, offering a nod and a quiet, "Thanks." He
eats quietly to himself, though the silence doesn't last long. Kyuna's impatience began to
bubble up, and she couldn't contain her frustration any longer. She demanded to know when
they would launch their attack on Sean's base. She saw no reason for further delay. He
responds calmly, "We still need to make some preparations. And I should probably talk to
Entok again to make sure everything is in order... make sure—there's just a lot that needs to
be done on such short notice."

Kyuna groans dejectedly but Rai'uk is the only one that sees patience in this situation. "Be
patient, Kyuna," he advises. "This is no different from a hunt." He twists his knife around,
checking it's sharpness but he isn't satisfied. He carves a little more.

"Besides," Jake adds, "under the cover of darkness is the best time to attack, especially when
thanators stick out like a sore thumb in broad daylight." He chuckles quietly to himself at the
expression, but neither of the warriors finds amusement. Rather, their expressions portray
confusion. He mentally notes to himself that he needs to avoid such idiomatic language in the
future, or the awkwardness will never go away.

Eventually, the siblings leave. Well, it was more like Kyuna couldn't stand another second of
sitting around, carrying all this pent-up energy to waste, and Rai'uk left to make sure she
wouldn't try anything stupid. At least that's what Jake gathered in so many words.

It was just Tsu'tey and Jake now, eating what little left there was cooking over the slowly
dying fire. He couldn't help but feel that the silence was a bit uncomfortable, as if there were
unspoken words that needed to be voiced. It's as though both he and Tsu'tey had something to
say, and yet neither knew where to begin.

With each bite of his meal, his discomfort grew. He decided to make the first move, but he
and Tsu'tey seemed to make a simultaneous decision to break the silence. Tsu'tey gestures for
Jake to speak first, and he obliges, but he hesitates for a moment. His eyes lock with
Tsu'tey's, then he says, "Grace knows what we're up to."

Tsu'tey's reaction was stoic, his expression giving away little. "And how did she take it?"

"Not good," he admits. "But for now, she's on our side. At least until everything goes
smoothly... it's not like there's anything she can do about it, so there's no choice but..." he
trails off quietly, diverting his gaze to stare into the dying flames. Then, a gentle laugh
escapes his lips when he remembers how angry she was. "You should've seen her. Man, she
was really angry." He shakes his head. "Almost made me feel like a kid in trouble."
 But the humor quickly fades, and Jake's gaze returns to Tsu'tey, his expression turning
serious.

"We can't afford to fail tonight." There was a subtle shift in the warrior's eyes, a depth of
understanding that transcended words. It was as if he grasped the weight of what Jake was
conveying. He sensed it, but if there were any other indications that Tsu'tey knew something
beyond their mission, he couldn't discern them.

Tsu'tey's response is equally solemn. "And we will not."

Chapter End Notes

thoughts on this chapter?? not much exactly happened as this is just a filler of sorts to
prolong the action a bit. but I do hope it's okay and that you guys still enjoyed it!!

I'm still working on those one-shots and I know I haven't updated Tsu'tey's story yet, but
working on two multi-chaptered AUs, I kind of overestimated how much time I'd have
to work on them at the same time. one-shots should be easier to get through tho (and one
is about 75% finished), but rn this AU has a higher update priority.
 Chapter 24
Chapter by amunet (dabiforlife)

Chapter Notes

quick note before you guys get to reading: either you will hate me these next few
chapters... or you will hate me. there is no difference in between :)

bon appetit bc you're well fed with well over 7k words

not beta read so sorry for any written wrongs.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Restlessness and urgency were gnawing at him as he wipes the remnants of their lunch from
his lips. He can't afford to waste another second idling about, not when there is so much
hindering on the success of tonight's plans. So after they both finished eating, he requested
that Tsu'tey take him to the alcove situated within the massive tree.

They leave the comfort of the simple marui, and Jake follows after Tsu'tey through the
village.

Entok, however, was yet to arrive, leaving Jake and Tsu'tey alone in the peaceful alcove. It
was a place of natural beauty, with bioluminescent plants casting a soft, ethereal glow.

As they settle down on the rough-hewn timber to wait for the Olo'eyktan, he notices that
Tsu'tey appears restless, his usually calm demeanor giving way to a sense of anxious
anticipation. Perhaps it's the trust Jake had established the previous night when he confided in
Tsu'tey about his struggles, or maybe it's just a natural moment of vulnerability. Regardless,
Tsu'tey decides to seize the opportunity. He hesitates for a moment, gauging Jake's readiness,
and then he clears his throat as his eyes settle on him. "Jake," he begins, "Last night, you
shared your troubles with me, and I... can I be truthful with you for a moment?"

Jake nods, his own curiosity piqued. "Uh, yeah... sure. Of course."

He takes a deep breath before delving into his thoughts, his gaze momentarily diverting as if
searching for the right words amidst the alcove's ceiling. "You know," he starts slowly, "we
have been practicing the Na'vi way for over a month now. We have honed your skills, your
understanding of our customs... but I never let you make a kill against a yerik. Have you ever
wondered why?"

Jake furrows his brow, pondering the question. He's always assumed that Tsu'tey's reluctance
stemmed from his cultural inexperience, from the fact that he hasn't fully 'Seen' and
understood the interconnectedness of the Na'vi affair to Eywa. He decides to be honest with
Tsu'tey in return. "I mean... I—I've always assumed it's because I don't See as you do, that I
haven't connected with Eywa as deeply as I should."

Tsu'tey's lips curl into a faint smile, revealing his distinctive facial markings. Jake finds
himself unknowingly staring. "That is part of the reason, yes," he admits. "But there's more to
it than that."

"What do you me—?"

His expression grows serious. "It is about what is going on in here." He taps his temple,
implying the turmoil that resides within Jake's mind. "I do not say this to criticize or belittle
you. Since that night you got in trouble, I have respected your boundaries, not prying into the
demons that trouble your mind... allowed you to reveal what you wish in your own time."

Jake swallows hard, allowing his gaze to drop for a moment. He can feel those memories of
Venezuela crawling along his skin at just the mention of his troubles.

"A Na'vi's connection to Eywa is the deepest bond one can have on Eywaeveng. It rivals even
the bond between a sa'nok and its 'eveng, but ultimately, it is stronger." He takes a deep
breath, and then continues. "Kyuna once told me that when she lost her tswin, that
connection, it was like losing a part of her vitra—her soul. She described it as the worst pain
imaginable. I do not know what happened after they left Kelutral, or how she handled that
loss... but I imagine it was not an easy path."

Jake realizes that Tsu'tey isn't just talking about Kyuna; he's trying to convey the depth of
pain and disconnection that could result from trauma. Tsu'tey has seen firsthand what Jake's
own trauma could surmount too, though he only saw the better side of it and didn't have the
full details then. He felt as if Tsu'tey was subtly urging Jake to confront his own demons, to
heal the emotional scars that had been left behind. And believe him, Jake has tried to heal.

He's been listening intently, but his gaze has taken on a distant and unfocused quality. His
mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, and the weight of Tsu'tey's words strikes a
chord deep within him. He knows that Tsu'tey's concerns are not without merit, and he
wrestles with his own inner demons.

But the warrior, observant as ever, notices that far-off look in Jake's eyes and pauses for a
moment. He leans in a bit closer, his tone soft and earnest, as he asks, "Do you understand
what I am getting at, Jake?"

Jake blinks, returning his focus to Tsu'tey. "Yeah, he replies. "I understand."

He takes a deep breath. "I just... I do not want you to fall into something you might regret,"
he confesses, "That is one of the reasons I was so against you coming on this journey...
because you need healing."

He sighs, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I've already told you my reasons for being here...
there's no changing that now. Trauma cannot be helped so easily..."

"I know, but that does not mean I will not worry for you, especially tonight."
"And that's why I asked you to make sure my demons won't control me," he confesses.
"Because I don't want to do something I'll regret later." The serious tension of the
conversation hangs in the air for a moment. Then, as if to lighten the mood, Jake can't help
but make a joke. "You know, Tsu'tey," he says with a wry grin, "you've become especially
protective over these past few weeks. Are you finally making due on Tarsem's promise that
you'd protect me?"

Tsu'tey chuckles, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I am merely performing
my duties as your karyu," he replies. "But that does not mean I will not be there for you when
you need it most."

As they wait in the alcove, the minutes feel like an eternity. It was only when the rustling of
leaves and the distant murmur of voices reached their ears that they knew someone was
approaching. Jake turns his head to the source of the sound and sees Entok emerging from the
foliage, engaged in conversation with Tsu'mong. His thanator is with them as well, and Jake's
entire body tenses. The two elder warriors notice Tsu'tey first, and Jake can see a momentary
flicker of confusion in their eyes before their gaze happens to fall upon him. It hadn't taken
long for confusion to give way to a mixture of irritation and disgust, though the intensity was
mellowed enough for at least Entok to tolerate Jake's presence.

The Olo'eyktan's reaction was not unexpected, and it was clear that Tsu'mong still held
reservations for whatever resentment was held.

Briefly, Jake's attention locks with the thanator, and as if sensing his stare, the thanator's eyes
lock onto Jake, and for a moment he feels like prey being scrutinized by a predator. And
perhaps that was the case. Its hungry gaze bores into him, and Jake can't help but swallow
nervously, his instincts warning him that the thanator could pounce at any moment so much
that his hand subconsciously drifts to the hilt of the knife strapped to his side.

Tsu'tey whispers his name under his breath, a warning to not try anything stupid. He moves
his hand away.

However, to Jake's surprise, the thanator seems to have other plans. Instead of lunging at him,
it lets out a deep, rumbling growl, almost like a sigh, and then settles against the trunk just
outside the alcove. With a fluid and graceful movement, it rests its head on its massive paws
and closes its eyes as if deciding to take a nap.

Jake can visibly relax now.

With strained politeness, Entok addresses them. "What brings you here?" he asks, his gaze
focused more on Tsu'tey than on Jake. He probably expects Tsu'tey to lead the conversation,
but when the warrior looks to Jake, nonverbally telling him that this is his stage, Jake takes
the mic.

He clears his throat before responding. "There are a few things I wanted to go over with you,
Entok, before night falls. Matters related to the upcoming mission—how many Na'vi we'll be
taking and who will be joining us."
Entok's browline furrows deeper, and he seems to weigh Jake's request carefully. After a
moment, he lets out a deep sigh, seemingly resigned to the fact that this conversation needed
to happen. As it was, Jake had intended to bring up the subject when he first laid out the
strategy the previous evening, but his trauma had other ideas. Finally, he relents, waving a
hand toward the alcove and inviting Jake and Tsu'tey further inside. "Very well," he says,
"Let us discuss the matter, but make it quick."

The meeting stretched on for a couple of hours, the discussions and negotiations unfolding
with deliberation. As the sun dipped lower in the sky and the shadows of the valley
mountains grew longer, the final decisions were reached.

The final agreement was that they would be bringing a couple of dozen Na'vi warriors, not
including those who would be concealed among the trees to strike the watchtowers. Entok
was starting to trust in Jake's intentions, although there was still doubt, but he had granted his
consent for his daughter, Morang, and his confidant, Tsu'mong, to join them. Additionally,
Entok had offered the use of his and Morang's thanators as well. Jake can't say that he hates
the idea of them tagging along. Thanators would make the better opponent against AMP suits
either way.

Swin'ara would join them as well.

Entok had made sure to provide some of his finest archers, but the majority of them were
among the group that Jake had traveled with to the Anurai territory. Instead, the Na'vi chosen
for the ground assault were those selected from Entok's deliverance

With the details ironed out, there was no more time for contemplation. The night of their
mission was approaching fast, and just when Jake thought they'd be heading out, Tsu'tey tells
him that they cannot.

"We'll need to hold off on the plan for a couple of hours," Tsu'tey explains.

Jake looks at him, wondering why they would delay such a critical mission when Sean
Wallen and his men could blindside them with an attack just as they were planning just as
soon. "Wait? Why? We need to act quickly. Sean could—"

"Because this is an Anurai custom," he explains, "just as it is in the Omaticaya clan. Before
embarking on a significant endeavor, we perform a ritual."

Jake had witnessed a few of these rituals during his time among the Na'vi. They often
involved prayers for strength or offerings to Eywa through ritualistic dances. This one,
however, felt different. It was not a somber ceremony but rather a vibrant celebration. Na'vi
dance about in rough circles, their movements reflecting the unity and purpose of their tribe.
Drums fill the night air with rhythmic beats, their sound resonating through the valley.

In the center of it all, Jake could see Ukawla on her tsahik stage. She stands tall, her form
adorned in a ceremonial outfit made from the bones of a thanator. She chants a prayer, her
voice carrying over the rhythmic music and the wild dance of the Na'vi. The sight was both
breathtaking and bewildering.
Jake understood the significance of the ritual to the Na'vi, but he also recognized that he was
not one of the people, not fully integrated into their customs and traditions. Instead of joining
the celebration in any capacity, he finds a quiet spot at the edge of the gathering, sitting down
with his back against a tree. Tsu'tey, who had chosen not to participate in the festivities as
well, joins Jake at the periphery. They sit side by side, observing.

He can't help but notice that Tsu'tey is holding a bowl filled with a dark, fragrant liquid. The
scent wafts toward Jake, carrying with it a rich and earthy aroma that he finds both inviting
and intriguing. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he turns to Tsu'tey. "What's that you're
holding?" he asks, nodding toward the bowl.

"This is kava juice," the warrior explains as he tries to convey the nature of the drink. "It is
strong, like a warrior's heart."

Jake scratches his head, searching for a relatable comparison. "So, this is like your version of
a stiff drink, huh?" He says with a wry grin, hoping Tsu'tey would catch his drift. "Like
alcohol..."

"Alcohol? I do not know this word."

He chuckles nervously. "You know, the stuff that makes humans feel funny and forget their
problems?" he suggests, mimicking a drunken swagger. Tsu'tey burst into a hearty laugh, but
Jake could see on his face that he still did not understand. "Never mind, it's something from
my world. Thanks for the kava." He raises the bowl in a silent toast and takes a cautious sip.
It was strong—bitter with an earthy flavor that danced on his tongue, and perhaps not
something he should finish before the night was over with. He nods appreciatively, setting it
down beside him.

The rhythmic sound of footsteps catches his attention as Kiralu emerges from the center. Her
lithe form sways with the hypnotic rhythm of her movements, and her vibrant,
bioluminescent markings seem to pulse with the music. Jake watches her in awe, somewhat
entranced by her beauty, because she is beautiful. She approaches and gently takes his hands,
her vivid yellow eyes locking onto his. She spoke to him in the native tongue, her voice soft
and melodious, but Jake couldn't make out the words.

"Erm..." He glances at Tsu'tey, his eyes pleading for translation.

Tsu'tey wears an amused grin, and he leans toward Jake, whispering, "She asks if you would
dance with her, skxawng," he says, his voice carrying the hint of a teasing tone.

He blinks, taken aback. His heart was racing as he exchanged a glance with Kiralu. Her
expectant gaze bore into him, and he found himself hesitating. He wasn't exactly known for
his dancing skills back on Earth—even before his paraplegic accident. Turning back to
Tsu'tey, he stammers, "Dance? But... I—I, uh... I can't really dance. I mean, I have two left
feet." He delivers a pleading look now, his expression almost begging for an excuse to
decline.

Tsu'tey's laughter rumbles deep in his chest. "I do not think she cares how well you dance,
Jake." He claps a reasurring hand on Jake's shoulder. "Or that it matters. Just... follow her
lead."

Jake hesitates for a moment longer then swallows his pride, a faint smile forming on his lips.
"Alright, then. Lead the way." Kiralu's face lights up with delight and she pulls him to his
feet, leading him closer to the center. The music of the drums and chants envelope them, but
there wasn't a single moment's piece where he did not feel unwatched. Kyuna's sneering
smirk was especially noticeable, and Entok and Ukawla's exchanged glances were suggesting
they were reserving judgment for later. And the hushed whispers that seemed to dance
through the crowd all intensified the sensation of being the center of attention.

It was hard not to let their scrutiny get to him, but Kiralu did her best to distract him from
their watchful eyes.

She swirls her arms, her fingers moving fluidly through the air, painting invisible stories with
each gesture. Her body undulates to an unspoken rhythm, and the soft jingling of beads
woven into her outfit creates a gentle percussion that adds to the enchantment of her dance.
Jake has seen Neytiri perform a similar dance a handful of times, especially after a successful
sturmbeest hunt.

Jake tries to follow her lead, but it felt as though he was dancing with two left feet. He felt
clumsy and embarrassed, his limbs seemingly disconnected from the fluidity of the dance.
His eyes dart around the circle of onlookers, catching the occasional smirk or raised eyebrow.
He bites his lower lip, trying to push aside the self-consciousness that threatened to consume
him. Kiralu notices and moves closer to him, her eyes locking onto his, and her expression
conveys a message.

As if she was telling him that it was okay to stumble, that what mattered only was the
willingness to try. So he tries to rely on that knowledge.

He could hear the voices of encouragement and support coming from the sidelines. Takuk
and Atan were shouting enthusiastically, their voices filled with genuine excitement.

"Go, Jake!" Takuk's voice rings out. "You have got this!"

Atan joins in, clapping his hands and whooping. "Show them what you are made of!"

Amidst the cheers, Jake also caught the occasional comments from Maru, comments like
"I've seen worse" or "Not bad for a sky person."

Jake chuckles at her comments.

But when he cast a glance in Tsu'tey's direction, he couldn't help but notice a peculiar change
in the warrior's expression. The warm smile that had adorned Tsu'tey's features earlier had
faded into a brief and enigmatic expression that Jake couldn't quite decipher. As if Tsu'tey's
composure had cracked for just a moment, revealing an emotion he wouldn't have expected
from the stoic Na'vi. At first, he couldn't quite place it. It almost seemed like jealousy, but he
wasn't sure. He watches as Tsu'tey's gaze remains fixed on him and Kiralu, his smile now
fleeting and replaced with a more contemplative expression.
For a moment, Jake's steps falter.

Was Tsu'tey genuinely happy for him, or was there something more beneath the surface? Jake
didn't know, but he didn't want to dwell on it for too long. Confusion wells up in his chest.
Tsu'tey had been the one to encourage him to dance with Kiralu in the first place.

His attention wavers between Kiralu and Tsu'tey, and he feels a gentle touch on his arm. She
spoke his name in broken English, drawing his focus back to her. She presses their left palms
together above their heads, and she takes a step forward. Jake followed suit, their bodies now
close together. He couldn't help but notice a fleeting grimace that flashed across her face as
well for just a moment. However, she quickly covers it with a radiant smile.

He even thinks he sees her twitch her nose.

Jake Sully stood on the outskirts of the vibrant Na'vi village, his gaze fixed on the distant
horizon where the ominous silhouette of Sean Wallen's base loomed far in the distance. It had
been only a couple of hours since the hunting ceremony concluded, and now, he and the Na'vi
warriors were nearly ready. The sound of tribal drums still reverberated through the air as the
Na'vi who had chosen to remain behind continued to offer their prayers of protection to
Eywa. It was a loud echo in the distance, one that penetrated his thoughts.

His gaze wanders, taking in the beauty of the lush Pandora valley and the vibrant energy of
the Na'vi who were honing their skills before they were to set forth. He was lost in a daze
when Rai'uk approaches him, a hand outstretched to lend him a remarkable tomahawk. The
ax head, hand-carved from darkened bone, featured four sharp blades and a pointed butt, and
the handle was long and wrapped in intricately woven leather.

Jake's eyes widen as he takes the tomahawk from Rai'uk.

"This is yours now," Rai'uk says, his voice firm but laced with respect. "Use it during the
assault, and then keep it if you'd like. You do not have a bow with you, and I do not expect
you to fight with just a flimsy little knife."

Jake was touched by the gesture, smiling small. "Thank you." He attached the tomahawk to
his belt, ensuring it was within easy reach when he would need it during the mission.

Jake moves with near-silent steps as he ascends the stairwell, his steps barely making a sound
on the rusted metal.

He couldn't afford to make a sound, not with this mission he was on. It felt like déjà vu,
reminiscent of two nights ago, but this time the stakes were higher. Reaching the top of the
stairs, the anticipation in his chest tightens as he finds himself before a closed door. He
brushes his fingers against the worn surface and pushes it open with the utmost care, allowing
only the faintest of creaks as it swings silently on its hinges. His eyes steadily scan the room,
and on the furthest side, he notices a lone guard stationed near a window, his silhouette
outlined by the soft glow of moonlight.
His hand moves to his side, where he drew forth the tomahawk Rai'uk gifted him earlier. He
deftly flips it in his hand until the muted blade is positioned upwards, ready for a deadly
strike. He closes the distance between himself and the guard, his heart pounding in his chest
with each beat echoing in his ears.

The watchtower seemed to hold its breath.

As he reaches the guard, he raises the tomahawk high and swings it down until the bone
connects with the guard's head. The sound of impact is barely more than a dull thud as the
guard's eyes roll back, his body crumpling to the floor with a muted thump.

Moments pass, and the room settles into an eerie stillness, broken only by the distant sounds
of the night outside. The surge of adrenaline that was coursing through his veins was slowly
beginning to subside, and a strange sense of relief washes over him. But then, just as he
thought he could regain his composure, something shifts in the corners of his vision.

In the dim light, he swears he saw another figure superimposed over the guard's lifeless form
—a young boy with vacant, lifeless eyes. A grotesque bullet wound marred the center of his
forehead, oozing an unending river of blood. His heart races, and a cold sweat breaks out on
his forehead as he stares, the boy's gaze seeming to pierce into his soul. He struggles to
reconcile what he's seeing with the reality he knows. He blinks hard as if trying to banish the
gruesome vision from his mind, but it lingers, etched into his memory like a scar. His mind
reels with a rush of emotions—guilt, sorrow, and a deep sense of unease.

The sight was haunting, a jarring juxtaposition of the violence he had witnessed with the
innocence of a young life extinguished. Jake forces himself to refocus, to push the haunting
image from his mind. His heart still races, and his breaths comes in shallow, uneven
gasps. The quiet of the watchtower returns and he allows himself a sigh of relief, but just as
the silence threatens to consume him entirely, nothing says that trouble is over.

And then it came, a barely audible "hey" that sent a chill down his spine.

He turns in an instant, tomahawk raised defensively. He sees another guard, eyes as wide as
saucers behind the exo-pack as he raises his firearm, fingers trembling on the trigger. He
doesn't dare move. His instincts were gnawing at him, urging him to attack, to defend
himself, but he knew better than to give in to that impulse. He couldn't afford to make a
wrong move, not with a loaded gun pointed directly at him.

His agitated state was evident, his tail swaying slowly behind him and his ears erect, tuned
into every sound and movement in the room. To the guard, he perhaps appears as some native
Na'vi rather than an avatar in this dim lighting.

With a deep growl that reverberates through his chest, Jake bares his fangs at the guard, his
eyes narrowing with a feral intensity. The guard's fingers hovered over the trigger once more,
and he exclaims a warning at Jake not to move as he reaches for his walkie-talkie, attempting
to communicate with someone named—Sean. Jake doesn't show the surprise on his face, but
his ears flick at the interest of their conversation.
The walkie only buzzes interference, the guard unable to relay the entirety of the situation
before fate intervenes.

An arrow pierces through the air with deadly accuracy, striking the guard squarely through
the head. His body jerked, then went limp, collapsing to the floor with a thud. Jake was taken
aback, his wide eyes shifting from the lifeless guard to the opposite window. There, amidst
the moonlit treeline, he spotted Tsu'tey as he was lowering his bow.

Jake didn't need words to express his thanks. Instead, he offers Tsu'tey a silent nod of
acknowledgment.

The same walkie cackles with static before a voice finally comes through the interference,
asking for a repeat of the situation. "Hudson, say again? I thought I ordered you to replace
your radio; you're cutting out again." Jake stares deadlyly intimidating at the device, waiting.
Silence lingers for a tense moment as he watches and listens, and then the voice comes
through again, more insistent this time. "Repeat the situation, Hudson."

Still, there was no response from the guard who lay lifeless on the floor.

The voice grows frustrated, almost exasperated, as it blurts out, "Quit playing pranks, you
morons!" He wonders if that was Sean Wallen, or some second-rate lackey.

Either way, he didn't want to linger around for much longer. He sticks low to the ground as he
made his way to the door from which the second guard had emerged, peering cautiously into
the corridor beyond. He hurries down while the coast was clear and glues himself to the
second door, repeating the same recon.

This time, there is a guard.

He readies his tomahawk, and as the guard drew closer, his muscles tensed. When the guard
is within striking distance, Jake lunges from his hiding place, tomahawk raised high. Their
eyes met in a split second before the ax head finds its target with a sickening thud. The guard
crumples to the ground, a look of terror etched on his face as he gasps his last breath. Jake
stands there for a moment, catching his own breath and listening intently for any signs of
further danger. There were only guards further down in the other watchtowers.

He had to get moving.

With a silent exhale, he raises the tomahawk high, aiming for a lethal strike at the guard's
head. His heart was pounding in his head, and his breaths were coming slow and measured.
But just as he was about to bring the tomahawk down, fate intervened at the worst possible
moment. At the worst possible moment, the guard, perhaps sensing a presence behind him,
turns abruptly.

Panic wells in Jake's chest as their eyes meet for that split second, and it was a race against
time to act fast and silence the guard to prevent an alarm from spreading. He already voiced
an exclaim out of surprise, he didn't need the entire base alerted.
Their struggle was fierce. He clenches his teeth, muscles straining as he fights to keep their
tussle as quiet as possible.

He manages to twist the handle of his tomahawk against the guard's vulnerable throat,
applying tough pressure until he could feel the resistance of muscle weaken. Still, he didn't
let up. He kept his grip mercilessly tight despite the determined efforts to escape, the guard's
face contorting in pain and desperation as he gasped for air, eyes bulging. He could feel the
guard's grip digging into his forearms, blue skin easily tearing under the drag of uneven
fingernails. It hurt, but he didn't relent.

Rather, he applies more pressure until he hears the ominous snap of the guard's neck. Their
struggle ends abruptly, and the body he'd kept pinned under the handle of his tomahawk
crumples to the floor when he releases the tension, leaving Jake to release a shuddering
breath.

His respite was short-lived, however.

The commotion between them had attracted the attention of another guard, and now Jake
kneeled within an arm's distance from this newcomer. Panic swells in him once again, and he
readies his tomahawk for another confrontation. Except there was no confrontation as a knife
had seemingly materialized out of nowhere and found its mark, striking the guard's chest. He
staggers, his eyes wide with disbelief, before collapsing to the ground with a pool of thick
crimson forming around him. What--?

A familiar figure emerges from the shadows, and a small smile tugs at the corner of Jake's
mouth.

"Maru."

Jake's chest heaves with exertion as he breathes out her name, the relief evident in the tremor
of his voice barely above a whisper. His muscles were aching, the adrenaline rush of the past
few minutes leaving him feeling the fatigue seeping into every fiber of his being. With a
glance toward Maru, he asks, "Are you okay?"

Maru, her own breath ragged from the tension of the situation, nods in response. "I am fine."
She turns the question back to Jake. "And you?"

He manages a weary smile as he retrieves his tomahawk and carefully attaches it to his belt.
He glances at the fingernail tears on his forearms, the superficial wounds a trickle stream of
red. "Eh... still in one piece. Seen worse." He pushes himself to his feet with practiced motion
and steps toward the open window, the vantage point overlooking the dense treeline beyond.
This was where the Na'vi archers would be, concealed and waiting for his signal. "Have the
archers finished their job?" Jake inquires, his eyes scanning the dark horizon.

Maru nods. "Takuk and Atan took out the guards we needed," she says, "but the archers did
most of the job. Their arrows found their marks."

A sense of relief washed over Jake as he heard the news. It had been a last-minute decision to
have others sneak inside the base as a contingency plan, just in case the archers couldn't reach
their targets due to distance or the presence of additional sentries. He turns away from the
window and searches one of the bodies for a flashlight, and when his fingers cross around
one, he straightens back up and steps back toward the window. He aims the flashlight at the
treeline, flicking the switch on and off in a predetermined pattern, the silent code he had
repeated several times for the Anurai to memorize before they had that ceremony. He was
warning them that he was ready to commence the next stage.

His gaze shifts downward through the window, his eyes locking onto the lower levels of the
base. He spied the energy generators that power the entire facility, just a few dozen feet away,
and the thought of disabling them trifled with his purpose here. That was their mission--or at
least part of it, anyway.

He turns away from the window, his mind set on finding something explosive that could
make a significant impact on the generators.

Maru cannot help but be curious. She asks, "What are you doing, Jake?"

Jake's response was simple and blunt. "I'm looking for something explosive," he states.

Maru furrows her browline, not entirely familiar with the concept of 'explosives'. She presses,
"Explosives? What does that mean?"

He didn't have time to provide a detailed explanation for her, or at least he just didn't want to
explain what an explosive was. Instead, he continues to search around the room, scanning
every corner for something that could serve as a means of disruption. His eyes fall on a few
crates piled along the wall, painted with the white label 'tactical'.

A few crates are visible along the wall, so he advances toward them. However, before he can
open them, his left ear flickers in response to the sound of footfall approaching from behind,
as though a few people are running in their way. His heart races, and he readies his tomahawk
to attack at a moment's notice. Maru drew her knife as well, her instincts on parr. The
footsteps grow louder, echoing through the corridor, and just as Jake and Maru prepare for a
possible confrontation, two familiar Na'vi burst into the room.

Takuk and Atan. Their momentum carries them to a sliding stop when they notice they are
poised to strike.

"Whoa!" Atan exclaims.

Jake lowers his weapon, but Maru's voice carries a hint of admonishment in their native
tongue as she scolds them for their "lack of caution". At least that's what he thinks she may
be saying since she's acting very much like the older sister of twin boys. He shakes his head,
a wry grin forming on his lips although he more or less agrees with her.

He returns to his earlier task, approaching the stack of crates along the wall. He pries them
open with his tomahawk, a grin slowly spreading across his face when he uncovers a small
cache of hand grenades nestled within. "These will do the trick," he says, holding one up for
all to see. He turns to Maru. "These... are explosives, and we're going to make sure those
generators don't work anymore."
Atan's confusion is palpable, and he asks just as Maru had what an explosive is.

Jake takes a moment to consider how best to explain the concept.

interlocks his fingers slightly and then pulls them apart in an imitation of an explosion,
accompanied by a soft sound effect. "Kaboom!" It was a simple, visual explanation, but one
that effectively conveyed the idea to Atan.

The visual and auditory demonstration seems to click for Atan, and his eyes widen in
understanding. "Oh... Oh!" He turns to Maru, excitedly saying, "Kaboom! Like a big noise
and fire!" Takuk chuckles at his childishness.

"Yes, Atan, it's like a big noise and fire. Much bigger than arrows." She seemed to understand
the concept now, though her expression carries a hint of concern. "Why are we deviating
from the original plan? We were supposed to stick to arrows to blow the generators."

"Arrows are good for stealth, but we can't be certain that arrows alone will do the job," Jake
explains. "If we use grenades, we increase our chances of success. We need to make sure
those generators are completely destroyed, and if that means creating a bigger mess, so be it."
Maru's uncertainty lingers, evident in the furrowed lines of her brow and the faint frown that
tugs at the corners of her mouth. She doesn't voice her concerns, choosing instead to trust
Jake's judgment. "I know it's riskier," he admits. "Grenades are up-close and time-factored.
But it's a risk we'll have to take."

Now Maru didn't like the sound of that. She gives a thoughtful look and suggests, "Maybe
sticking to the original plan would be better." She was about to mention her doubts further,
but before she could, a sudden interruption came from one of the guard's walkie-talkies. It
was the same voice he had heard earlier, supposedly Sean Wallen. He was inquiring about the
commotion up in Tower Four, addressing someone named 'Wyatt'.

Jake examines either of the guards' uniform vests, noticing the moniker badge "Wyatt" on the
guard Maru had earlier stabbed. He and Maru exchange anxious glances. There was no guard
to reply.

"Wyatt, report. I need an update." He sounds impatient this time, but before there is a chance
that a "Wyatt" could respond, another voice chimes in over the radio.

"Sean, we've got a situation."

The tension in the room was palpable as Sean's voice hesitated over the radio, asking for the
location of 'Seth'. The voice identified as 'Seth' responds promptly, indicating that he's at
Tower 7. Sean assures him that he'll be right there, and then the radios fall silent.

Jake's heart races as he understands the implications—time is slipping away quicker, and
every second counts. He turns to Maru, his eyes reflecting the urgency of the situation. "We
need to hurry, blow the generators, and get out of here before Sean figures out what's going
on."
Maru nods, shouting orders in N'vi to the boys, urging them to make their escape. Takuk and
Atan don't waste another moment; they rush out of the base, heading toward the rendezvous
point where the other Na'vi warriors are waiting in the treeline. She was prepared to follow
them, heading for the exit as well, but her steps falter when she realizes that Jake isn't
following suit.

Instead, he was heading for the window overlooking the treeline, and hand clutching that
same grenade. His fingers hover near the pin, but he hesitates. He bounces on his heels,
reconsidering the plan again.

With a deep breath, Jake keeps a firm grip on the grenade. There was something he needed to
do, and no one would probably like it.

"Jake, what are you doing?" Maru asks, watching as Jake steps away from the window to
approach one of the fallen guards.

Jake's fingers deftly remove a hair tie from the guard's lifeless form. As he wraps it securely
around the grenade's shell and pin, he tells her, "There's a change of plan... and this will buy
me a couple more minutes to do what I need to do."

"There's no time!" She cries. "Just as you said, we cannot afford to wait!"

But Jake isn't listening, his focus unwavering. He moves back to the window, holding the
grenade in his hand. Panic wells up within him as he counts to five, feeling the pressure
mounting with each passing moment. He pulls out the pin and tosses it with precision,
sending it hurtling through the air and landing it right under the generators.

He breathes a deep sigh and closes his eyes. "You can leave if you want to, but I'm not
leaving just yet."

"You are impossible." Maru lets out an exasperated groan, clearly frustrated with his
stubbornness. "Karyu will never let me live it down if I left you behind."

Jake picks up one of the guards' rifles and moves toward the window that overlooks the base,
mounting it along the edge and adjusting the focus until he had a clear view of the base's
surroundings. His trained eyes scan the area, searching for Tower 7 and the two men who
should be meeting up there.

It doesn't take long before he spots them—two figures approaching each other in the distance.
Jake's heart races as he keeps the scope trained on them, his fingers twitching like they're
trigger-happy. He zooms in further, using the scope's magnification to get a closer look. The
two men are still a fair distance away, so he has to strain his ears just to listen in on their
conversation.

The man on the left, the one who carried himself with a sense of authority and competency,
fit the description of Sean Wallen. He was dressed much like any other Sec Ops brute below
him, sporting cargo pants and a bulletproof vest with tears around the arms, like sleeves had
been ripped off. Jake can't help but compare him to Lyle Wainfleet. Beside Sean, the other
man, presumably Seth, appeared more casually dressed in lightweight cargo attire. The
manner in which they conversed gave away Seth's position as Sean's right-hand man.

"Two bodies were discovered in the northern watchtowers," Seth reports. "The wounds
inflicted were caused by an ax and a few arrows."

Sean curses under his breath, his frustration evident. "Any others?"

Seth's response is grim. "It looks like the other watchtowers have been hit as well."

Again, Sean curses. He presses for answers, demanding to know how such a coordinated
attack had occurred. He seemed to believe that the Na'vi were still celebrating at their camps,
underestimating their ability to execute a plan of this magnitude.

Jake's jaw ticks. So they had eyes on them, he thinks. Doesn't seem like they know there's a
group waiting to attack.

Seth's explanation is far from satisfying, lacking a logical answer to Sean's pressing questions
other than plausible probability. He suggests, "It might have something to do with those Na'vi
who arrived a few days ago." Jake's eyes widen at this revelation, and he exchanges a look
with Maru.

Unfortunately, Maru hadn't caught what was said

Sean prods him for an explanation, and Seth replies, "I've been having one of my men keep
tabs on the neighboring clans and that so-called Avatar Program."

Shit.

Then, was taken aback when Seth mentioned a name that hit very close to home. "A Jake
Sully, a former airman with marine training, has been shacking it up with the Omaticaya with
his own Avatar."

Jake's heart was racing. "Maru, they know about me. They know everything." He relays the
other pieces of what he heard to Maru, but she was already in a state of panic just from a
ticking grenade. And now they have this to worry over.

"We need to leave now, Jake. There is no time!"

He suggested once more that Maru could leave if she wanted, but he made it clear that he
wasn't going anywhere. Maru can't contain her fear any longer, and she shouts Jake's name in
a whispered yell, but Jake holds up a hand to silence her. He reaches for a control on the side
of the rifle and activates a laser sight. A thin beam of red light shoots out from the rifle,
extending across the expanse of the base, and hitting the wall just opposite the two men.

Panic began to grip him, manifesting in the tightening of his chest, the sensation of blown-out
ears muffling his surroundings, and his vision growing blurry with unshed tears. But he
couldn't afford to falter now; the stakes were too high. He holds his breath, his every muscle
taut with anticipation as the laser slowly moves across the ground, inching closer to its target.
His world seems to freeze as the laser runs over Sean's back and finally settles on Seth's
 chest. For a few agonizing moments, the two men don't notice the red dot tracing their
bodies.

Then, Sean points it out to Seth, and they begin searching for the source of the laser. Time
stands still as Jake feels like he was caught in a nightmare, his body tensing as Seth
eventually spots his location from the window.

Sean's gaze follows Seth's, their eyes locking onto Jake's position, though it wasn't as easily
discernible from the distance. Jake's heart pounds in his chest as he fights against the waves
of panic threatening to engulf him. The laser was now trained on Sean, and all he had to do
was pull the trigger to end the threat.

Except he couldn't.

Jake's body begins to visibly shake as he hovers his finger over the trigger. He's staring at
Sean, but the haunting memories of his past came flooding back with overwhelming force.
Instead of Sean, all he could see were the empty, lifeless eyes of the young boy he had killed.
The image of the boy's face, his eyes void of any light, and the trickle of blood from a fatal
wound between his forehead, was etched into his mind.

He's on the verge of tears, but he forces them away and continues to stare down the scope at
Sean. His finger twitches as he attempts to pull the trigger again,

But like before, he can't.

"Jake!" Maru cries.

He abruptly lowers the gun and stands from his crouched position at the window. Sean and
Seth can see him clearly now, can see that he's a Na'vi, their faces contorted with anger and
suspicion.

"We have to go now!" Maru doesn't have to be told twice because she's already sprinting
toward the exit.

Before Jake can follow her, the grenade detonates in a deafening roar. The watchtower he
was in, along with Tower 7 and the watchtowers in between, were consumed in the fiery
explosion. The force of the blast shook the ground beneath him, and for a moment,
everything was engulfed in a blinding flash of light and searing heat.

As the smoke and debris settled, the watchtowers stood as nothing more than smoldering
ruins.

Somewhere in the distance, Jake's name was shouted.

Chapter End Notes

thoughts on this chapter?? lemme know what you think!

okayy so, one thing I noticed while writing this chapter is that I alternate a lot between
the past and present tenses. I tend to like writing in the present tense while using words
like can't/couldn't, was/were, and doesn't/didn't in the past tense or whatever Grammarly
deems is wrong. although it's considered grammatically wrong in the English language,
it's what works for me and makes the most sense in my head. I went back to see if I
missed anything where I might've written in the past tense but I could have missed some
things. if anything doesn't sound like it makes sense, let me know and I'll fix it,
especially with endings like es/ed and 's/'d.

also, I'm not sure how much Tsu'tey's conversation with Jake in the beginning makes
sense?? I write as we progress so a lot of things are kind of pulled out of my ass at the
last minute and probably repeated or changed. therefore, what Tsu'tey said could
contradict what Jake said at the end of the last chapter, or anywhere else something
similar might've been mentioned. if THAT doesn't make sense, lemme know. or maybe
I'm just overthinking bc I'm an overthinker and it's bc not everything regarding Jake has
been revealed yet... since we're still technically in the training montage stage...
*whispers* just a reminder where we're at :))

last also, the ceremony may seem like it's out of place, but there's a point for it being
included. will just have to wait a few chapters to find out why.
 Chapter 25
Chapter by amunet (dabiforlife)

Chapter Notes

apologizes for the late upload. I procrastinated pretty hard with a course project, and I
also bought Baldur's Gate 3, so I've been putting some time into that XD plus, writing
this chapter was pretty hard and tedious.

it's 730 am and I've been up since noon yesterday. it's also rushed some. I cannot
promise there won't be mistakes. BUT ENJOY!! we're getting closer to the few chapters
that I'm particularly excited about because the conversations that take place are just so
cute!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Tsu'tey's heart races, and a knot forms in his chest as he tries his hardest to scan the
crumbling portion of the base, desperately searching for any sign of his ay numeyu. He
knows that he has to keep his wits about him, but the sight of the base disintegrating into
flames leaves him in a constricting state of shock. He was glad that Takuk and Atan made it
out in the nick of time, mere moments before the explosion, their agile bodies sliding
smoothly into the cover of the foliage, but they were alone.

What of Maru and Jake? His relief had quickly turned into dread when he realized they
weren't there, panic welling inside as his eyes darted back and forth. They should have been
right behind the boys, following their lead to safety. And every second that passed without a
definitive answer was like an eternity.

Then it happens, the demon base explodes, sending a shockwave through the portion of the
mountainside. He can feel the heat as if he were just inches from it, and it scares him. He lets
out a guttural shout—a primal cry that's drowned out by the chaos.

"JAKE!" Such a cry frightens even Rai'uk who's reclined next to him.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was reliving a nightmare akin to the one Grace
Augustine had endured. The thought of not knowing the fate of his ay numeyu, the same way
she must have felt not knowing the fate of hers. He wonders if this was how Grace felt when
the Sky People ruthlessly attacked her school. The helplessness, the fear for those under her
care, the uncertainty of what would happen next.

Grace had dedicated herself to understanding and protecting the Na'vi way of life, just as
Tsu'tey had taken on the responsibility of training his ay numeyu, including the Dreamwalker
Jake.
And after the explosion, as the smoke and fire clear to reveal the extent of the destruction...
Tsu'tey didn't want to have to imagine what would happen if they weren't alive.

"Maru! Jake!" His throat burns. "Jake!" He feels this indescribable pain deep within his chest,
as though his heart were tearing apart. It was a feeling that went beyond fear or concern; it
was a profound sense of dread, vulnerability, and a gnawing uncertainty about the fate of
someone he... cares deeply about.

Tsu'tey's no stranger to the emotions of war, battle, and leadership. He had lost his mate,
Sylwanin, and though her passing had torn at his soul, it was different from what he was
experiencing now. The loss of Sylwanin was a slow, aching wound that had never truly
healed, but it had been a grieving rather than this immediate, raw, and all-encompassing
sensation.

Slowly he realizes that this emotion is something he hasn't encountered since Sylwanin's
death. Could he be feeling the same thing again? The idea both frightens and disorients him.
He's learned to bury his emotions deep within, to be the strong leader that his clan needs. But
now, in the face of this crisis, the pain and fear he's experiencing are undeniable. He'd sworn
to himself that he would never let anyone into his heart so deeply again, and that remains
true.

Tsu'tey blinks out of these thoughts, staring ahead at the gap in the wall that was created just
as Jake described. Jake's plan was to wait until the power was disconnected, as that would
render the Sky People vulnerable and unable to defend themselves, but the lights had yet to
shut off.

Hadn't it been minutes since the explosion?

He couldn't bear the thought of waiting another second when Maru and Jake might be in
danger. He was ready to dart inside and more than willing to risk everything, but Rai'uk stops
him with a firm hand on his arm.

"Wait," Rai'uk urges. "We must wait until the base's power disconnects. That is when they will
be most vulnerable."

Tsu'tey hisses venomously at the warrior. He couldn't fathom how Rai'uk had the gall to
instruct him to wait, but he supposes that since he isn't a karyu, he couldn't truly understand.
The anxiety gnawing at him was relentless. "We cannot wait any longer. I have to get in
there!"

"We must trust Jake's plan. If we go in too soon, we risk failure." Tsu'tey hates how Rai'uk is
right.

"Maru and Jake are in there..." He's struggling to rein in his impatience, his fingers flexing as
if itching to draw his bow. His instincts as future Olo'eyktan and karyu were overwhelming,
overwhelming any sense of caution or discipline he may have held. He has to do something;
he cannot simply stand there any longer. His patience snaps like a taut vine, and without a
much-needed second thought, he tears the warrior's hand from his arm and dashes forward,
ignoring the desperate shouts of his fellow Na'vi.
Rai'uk's voice calls out in a last-ditch effort to stop his advance. Takuk and Atan call out his
name, their voice filled with alarm and worry, but he pays them no heed. He hears Kyuna
shout too but he doesn't know what as the hot blazes fill his ears.

It's not long after that the lights to the base go dark, and he hears Rai'uk cry out, "Sivako!"
The roars of thanators fill the air, and so do Na'vi cries.

Tsu'tey pays little mind as he calls out his ay numeyu's names. The acrid smoke stings his
eyes and threatens to choke him, but he keeps a lookout for Jake and any falling debris that
could pose a threat. He comes across what remains of a watchtower and what looks like the
remnants of a staircase—a skeletal structure leading upwards. He climbs as if it were just
another tree and when he reaches the top, he notices half of the upper floor is missing.

And there, amidst the devastation, lay Maru, her form pinned under a massive piece of
rubble. Her face is a mask of pain, and she groans as she struggles to free herself. "K-karyu!
Irayo Ma Eywa! Srung si me, rutxe!"

"Maru!" Tsu'tey calls out as he dashes over, dropping to his knees beside her. "Stay still. I'm
going to get you out of here."

Tsu'tey wastes no time. He begins to lift the rubble, the weight of the debris pushing back at
him. It takes every ounce of his strength to lift it off her. The debris gradually lifts, and he
sees Maru's eyes widen with hope as she begins to inch her way out from underneath. "Come
on, Maru," he encourages her, his voice steady despite the physical exertion. "You can do it."
Maru gasps and wriggles as his efforts slowly begin to pay off. Bit by bit, he manages to lift
the heavy debris, granting her the space she needs to escape. Her breaths come faster as she
starts to crawl out from under the rubble.

She stands and without hesitation, Tsu'tey embraces her, pulling her close. Maru, still shaken
and coughing from the smoke, returns the embrace. She clings to Tsu'tey.

No words were necessary; their actions spoke volumes.

After a moment, he pulls back. He locks eyes with Maru, silently pleading with an urgency
that resonates to the tip of his tail. "Maru, where is Jake?" His voice carries the brunt weight
of his concern, and he awaits her response with a tension that chills him.

Confusion flickers across Maru's face, but when the gravity of Tsu'tey's question sinks in, it is
as if a realization struck her. "I... I don't know." From the back of her throat comes a sound
that sounds like a child whining. "He was behind me, but he took a little longer to follow. He
might still be somewhere in the fire."

His jaw tensed with worry, a hiss escaping him in frustration at the uncertainty. "Okay," he
says, swallowing the thickening lump in his throat. "Okay, find the others and join them if
you can. I will find Jake." He does not leave her with much other than those words. He turns
to sprint deeper into the smoldering ruins, but Maru swiftly catches up, matching his pace.

Damn his ay numeyu who do not listen.

"No, karyu," Maru protests, her determination matching his. Tsu'tey hisses again at her
defiance. "I cannot just leave you on your own, and I will not leave Jake either."

Tsu'tey shoots her a brief, almost exasperated look. "Maru, you need to get out of here."

"But you said it yourself—we do not leave our own behind." She steps in front of him,
stopping him cold with a toss of her hand to his chest. He is already feeling the scorching
heat licking at his skin from the brief moment they've been standing there. "You gave the
orders not to leave Jake on his own. I did that once... not again. We find him together." She
gives a single, resolute nod of her head.

"Maru, I need you to trust me," he says firmly. "I will find Jake. But you need to ensure the
safety of the others. That is an order."

She hesitates for a moment, a flicker of negotiation in her eyes. "And I need you to trust me,"
she urges. "I will stay close. I will not go far."

His frustration simmers beneath the surface. His jaw tenses again, and for a moment, he
compares her rebellion to the spirited nature of the boys. He recognizes that same fire in
Maru's eyes—a refusal to yield. He sighs, a subtle acknowledgment of defeat, and his anger
ebbs away. "Alright then," he concedes. "Stay close, but keep yourself safe. We do not have
much time." He glances at the hand Maru continues to hold on his chest, placing his over hers
for a split second.

Then, with a nod, he withdraws and redirects his focus back to the task at hand. The
destruction around them was immense; the watchtower a twisted and crumbling structure that
continued to break apart. Ignoring the danger, he presses forward with every step calculated
to avoid the unstable parts. "Jake!" Tsu'tey calls out, his voice cutting through the crackling
flames. The smoke and haze make it difficult to see, but she and Tsu'tey navigate with
determined ease, calling out Jake's name in a voice strained with urgency.

Maru follows closely behind Tsu'tey, keeping a vigilant watch.

When he eventually gets to the edge of a wrecked pathway (not too far away from their initial
position), he looks over it and finds Jake crouched behind the rubble. He can see the fear
etched on Jake's face. He notices the distress in Jake's posture and how he covers his ears,
seeking refuge from the deafening noise of the flames and the relentless gunfire. Each bullet
fired sends Jake recoiling in fear, a visible flinch that pierces Tsu'tey's heart. It reminds him
of the time they came across those demon rigs, and then he remembers what Jake had told
him the previous eclipse.

No no no. Not good.

Tsu'tey's protective instincts kick into overdrive. "Jake!" Tsu'tey calls out as he vaults down
the edge as if it were just another extension of the forest. Bullets whizz past him, and he
instinctively ducks. "Jake!" He reaches Jake's side, crouching beside him. He places a hand
on his shoulder. "Jake? Ma—?" He stops himself short from continuing that sentence, and
thankfully Maru hasn't noticed his near slip-up when she's not far behind him. "Jake, it is me,
Tsu'tey. You are safe now."
Jake's breath came in short gasps. His gaze turns to him. "Tsu'tey, they're... they're shooting. I
couldn't... I can't—"

Tsu'tey doesn't hesitate, shielding him as best he can from the barrage of gunfire. "You are
doing well, Jake. Focus on my voice. Okay?"

Maru kneels beside him, her eyes flickering between him and Jake. "Tsu'tey, what is wrong?
Why is Jake like this?"

"Demons."

When the grenade exploded, Jake's world descended into chaos.

In an instant, his surroundings transform into a harrowing echo of his past—a haunting replay
of his experience in Venezuela. The acrid scent of burning engulfs him, and the crackling of
the flames echoes the distant gunfire. He struggles to ground himself, his hands instinctively
covering his ears in a poor attempt to block out the noise. Everything is blurring together, and
the line between friend and foe—he couldn't discern the true nature of anything around him.
Whether from the RDA or the arrows unleashed by the Na'vi.

He finds himself questioning where everything has gone wrong. Was it because he had been
too slow to pull the trigger, too hesitant to end this affair before it could come to this?

Or... maybe it wasn't just about the timing or the actions he had taken. Maybe he was
inherently flawed, defective in some way that hindered him from being the warrior Tsu'tey
may want him to be. The warrior he wants to be. He couldn't shake the feeling of
disappointment in himself for not living up to the faith Tsu'tey might have placed in him.

If he cannot regulate his trauma, what sort of warrior can he be?

Tsu'tey.

His longing for Tsu'tey is tenfold. He yearns for the presence of the warrior, the one who has
vowed to stand by him and protect him from the demons of his past. Yet, he was absent and
left Jake feeling adrift and vulnerable. He should've stayed at Hometree like Tsu'tey wanted.
He should've listened. Why didn't he listen?

"Jake!" That was Tsu'tey's voice.

When he saw Tsu'tey and Maru heading his way, Jake felt a surge of relief flood through him
—relief pulling him away from a fiery wreckage that ensnared him in a web of haunting
memories. Physically and mentally. But when they reach an opening to the center of a sector
of the base, Jake's eyes widen, and he recoils with a start at the sight before him. Na'vi and
human bodies lying scattered on the ground—the sight sends a shiver down Jake's spine, and
he can't help but feel a pang of sorrow and guilt. The fallen RDA numbers heavily
outweighed the Na'vi, which pleased Jake because that meant his initial plan was working,
but those fewer Na'vi numbers still constricted his chest. His throat tightens.
"Come one, Jake," Tsu'tey urges as he leads him on, their only pathway through the open
sector.

He recognizes the familiar silhouettes of the siblings on the field, their forms moving in
perfect harmony where every action synchronizes with uncanny precision. It was no wonder
they were nicknamed the 'twin clubs', or so Kiralu had mentioned to him at one point. Kyuna
was a force to be reckoned with; she'd proven that to him the night she arrived to ask for their
aide. But to see her in action? Jake can sense the raw power and strength emanating from her
—Rai'uk included.

He feels a surge of respect for Kyuna and Rai'uk. Even in the darkest moment for their clan,
they were fighting as one.

Jake's gaze sweeps, and he spots Morang astride her thanator on the further side of the base,
armed with a bow and arrows. She's skillfully picking off RDA soldiers in their AMP suits
where a thanator's claws could not reach. Then he catches sight of the boys, Takuk and Atan.
Despite their relative inexperience compared to some of the seasoned warriors, their
commitment to the skirmish was there.

Tsu'tey leads Jake through the southern remnants of the base, aiming for a quieter and less
chaotic area where he can digress from his episode.

But there, on the further side of the sector, was a figure that made his heart skip a beat. Sean
Wallen.

Jake recognizes him instantly. It's that particular tilt of the head, the way he carries himself—
all etched into Jake's memory from only those few minutes of surveillance through a rifle's
scope. And, as it were, Sean seems to have spotted him as well. For the most part, and from
what he can tell, Sean's aware of who Jake is—at least the parts Jake played with his
surveillance act and murders of the watch guards. And it was obvious that this did not sit well
with him.

Seth emerges a couple moments later while cradling what seems like a painful injury, as his
wrist is awkwardly bent, and a deep gash staining his brow. The injury didn't deter him; he
seemed more determined to convey something to Sean, but the distance made it impossible to
catch their words. Sean glances at him as Seth produces a datapad, the screen flickering with
information he furiously taps out. Jake's instincts scream that it's something he should worry
immensely about—something like getting the fuck out of there—but his feet stay rooted to
the ground.

Then just as Seth presents his findings to Sean, their shared focus zeroing in on something
displayed on the device, Jake's chest tightens when both men's gazes shift in his direction.

Sean’s reaction is unmistakable now—he knows exactly who Jake is. The way Sean's eyes
dart between Jake and the tablet, as though he's comparing him with some crude portrait
belonging to whatever file Seth had on hand—Seth really wasn't joking. He actually does
have someone keeping tabs on the program, and Jake knows that he's just become a marked
target.
He watches as Sean draws a walkie-talkie from his belt to his mouth. Sean's voice cackles
over the communication devices, and Jake cannot help but overhear every word with the
many dead soldiers lying about their feet. "Listen up. We have a new target—his name is
'Jake Sully', and he's operating an Avatar. Take him out," his voice echoes. "I repeat, he is in
an Avatar. Find the four-fingered monkey, and fucking kill him! NOW!"

Kyuna's movements still, and her focus shifts from the threat charging after her to locating
Jake. His stare draws her attention to Sean, and without a second thought, she surges forward
in pursuit of Sean. "Wallen! You bastard!"

Rai'uk pivots in her direction, instinctively guarding himself from a soldier's attempts to use
their rifle on him as though it were a baton. "Kyuna, no! Do not go after them!" He brings his
clubs down on the soldier before racing after her. "It is too dangerous! Dammit!"

Sean glances over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Kyuna charging toward them. A flash
of surprise crosses his face before he disappears with Seth into another sector of the base.

Jake looks to Tsu'tey and Maru—there's nothing they can do about Kyuna right now. "Sean
just ordered my execution," he tells Tsu'tey. "He's targeting me. We need to move!" Neither
have to be told twice as Tsu'tey continues to lead forward through a blasted second in the
base's wall. Jake thought they were in the clear, at least for now, as the opening led them to a
sector that was more or less unoccupied. But he barely had a second to breathe when a group
of soldiers rounded the corner where laser barriers should've been.

They notice the three of them immediately, but one in particular looks at their hands. "It's
him! Take them out!"

But before they can take cover, gunfire erupts from a group of RDA soldiers. Bullets whizz
past them, sparking off the metal wreckage. Jake yells for Maru to get down, and she does
without a second thought, while Jake harshly shoves Tsu'tey out of the way.

Jake, however, is too slow.

There's one bullet that pierces through all others, and in the same instant, he feels an intense
and searing pain explode in his shoulder. His body betrays him, collapsing to the ground like
a marionette with severed strings.

Lying on his back, he stares up at the alien night sky, the hues of Polyphemus now a swirling
canvas of agony. Every fiber of his being screams in protest, and the world around him
spirals into a disorienting blur. Jake's vision darkened, and a crushing lethargy enveloped
him. It was as if he were being pulled into an abyss, the world around him slipping away.

But then a voice cuts through the chaos—a voice that seemed to beckon him back to
consciousness. "C'mon, Sully. You have to get up."

Jake slowly opens his eyes, his vision blurry and disoriented. Against the backdrop of the
night sky, a silhouette of a man begins to take shape. The voice belongs to someone he
thought he would never hear again. "Tommy?" Jake's voice is weak, and his throat dry and
scratchy.
The man before him chuckles. "Jesus, you've only been out in the heat for an hour, and you're
already having hallucinations," he says. Extending his hand toward Jake, he encourages him
to grab hold, and with an almost supernatural strength, he lifts Jake to his feet.

Recognition dawns upon him as the features of the man come into focus. It wasn't Tommy, as
he had initially thought, but someone he had long since lost. "Alden?" His mind races to
make sense of it all.

Last he knew, Alden was gone.

Dead.

Alden smiles a smile that appears all too real for someone who's supposed to be dead.
"Yeah... yeah, it's me, Sully. Been a while, hasn't it?"

Inside the confines of the link unit, Jake's eyes shot open in a sudden panic. The darkness
envelopes him, and the confined space makes it hard to breathe. He struggles against the
rising claustrophobia, with the memory of the bullet piercing his shoulder still fresh in his
mind. The link hasn't completely shut down; he can still hear the faint hum of power still
running. He forces himself to calm down (as best he can given the grievous situation) and
shut his eyes, and with a deep breath, he focuses on re-establishing the neural connection.

The next moment he opens his eyes, he finds himself lying on his back in the middle of
Wallen's base. The transition from the confined link unit to the chaotic battlefield is
disorienting. His shoulder sears with pain, and he lets out a pained groan as he rolls onto his
side. Arrows and bullets are whizzing through the air, and the cacophony of war surrounds
him. He's not sure where to focus. In the background, someone is shouting his name, though
the voice is a distant blur amid the chaos. He can't discern who it is because all he knows is
that he can't afford to remain exposed to the relentless storm of ammunition. Not when—

"Jake! Jake, they've locked onto me! I can't shake them! Ja—!"

The voice cuts off abruptly when an explosion erupts nearby, sending a shockwave through
the ground and shrapnel flying. Jake flinches, instinctively rolling behind a nearby crate or
wall to shield himself from the deadly rain of projectiles.

Everything around him is deafening.

He clamps his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the noise, the clamor of
battle threatening to overwhelm him. It was happening again, but he didn't have enough
awareness to stop it on his own. His eyes lock onto Tsu'tey, who's shouting something at him,
but the words are completely silent to Jake. He stares at the warrior, his eyes wide and
unresponsive, unable to decipher the meaning behind his frantic gestures.

Then the warrior's face twists into that of another man's, no longer alien with cerulean skin
but a tone of pale ivory. It was Alden, and he's holding his hand out, reaching toward Jake,
his eyes filed with a confused calm.
"Why are you lying on the ground?"

Jake shifted his gaze, shielding his eyes from the searing sun with his hand, as he tried to
focus on Alden's face. He sighed deeply, the exhaustion evident in his every movement, before
finally closing his eyes and letting his arm drop. "Because," he told Alden with a hint of wry
humor, "I'm exhausted. Sergeant's drills are excessive. My bones hurt. My muscles hurt." He
peeked one eye open to glance at his old friend. "Have I mentioned that I'm hurting?"

He couldn't help but laugh at Jake's dramatic complaints. He extended his hand, which Jake
gratefully accepted, allowing himself to be hauled to his feet. "Well, that's a new one," Alden
laughed again. Their friendship went back years. They'd been in cadet training together, and
now they were serving the Air Force together. Jake was tough as nails, but if there was
anyone who'd recognize when he was worn down, it would be Alden. And if anyone could
drag Jake out of his own self-pity, it would be Alden too.

"I'm glad you think it's funny," Jake grumbled, still with a playful edge in his tone. He
stretched his aching arms and let out a massive yawn. "My muscles feel like they're going to
tear, and you want to joke around."

Alden wasn't deterred. He kept his laughter going until he saw the hint of a smile tugging at
the corner of Jake's lips. "It didn't hurt that bad, you wuss. You just want an excuse to lie on
the ground and whine. Like a little kid."

"Oh, I'm a wuss?" Jake glared daggers at Alden, whose smirk turned into a nervous laugh as
he threw his hands up defensively. "I can take you anytime, Alden. Don't you ever forget
that."

Alden's smirk returned, and he laughed. "Oh yeah? Says who?" He raised an eyebrow. "You
think you can handle all six feet of me?" Jake could hear the teasing, the playfulness in
Alden's voice. That had always been their dynamic—always trying to one-up the other.

"I don't need to handle ALL six feet of you," Jake shot back. "Just the parts that count." He
stepped forward and bumped shoulders with Alden in a show of strength and intimidation,
though there was an unmistakable smile on his face.

Alden just laughed harder. "All that height, and not much else." He made a gesture with his
hands as if to indicate that Jake had nothing impressive 'down south.' It seemed like he had
made a misjudgment, as in that very moment, Jake tackled him without hesitation. Both men
fell to the ground, grappling with each other, but it was Jake who managed to get the upper
hand.

He straddled Alden and got right in his face. "All 5 inches of me want you to rethink that
statement," Jake threatened with a grin.

"FIVE INCHES!?" Alden laughed, but then his laughter turned into a wince of pain as Jake
delivered a swift and well-aimed kick to his groin. Jake laughed triumphantly as he got to his
feet, still panting heavily from their brief skirmish. Alden lay sprawled out on the ground,
gasping for breath and wincing in pain. He raised his head to look up at Jake, who was still
standing over him, a victorious grin on his face. "You cheated," Alden groaned.
"Maybe you just think too highly of yourself," Jake taunted, still grinning as he watched
Alden writhe in pain on the ground.

Alden was about to protest, but another wave of pain swept over him, and he decided against
it. Jake extended his hand to help Alden off the ground. "Come on, ya big brute... It's time to
get moving. Sergeant will have our asses if we're late."

Alden begrudgingly took Jake's hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. He winced
in pain as he tried to readjust to a standing position. "Damn it," he grunted, his bravado
momentarily subdued. "That was a low blow, Jake."

It was clear that he didn't mean it, though. Alden knew Jake well enough, and Jake clearly
meant no real harm. The pair began walking back to headquarters together.

"You're a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?" Alden teased Jake as they walked.

"Aww, is the big soldier crying because he got nailed in the nuts? I thought they trained men
like you to have balls of steel," Jake said as they continued walking. The teasing continued
while they traveled back to their base camp, and as they stepped through the doors, they were
greeted by a surprised Drill Sergeant.

"Sir!" Jake and Alden responded as they snapped to attention immediately. It was a habit
ingrained in them since the day they joined the basic training.

The drill sergeant was clearly taken aback by this response, and he quickly scanned their
uniforms for any visible signs of neglect or damage. After a moment, he turned to speak. "At
ease," he told them, "but don't get too comfortable." Alden and Jake relaxed their positions,
but the sergeant was still looking over them. He addressed Jake, "Airman Sully, you have a
report to make. Lieutenant Torres is expecting you in her office. She said to make it quick.
Dismissed."

The sergeant's words took Jake off guard. "Sir? To her office?" He turned and looked at
Alden, a nervous look on his face. He hadn't done anything wrong... had he? Jake's training
kicked in quickly, and he responded to the sergeant's order. "Yes, sir! I'll go to the lieutenant
immediately."

Alden looked at Jake with a worried expression. He couldn't imagine what the lieutenant
wanted to see Jake about.

"If it's nothing bad, don't worry," Alden whispered.

Jake responded to Alden with a brief nod. When the sergeant wasn't looking, Alden gave him
a reassuring thumbs-up and a smile.

Jake slowly made his way toward the lieutenant's office with his heart racing. He couldn't
help but imagine all the possibilities of what this might be about—none of them good. Jake
was a good soldier, an airman; he had always done what he was told and followed orders.
But this was the first time that he had been called to his superior's office.
As he reached the lieutenant's office, he took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in." A stern voice from behind the locked door called out to Jake. Jake swallowed his
nerves and entered the Lieutenant's office without hesitation.

The office was well-organized and clean, and everything looked to be in its proper place. The
lieutenant was seated at her desk, looking over some paperwork. When Jake entered, she set
down her pen and looked up at him with a neutral expression. "Airman Jake Sully, I trust
you're doing well." She studied Jake for a moment and then took a sip from her coffee.
"There's no need to stand at attention," she informed Jake. "We're just having a talk. This
conversation is off the record." Sh e motioned to a chair in front of her desk. "Sit down." Jake
took a seat and relaxed, though he tried not to lose his composure.

"Off the record? What is this about, ma'am?" He asked. Jake didn't want to jump to
conclusions, and the lieutenant's words did little to quell Jake's confusion. It could have been
anything—a commendation or a reprimand. But to say the conversation was "off the record"
was even more of a mystery. This would be Jake's first 'off-the-record' conversation with a
member of the chain of command. He was curious to hear what the lieutenant had to say.

The lieutenant smiled. "Listen, son—I called you in here to inform you that you've been
assigned a new mission."

Jake's eyes widened. "I have?" He thought he would remain in Venezuela until his tour was
over, but if the lieutenant had called him in for a new mission, it must be urgent. "When do I
leave, ma'am?"

"You don't. You're staying here. The new mission entails testing and flying a new prototype
jet."

Jake's confusion quickly turned to surprise. "Test flying a new jet?" Well, he'll be damned. If
the Lieutenant trusted him with a project like this, Jake knew he wouldn't fail. He would give
it his all. "What do you need me to do, ma'am?"

She sat back in her chair. "The jets arrive in a few days. All you need to do is fly one of them
into its designated landing zone and test the navigation system."

Jake nodded. It seemed like a fairly easy request. "Yes, ma'am," Jake answered dutifully. "I'll
get the job done."

The lieutenant nodded. "I know I can count on you," she told him. "These jets are a new
development, and they've never been tested before. The engineers back home want real-time
feedback from the cockpit. Don't be afraid to push the limits—see how fast you can take it.
Make sure the plane's computer systems are working correctly and can handle a sudden
change of course. Alright, you're dismissed, Sully."

Jake's eyes narrow with confusion. Before he could leave the office, a strange sensation
overtook him. His surroundings seemed to blur, and the familiar voice calling his name
turned into a distant echo.
 "Sully? Are you alright? Sully? Sully, can you hear me?"

"Sul—Jake!? Jake!"

Chapter End Notes

"k-karyu! irayo ma eywa! srung si me, rutxe!": thank Eywa! help me, please!

this chapter probably doesn't seem like much; the flashback takes up a good portion of
it. but just think of this as one of two parts.

there was still a lot that I didn't get the chance to write yet, but it's been over a month
since that last chapter, and if I continued writing to include everything I wanted, then
this would've been well over 10k words. and I do not have it in me to write 10k words
for one chapter. plus if you ask me, 10k would've essentially led to the end of this arc.
that's too quick in my book. so, I hope this is okay?? we're starting to get insight into
Jake's past, which you'll get the less prettier side in the next chapter, as well as one very
EXTREMELY feral Jake and one VERY worried Tsu'tey.

and for anyone wondering, consider this the start of Tsu'tey realizing his feelings for
Jake. he's the one who falls first and also the one who falls harder, but I wouldn't
consider him to be 'in love' just yet. Tsu'tey will be carrying around with him a
STRONG case of denial for probably the next twenty chapters LMAO. the same goes
for Jake but Jake carries it less strongly, tho even harder. and no, Jake doesn't recognize
his feelings yet. I'm still ironing out those details.
 Chapter 26
Chapter by amunet (dabiforlife)

Chapter Summary

FINUH-FUCKING-LEE. BACK AGAIN

Chapter Notes

enjoy this shitty-ass chapter because I seriously half-assed it just to get it done. don't
expect some grand fighting to happen. I think it's obvious that PTSD and flashbacks
were the main point here, and they do take up a good chunk of this chapter.

thank you to those who offered to help me beta this!! lord knows I needed it T_T and
not just this chapter specifically. a lot of interesting things were discussed for future
chapters, including for TWOW and A3.

little secret: once we get to those parts of the story, know that A1 is gonna be the
happiest Jake and Tsu'tey will ever be. okay?? some ideas are still questionable and
could latter change again how happy or traumatized they are, but it will still only go
downhill from Quaritch making his fucking comeback.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Karyu, we cannot stay here!" Maru shouts over the bullets, peeking over her cover. She
ducks back down. "There are too many of them!"

"I am trying to bring him back!" Tsu'tey grumbles as he crawls to kneel in front of Jake. He
cradles his face in his hands. "Just... do what you can," he tells her. His touch feels
comforting. "Jake, snap out of it!"

She snatches a discarded rifle from the ground. She flips it in her hands, checking the
magazine for ammunition and flicking the safety off in one smooth motion.

"How do you know how to handle their weapons!?" Tsu'tey hisses, incredulous.

Her browline furrows, lips tight with tension as her eyes dart around for any distraction. She
knows she can't bluff her way out of this one. "We... spied on their camps some eclipses ago."

"We!? Who is we!?"

Maru groans. "It does not matter now! We are sitting targets here! No arrows, no choice! So,
what is it going to be!?" Tsu'tey's silence serves as the only answer she needs. Without
hesitation, she leans back over their cover, aiming in no particular direction, and unleashes a
torrent of gunfire. The unexpected recoil jolts her backward, but she quickly recovers.

Jake winces at the proximity of gunfire, the echoing shots and falling shells ringing
dangerously close. He feels a surge of fear and instinctive aggression towards her, perceiving
her as a threat rather than an ally. Desperate, he tries to lunge at her, hissing in warning, but
Tsu'tey restrains him.

"Wiya," Tsu'tey whispers urgently, realizing the weapon only exacerbates Jake's distress.
"Maru, get rid of it!"

"What!?"

"Just do it!" Reluctantly, she discards the weapon, but by that point, all the bullets had been
used up already. Tsu'tey cradles harder on Jake's face, making sure to keep his attention on
him. "Jake! Ma Jake! Focus! We need you in this fight!"

Jake still sees glimpses of Alden's face in Tsu'tey, his brows furrowing in confusion because
how can any of this make sense? But the memories surge, overwhelming him. The
explosions, the screams... He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to shut them out. He hisses.

"Listen to me, Ma Jake. Focus on my voice. You are not there anymore. You are here, with
us. You are strong, remember? You can do this."

Jake blinks rapidly, attempting to ground himself in the present. "I... I'm here," he stammers,
his voice shaky.

There's this look of relief on the warrior's face, and Jake glances at Maru to see she's
somewhat relieved too... but concerned. Very concerned.

"Good... good. Listen, we cannot stay sitting here for much longer, okay? We have to move
but, these vrrt—"

Suddenly there's a rawr, and Jake hesitantly peaks over their cover to stare at the group of
RDA who'd been advancing on them. Two thanators are tearing into the soldiers, and as
much as it is pleasing to hear their screams, Jake feels sick to his stomach.

"Well, that is one way to get rid of them," Maru comments.

Jake takes that chance as his moment to get up and starts running in the direction he last saw
Kyuna disappear because if one thing is right, they can't stay here. He has to find Kyuna and
Rai'uk, because if Kyuna finds Sean first, she won't survive.

Jake strode toward his fighter jet. He noticed Devin standing nearby, her arms crossed tightly
over her chest, her gaze fixed on the protype before her. There was a scrutinizing look etched
across her face, as if she had been meticulously studying every crevice and detail of the
machine before her. It wasn't the intense scrutiny of disapproval but rather the kind born out
of a good-natured jealousy—a playful envy that often accompanied those with a shared
passion for aviation. He knew that beneath that scrutinizing gaze lay a genuine admiration
for the sleek lines and powerful capabilities of this prototype machine.

"Impressed?" He asked, though he was already aware of the answer.

She looked at him, the corner of her mouth lifting into a half-smile that betrayed her attempt
to play it cool. "Maybe just a little," she replied, her eyes fixing back on the jet. "But don't let
it get to your head, Sully. I still think my baby would look better with all these modifications
you're so graciously given... and what it would feel like to outmaneuver you in the sky for
once."

"Outmaneuver me?" Jake took offense to that, dramatically putting his hand on his chest and
feigning shock. "Ha~ that's cute. I have a feeling I would blow you out of the sky without
breaking a sweat."

"Is that so?" She challenged, her eyebrows rising. "Then shall we test it in the simulation
room?"

Jake smirked, amused by her cockiness. He was ready to back her up if she truly thought she
could stay on par, but a small part of him couldn't help but enjoy this sassy banter. "You're
on, Devin."

At that, he heard footsteps and turned to see a familiar face approaching them: Alden.

Though he looked the same as always, Jake couldn't help but detect a noticeable tension
around his eyes. He wondered what was on his friend's mind, but before he could speculate
any further, Alden spoke first.

"Lieutenant wants the squad geared up for another test flight," he told them. "Seems like they
want to put your jet through its paces again."

Devin raised an eyebrow, her arms already unfolding as she glanced between Alden and
Jake. "Seriously? The thing just got back from maintenance, and they're throwing it back into
the air like it's nothing?" They started heading in the direction of the locker rooms.

"What can I say?" Jake said through a sigh. "My jet's the golden child, always in high
demand."

She scoffed. "Yeah. Meanwhile, the rest of us mere mortals have to practically beg for a few
minutes of flight time. You're living the high-flying dream while the rest of us are stuck on the
runway."

There was some truth in her words as he laughed. "Hey, don't blame me! Blame the engineers
who made this beauty so irresistible."

"Irresistible or not, it's not every day the lieutenant orders a test flight right after
maintenance. Someone up there must really like you."
He threw an arm around her shoulders as they walked. "Maybe they just know talent when
they see it. Or maaaybe they're convinced I'm the only one who won't crash the darn thing."

"You should be thanking your lucky stars that the lieutenant gave Sully the liberty to pick his
own squad for these test flights," Alden interjected. "Not everyone gets that kind of privilege,
especially when we're itching to fly more often than we're allowed."

Devin shot a quick glance at Alden. "Oh, really? I should be grateful, should I?" She shook
her head in mock disapproval. "I'll remember that when I'm stuck doing paperwork while
Sully is soaring through the clouds."

"Look at it this way—at least you're not flying with some hotshot rookie who thinks barrel
rolls are the answer to everything. Jake here has a knack for picking a squad that keeps our
birds in one piece."

Jake grinned, defending his choices. "Hey, I need a team I can trust up there to have my
back."

"And you can count on us." Alden rested a supportive hand on Jake's back, a genuine smile
on his face, but then he swung his hand over Jake's head and delivered a firm clap between
the legs. The unexpected blow caused Jake to double over in pain, with a sharp intake of
breath escaping his lips. He burst into laughter. "Karma's a bitch, Sully! You can't talk about
trust without paying the price." He cockily sang those last three words.

Jake should have seen that one coming. Alden had been attempting to get one on him ever
since he 'cheated' in their tussle some months ago. "Remind me to trust you guys a bit less,"
he groaned, straightening up with a wince.

"Nah, you walked right into that one, Sully." Devin shook her head. "Watch out for friendly
fire next time."

As they continued toward the locker rooms, Wilder and Harlow were already there, leaning
against the wall. The lieutenant arrived a minute later.

"Listen up, squad," the lieutenant began. "We've got another test flight on the agenda, and
command wants to push those new modifications on Sully's jet to the limit. Focus on the task;
keep the chatter to a minimum in the air. We're evaluating the latest adjustments, and we need
accurate data. Clear?"

The team responded in unison, "Yes, ma'am!"

Lieutenant Torres looked directly at Jake. "Sully, this is your show. Lead the team and bring
those jets back together in one piece." As the lieutenant strode away, the team dispersed
toward their unofficially assigned lockers, swiftly changing into their flight suits and securing
various pockets before heading out onto the tarmac where each of their jets waited in a
triangular formation.

The ground crew had just finished with the final touches on the pre-flight preparations. The
squad stepped up to their designated jets and climbed into the cockpits. With a unified salute
to each other, their cockpit canopies closed with air-tight seals.

Jake checked over the dashboard, ensuring that each gauge and indicator were in the green.
Satisfied with the pre-flight checks, he flicked the switch to turn on the engine, and as he
glanced across the tarmac, he caught Devin's eye in the cockpit to his left and shot her a
confident grin. He then turned to Alden on his right and gave a reassuring nod. He gave both
(Wilder and Harlow too, though they were a bit harder to see) one last thumbs-up before
gripping the throttle. The jet responded eagerly, accelerating down the tarmac with a surge of
power. The force of the takeoff pressed Jake into his seat as the ground rapidly disappeared
beneath them.

Devin and Alden followed suit, forming a tight formation. Wilder and Harlow lagged behind.

For the next hour, the squadron soared through the skies, executing a series of maneuvers
and tests to gather that data on Jake's fighter jet. They were operating their own aircraft in
tandem among the clouds, and while Jake focused on gathering the necessary data checks,
his attention was divided between the controls and the instrument panel.

The intercom crackled to life as the lieutenant's voice permeated the cockpit speakers. "Sully,
how are we looking?"

Jake glanced over the dashboard, rapidly assessing the readings and responding with the
collected information. "All systems are holding steady, ma'am. No anomalies detected so far."

"All right, head back to base. Let's get those reports in for analysis. And Sully, make sure
your jet gets through post-flight inspection."

The engines maintained a steady hum as the jets cruised at a moderate pace. The intercoms
fell silent, and the pilots took a moment to soak in the breathtaking view from their high
vantage point.

Alden's voice broke the silence. "You ever wonder what it's like to just live up here in the
skies? No schedules, no deadlines—just the freedom to... soar wherever the wind takes you."
There was a thoughtful pause among the team as they continued to soar through the
boundless sky, but no one said anything just yet. "Imagine waking up to the sunrise above the
clouds every day. It's like a different world up here."

"But then you'd miss the feel of solid ground beneath your feet," Harlow added. "The world
below is a different kind of beauty."

Wilder laughed. He countered her description of the so-called 'beautiful' earth. "Beautiful?
Have you been living on the same Earth as the rest of us? You make it sound like some
picturesque landscape. It's a wasteland of nothing but endless deserts and cold, unforgiving
metal. A place that slowly suffocates you with its monotony, not the idyllic picture you're
painting."

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think? You've got a cynical view, Wilder."
"Sure, there's nature, but it's disappearing faster than we can save it. I mean, have you seen
the sprawl of urba—?"

"Alright, that's enough, you two." Jake warned.

The silence that followed Jake's intervention stretched for a moment, and then Devin's voice
broke through. "Hey, Wilder," she began, her tone curious, "if you hate Earth so much, why
didn't you sign up to join the RDA on Pandora? I mean, they're always looking for people,
and the Avatar Program would offer you a chance to live in a completely different
environment." Devin continued without missing a breath. "Think about it. A place where you
wouldn't have to deal with what you dislike about Earth. You'd be among the stars, quite
literally."

"I'd go in a heartbeat if I could. But who would be here to take care of my little sisters? It's
not that simple."

Devin sighed, her tone softening. "Family first, huh?"

"Always. I might gripe about Earth, but my siblings keep me grounded—no pun intended."

Harlow then asked Devin the same question. "Your sister signed up for the RDA on Pandora,
didn't she? Why didn't you join her?"

"Yeah, she did. But we're a different breed. Zdinarsik's a marine, through and through. I've
got my own path. Besides, I find my sense of adventure up here in the sky. No need to go
traipsing around alien planets, especially with those pieces of shite they call Samsons."

Seemingly content with the answer, Harlow then asked Alden. "Ever thought about signing up
for the RDA or venturing into the Avatar Program?"

"Honestly, I've considered it. But my roots are here, ya know? I've got connections,
responsibilities. Maybe one day, when the time is right, but for now, I'm content where I am."

"And you, Sully? Any reason you didn't venture into the RDA or consider the Avatar
Program?"

Jake took a thoughtful breath before responding. "The program—that's Tommy's dream, not
mine." He said, and a hint of nostalgia colored his voice as he continued. "He's been
fascinated by these stories of Pandora since we were kids, especially those by this—Dr.
Augustine. Used to spin these wild tales about the lush jungles, strange creatures, and
floating mountains. He always saw it as a place of wonder and discovery, so he joined the
program."

Alden hummed. "Sounds like he painted quite the picture of Pandora for you."

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I have a plan, though. When I retire from the
Air Force, I'll join the RDA with Tommy. I want to see it for myself, explore it beyond the
tales he used to tell us. Maybe even stay there if I can."
Wilder sounded surprised as he said, " On a planet where humans cannot breathe? You're
serious?"

"Dead serious. And maybe, if fate allows, let Pandora be my final adventure. My last flight.
I'd rather have my final resting place in the heart of those floating mountains than some
conventional plot of earth. Because that right there is the true flight of freedom."

Alden interjected, teasingly saying, "The skies are his home. I doubt they'd let him back down
to Earth if he wanted to."

"Well, there's some truth to that. Flying is in my blood, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Devin snorted, breaking the reflective atmosphere. "Leave it to Sully to take a sentimental
conversation and turn it into a talk about death. Really keeping the mood light." The rest of
the crew laughed, appreciating the familiar banter that helped lighten the weight of the
moment. Yeah, maybe Jake should've left that to himself.

As the laughter faded, Alden realized that Harlow hadn't been asked about her reasons for
not joining the RDA. "Hold on a second. We've heard from everyone but Harlow. What about
you? Any particular reason you didn't sign up?"

"Ah, the interviewer becomes the interviewee." She chuckled. "I had my phase of considering
it. The RDA does important work, and the Avatar Program is groundbreaking. But I guess my
heart has always been here. Plus, I think you guys would miss my stellar comp—"

The sound of metal tore through the air as a missile exploded into Harlow's jet, leaving
behind nothing but the cockpits filled with white noise in her wake.

"Harlow!?" Jake yelled.

Jake runs out of a building but doesn't stop. He continues even through the haze of bullets
and arrows. He thinks he hears Tsu'tey shouting behind him, but with everything going on,
who knows?

An arrow streaks through the air, finding its mark in a cooling unit and lodging between the
rotating turbines with a metallic thunk. The unit erupts. The concussive force sends Jake
hurtling backward, crashing into the elevated ground behind him before careening into a
ravine below.

Jake lies sprawled in the dirt, his senses reeling from the explosion and subsequent tumble.
The world around him spins. For a while, he hesitates to move, too disoriented to muster the
strength to even twitch. But he cannot lie there forever. He attempts to get up, but his efforts
are thwarted when a deafening roar fills the air, eclipsing the lingering echoes of the recent
explosion.

The unmistakable roar of fighter jets tearing through the atmosphere.

He flinches at the sound blasts, his hands reflexively covering his ears. The sky is painted
with streaks of metallic birds, their engines tearing through the air with an otherworldly
speed. A barrage of machine gun fire rains down as well, bullets tearing through the
atmosphere and kicking up clouds of dust around him.

All of this feels wrong, however.

Because why would there be fighter jets on Pandora?

Jake's eyes widened. "Harlow, do you copy!? Harlow!"

"Multiple bogeys coming up on our flanks!" Alden reported, and someone on the comms
cursed. "Break formation! Evade and engage!" The squadron responded swiftly, each pilot
adjusting their trajectory to evade the incoming threats.

There was a bogey closing in on his tail.

Without hesitation, he wrenched the control stick to the right, feeling the G-forces press
against him as he executed a hard bank. The wind howled against the cockpit as he pushed
the fighter jet to its limits, but despite the breakneck speed at which he pushed, the
ammunition whizzing through the air was still too close for comfort.

"Sully, I'm moving to intercept. Hang tight!"

Devin streaked past his jet, engaging the enemy with a burst of gunfire. The hostile jet
executed a sharp bank off his tail, trying to break away from the impeding fire, but Devin
adjusted her trajectory to keep on par.

Her gunfire locked on. "Target neutralized."

Wilder's voice broke through the comm, "I've got a hostile locked onto me! Can't evade!
Countermeasures are jamm—" Before he could finish his sentence, an abrupt explosion cut
him off. The sudden silence that followed spoke louder than words.

"Fuck!" Alden cried out.

Two men down, three remaining, and a swarm of hostiles closing in. The atmosphere in the
cockpit became stifling when the reality of the situation sunk in.

Jake, almost on autopilot himself, moved the controls based on muscle memory. He could
barely breathe. Somewhere in the recesses of his awareness, he thought he heard Devin's
voice, cut off abruptly, and felt the heat from her jet's explosion. The realization hit him like a
physical blow, and tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

And then he heard Alden's voice.

"Jake! Jake, they've locked onto me! I can't shake them! Ja—!"
Jake's heart sank as he looked out of the cockpit and witnessed the unthinkable—Alden's jet
plummeting in flames. The dread solidified in his chest, and an involuntary scream escaped
his lips, "Alden!"

A sudden jolt rocked his jet. The alarms blared, warning lights illuminated the cockpit, and
the once-reliable controls started to betray him.

He was going down too.

Jake slowly began to rouse from what felt like a deep slumber, his senses gradually coming
back to him.

The air around him felt humidly dry, and as he blinked his eyes open, he became acutely
aware of the parched sensation in his mouth. He tried to moisten his dry lips, swallowing
where his throat protested the arid conditions. Blinking against the harsh sunlight, he tried to
take stock of his surroundings, trying to gauge where the hell he was. The air was heavy, and
a subtle scent of destruction lingered.

The first thing he noticed was the ruined landscape stretching out before him. Most of the
buildings surrounding him were in a state of destruction and abandonment, which suggested
he was stranded somewhere on the other side of the line. Then he realized that he was not on
solid ground either. Instead, he felt a strange sensation of suspension—as if he was hanging
in the air. It took a moment to comprehend that he was still confined to the chair that he
manually ejected from the aircraft, still entangled amidst the remnants of a partially
crumbled building.

Although he lacked belief in any higher power, he couldn't help but offer a silent
acknowledgment to whatever force or deity might be out there.

If only his team had the same good fortune.

Despite the discomfort and pain that radiated through his body, he found relief in the fact
that, as far as he could tell, nothing seemed to be broken. He shifted cautiously, wincing at
the soreness that permeated his muscles. But at least the discomfort was manageable.

He reached for his pant leg, retrieving a pocketknife concealed within. He quickly unsheathed
the blade and began to cut at the seatbelt without pausing for air. He abruptly tumbled from
his seat when the band across his chest yielded, his descent only momentarily halted by the
remainder of the seatbelt ensnaring his feet. Though the landing lacked the sting of pain, he
managed to stifle most of his involuntary cries, gritting his teeth to suppress any audible
signs of discomfort.

And he was thankful that luck had kept him from falling on the knife he had been using only a
few minutes before.

Now, the next critical task—establishing contact with base for extraction.
Headquarters won't be able to extract him from his rough location until four days from now,
much to his disappointment.

Jake was relieved to find his emergency bag still fastened to the rear of his seat, and after
searching for a methodical path up the debris to get to his bag, he wasted no time in
accessing the walkie-talkie within. He established contact with his lieutenant, who had been
tirelessly attempting to reach him and his squad for hours without success. He hadn't allowed
himself the luxury of grief when he heard the final moments of his comrades over the comms,
and he maintained that stoicism when he relayed the grim reality to his lieutenant that none
of them would be returning home. With only a scant supply of food and water in his
possession, and the relentless sun beating down on him, he had to conserve his energy for the
impending four-day wait.

He had to find shelter where potential patrols wouldn't chance upon him. The absence of
discernible sounds, reduced to complete silence, told him that any patrols were likely miles
away. Fortunately, the task of finding shelter was relatively straightforward amidst the
abundance of buildings. It was simply a matter of deciding which one would serve best to
shield him from the relentless sun and any watchful gazes.

When he found one, he was rightfully exhausted. That kind of exhaustion from shock and
adrenaline wearing off and allowing the disservice of no grief. Yeah, he was exhausted. He
snoozed rather quickly in one of the corners of the building's blindsided corners.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since then.

Startled awake from a brief nap, he caught the distinct sound of someone rifling through a
bag, and from reacting on instinct, he swiftly retrieved the gun cradled against his chest and
leveled it at the intruder. Said intruder was a wide-eyed boy holding a portion of Jake's
rations, the packaging already torn open. The boy, fear etched across his face, hastily
dropped the pilfered rations and threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

He's just a child?

"Shit." Well, this changes the narrative. He brought the gun down just a little bit, but the
simple movement was enough to have the boy make a hurried attempt to flee. Fuck. He can't
have the boy running off and telling whoever he's with. He called out, "Wait! I didn't mean to
scare you!"

The boy paused just shy of the doorway, his back turned to Jake. Slowly, he pivoted to cast a
wary glance over his shoulder.

Jake rose to his feet, opting to leave his gun behind in favor of retrieving the scattered
rations. He held it out. "You're just hungry, right? Here, I don't mind."

The boy stared at him with a curious stare, studying him before, after what felt like minutes,
stepping forward and snatching the packet from his hand, taking a big bite out of it. Jake
dropped back onto his rear with a heavy sigh, as if holding the ration was the only thing
keeping him upright.

"Gracias," the boy whispered behind the food.

Jake may have failed to learn Spanish in school, but he understood the very basics to offer a
basic reply. "De nada."

The boy stayed even after he finished eating, but Jake didn't mind. He assumed rather quickly
that maybe the boy was alone. He wouldn't mind having company for the new four days. One
day in warfare alone is enough to make a person lose their mind.

Pain radiates through his body, but amidst the disorientation, the sharp burn in his shoulder
becomes the focal point. He grits his teeth to stifle any inclination to release a guttural
scream, the taste of dirt and metallic blood lingering on his lips. He maneuvers himself onto
his knees, a cascade of dirt falling away from his back like a shroud.

The hailstorm of bullets that once pursued him has subsided, replaced by an uneasy stillness.
He's not sure if the RDA grunts know he's down here, but he remains crouched low. The
muffled voices of the soldiers drift down to him. They're strategizing, wondering aloud if
they've managed to spot the 'four-fingered traitor' who had slipped through their grasp.

Then, a beam of light pierces the murky atmosphere as a flashlight sweeps across the ravine.
He reacts swiftly, instinctively scrambling to find cover beneath the overhang of a small dug-
in cave. He can overhear them coordinating above, searching for him. All the meanwhile,
he remains motionless in the cave as he waits for the opportune moment when the RDA
grunts decide to move on.

Although it takes a few minutes while none of the RDA grunts are daring enough to enter the
ravine, they eventually depart, and Jake can finally breathe.

The unmistakable sounds of a skirmish reach his ears—clashing metal, grunts of effort.
Someone else is taking on the RDA, and Jake can't help but hope that whoever they are is
holding their own against them. He takes the opportunity to run, emerging from the small
dug-in cave and stepping into the heart of the ravine.

Jake doesn't stop running, and he thinks he hears Tsu'tey shouting his name behind him.

The sounds are changing, the commotion behind him is getting quieter, but Na'vi's cries are
getting louder. He rounds the corner, sliding to a halt beneath a high-speed door. There's
Kyuna and Rai'uk fighting against two AMP suits. Kyuna has just been thrown across the
room through a glass window while Rai'uk is being held off the ground by his throat. He's
struggling, trying to slash at the canopy window with his knife but not making a single dent.

"Let him go!" Jake shouts.

Both suits turn toward him, and Rai'uk weakly looks at him as well.
"J-Jake..."

Seth is the one holding Rai'uk off the ground, and Jake can see that sickening smile on his
face. It's just a game to him. "If you say so. He's not our target anyway." Like Kyuna, Rai'uk
gets tossed out of the building, his back colliding with one of the running generators. He's
knocked out.

Jake's ears flick to the timely sound of hearing ammunition being reloaded, and he thanks his
reaction time for diving behind a stack of storage box when a barrage of bullets hails his way,
somersaulting into a stop against a pillar. He can hear Seth's mockery laugh as the heavy
steps of his AMP suit echo around the room, switching positions to get a better lock on Jake.

"Come out, Sully!" Seth taunts.

Jake dares not to move. Another barrage of bullets rains overhead, knocking down one of the
crates in front of him. A bow and a few arrows fall out, and he doesn't waste a second
rethinking as he picks them up. Notching an arrow, he tests the string. The bow is still in
good condition.

When the bullets stop for Sean and Seth to reload or unjam, unfortunately for them, he stands
and aims at Sean first, who is furthest across the room. The tension of pulling the string hurts,
and Jake takes a moment to allow the bullet still lodged in his shoulder some ease by
releasing the string's tension. Despite the urgency, he harbors no desire to kill Sean—at least
not in this moment. In a split-second decision, he shifts his aim, diverting the course of the
arrow. With a deft release of the string, the arrow hurtles through the air, aimed not at Sean
but at the vulnerable gas tanks.

Flames erupt, hungrily licking the back of Sean's AMP suit, and Jake knows that when he
hears Sean spewing a load of curses that the flames have reached the core's vital units.
Without hesitation, Jake swiftly notches another arrow, adjusting his aim toward Sean, now
kneeling as his suit succumbs to the engulfing fire. This time, he targets Sean's vulnerable
abdomen.

"Sean!"

Jake instinctively ducks as he hears Seth bounding across the room. Peeking back over the
storage boxes, he spots Seth standing in front of Sean's malfunctioning suit, his back
exposed. It's an opportunity Jake can't afford to miss, and he doesn't need Seth alive.

He releases the next arrow.

The suit seizes in malfunction, the mechanical components grinding to a halt. Flames burst
forth, consuming the AMP suit in a fiery display. Metal fragments scatter in all directions as
the force of the blast propels the suit off its feet.

Now, there's just silence...

As the debris settles, Jake cautiously emerges from behind the storage boxes, his bow still at
the ready. He shifts his gaze over to Sean, who struggles to rise as he pushes himself out of
the suit ejected canopy with an arrow still lodged in his stomach.

"You... bastard," Sean grits out, his voice strained but defiant. He pushes himself back
against a wall as Jake steps forward.

Jake's eyes narrow as Sean's face contorts into a sickening smile. The arrow piercing Sean
does little to wipe away the grotesque mockery etched on his face, and Jake can't stand the
sight of it. He stalks over to him, who attempts to shift into an upright position, boxing
himself against a corner of the room with no escape from what he knows is Jake's impending
wrath.

Sean chuckles through gritted teeth, blood staining his lips and oozing between his fingers.
"Oh~ you've really done it now, Sully."

"You find this... amusing?" Jake growls, unable to tolerate the man's laughter.

Sean laughs again, and it grates on his nerves. "I find it hilarious... watching you make
yourself an enemy of the humans? Boy, you've got no idea what you're up against."

"My standing isn't what matters here." He gets down onto one knee in front of him, bringing
them to eye level. "What did you think would happen? Did you honestly believe the program
would just stand by while the RDA trampled over Pandora? Or that the Na'vi would simply
cower and submit just because they seem weaker against your firepower?"

"Well, looks like they did. Until you showed up, that is." Sean smirks, his arrogance showing
no signs of waning. "They're just a bunch of blue-skinned monkeys with bows and arrows.
What chance do they have against the RDA? The way I see it, it's already a lost cause! You're
delusional if you think you can stand against us and win." Despite his attempt to project
strength, a coughing fit seizes him, and he ends up spitting out blood onto the cold floor.

"I've already stood against you and look where it's gotten us." Jake gestures around the room
at the destruction wrought upon Sean's compound. "Your little operation is in ruins, and I'm
still standing. The Na'vi aren't as weak as you think, especially if they have someone
like me on their side. All this power play, and here you are, bleeding on the floor."

"This is just a setback."

"Is it though?" Jake throws back at him.

Sean says nothing but the look in his eyes says everything. He takes a breath, coughing out
the blood. "Do you know what your downfall will be, Sully? Why your plans to help the
Na'vi won't ever succeed?" His tone is almost mocking, confident in the knowledge he
possesses.

He narrows his eyes, but his curiosity is piqued. "Do enlighten me."

"Love," Sean says with a chilling certainty. "That's the Achilles' heel of your little Avatar
program." As the words escape Sean's lips, the door bursts open, and Jake turns to see Tsu'tey
entering the room. Sean gestures towards him, solidifying his point. "Case in point. You're all
too busy falling in love with the jungle, the creatures, and these blue-skinned aliens to see the
bigger picture."

Jake scoffs, turning his attention back onto Sean. "Love isn't a weakness. It's what makes us
human. Something you apparently lack."

"And that's the problem with the program. You're all too emotionally invested to do what
needs to be done. That's where Grace Augustine failed. She loved Pandora too much, and it
clouded her judgment. Those who truly care about human survival do what's necessary."

"You talk about necessity, about doing what's necessary for human survival," he retorts, a
disdainful edge to his voice. "But I know what you were really doing out here. Stealing
artifacts, poaching animals for their skin—all for profit. That's not survival; that's just greed."

"You gotta make a living somehow, starting somewhere. Survival, profit—they're just
different sides of the same coin."

"There's a difference between making a living and exploiting a planet and its inhabitants.
What you were doing out here wasn't necessary for human survival. It's just pure greed."

"Survival, greed—semantics, Sully. In the end, it's about doing what it takes to come out on
top. The weak get left behind, and you're at the very bottom. Quaritch, Selfridge, Mercer,
they'll all succeed."

Jake's brow furrows in confusion at the mention of Mercer's name. "Who's Mercer?" he asks.

Sean's smirk widens, a glint of satisfaction dancing in his eyes despite the agony coursing
through his body. "Oh, you haven't heard of him yet? You're even more clueless than I
thought, Sully."

His jaw clenches, frustration mounting. "Cut the crap, Sean. Who is Mercer, and what does
he have to do with all this?"

Sean coughs, blood dribbling down his chin, but his grin remains unabated. "I don't have to
spell it out for you. You'll see soon enough."

Jake sighs. "Forget it. I'll figure it out on my own. You're useless to me now." He stands. He
narrows his eyes again at Sean, the disdain evident in the way his upper lip twitches into a
disgusted snarl. Where did humanity go wrong, he wonders. But he knows that's not the right
question to be asking himself. Humanity, throughout its history, has always prioritized its
own interests over anything else. And as part of the human race himself, Jake knows what
humanity is like—ruthless, selfish, conniving, and downright disgusting.

Should he go on?

But that's precisely why there are wars, right?

Why would the RDA be any different on Pandora? After spending a considerable amount of
time living with the Na'vi, after getting the chance to see the world through their eyes,
perhaps he understands more than he would like. On Earth, peace is a distant dream, non-
existent in a world where resources are depleting at an alarming rate, and wars are waged to
claim what remains.

However, the Na'vi have peace—a precious commodity that is being stolen by men like Sean
Wallen.

Men like Park Selfridge and this... Mercer.

Some twisted part of Jake understands the necessity of operations like mining rigs to extract
unobtanium. At least they are attempting to mine the valuable mineral peacefully. It's the
reason Jake was given a five-month window to relocate the Omaticaya. Bad press looks bad.
But where does attempting to wipe out the Anurai clan or ruthlessly skinning hide from
animals fit on the list of perceivably acceptable actions?

It doesn't, and that's what sickens him.

Pandora is a breathtakingly beautiful place. He can't bear the thought of it succumbing to the
same fate as Earth.

Jake sighs, glancing down at the bleeding out man. He readies himself to turn away from the
wounded man. "Sean's all hers," he whispers to Tsu'tey, his voice betraying a hint of
exhaustion. There's nothing more he can extract from Sean, nothing else he needs.

Without waiting for a response, he starts to walk away. Yet, a lesson from his military days
resonates in his mind—never turn your back on the enemy. He can't shake the instinct that the
danger isn't entirely over.

Just as he takes a few steps, a shift in Tsu'tey expression catches his attention. He shouts,
"Watch out!"

Jake dodges just in time to evade a bullet whizzing dangerously close to where his head was.
The sound echoes loudly in his ears, drowning out the world for a moment. He's enveloped in
a disorienting silence accompanied only by a persistent, high-pitched ringing. But as the
world slowly regains its sound, he feels a searing pain on his side, a graze from a poorly
aimed second bullet.

Tsu'tey barely registers the speed which Jake seizes the knife from his sheath and charges
towards Sean. Before he can even grasp the situation and try to stop him, the blade is hurtling
through the air, piercing Sean's abdomen with ruthless precision before the man can even
summon the strength to resist. His shock manifests in an audible gasp and a startled step
back, accompanied by the pained sounds emanating from Sean's lips.

"J-Jake..." He's hardly audible over a whisper.

Sean's body recoils from the impact, a grimace of agony contorting his features. The air is
thick, and the only sounds that persist are Sean's labored breaths and the adrenaline-fueled
inhalations of Jake. And yet, Sean finds amusement in the midst of his suffering as he laughs.
A laughter that doesn't seem to stem from the physical torment he's enduring but rather from
some deep, twisted recess of his psyche.

"Your little victory... changes nothing." Sean manages to wheeze out.

Tsu'tey doesn't know what to do, stunned into just standing there as Jake kneels over Sean. In
the periphery of his awareness, he registers the approaching footsteps, and the distinct scents
of the siblings and Maru reach him.

Maru stands next to him. "Wiya," She whispers behind the hands she brings to her mouth.
"Wha... what happened?"

How can Tsu'tey respond? He doesn't know, either.

Sean persists, "The RDA... they won't stop. They'll keep coming, keep taking." Rai'uk and
Kyuna's snarls blur in the background. "Pandora's doomed, with... or without... me." Sean's
bitter words hang in the air, and that's all it takes for Jake to lose it.

He sees the moment where everything in Jake's awareness goes blind, and an instinctual
urgency compels him to reach out. He desires to snatch Jake away, to prevent the possibility
of another ruthless strike against Sean—for his numeyu's sake. But before he can move, the
dreamwalker cries out, a guttural sound that echoes whatever tumult within.

"AUGH!" Jake yanks the knife out of Sean's abdomen and brings it back down.

Tsu'tey's entire body convulses with the second stab, and Maru releases a startled scream.

Kyuna's shouts of "kehe" echo, intermingled with the sounds of her struggling against her
brother who holds her back. "He—to kill!" Kyuna's words are partially lost in translation,
drowned out by the pounding rush of blood in his ears.

Jake extracts the knife again, swinging it downward with a gruesome impact that sends blood
spraying. Tsu'tey flinches with every strike Jake inflicts upon Sean. He doesn't keep a precise
count, but he knows that the blows exceed anything he could tally on both hands thrice over.
His eyes widen, and the thudding of his heart aligns with the rhythm of fear and disbelief
mirroring the savage cadence of Jake's assault.

Sean is unrecognizable, every part of him torn apart and covered with dark repaytun, but Jake
doesn't let up. The knife continues to strike. "Why don't you laugh now!?" Jake shouts.

This is wrong... this isn't the Jake he recognizes.

As a seasoned warrior, Tsu'tey is accustomed to facing off against humans and their
machines, witnessing the ugly aftermath of their destruction and the haunting nightmares that
plague his sleep. Yet, in all his experiences, even within his ay numeyu, he has never
encountered anything quite like this. Is this the manifestation of the demons Jake spoke of?
The ones he implored Tsu'tey to prevent from taking control? He doesn't know what to do.
This is unlike anything he has seen the dreamwalker endure before.

But he has to do something.

 "Jake, stop." He cautiously steps forward, extending his hand to grasp Jake's shoulder in a bid
to intervene. "Sean Wallen is dead." However, the moment his hand makes contact, he
realizes it was the last thing he should have done. Before he even blinks, Jake pivots to him
with a swift, violent motion, the knife arcing dangerously close to his face. The collective
hiss from the three Na'vi behind him signals their instinctual response to the sudden threat.
He raised a hand to deter them.

A sharp sting radiates from his right ear, and he feels the warm trickle of blood from a small
piece of missing skin.

Jake's attention shifts towards the trio standing behind Tsu'tey, prompting a quick glance from
Tsu'tey to confirm that Rai'uk and Kyuna have their knives drawn. It's a precarious situation;
the last thing Tsu'tey needs is for Jake to perceive them as a threat.

And Jake is ready to pounce.

"Not them!"

Before Jake can make a move, Tsu'tey lunges forward, wrapping his arms around Jake's
middle, tossing him across the room with a forceful motion. Jake slides upon impact but
swiftly regains his footing, poised to retaliate. He launches himself back into the fray, and
Tsu'tey has no choice but to meet him head on.

As Jake swings the knife towards him once more, Tsu'tey swiftly ducks, evading the blade by
a hair's breadth. He retaliates with a kick aimed at Jake's hand, the force knocking the knife
from his grip, but he doesn't allow himself to falter. He leaps onto Tsu'tey's back, his weight
bearing down heavily. Tsu'tey shifts his weight, causing Jake to swing around his body before
crashing back down to the ground with a resounding thud.

Jake is stunned, providing Tsu'tey with a brief window of opportunity to wrap his arms
tightly around Jake's thrashing form, attempting to restrain him. "Ma Jake! Stop! This is not
you!" But his plea falls on deaf ears. His thrashing becomes increasingly violent,
accompanied by guttural snarls that only purvey how feral he is right now.

"Ma Jake! Please!"

Jake throws his head back, and Tsu'tey feels his nose sting, but he continues to hold him
tightly.

Then, almost too abruptly, Jake collapses, limp in his arms.

Chapter End Notes

well, you made it through a pretty shitty chapter. CONGRATS!! I'll probably rework this
at some point, just like I want to do with all previous chapters. again. but I'll do that
when part one is finished. little gift to expect with that news: at least ten new additional
chapters between the original chapters 3 and 4. new chapters mean a changed narrative,
so... yeah, you can definitely tell I'm not happy with my writing. BUT!! given chapter 29
is what I like to call a 'brand new start' I shouldn't have to change anything from there on
to the end. which is a plus because part one will have at least 80 chapters, without those
additional ten. yeah, betas helped me figure that out LMFAO. enjoy that treat too.

next chapter is planned for next week (knocking on wood because I don't wanna jynx
myself. knock on wood for me too, I need the extra luck). as I said, it was about 95%
finished but I do need to rewrite some things since this chapter ended differently than
planned.

I am trying to get back to working 40 hours rather than the regular 18 I've been doing
since October. made it 32 hours this week, so... maybe expect some delays?? hopefully
not month long delays but, you know...

anyway, end of my rants.

OHH!! AND THERE'S ART TOO!! my beta Lithuiwen2016 did an amazing job omfg!!
I've linked it here, but you can also find it at the end of each chapter under 'works
inspired'.

also, this chapter was BRIEFLY looked over because, as I'm writing this little sentence
at 8:40 am, I leave in 20 minutes for a trip and have been up for over 12 hours already. if
there's any mistakes, it's because Grammarly is being a bitch by not showing up and I'm
tired and I'm hungry. okay?? okay :))
 Chapter 27
Chapter by amunet (dabiforlife)

Chapter Notes

hey!! a new chapter a week later, as promised.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

After everything that's happened, Jake hasn't synced with his avatar for the past couple of
days.

When he was ejected, Grace explained to him that his vitals and brain activity were too
erratic to risk him spending another second in the link unit. But that came after two hours of
her painstaking efforts to calm him down. Grace didn't have a clue what happened, and
although Jake couldn't recall most of what transpired, there was a hauntingly vague idea. He
couldn't bear to confront the full extent of what occurred. The mere idea of what might've
unfolded sent shivers down his spine, enough to render him incapable of speaking about it to
anyone.

He suspected Trudy might've had an inkling of what went down. Being military, she was
attuned to the signs, but she never sought him out when he was alone to ask about it.

It's only been a couple of days, but it's been a much-needed breather from it all.

When Jake opens his eyes, Tsu'tey is kneeling at his side, maintaining a respectful distance of
about a foot of space between them within the marui. His knees are drawn up, forming a
supportive perch for his chin as he rests, seemingly in deep repose. Despite the apparent
serenity, he notices the subtle signs that indicate he's asleep, but only lightly so—the faint
sway of his tail and the occasional flick of his ears. Strangely enough, he is reminded of those
days when Neytiri refused to abandon Kyuna's bedside.

Has Tsu'tey been at his side this entire time?

Admittedly, he admires that. It reminds him of his brother—too much, in fact.

He eases himself into an upright position, a cautious wince crossing his face as he feels a
twinge of pain emanating from his shoulder and along his side. He notices the care that has
been taken to treat his injuries—the wounds carefully tended to and enveloped in protective
wraps made of leaves. A couple pieces of leather encircle his waist and shoulder, securing the
wrappings in place. He can already foresee the scars that will mar his skin, joining the
existing tally with the one on his leg.
"No one applied a deadly paste to your wound."

Startled by Rai'uk's voice, Jake swiftly redirects his attention toward the Na'vi. His gaze
settles on Rai'uk and Kyuna, perched on their haunches with a bowl grasped between them.
They're nibbling on something with their fingers, reminiscent of cracking sunflower seeds, or
perhaps it's ground-up plant material.

"If that is what you are wondering," Rai'uk adds.

Jake blinks, momentarily caught off guard. "I... wasn't wondering about that," he admits.
Rai'uk nods knowingly, a refined smile playing on his lips as he resumes partaking of the
contents in his bowl.

Tsu'tey stirs, uttering soft murmurs that Jake cannot understand. He raises his head, and upon
noticing Jake roused and upright, his ears swivel forward with relief. "Jake!" He moves from
resting on his rear to leaning most of his weight against his knees, and he gently takes one of
Jake's hands into his own. He holds it tight. "You are up!" He exclaims.

He smiles sheepishly. "Yeah..." He glances at their hands, but Tsu'tey must've taken that as a
breach of personal comfort because he immediately releases his.

"You had us worried," Tsu'tey admits, but Kyuna dismisses his words with a disapproving
snort, her head turned towards the wall. Both of them glance at her, noticing the scowl on her
face. Rai'uk, on the other hand, maintains an indifferent expression, choosing not to correct
his sister because there really would be no point. "Some of us were worried. How are you
feeling?"

"I'm okay," Jake assures him, running a quick check over his wounds. A wince escapes him
as he tests the rotation of his shoulder. "It hurts a bit, but nothing life-threatening."

Tsu'tey appears discontent, perhaps realizing that his question hadn't been conveyed as he
intended. "I am talking about you, your tawtute body. Your ronsem," he gestures lightly,
tapping on Jake's forehead to signify 'mind'. "Your ay vrrtep, are they gone?"

Jake gazes back, momentarily speechless. The question catches him off guard, leaving him at
a loss for words. "I..." He falters, his voice strained as he searches for the appropriate
explanation. The memories of a few nights ago flood his thoughts, making it difficult to
articulate. "I'm trying," he finally manages. "They're not all gone, but... I'm working on it. I
don't want the other night to happen again."

A bowl crashes onto the floor, scattering an array of seeds. Rai'uk's eyes trail his sister as she
rises, striding to the opposite end of the marui. With frustration etched on her face, Kyuna
runs her hands through her hair. "Can we please start moving? The sooner we wrap this up,
the faster we can bid farewell to this vrrtep from our land."

"What is happening?" Jake asks, glancing at Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey's expression tightens with frustration, his ears subtly flattening against his skull and
the faintest hint of bare teeth peeking through his lips. "Even after all that has transpired, you
still have not learned. But your brother," he continues, his tone softening slightly as he
acknowledges the other presence in the room, "has finally come to his senses."

"He stole my revenge!" Her eyes bore into Tsu'tey's, searching for understanding and
validation, yet also brimming with simmering anger. Jake can tell that she feels robbed of
something deeply personal, something she had held onto fiercely—and he thinks he knows
that it might be. "How can I come to my senses when he stole what was mine!?" Her fists
clench at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. "He had no right," she mutters through
gritted teeth.

"Stole your revenge?" Tsu'tey repeats, his voice steady but tinged with incredulity. "He did
not steal from you, Kyuna. He saved your life and the clans'."

She shakes her head in refusal, turning sharp on her heel and storming out of the marui.
Rai'uk shoots Tsu'tey a quick apologetic look before hastening after his sister.

"Kyuna, wait—!"

Jake turns to Tsu'tey, seeking an explanation, a furrow forming between his brows. "What
was that about?"

Tsu'tey shakes his head imperceptibly, a gesture laden with a sense of reluctance to delve into
the intricacies of the situation. So instead of addressing the question directly, he shifts the
conversation, choosing to share a more uplifting piece of news. "Kiralu has managed to
convince her father to hold a celebration in your honor," he reveals, a hint of a smile tugging
at the corners of his mouth. "As a thanks for saving their clan."

Jake wasn't in a state of mind to celebrate.

There was a forced smile on his lips as he mingled with the members of the clan, attempting
to reciprocate their warmth and appreciation. He tried to engage in conversations with those
who would have him, nodding along to their tales and expressions of gratitude, though his
mind often drifted elsewhere. But as the celebration continued, he found himself struggling to
maintain the facade of enthusiasm.

He waited for the opportune moment when the revelry reached a crescendo and he could slip
away unnoticed.

His steps led him away from the celebration, towards a place both bitter and poignant.
Instead of seeking alone time in the familiar comfort of the marui huts, he found himself
drawn back to Sean's base. Their conversation had been on his mind as of late, and there were
still some things he needed to uncover before they headed back home.

As he steps cautiously through the debris-strewn corridors, he enters what appears to be one
of their former offices. His gaze sweeps across the rows of computers, their screens still
displaying fragments of data and half-finished tasks left abandoned. He approaches one of
them, its screen flickering with erratic bursts of light. Next to the keyboard is a datapad
which he picks up, the files are more or less already on view for him to scroll through. So for
however long he has, he sits there scrolling through the data.

Everything he finds is generic.

Details about resource allocations, survey reports, and logistical data flicker before him, but
it's the folder labeled 'Frontier Operations' that captures his attention. He taps the icon,
revealing a trove of information detailing a project tucked away in the Western Frontier—an
area unfamiliar to him and something he'd have to ask Tsu'tey about later. At first glance, the
purpose of Frontier Operations appears to paint a familiar picture—a mission to gather
materials and resources across Pandora to fuel the RDA's pursuit of colonization. At the helm
of this operation is John Mercer, another name on the roster of RDA higher-ups.

A flicker of recognition crosses his face. Mercer, a name laden with significance. Sean had
mentioned Mercer, dropped the name like a breadcrumb in their conversation a couple nights
ago. But try as he might, Jake couldn't extract the clarity he sought about another figurehead
with their hands dirty.

It was like trying to catch mist with his bare hands.

He continues reading, absorbing the details with only a cursory glance. To Jake, Frontier
Operations seems like just another RDA outpost akin to Hell's Gate, but strategically
positioned on another continent. The notion of the RDA extending its reach across Pandora
for resource extraction doesn't surprise him.

"Frontier Operations," he mutters to himself.

The initial assumption that it's just another outpost for resource extraction doesn't satisfy his
curiosity. His mind races with queries, and the first question that emerges in his mind is a
pragmatic one: What is Frontier Operations really for? Because it really cannot be this
simple. Has the RDA discovered new unobtanium deposits in the Western Frontier? He wants
to scoff at the notion as soon as that idea enters his head. He highly doubts it. Right outside
their door is one of the largest unobtanium deposits on Pandora.

But if new deposits were indeed found, he hopes that they might be in regions untouched by
indigenous. Another ridiculous thought. He keeps that hope tightly locked within, aware that
such sentiments may not align with the Na'vi around him or people like Grace Augustine.

It's selfish of him to think of it anyway.

But the thoughts continue to nag at him—could Frontier Operations be just another guise for
the likes of Sean? Another agenda for poaching the fauna and stealing artifacts for the black
market? Just one look at the name 'Angela Harding' suggests that she's already on a path in
that direction.

Another file catches his eye—a folder labeled 'The Ambassador Program'. Intrigued, he
opens it, expecting to find mundane diplomatic records or perhaps the names of some RDA
figureheads designated as ambassadors to the Na'vi. But to his surprise, the contents of this
file diverged sharply from his expectations. Skimming through the contents, he reads enough
to grasp the essence of the program, and it becomes abundantly clear that John Mercer is not
the kind of person one would want as an ally.

Though he knew that much already.

Jake closes the data pad, the glow of the holographic display fading away. His mind races,
and he feels a sudden surge of nausea rising within him. The acrid taste of bile stings the back
of his throat, and he stumbles backward, gripping the edge of a nearby crate for support. The
celebratory sounds from outside and the distant cheers of the clan all seem muffled. His
shoulders hunch, and he doubles over, retching onto the cold floor.

Once the violent spasms subside, Jake straightens up, wiping his mouth with the back of his
hand. In everything he's just read, the implications of the Ambassador Program stretch far
beyond what he could have anticipated.

It overwhelms him with anger. Disbelief.

Disgust.

His hands clench into fists, his knuckles turning white. Every fiber of his being rebels against
the idea of being associated with a species capable of such a thing. The desire to distance
himself from humanity, to shed the association that now feels like a stain—he wants nothing
more.

"Jake?"

The distant call of his name interrupts his thoughts. With practiced ease, he masks the shock
and disgust that still linger beneath the surface, adopting the stoic demeanor he's seen one too
many times on Tsu'tey. He slips the data pad into a small pouch attached to his waist,
securing it out of sight (he'll read more later).

As his name is called once more, he decides it's time to respond. Rather than shouting back,
he projects his voice just enough to be audible. "O-over here, Tsu'tey," he calls, his tone
carefully neutral.

Tsu'tey enters the office a couple moments later. "I have been looking all over for you," he
begins. "Maru mentioned she saw you head this way." His eyes search his face, seeking signs
of distress or unease, a silent plea for honesty and openness.

Jake meets Tsu'tey's gaze with a forced calm, his own turmoil simmering beneath the surface.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he whispers, though the words feel hollow even to his own ears. "Just
needed some time alone to... clear my head."

Tsu'tey studies his expression intently. He certainly doesn't know he's fibbing, right? "Very
well," he concedes with a nod. Guess not. "Let us head back to the clan. We leave soon and
need to get ready."

He swallows the lump in his throat. "Right."

Jake sighs, glancing at the datapad in his hand.

He knows they're supposed to leave in a couple of hours. He should be getting ready—not

that he brought much with him on this journey in the first place, and there's hardly anything
of value in his possession to take back to Hometree. But instead, he spent the entire day
hiding from the curious glances of those around him, rarely showing his face since Tsu'tey
led him back to the clan. He found consolation wedged between the thick branches of one of
the few tallest trees in the valley, a place where no one could easily reach him.

Perhaps it's a tad dramatic, maybe even childish, for him to isolate himself like this. But after
everything that's transpired, he feels a deep need for this time alone.

And now that he's alone, he has as much extra time as he can squeeze in to go through more
of the material on that datapad. There has to be more he can learn about Frontier Operations,
even if he's already glanced over enough to make him sick. His earlier perusal had yielded
some insights, but it was, in his opinion, far from sufficient. They fell short of the detailed
information he sought. As he sifts through the data, a part of him is already formulating plans
to thwart Mercer's machinations and aid the Western Frontier. However, the foundation of
any effective action lies in the basics: the locations of bases and outposts, their purposes, and
the sheer scale of the program.

If the information is encrypted, how can he even attempt to obtain the answers he's looking
for?

His frustration intensifies, and a tinge of helplessness creeps in when he realizes that he lacks
the necessary passcode to breach the encryptions. Hacking into it himself is tempting enough,
but who's to say there aren't failsafes to keep intruders like him out? A single wrong move
could mean losing the critical information he seeks or worse, alerting Mercer to his probing.
He sighs, attempting to massage the frustration off his face with a weary rub.

Jake could always inquire Grace about what she knows. It's a straightforward option,
considering her involvement in the Avatar program and the likelihood that other Avatar
drivers are involved with... the Ambassador Program.

But the very reason he hesitates to ask is the same reason he can't afford to approach her.

Seth wasn't lying, and Sean never claimed otherwise. If Site 26 is equipped with surveillance
devices or if there's a Na'vi somehow aligned with the RDA, he might as well call it game
over. He can't afford to let any trace of his involvement in anything loop back to the RDA,
especially if it involves TAP.

Deep in contemplation, he sifts through the data he's already managed to uncover, hoping to
uncover any hidden gems he might have missed that aren't encrypted. From what he sees, the
information seems to be skewed towards reports from individuals aligned with the RDA
rather than those of someone sympathetic to the Na'vi cause.

His ears twitch instinctively, and he startles when the quiet ascent of footsteps echoes through
the branches. The rustling leaves and creaking branches betray the approach of another,
prompting him to snap back to the present. He panics as he hurriedly attempts to conceal the
datapad, fingers fumbling in haste. Instead of shutting down the device, he inadvertently
triggers opening a book on Western Frontier ecology, the glow of the screen briefly
illuminating the branches around him just as Maru reaches his hiding spot.

She raises an eyebrow, her gaze shifting between Jake and the datapad. "What are you doing
up here all alone? We are getting ready to leave soon."

"Just needed some time alone, you know?" He clears his throat, attempting to regain
composure. "Clearing my head with some—light? reading before we go... a-apparently. "

Maru looks at the datapad curiously. "Oh?" She hums. "What are you reading?" She nods
towards the device.

With a subtle hesitation, he offers a response, framing it as a question rather than a definitive
statement. "Something on plant and animal life?"

She inches closer, her eyes fixated on the glowing screen. She hums again, but curiously.
"Ftärpa Pxawpa?" His brows furrow in confusion, unfamiliar with the term, but he has to
assume that it's simply the Na'vi term for 'Western Frontier'. She continues, "Why are you
reading that? It is not exactly... light reading, or whatever."

Attempting to maintain the facade, Jake shrugs nonchalantly, offering a weak excuse. "Oh,
well... you know... Just trying to understand more about Pandora's ecology." He doesn’t think
she understands what the word ‘ecology’ means, but his point reaches its destination.

Maru chuckles, accepting the explanation without delving further into the matter. He has a
feeling she doesn't believe him, though. Just as Jake contemplates asking her about the
Western Frontier, Maru beats him to it with a separate topic. "Well, Tsu'tey sent me to find
you," she announces. "We are leaving soon." She suggests they descend the tree and join the
others, and Jake doesn't give it a second thought as he stows the datapad away and follows
Maru down from the treetop.

She leads him back toward the heart of the village. He finds members of their group scattered
about. A group of Na'vi is tending to their pa'li, the creatures snorting softly as they are
readied for the upcoming trek. Some are securing woven baskets filled with supplies, while
others meticulously check and adjust the straps of woven harnesses. Further ahead, others are
packing sacks with rations. Everyone seems ready to depart. His eyes don't miss the somber
undertone that lingers beneath the preparations, either. His gaze falls upon the few Na'vi who
lay on travois, makeshift stretchers from palm-like leaves carrying the weight of those who
won't be making the journey under their own power. Jake tries not to pay attention to the
fallen too much, already feeling the guilt build up and cause his throat to tighten.

A tap on his shoulder startles Jake, prompting a swift spin to find Kiralu standing there with
an amused yet neutral expression. In her arms, she cradles a basket brimming with freshly
picked herbs and fruits, each item separated to prevent any unintentional squishing. Kiralu
begins to speak in Na'vi, and Jake instinctively looks to Maru for translation.

Without waiting for him to ask, Maru steps in. "Kiralu has been searching for you," she
conveys. Jake chuckles inwardly, realizing that it seems everyone has a reason to seek him
out today. Kiralu continues speaking through Maru's translation. "She thanks you for your
help in saving her clan."

Jake bows his head slightly, a genuine smile crossing his face. "It was my honor."

Kiralu tilts her head slightly, as if attempting to gauge Jake's essence. Her eyes narrow, but a
smile persists on her face. She mentions something in her language, but Maru is caught too
off guard that she doesn't translate.

Instead, trying to stifle her laughter, she corrects Kiralu. "I think you meant father, not
mother."

He manages to pick out a few words being said, but they might as well sound muted due to
his confusion. "What did she say?"

Kiralu seems equally confused, her gaze shifting between Jake and Maru. "Poan tutétan,
kehe?"

But that, he understands as a little bit of clarity settles in. Maru continues to laugh, but as she
glances between Jake's panic-stricken expression and Kiralu's evident confusion, she realizes
that neither of them is finding the situation amusing. She says to Kiralu, "Jake is not tutétan."

"Wait, Maru, it's not—" he begins, but his words are cut off.

She looks to him for clarification. "Right? You are not tutétan, are you?" He fumbles for
words, but his hesitation is already enough confirmation of her suspicions. The brief pause is
enough for Maru to seize the opportunity. She repeats the question, raising her voice more out
of shock than insistence. "You are tuté—mmph!?"

He places his hands over her mouth. "Be quiet! Please!" Despite her attempts to talk beneath
his hands and her efforts to pry them away, he persists until he's confident that Maru won't
scream for the entire clan to hear. "Just... please..."

Her eyes bore into his. She nods, and he gradually withdraws his hands.

How does one even begin to articulate to them the truth that, despite being tutétan, hardly
anyone is aware of his unique standing? It seems deceptively simple in theory, but the reality
cannot be that simple. Tsu'tey understood his wish for privacy. It was simpler to convince him
that he wanted to keep it a secret, at least for now. But today isn’t the day he wishes that
secret to be revealed, and especially not here.

Maru and Kiralu are different.

How can he even broach such a delicate subject with them, let alone expect them to
comprehend and respect his desire for confidentiality? Without causing a stir or risking
misunderstanding?

Jake begins cautiously. "Nobody knows that I am tutétan—" he pauses and backtracks. "Well,
Tsu'tey does... but that's it! Okay? I don't want anyone to know."
Maru's disbelief is visible as she stares at Jake, struggling to comprehend his reluctance.
Meanwhile, Kiralu's confusion only deepens as she observes the exchange between them.
"And why not!?" She exclaims. "We should be celebrating you! This is amazing!" She's
practically bouncing on her feet.

His surprise matches Maru's fervor, caught off guard by her unexpected reaction. He shakes
his head adamantly, trying to convey the seriousness of his request. "No. No no. I do not need
any more celebrations, thank you very much."

"What is happening?" Kiralu directs at Maru.

Jake glances between them. "Maru, please... I really need this to stay a secret. Can you just...
please convince her not to tell anyone? And you too?"

"... Okay." He suddenly feels like he can breathe when she relays to Kiralu his need for this to
stay secret.

Kiralu's confusion begins to fade as Maru explains. After a moment of contemplation, she
nods in understanding. "I understand," she says.

It's a couple of hours later when they're actually starting to gather for departure.

Jake is standing off on his own, keep out of everyone's way when Kyuna suddenly appears
next to him. Her fingers wrap around Jake's bicep in a vice-like grip, and a flicker of concern
crosses his face as he braces himself for another potential attack. However, her contemplative
expression gives him a moment's reprieve.

Her face scrunches in frustration, and she wearily rubs her forehead before focusing on Jake.
"Thanks," she says, surprising Jake with her gratitude. The words catch him off guard, and he
listens intently as she continues. "For the help back there." He opens his mouth to downplay
the gesture, but Kyuna cuts him off with a stern look. "I misjudged you." Her face scrunches
again, almost in an apologetic manner.

Jake opens his mouth to assure her that gratitude isn't necessary, beginning with, "You don't
have to—" but Kyuna cuts him off with a sharp interruption.

"Do not get it twisted, though. I do not trust you. I never will," she declares, her tone sharp.
"You might have helped save my clan, but you ay vrrtep are all the same."

He meets her gaze, a hint of nervousness flickering in his eyes. He tries to mask it by
feigning nonchalance, pretending her words are nothing more than baseless accusations. But
deep down, he can't shake the underlying threat in her words. He swallows hard, the lump in
his throat growing thicker. "I am not like them."

She scoffs, dismissing his words with a wave of her hand. "I have seen it before. They all
claim to be different, but they always betray us. You will prove me right eventually."

"Well, you know how it is. Trust is earned, right?"

Kyuna's lips curl into a skeptical smirk. "Do not expect to earn it from me." Her intense gaze
feels like a scorching flame, causing the fine hairs on Jake's skin to stand on end. Just as the
atmosphere becomes almost unbearable, Rai'uk appears behind Kyuna, his hands firmly
settling on her shoulders. Both of them shift their attention to her brother, but Kyuna's stern
expression remains unchanged.

"Tsmuke, leave him be."

For a moment, she hesitates. After a pause and a subtle yet unreadable look exchanged
between them, she reluctantly releases Jake's arm. Kyuna sighs audibly. "We were finished
anyway," she mutters, casting a lingering glance at Jake before turning to walk away.

Jake rubs his sore muscle. He watches her retreat, the tension dissipating with her departure.
"Thanks," he says, nodding gratefully toward the warrior.

Rai'uk nods in return. His eyes briefly meet Jake's with a hint of apology. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a difference of opinions, I guess."

Rai'uk grunts in acknowledgment, his gaze following Kyuna until she's out of earshot. "We
have our differences, but not everyone sees you as an enemy." He gives Jake a cursory look
over. Jake can't help but shift uncomfortably under the scrutiny, feeling as if his every
intention is being laid bare. Despite his unease, Rai'uk seems not to notice. "I suppose you are
not bad for an uniltìranyu." There's a hint of approval in his tone.

"Thank... you?"

"He was right, you know," he says, a hint of approval in his tone. "Tsu'tey has an unusual
amount of trust in you, and that says something." His expression softens, and he offers a
small, knowing smile. "He cares a lot for you. More than I expected."

Jake raises an eyebrow, his ears swiveling forward with interest. He's quick to deflect, a
sheepish smile playing on his lips. "Well, you know... Tsu'tey has to go through a lot." he
begins, rubbing the back of his neck. "Considering the whole Avatar thing, I imagine he has
to, you know? These bodies," he gestures to himself, "are considered property of the RDA,
even if they do belong to the program."

Rai'uk raises an eyebrow, sensing there's more to the story. "Property or not, Tsu'tey seems to
take that responsibility quite seriously."

Jake takes a deep breath before continuing. "But... it's more than just about being property,
Rai'uk. The other Avatars and I are the only thing standing between the RDA launching a
full-scale attack on the Na'vi."

His expression shifts to one of understanding. "So... you are a valuable asset to them, and
helping us goes against their interests." He tilts his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. "You
risked a lot by coming here and helping us stop Sean Wallen."
"It had to be done. I couldn't—I can't stand by and let the RDA destroy this place." His eyes
flicker with a hint of realization. "Or, I imagine that Tsu'tey is probably just trying not to
break a promise he made to Tarsem. I can't blame him for that; the kid is fucking adorable."

The Anurai's ears swivel forward at the mention of the boy's name, and Jake notices a hint of
a growing smile on his face. He imagines that this might be the first time he's heard that name
in years. After all, if that incident was the final occasion when everyone last saw each other,
Tarsem would have only been a few weeks or months old. Rai'uk clears his throat, as if to
compose himself. "I assure you, that is not the case. Atan mentioned that he noticed Tsu'tey
spends an awful lot more time training you than his other ay numeyu—Ka'ani and Saeyla, is
it?"

Jake laughs, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Well, that's probably because they're way
further along in their training than I am."

Rai'uk hums skeptically, clearly not entirely convinced by his assurances. His gaze drifts over
Jake's shoulder, and Jake follows his line of sight to find Tsu'tey standing in the middle of the
clearing with their pa'li, engaged in the gentle act of feeding them nectar from freshly picked
flowers. His gaze is on them, though he quickly averts his gaze as soon as Jake meets his
stare. He feigns disinterest but fails to conceal the fact that he's been keeping a close ear on
their conversation. Despite that, Jake senses that Tsu'tey is respecting their space, allowing
them the time to finish their conversation.

"Seems like your karyu is waiting for you," Rai'uk remarks, nodding towards Tsu'tey in the
distance.

Jake nods. He should wrap up the conversation. "Yeah, I should get going," he agrees, taking
a step to leave. But before he can go, Rai'uk stops him.

"Before you go... promise me one thing," Rai'uk says, his tone serious. "Do not betray his
trust. Tsu'tey and I were close during our time at the school, and... I loved Tsu'tey—I still do,
in a way—but his heart belonged to another. I have moved on since then, but I would hate to
see him hurt."

"I won't, Rai'uk. I promise," he assures him.

Rai'uk nods. "Thank you, Jake."

With a final nod, Jake heads towards Tsu'tey and his pa'li. He mounts the pa'li carefully, his
focus sharp on maintaining a serene connection with the tswins that bind them. His mind
buzzes with a cacophony of thoughts, a whirlwind of concerns and plans intertwined like
vines. But amidst them, he makes a concerted effort to soothe his thoughts, not wanting to
overwhelm the creature. The last thing he wants is to lose control and be unceremoniously
ejected from the back of his mount, cast down to the ground in a spectacle reminiscent of an
inexperienced novice.

He remembers the embarrassment of his first day, but the awkwardness of being unseated in
front of the Na'vi who already think so lowly of him? He doesn't need that added self-
insecurity.
Tsu'tey looks at Jake, making sure he's prepared to begin the trek back to Hometree. He bids
his time until he sees Jake nod. With a firm nod of his own, Tsu'tey signals to the assembled
group to set off, prompting their mounts into a rhythmic gallop. But their progress is hindered
almost immediately when Kiralu begins to shout from the back of the gathered clan. While
the others keep moving forward, Jake and Tsu'tey stay behind.

"Pey!" She makes a beeline for Jake's pa'li, clutching something wrapped within a leaf that
she extends to him. His eyes meet hers in silent question, and she says softly as he accepts the
offering, "A gift... for you." Her English is very broken, but it's cute.

He unwraps the leaf with care, revealing what lies within. His reaction is immediate, a
sudden pallor washing over him as he swiftly shields the contents from the prying eyes of
those around him. He takes a moment to collect himself, the initial shock giving way to a
slight stutter as he struggles to find his words. He clears his throat. "Thank you."

She grins with a teeth-baring smile, leaning in to whisper something.

Again, he blanches.

As the group settles in for the night, they set up their makeshift campsite under the natural
shelter provided by the towering plants. A couple of fires are ignited to keep the warmth
flowing throughout the night, and the aroma of roasting meat still permeates the air. Everyone
has retired for the night, but as usual, Jake remains awake with only Tsu'tey for company.

Jake appears lost in a world of his own, the warmth brushing against his skin but failing to
thaw the chill in his demeanor. His attention is fixated on the play of light and shadow within
the blaze. But eventually, he

can't bear the oppressive quiet any longer. He stares into the dying flames, his voice barely
above a whisper as he speaks, "Kiralu found out."

Tsu'tey frowns, not entirely sure what is meant by that vague statement. "Found out what?"

"That I'm... tutétan," Jake replies. He pauses for a moment, allowing the words to hang in the
air. He can't help but notice a subtle tension emanating from the warrior. It's a slight change
in the way Tsu'tey holds himself, an almost imperceptible shift in his posture. He seems as
though he wants to say something, his lips parting to form words, but he hesitates. Jake takes
the chance to continue. "And... Maru knows too."

His reaction is far more pronounced this time. At that moment, Jake sees a near-panic look
flash across Tsu'tey's face, a flicker of distress that is impossible to ignore. It's as if Tsu'tey is
struggling to hold something back, something important. He begins to stammer, his voice
slightly shaky, as he tries to plead for a wrong he thinks he's done. "Jake, I... I did not tell
anyone that you are tutétan. I swear, I would never betray your trust like that—"

"Hey." Jake can feel the sincerity in his words, but he already knows that Tsu'tey hasn't let
slip his secret. Kiralu has confirmed it. There's no need for justification. Panicking himself,
Jake hurries to reassure him. "Tsu'tey, it's okay!" He can't help but laugh a little. "I know you
didn't tell anyone about it. 'M sorry, I should've led the conversation with that."

Tsu'tey breathes a sigh of relief, the tension in his shoulders slowly easing. Even with
confirmation, his worry is still palpable. Jake can see the unspoken fear that Tsu'tey has
somehow otherwise let something unintentionally slip, and that's what he asks next. "Then,
I... I did not let anything slip, did I?"

"No. I promise you, Tsu'tey, it didn't come from you."

He offers a heavier and more exhausted sigh. Still, his curiosity is piqued. "How did they find
out, then? I thought... I thought only I knew?"

"You are—or rather, you were." Jake hesitates, carefully considering how to explain the
situation. "Kiralu," he begins, his voice tinged with a sense of wonder, "somehow she just—
figured it out. I can't fault her for not realizing it was supposed to be a secret. And Maru...
well, she found out because she's been translating for me. I can't exactly understand Na'vi
fluently yet, and Kiralu doesn't understand English, so..."

His browline furrows. "But how did she even know?"

Jake sighs softly, trying to put into words something he himself doesn't fully understand.
"Maru mentioned she just had this... sense, apparently. Like she sees something in me that
makes her think I'll be a good... mother when the time comes." His voice carries a hint of
discomfort at the word 'mother,' but he pushes through it. "She was addressing me, and it
just... slipped out. I guess she sees something I haven't even fully accepted myself." Kiralu's
words and the possibility of being a parent, he can't help but think back to how alien the
concept of parenthood was to him back on Earth. The idea of being a father was always
something distant and foreign—a role he had never even considered. It was one of those
notions that didn't seem relevant or pressing in his life.

Back then, he had other priorities and pursuits, and the responsibilities of parenthood never
crossed his mind. Even when he faced the life-altering reality of being a paraplegic, the
concept of becoming a parent remained on the periphery of his thoughts. His focus was on
adapting to his new circumstances, relearning how to navigate the world in a wheelchair, and
coping with the emotional and physical challenges that came with it.

Then again, Jake was and still is a young man—only in his early twenties. He didn't have to
consider such things when he still had an entire life ahead of him. But even if it were a
possibility, Jake knew that the chances of him—well, his avatar—ever carrying a child were
remote, if not impossible.

Because Grace practically forbids it. And why would he want to ruin the relationship
between the clan and the program by becoming an outcast incubator?

Still, the idea hurts, and being called a mother is still strange on his mindset.

Tsu'tey lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. "Leave it to Kiralu to pick up
on things like that. She has always been in tune with the deeper aspects of our culture," he
says. "It is strange, though. Kiralu is the more spiritual one among her family. It is a wonder
why Eywa chose her brother to become tsahik over her. She has a connection to this world
that is unlike anyone else."

"Yeah, she's something special, alright."

Tsu'tey's expression shifts once again, this time a touch more concerned, as he regards Jake.
"Did Kiralu or Maru attempt to tell others?"

He shakes his head firmly. "No, they didn't. I made it clear to them how important it is to
keep it secret. They gave me their word, and... I believe they'll honor it. Kiralu may have her
own unique perspective, but I think she understands the importance of respecting one's
privacy... Maru too." He grabs some extra twigs and throws them into the fire, coaxing it
back to life. He then retrieves the small bits of meat they had gathered from their earlier hunt
and skewers them on sticks, placing them over the pit. The sizzling sound fills the air, and the
aroma of cooking meat wafts around them, creating a momentary distraction.

Through it all, he can feel the intensity of Tsu'tey's eyes fixed upon him, sensing the
unspoken questions and concerns lingering in the air. He knows Tsu'tey is waiting for an
opportunity to address something that has arisen during their conversation.

Jake turns the skewers, the meat crackling in the heat. "You've been staring at me, Tsu'tey,"
he says. "What is it?"

"Jake," Tsu'tey begins, his voice gentle. "You know it is not just about them keeping it a
secret, right? I mean—I understand that you said Maru and Kiralu would keep your secret,
but do you trust that they can? As much as Maru is a good numeyu and taronyu, she likes to
talk. And Kiralu, I cannot attest to her person because I barely know her."

"Tsu'tey—"

"No, let me finish," he quickly interrupts. "Please..." Jake finally meets his eyes, recognizing
that Tsu'tey hasn't once torn his gaze away, though it doesn't last long. He shifts his gaze back
to the flickering embers of the fire, his expression pensive. Tsu'tey continues, "You know that
I respect you, Jake. You have come a long way in the short time you have been with the
Omaticaya, and you have shown your strength and proven yourself to the People. But," he
adds with a measured tone, "while it is your decision what to do with your secret, I want to
make sure that you will be... treated—right—by those who know. You worried about what the
People would think if they found out about you being tutétan, and I guess... I just want to
make sure your wish is respected. I do not want to see you hurt or misunderstood because of
something you cannot control..." His tone is gentle yet insistent. Tsu'tey's concern is evident,
and he doesn't want to see Jake hurt. Not anymore. Not with the close calls this weekend.
"Unless you are—are you not worried about that anymore? What others will think?"

The fire crackles softly, and the smell of cooked meat slowly overwhelms the scent of flames.
He places the cooked meat on a flat rock beside the fire, allowing it to cool for a moment. As
he does, his eyes briefly leave the fire to meet the warrior's unwavering gaze. He sighs, his
shoulders slumping. "I was worried—am still... worried," he admits, "but I'm not so sure
anymore." He pauses, searching for the right words. "Something about Maru and Kiralu
knowing, the way they reacted... it's hard to explain. It's like I don't have to worry when it
comes to them knowing... It's strange, isn't it?"

Tsu'tey tilts his head slightly. "What is strange?"

Jake exhales slowly, his thoughts racing. "Back at Hometree, I've been so worried about what
the Omaticaya might think of my differences, you know this already. Being a dreamwalker,
and now this..." He trails off, the unspoken 'tutétan' lingering in the air. He doesn't tack on all
that he's discovered, either, with John Mercer and Frontier Operations.

Tsu'tey nods in understanding. "Go on," he encourages.

Jake continues. "I've never stopped to think about those few who might accept me." He
pauses, his eyes distant as if searching for names to fill the void of acceptance, "Neytiri and
Ka'ani." His voice trails off, and he looks troubled as he tries to think of a few other Na'vi he
might have befriended in his near two-month's time on Pandora. But when he can't readily
think of more names to add to that short list, he lets out a self-deprecating chuckle. "I don't
really have many friends, do I?" He asks, more to himself than to Tsu'tey.

It is a rhetorical question, and Tsu'tey knows it. He doesn't respond to it directly, or

immediately. Instead, he lets the crackling of the fire punctuate the silence between them for
a moment. When he does finally speak, he leans back slightly and regards Jake with a
knowing look. "It's not so bad, though, is it?" He asks. "Having just a few who know you and
accept you can sometimes feel weightier than a clan that despises you. And that's all that
matters."

Jake turned his head to meet Tsu'tey's gaze, and for a moment, they locked eyes. He ponders
those words, uncertainty gnawing at him. He can't shake the feeling that Tsu'tey might be
wrong. Half the clan still hates him for being a dreamwalker.

What would they think about a tutétan dreamwalker?

"Kiralu gave me something before we left," he mentions, his voice a soft murmur.

Tsu'tey turns to him, curiosity etched across his features. "What did she give you?"

Jake reaches into the folds of his pack, his fingers carefully retrieving something precious. He
holds out a small, exquisitely handwoven baby rattle, its intricate patterns and vibrant colors
shimmering in the dim light of the dying fire.

Though the baby rattle is a beautiful gift, Tsu'tey can't help but exclaim, "Kiralu has no
sense!"

Jake chuckles, holding the handwoven craft delicately in his hands. "It's cute, but she's
thinking too far ahead." He shifts slightly, a touch of hesitation in his voice. "I'm not sure if
she realizes I won't be staying on Pandora long enough to have children," he adds. "Grace
practically forbids it."
 A flicker of something unreadable passed over Tsu'tey's expression, as if Jake's words were
sinking in.

Before Tsu'tey can respond, Jake continues, his tone almost teasing. "She practically told me
that you would make the perfect mate for me."

Tsu'tey's disbelief was evident. "But she knows I am to be mated with Neytiri!"

Jake can't help but laugh at his reaction. "I don't think she realizes I've never been with a man
before," he says, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "Being tutétan, mating with a guy
would be my only option."

Tsu'tey shoots back with a hint of sarcasm, "Were you not just saying none of it is an option
for you?"

"Yeah, I did. But a lot can happen in six years... or four months." Jake knows his tone is
teasing, and he thinks Tsu'tey knows this as well, but there's this look on the warrior's face
that he can't quite understand.

"One step at a time, Jake. You have time."

But at those words, a frowns creeps onto Jake's face, hidden behind a mask of nonchalance.
Time is a luxury he doesn't possess, a reality he grapples with every moment. Still, he doesn't
let Tsu'tey see the internal struggle, and with a forced smile, he replies...

"Yeah, one step at a time."

Chapter End Notes

wanted to add a lead-in to the next chapter rather than how this one ended, but this is
already 7.5k words... so, we'll see how the next chapter starts and goes. both were good
chapter ends anyway.

are we ready for Grace's return and for us to see Sylwanin finally?? because as much as
I love this chapter (80/20%), I love the next one even more for both of those reasons.
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