Author's Note: Chapter 7 is here! The turning point of the story...thanks again for all the reviews! *squish* i luv you guys this much *holds out hands as far as she can*
And oh, forgot to disclaimer this thing *rollseyes*
Disclaimer (Na'vi-fied!): Fìtìkangkemvi lu tsleng. Oe rä'ä si kaw'it (money) ta fì. James Cameron (owns) nìwotx Avatar, nìkeftxo, ke oe. Ha rä'ä munge zoplo rutxe.
and in English for the non-geeks: This piece of work is false. I do not make any money from this. James Cameron owns all of Avatar, unfortunatly, not me. So don't take offence please.
Story Note: I had a hard timing writing this chapter...it's so important xD
italics for na'vi and all the regular stuff, translations of "Txe'lanyom" and Na'vi at the bottom
They leave late in the afternoon, Pandora's sun just beginning to touch down into the horizon.
As they travel through the glowing trees, it occurs to Jake that there is much more wildlife here; from more lizards and bugs, to larger game as well as a lot of new birds. He finds himself batting at the large blue butterflies that seem to want to land on his exopack.
Tsu'tey walks in front of him, his tail moving from side to side as he looks up into the branches and around corners, his steps silent. Jake's wheels don't make much noise either, which is good.
This new forest is a lot less rough; no vines and venomous bugs on the ground, no large tunnels where animals burrow in, and the trees are spaced further apart.
A red and white bird perches on a low branch and tilts its head sharply at him, ruffling its wings, probably curious about seeing a human for the first time. His view is then blocked by another huge butterfly on his exopack. "Shit," he gently touches the tip of one of its wings, causing it flutter off. "Hope they don't do that when I'm about to let go of an arrow or something."
Little slivers of light shine through the canopy and onto the ground, making the white dirt sparkle like glass; meaning Jake's eyes are on it when the clan leader stops abruptly and causes Jake to nearly run into him. "Give a guy a warning, huh?"
"Quiet," Tsu'tey holds his hand up and peers around the trunk of a tree, his other hand on the bark causing the glow to pool in the crevices between his fingers before flowing down naturally to the bottom.
Jake looks curiously at the sight and reaches out his own hand to a nearby tree, smiling in awe as the light flowing like a river is blocked by his hand, outlining his fingers before it seeps underneath and continues on its way.
"Jake!" Tsu'tey whispers sharply. "Pay attention."
"Oh...right." Jake wheels closer to look as well, immediately catching site of a black animal about the size of a buffalo with shiny fur and a white tail along with two silver antennae springing from its angular head. One of its ears cocks in their direction but it makes no move to go anywhere and continues grazing on the sparse amount of grass.
"Take this," Tsu'tey hands him the small bow and gets out of the way before giving him an arrow that's about two feet long with dark purple and yellow feathers.
It's been a long time since Jake's been hunting; after Neytiri died he felt no need to go anywhere, do anything. He keeps the animal in sight and puts the arrow to the bowstring.
"No...lower," Tsu'tey corrects, pressing on the shaft of the arrow. Jake moves it down more and then pulls it back.
"All the way," the Na'vi says and Jake forces it back further until the end lies against his ear, his knuckles turning white from the strain.
He lines up the shot and is about to take it when Tsu'tey corrects him again, turning the bow slightly to the left. "Want to hit in head; best way to take it down."
"Yeah, I know," Jake grumbles softly and sits forward a bit more, concentrating on the direction the arrow will take, aiming right for the spot near its ear, the feathers soft where they slip through his fingers.
He bites his tongue and releases it with a loud twang, the weapon grazing his forearm painfully.
In an instant, the arrow is through the animals head and the beast topples over. Jake gives Tsu'tey the bow and rubs his red arm with his other hand.
"Good," Tsu'tey says in pride and then walks over, Jake following.
"Now you must cut throat," he hands him his dagger, the curved blade sharp. Jake grasps the bone end of it firmly and -as Neytiri taught him- mutters the thanks under his breath as he leans down and cuts a quick and clean line across the animal's neck, killing it instantly.
Jake's about to smile, about to laugh or something when he hears something and looks up at Tsu'tey, the amber eyes looking somewhere above his head, a very worried look in their depths.
"Kehe, rä'ä!"
And then it all happens too fast.
He's aware of pain lancing through his chest and then he's roughly grabbed and slammed into the ground, Tsu'tey growling above him, his bow in one hand and aiming up into the trees. An arrow is let go, a scream follows and then a loud thump somewhere.
And Jake can't remember much more than that. The world darkens at the edges and he's aware of pain and something being pulled from his chest and "it will be okay, Jake," said in a soothing voice.
The world blurs, turning Tsu'tey's head into just a smudge of blue and black, the green eyes the only things in reasonable focus.
It hurts, the pain spreads from his chest to his feet until he feels as if he's swamped in it, his fingertips twitching from where they rest on the white ground as his mind struggles to come to terms and figure out what the hell just happened?
He tries to breathe deeply, tries to calm down, but chokes, and feels something running down his chin. Jake's pretty sure it's blood.
Blood.
Tsu'tey's cursing in rapid Na'vi as Jake feels hands touch his shoulders before one goes down to his chest.
"Jake..." Tsu'tey mutters, pressing his large hand into the entry wound of the arrow, the red blood beginning to stain Jake's clan necklace a darker color.
"Damn..." Jake says quietly; speaking any louder hurts his lungs. "W-what happened?"
"Member of clan Txe'lanyom shot you with arrow here," he presses into the wound which is over Jake's heart. The chest beneath his fingers is rising and falling so slowly, so shallowly; he doesn't know what to do. "Wiya!"
The blood does not stop as it gushes out between his fingers. The arrow has been removed and leaves a wide slit from where it pierced the flesh. Tsu'tey presses his hand hard to try and stop it but feels it flowing underneath.
His mind is filled with racing thoughts; whether there's anything he can use for healing nearby. But no. This is Eywa's land and the amount of plants that can heal, much less not be poisionous, are impossibly rare.
"It will be okay, Jake," he repeats, helplessly watching the blood dripping down from his mouth down his neck from where some of it seeps under his mask.
The human is fragile, as Na'vi can heal from a wound such as this if lucky enough, but an arrow through the heart of a Sky Person...
"Come, pray," he whispers as a last resort, grasping onto Jake's hands and folding them with his own, covering the pale skin with more blood. Tsu'tey closes his eyes and lies his forehead against their entwined fingers, trying to contact Eywa.
A moment later Her presence enters his mind and sends a wave of assurance to him. 'He will need to die before being reborn, Tsu'tey. It will not take long.'
'You mean...he will be a Na'vi again?' He allows himself a sliver of hope as Jake's breathing shallows and becomes even more raspy, the blue eyes looking at the sky; the brightness in his irises dimming.
'Yes...but you will need to let him die in this body first.'
Tsu'tey nods and lays Jake's hands by his sides again. "Jake...you will have Dreamwalker body back after this. You must go through Eye of Eywa first."
"Okay..." He coughs several times, every one sending waves of agony across his chest. "It's not gonna be l-like Grace, is it? I-I'll come back, right?"
"Yes. It is certain."
Jake's sure he's imagining it as the darkness thickens around the edges of his sight, but he's sure that Tsu'tey's eyes are shinier than normal. "God this...hurts. Ewya...sure has...a wicked sense of humor." Laughing would hurt to much so he smiles as best as he can.
Tsu'tey reaches for his dagger from where it rests by Jake's hand. 'Should I end his suffering?'
'No. Do not. His soul would come too fast. You must wait with him.'
"What a strange...thing. I'm going to...die, then come back to life. Isn't that wierd?" At this point, Jake isn't really aware of what he's saying; just whatever crosses his mind.
"Yes, Jake," Tsu'tey agrees, his heart hurting a little seeing Jake in such pain. The man's eyes are glazing, the stark blue growing darker, his breath shallower.
Tsu'tey doesn't remember how long he kneels there, one of Jake's hands grasping onto his, but all of a sudden the sound of breath stops. Tsu'tey opens his eyes he hadn't realized were shut and looks down and searches the other man's face.
The glazed eyes are looking at something he can't see. He is dead. He rests his hand over the open eyes, closing them gently.
"I will see you soon, Jake."
Tsu'tey leaves after ten minutes to go back to the clan and tell them to bring the hunt in, and then comes back to find the three warriors he sent murmuring and pointing at Jake's body.
Tsu'tey's about to give them a very bad verbal scalding, when he steps between them and looks for himself. The ground is glowing around the human, little tendrils of green light extending from his head and into the trees surrounding him.
"Kä," he whispers under his breath at the other Na'vi. They are very slow to get around to the task, repeatedly looking over with wide eyes. Tsu'tey shoots them a glare and bares his teeth slightly, "Oìsss!"
They flinch collectively and finally hurry up.
With the dead animal secured into nets, the trio drags the kill out of his sight and back to the Omaticaya.
The little streams of light are growing, thickening until they extend from Jake's body by a few yards. Tsu'tey keeps his distance and watches the light directly before his eyes begin to sting just from the radiance of it.
Sighing, he sits down with his back against a tree and waits.
Darkness falls eventually, the deep black burning over the ground and around the halo of light that surrounds Jake, making the spectacle stand out even more.
Tsu'tey's ears prick up when he hears a branch snap somewhere to the left of him, and immediately he draws his bow. Tensing, he's about to grab an arrow when a familiar face comes into view, making him sigh in relief.
Asuy'ri.
The female Na'vi is carefully navigating her way over to the pair. She is no warrior; hence her feet are uncalloused, making any sharp thing she steps on painful. He has to admire her for her determination as she winces a few times.
As her eyes fall on Jake and the light around him, her gold eyes widen, her lips parting in shock. "What is happening?" She walks over and hovers a hand over the light, awe in her eyes.
"He is...changing into Na'vi body," Tsu'tey says, putting his bow away. "Txe'lanyom warrior hit him with arrow. He must pass through Eye of Eywa."
"Eywa...," she trails off. "He is dead?"
"Yes...at the moment. Warrior dead also," he growls out the last part. A few atokirina float down around Jake's hair, gently brushing their ends over the loose strands and braids, their glow casting light over Jake's forehead.
They both watch as the pale skin on his arms begins to lighten until they are glowing blue, the veins of it spreading across his chest and chin, then down to his feet. Tsu'tey squints as it all becomes too bright, Asuy'ri shading her eyes with a hand as well.
A few seconds later Jake is immersed in the glow and the two Na'vi close their eyes at it grows more, into a bright ball around the human's body.
Tsu'tey squeezes his eyes shut; it's like trying to look at the sun.
Just before it all ends, he's sure he hears a faint tinkling noise somewhere above him, like music. His ears try to catch the noise again but it fades just as the ball of light around Jake fades.
All is suddenly silent in the forest.
"By the Goddess," Asuy'ri exclaims as soon as she opens her eyes and looks upon Jake's body; the long black hair and blue skin, along with the tail and ears; a Na'vi lies in place of the human.
Tsu'tey walks over and looks down at Jake's new face, so familiar yet so different. A face he used to hate. Asuy'ri looks over his shoulder, amazed.
"We must get him back to cave before predators come," Tsu'tey says and bends to pick up the unconscious male into his arms, Jake's ears twitching slightly at the movement as his tail subconsciously moves to wrap loosely around Tsu'tey's left arm.
"Eywa has done this?" Asuy'ri asks as she walks beside him, looking down at Jake with interest as the male's eyes move beneath their lids.
"Yes. And she has good reason," Tsu'tey murmurs, watching absently the previously dim spots on Jake's face beginning to glow brightly in the dark.
Glossary:
Kehe, rä'ä - no, don't!
wiya - damn it
Clan Txe'lanyom - Clan heart-eater. Idea came from that Tsu'tey's name originally meant "eats the heart" which I found interesting. They might make another appearance later.
Kä - go
Oìsss - angry verbal expression, similiar to a hiss