Blood Of Pandora

The Bond and The Fight

Warnings: Minor Swearing

The same night of the ceremony, Tsu'tey takes me into the forest, our hands linked together as he guides me to a sacred space. This tree reacted to our presence, and I couldn't help myself. I wished to move and touch them, so I lifted my hand, and the glowing tendrils caressed against my open palm.
       "This is a place for prayers to be heard. And sometimes answered." Tsu'tey explained quietly, connecting his queue to a few glowing strings of the beautiful tree.
       "We call these trees Utraya Mokri. The Tree of Voices. The voices of our ancestors." He murmured additionally, turning to look at me thoughtfully.
       I carefully moved a few of the tendrils close to me. Pulling my braid over my shoulder, I connected my own queue to them. Unknowingly, my pupils dilated from surprise. The connection was odd, yet I liked it. I could hear the laughter and voices of both children and adults alike. I could hear some singing, and talking as if they were right next to me.
       "I can hear them..." I whispered fondly, a smile spreading over my face. Tsu'tey stepped over to hold the strands I was connected to, a rare smile of his own appeared as he stared at me.
       "They love, Sabelle, within Eywa. You are Omaticaya now. You may make your bow from the wood of HomeTree." He and I looked at each other closely, when he paused. We listened to the sound of children's laughter, before Tsu'tey turned away from me, now holding a Woodsprite in the palm of his hand.
       "And you may choose a man. We have many fine men. Nopem is best male singer." He sighed as he let the spirit fly away.
       "But I don't want Nopem." I retort with an amused smile, though he was not looking at me, yet he smiled too.
       "Tefe is good hunter." Tsu'tey added, and I shook my head playfully.
       "Yeah, he is a good hunter. I've already chosen." I examined his expression after he turned to look at me with a frown at first, though he paused when he saw that I stared directly at him.
       "But this man must also choose me. Even though he's promised to another." I murmured as we stared at each other, a smile dawning his face.
"He already has. He does not love the woman he is promised to, in the same way." Tsu'tey whispered, his hand lifting to caress my cheek, before moving to place it over the back of my neck.
His thumb was placed against my cheek as he cautiously moved his face closer to mine, eyes staring at my lips, patient for my permission.
Seeing that I did not move to reject him, we pressed our lips together. Kissing each other with equal tenderness, while our hands linked together.
Tsu'tey pulled away all too soon, though he pulled my other hand into his; guiding me to sit down on the ground, on our knees.
He pulled his braid over his shoulder, and held it in his hand carefully.
"Are you sure that it is me that you want? It is not to late." Tsu'tey whispered, as he studied my expressions closely, looking for any sign of hesitance or regret. I could tell that he was unsure, worrying over his choices and anxieties.
"I am absolutely sure, but are you?" I questioned him quietly, giving him a choice to follow his duty, and forget this ever happened. Though, when I looked into his eyes, I knew his choice.

Slowly, I moved my braid over my own shoulder, and held it in my palm. Looking at him, as he let our queues connect together, lining us harmoniously.
The both of us softly gasped, feeling each other's emotions and thoughts. I smiled as I looked at him, my hand gently caressing Tsu'tey's face. I began chuckling when I felt the rush of content that came from that action.
"I see you." He whispered, before he connected our lips together again, his rough hands gently lifting me up off the ground, and moving me to sit over his lap. For a moment, we pulled away, our foreheads rested together as we merely basked in each other's presence.
We let ourselves delve further through the bond, listening to the others heartbeat, and losing ourselves to each other's company.

In the morning, I smiled at Grace and Norm as I woke up from my bed in the unit. A fresh start, as I remembered what happened last night. Yet it only made me smile bashfully to myself, was is weird to want Tsu'tey to kiss me again?
"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine." Grace grinned as she put a plate of food in front of me, which I ate calmly.
"Last night was amazing..." I responded vaguely, and was lucky that she didn't really catch on.
"I'm glad that you survived the ceremony...you're like the daughter I never had." She sighed as she placed her hand on my head, moving me to rest against her side, before Jake woke up to bless us with his presence.
"I'm glad that we did too." I said with a smile, talking after I swallowed the food in my mouth. Glancing over at Norm when he nodded his head towards me, a relieved smile on his face. He had been really worried too.
"Good morning guys." Jake grinned as he wheeled over to us, and I playfully pushed him forward.
"Good morning sleeping beauty." I teased, watching his wheel over to his unit, ignoring his breakfast again. Norm went over to help him despite my protests.
"Don't forget your phase integration, no, no the middle button. Yeah, there you go." Norm said when Jake got up into the link, and messed around with the controls.
I rolled my eyes when I saw that Norm had sat in Jake's wheelchair, and was messing around with balancing on it.
"Jake! You gotta eat something. Don't make me force feed a cripple." Grace smiled jokingly, and I snickered as I hovered behind her.
"Grace, I don't want...hey!" He protests as she hit the red button that disengaged his link. So Jake quickly started eating, while Grace and the rest of us smile in amusement at his eagerness.
Norm then got his link ready to go as Jake finished his breakfast.
"Here. I'm done. Let's go." Jake declared as he handed his plate to Grace, who handed it and a cup to Norm.
"And when was the last time you took a shower?" She nitpicks, pulling on Jake's shirt.
"I don't need a shower." He retorts.
"Shut it, Jake, you haven't showered in like...weeks! My nose is dying from your odor, it's worse than a wet dog!" I scolded, whacking his head.
"Jesus, Marine." Grace huffed, shaking her head as she got him ready to go. I nudged Norm, and he helped me with linking up.

When I opened my eyes in my avatar, I noticed that Tsu'tey was spooning me, his arms gently wrapped around my waist. Yet through our still linked queues, he was awake, and had been watching over me for awhile.
"Good morning, ma Belle." he murmured huskily into my ear, making me giggle as his breath tickled the back of my neck. So, I swatted at him, making Tsu'tey smirk while sitting up, before disconnecting our bond and smiling at me.
"Good morning to you too, kitten." I mocked playfully, making him teasingly glare at me.
We suddenly paused as we heard nearby shouts, and we both called for our direhorse s so we could investigate. Some hunters on their own meet up with us along the way.
We soon reached a clearing, and my eyes widened at the sight of bulldozers having knocked over and crushed an Utraya Mokri. I covered my mouth in dispair of the once beautiful, now dead tree. Silently crying into my hands as I watched the dozers continue on, I could barely hear over Neytiri's own cries of grief, and Jake smacking his hand against something.
I felt Tsu'tey's arms wrap around my waist, and I turned to see a grim look on his face while he comforted me. He soon guided us away from the area quickly.

We had returned to HomeTree and explained what had happened, to the Omaticaya people, devestated, they began yelling angrily.
"Tsu'tey will lead the war party!" Eytukan spoke out, and my mate made calls to rile up his people, raising his arms, eager to attack.
"Tsu'tey you can't...!" I began, before Grace came to interrupt.
"Calm! Stop please! This will only make it worse!" She announced, but he was having none of it.
"You do not speak here! We will strike them in the heart!" Tsu'tey snapped, having pointed his bow at her, and raising war cries from the clan.
I immediately shoved him away from her with a hiss, and he turned to glare at me in disbelief.
"Do NOT talk to her in that tone! If you go, you will die! Bows will not be better than their guns and advanced weaponry!" I yelled, turning towards the crowd of the Omaticaya people, my family.
"If you go to attack, none of you would come back! One hit and you'd be dead in a heartbeat!" I added quickly, before turning to look at Tsu'tey pleadingly.
"Please don't do this...please Tsu'tey!" I begged as he watched me thoughtfully, before Jake and Neytiri arrived and approached us.
"Tsu'tey! Don't do this." Jake called out, catching his attention. My eyes widened when my imprint started storming towards my friend angrily.
"You!" He growled, handing his bow to a clan member as he continued.
"Listen. Brother..." Jake began, but Tsu'tey shoved him onto the ground, both Neytiri and I stepped over to him to make him stop. Neytiri pressed onto Tsu'tey's chest to make him move away, but he was pissed.
"You mated with this woman?" He demanded, and it was my turn to look at him in disbelief, and anger.
"Oh shit." Graced cursed.
"Is this true?" Mo'at demanded of her daughter, and Neytiri lifted up her head.
"We are mated before Eywa. It is done." She answered as she then looked at Tsu'tey, who became stiff. He then turned away with a pained look.
"Brother, please. Do not attack the sky people. Many Omaticaya will die if you do." Jake tried to explain, but my imprint did not listen, and pulled out his knife.
"You are not my brother!" He yelled and charged, but Jake knocked him over, and pulled out his own knife.
"And I'm not your enemy! The enemy is out there, and they are very powerful! I can talk to them." Jake snarled after tossing his knife away, and I glared at my mate viciously.
"No more talk!" Tsu'tey snapped, charging again and slicing Jake's chest.
"Tsu'tey!" Neytiri and I screamed as the two men fought, but Jake easily punched my imprint down and away from him.
"I am Omaticaya. I am one of you. And I have the right to speak, as does she." Jake points at me. Tsu'tey looked at my form, and suddenly felt guilty.
I only glared at him, turning away and walking over to my friend, and standing beside him.
"I have something to say, to all of you. The words are like stones in my heart." Jake spoke softly, but suddenly Grace collapsed, making me gasp and run over to her.
"Grace!" I exclaimed, including Neytiri who crouches beside me.
"Oh no... Okay. Look...I was sent here to..." Jake trails off as his body collapses as well, Tsu'tey moving over him, and grabbing onto Jake's braid, his knife at my friends throat.
"It is a demon in a false body! It should not live..." He reminded his people, ready to slice through the skin, before Neytiri lunged and grabbed onto him, rolling in the air, and throwing him off of Jake, kicking my imprint away from her mate. She pulls out her knife and crouches over Jake protectively, glaring and hissing at Tsu'tey in warning. I approached them, and his gaze locked onto me.
"Sabelle-" I interrupted and smacked him in the face with the back of my hand, looking at him with an expression of pain, while the Omaticaya people gasped.
"You lied to me. You said you were ready, and that you chose me, yet you become jealous that Jake is mated to Neytiri? We mated before Eywa too! Or did it not matter since you pulled a stunt like this?" I yelled, shoving him back forcefully, and making him fall over onto the ground.
"Sabelle please-"
"NO! You threatened to kill my friend, and yelled at my mother figure. It's clear that you only care about being the next Olo'eyktan. You were not ready to leave that role, and that's my fault for believing you. It was a mistake! Curse this stupid imprint!" I cried, backing away from him as his eyes widened in shock.
He moved forward again as he tried to apologize, but I slapped his hands away again, whenever he tried to reach for me. 'My heart hurts...'
"Don't touch me!" I exclaimed, having managed to say this before they pulled the plug, and I was forced out of my link in a daze.

A/n: Hey guys! Long time no see. Sorry I haven't updated in a bit, been swamped with work on the weekends, and school during the weekday so I never had the time to update. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! Have a fantastic day! ❤️