YAY, my first Avatar fanfiction! Ever since I saw the movie at the beginning of Winter Break, I've been tossing and turning in my sleep trying to think of a way to write a fanfiction about it. This may just turn out to a one-shot, unless of course it gets a ton of awesome feedback. It all depends on you all reading it. :) But without further adieu, I give you my first writings on the most amazing story I have ever heard or seen!
It takes place at the events of the very end of the movie, by the way.
As much as he believed in a good outcome, Jake was nervous. He watched Grace make an attempt the same goal, and fail. But her wounds were too severe, he continued to tell himself. Taking a few breaths, he listened to the world around him. At first, he could hear the sounds of the forest; the flutter of wings, the sound of rustling bushes and the wind through the trees. But it was soon drowned out by the chanting song of the people around him. Not just people, Na'vi. Jake closed his eyes and waited.
The myriad of voices joining together became the background. As he lay at the base of the Tree of Souls, he felt a pressure on the back of his neck. It wasn't painful or intrusive, but gentle and warm. The feeling it brought enveloped his entire body. And as frail and broken as it was, the numbing pleasure radiating from his spine made him feel whole once more, even if it was only for a second.
The sound of The People's prayer song became quieter and more distant, turning into an exaggerated echo rebounding throughout Jake's brain. He felt his control over his own body dwindling as he became aware that his soul was leaving—to where, he couldn't be certain. The sounds and smells of the outside world soon became nothing but a memory.
Darkness engulfed him, and he couldn't see, hear, or touch anything. It was like his senses had been turned off. The relentless dark made him fall into fear; he frantically reached out for something, anything, to prove to himself that he wasn't lost in vertigo. He tried to retreat within his mind, away from the darkness, but nothing changed. When you have a body, your soul and mind can leave that body, if only for a short while. But when there is no longer a vessel, there is nowhere to go. Jake realized that, and, for the first time in his life, he was truly alone.
But as soon as he grasped that, he was bombarded with a thousand different sensations. He sensed other entities around him, those of the plants and the earth and the deceased. He relished in the feeling of being one with everything around him. Each individual essence was represented by a spark of light. They came in different colors, pulsing in the darkness around him. He heard whispers in languages he couldn't decipher, but somehow knew their exact meaning.
Jake was no longer a soul living in the world, but through it. He was a part of everything that lived, a part of Eywa.
But this experience was ephemeral as well. He noticed that the lights were fading away from him. He was grudgingly pulled along by an unseen force, away from the oneness and clarity of the realm of souls.
Jake's mind slowly drifted back into focus, and was greeted once more by the chanted prayer of the Omatikaya. He became aware of his body, lying on the soft ground under the dangling branches of the Tree of Souls. For a brief moment, he still felt connected to the void he had just left behind. But it was fading away, directly beyond his grasp. He reached out with his mind, but it was in vain. He had no choice but to stay by himself in this body was forced into.
His mind no longer felt like only half of it was there. He didn't feel split into two places, two bodies. It was strange after all that time spent in link chambers. The bodies he had inhabited had always been well rested, but his mind was never allowed a break. While one body rested, the other was active. And as soon as he left that one, the other would be active until he switched once more. Now, he felt at peace with one body and mind.
"Did it work?" He heard a female voice ask above him. Neytiri. He immediately knew who it was, and just knowing that she was near him made him happy. He blinked his eyes open to her leaning over him, staring with a concerned expression at him. A smile spread across her face as she saw his eyes open. "Jake?" She said, her accented voice resonated through his mind.
"I see you," Jake told her in a hoarse voice, returning the smile.
"I see you," Neytiri replied. She leaned back, allowing Jake to sit up.
He put one hand to his forehead, massaging his temple with his palm. Once he was sitting up, he stared down at his hands. He turned them over and over, examining them as if seeing them for the first time. He looked down at his legs, kneading his heels into the soft earth. He almost laughed out loud at the sensation. His whole self was now in his true form.
Even before he had become an Avatar driver, he had been a restless spirit in a broken body. When he had woken up in the hospital and learned that he wouldn't walk unless he could pay up, his life was shattered. He had grown tired of the world around him, and his anger and regret only intensified with the passing of his brother.
The Na'vi had shown him how to live, and realized that he never had before. And now they had given him the ultimate gift—life. Jake turned his eyes out to the crowd congregated around the Tree of Souls. They sat in silent rows, staring up at him with expectant eyes. He stood up and faced them, suddenly feeling awkward when nothing changed. But he felt someone approach and stand next to him, and a four-fingered hand weaved itself into his. His stage fright left him and he glanced over at Neytiri, his eyes asking her for guidance.
Before she could give him an answer, Mo'at began to speak to the crowd. Her vibrant attitude and explosive gestures could only mean that what she was saying was either very good or very bad. Jake hoped it was the first. Although he could not fully understand her formal speech, he didn't worry because he could ask Neytiri later on.
When the Tsahik finished speaking, the clan stood up and erupted into cheers. Their voices rang and echoed through the mountains. Jake couldn't help but smile and squeeze Neytiri's hand tighter. She did the same, and wound her tail around his.
Mo'at turned away from the rest of the clan, and changed to speaking English for Jake to understand. "Though we have experienced great sorrow because of you, Jakesully, what you did to redeem yourself means more to The People. There will be great celebrations in your honor, but do not forget all that has happened." Mo'at's hard expression turned to one of happiness, and maybe even pride, as she glanced between Jake and her daughter. Then she stepped away from the Tree of Souls and joined the rest of the clan, which was, by that time, preparing a gracious feast.
Neytiri began to follow her mother, but Jake didn't move. She was holding his hand still, and their arms spanned the distance between them. Neytiri looked at him, confused. "Come, we should join the celebrations."
Jake paused, as if searching for something to say. His eyes held a glimmer of sorrow that only his mate noticed. "There's just… something I need to do first." He glanced over his shoulder at his lifeless human shell.
Neytiri followed his gaze and nodded. "I will wait for you." She said, and let go of his hand. As much as she wanted to be with him, and help him, she knew that it was something he needed to do on his own.
Jake smiled appreciatively, but the gesture never reached his golden eyes. He turned his back to his own party and knelt beside the pale frame that was engulfed by the roots of the tree. Cautiously, he stretched out a hand to the body. Before he even touched it, he pulled back slightly. Come on, Jake, his inner marine goaded him. Narrowing his eyes and blocking out his emotions, like he was trained to do, he scooped up the frail, broken form into his new arms. He carried it around the Tree of Souls, his feet making no noise on the ground.
He found an alcove beneath the roots of the tree and gingerly set his old body in it. He stayed crouched there for a moment, staring in disbelief. Normally, the only time someone saw their own face, it was in a mirror, or a picture. To view yourself from an outside perspective was a strange experience, as Jake was loath to find out. He found it hard to believe that the small, pale, fragile body lying in front of him had ever served him.
He stood up, disgust with himself rising like bile in his throat. He was just about to turn away when an Atokirina drifted down from the sky, grazing the tip of his nose. He stopped, following it with his gaze as it came to rest of the shoulder of the old Jake Sully. He grinned, sending a thankful prayer out to Eywa in his mind.
Jake returned to celebrations, where a feast had already been set out. The clan sat around the enormous display of fruits and cooked meats. There were bowls of assorted berries and such placed near enough to everyone so that they never had to pass anything, while the prepared carcasses of the day's hunt was set out like art. Neytiri found him and returned to his side, welcoming the arm he put over her shoulders. They sat next to Mo'at at the head of the presented feast. Jake spent the rest of the night reveling in the company of his newfound family, content that he would spend the rest of his life in a place he was truly meant to be.
Alrighty then! Like I said before, this will be continued if it gets good feeback! I promise. But if nobody likes it, what's the use? Please tell me what you think! :)