Chapter 2:
That evening, the hunters left the small village around the Vitraya Ramunong in search of food and shelter for the clan. Jake went with them this time, he needed to clear his head of strange thoughts he had been having since this morning and his brief exchange with Tsu'tey. He kept replaying the scene in his head, he swore that Tsu just sought Jake out when he was around, but then when he actually came face to face with him, he would become all shy and wouldn't speak much. Jake had blushed this morning when Tsu had smiled at him!
"Why would I do that? It's not like I had anything to blush about..."
He was so distracted that he nearly walked into a group of Titanothere. None of it seemed to click in his head. He HAD to ask Tsu'tey today what he wanted to ask him, and if he wouldn't tell him, Jake would MAKE him. This unknown was messing with his head.
Back at the base that was once "Hells Gate" for the sawtute, Grace Augustine was busy researching a plant they had found around the base of the Vitraya Ramunong. It was a strange plant, with very strange properties, but Grace wasn't really concentrating, she was busy thinking about how to get food, water, and all the other things needed for her tawtute friends. It was difficult, living on Pandora, when half of your friends cannot eat what you eat, and cannot go outside without breathing masks. She slumped onto a bed, legs hanging off the end and thought about possible solutions to this. She could send her friends back to Earth, although that would be morally wrong, these people worked just as hard to save the Na'vi as Jake did, and he gets to stay. The idea of sending the shuttle back to Earth was obviously impossible, 6 years flight time WITH a light speed drive, without one, the time nearly doubles. Not to mention they would need incredible amounts of fuel and even when they got to Earth, the RDA would just arrest them anyway. The only plan she could see working was going to take about 12 years anyway, and they had enough food for about 8. It was a risky one, but she was going to have to do it.
"I have to make everyone Avatars... So what has a woman got to do to get a damn cigarette in this place?"
Eytukan glanced at Tsu'tey, sitting on his own in the corner. Something was obviously troubling his friend, standing up and brushing past Mo'at and the other clan members, he walked over to Tsu'tey.
"What is troubling you brother?" he inquired.
Tsu'tey remained silent for a long while, before inhaling deeply, and speaking slowly and deliberately;
"I feel alone, and lost".
Eytukan knew of Tsu'tey's sadness over the loss of his daughter, Neytiri. They were supposed to be a mated pair, before "Jake Sully" had entered the clan, and mated with her instead. He thought that Tsu'tey had long overcome this issue; Eytukan had been convinced when Jake showed great honour and aptitude at defending their people from the sky-people. But yet, something was troubling Tsu'tey still, and he had to question him further
"Why are you feeling this, and for how long?"
Tsu'tey's eyes seemed to lose focus, and he stared into the distance for a long time before replying
"Since the great battle, I have not been the same, and it has nothing to do with the hardship and having no home...it's something deeper..."
"Deeper in what way? Spiritual? Or love?"
"Love...its love and its torturous ways to manipulate my mind"
Eytukan sighed, Tsu'tey clearly wasn't over Neytiri. This was going to be difficult.
"Neytiri is gone Tsu'tey, she has gone with Eywa. You need to move on. I have, and I'm her father. I'm sure she would want you to live your own life"
Tsu'tey looked sharply up at him, and muttered the words
"It's not Neytiri"
"Well then, who is it?"
"Jake"
Jake couldn't keep his head clear enough to hunt, so he sent the hunters in the correct direction, and returned to the village. Slumping down behind Vitraya Ramunong, he closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he was asleep. He knew what dreams awaited him; he had been having them for what seemed like forever after the battle. Slowly drifting into a purple haze in his dreams, he saw flickering pictures, pictures of the past, flashing as quickly as the eye blinks. On every purple cloud, he saw another vision of Tsu'tey!
"This isn't right! Why the hell is this happening to me!"
Jake screamed in his mind. Moving through the fog, he began to see two people, hugging each other close, Jake couldn't quite make out their faces, but he spotted a scar on the right shoulder, and looked down at his own...it was the same scar. Suddenly, the fog blurred all around him, and he was left in absolute solitude in a limbo. Jake struggled in his dreams, and as soon as the fog had come, it had dissipated, and a crystal clear voice he knew all too well glided into his dreams...
"Jake, you are not alone, there are other people who love you, other people who think about you"
"Neytiri! Neytiri? Where are you?"
"I'm with you, like always, but Jake, I'm not your only hope for a happy life. Think about others"
"I don't want others, I want you!"
"Goodbye Jake"
The last word echoed in his mind and he screamed, his name spinning in his head; he awoke to Tsu'tey shaking him awake, shouting his name. Lines of concern marked Tsu's face as he stared at Jake. The entire clan was standing around him, looking at him. Jake tried to shake Tsu'tey off, but he held him down and said,
"Jake, I've been meaning to tell you something, something I've held inside for far too long"
"What?" Jake snapped. Tsu'tey knelt down, and said three words:
"I Love You"
