horizons | jake sully

T W O

"L'aiola?"

I spun around and there she was. Our eyes met and she smiled softly.

"Grace?"

Our sentimental moment was cut short by the Thanator. I took a deep breath and ran forward, jumping onto its back.

"How does your Ikran feel about this?" I heard Grace ask. I smirked and tried to keep myself stable.

"She doesn't know."

Just as I was about to make the bond, it threw me off again. I groaned as my body hit the ground and the Thanator took off toward the man with Grace. She watched him and then looked at me.

"Does he know how to function here?" I said, already knowing her answer.

"No."

I huffed and took off after them. I kept the Thanator in my sight and kept a steady pace. He will be ripped to shreds if I don't help him now.

I watched as he slid into a large tree and crawled out the other side. I followed him more and suddenly the Thanator stopped.

A cliff.

I distanced myself and looked over the edge.

Where was he?

I groaned loudly and shook my head. I couldn't leave him alone. He would do something stupid. I put my hands on my hips and took off for the village. They are not going to like this. At all.

I approached, and tried to avoid eye contact with everyone. I walked toward Neytiri and saw her wide smirk.

"Did you bond with the Thanator?" she teased. Instead of answering, I grabbed her arm and yanked her to the side.

"There's an Avatar out there that has no idea. I tracked him as long as I could. He jumped into water off a cliff and I lost him," I said. Her eyes widened and she looked around.

"What are we supposed to do?"

I gave her a look.

"No," she said. Her accent is thick. Mine isn't as strong, but I admired hers.

"Neytiri, I'm sorry. We can't leave him out there. He'll do something stupid without even knowing."

It was eclipse and the sky was growing darker. After a few hours we had dinner and I kept exchanging glances with Neytiri. After everyone went their separate ways, I dragged Neytiri with me. We walked for what felt like hours. The forest glowed around and it was beautiful.

I ran my hand across some leaves while walking to watch them illuminate more. Neytiri shook her head at me and looked down. I knew she was angry with me. I knew she didn't want to be here. She kept glaring at me as if I couldn't see her face.

I liked walking the forest at night. It was peaceful and the bioluminescence made it a stunning place to clear your head.

After what felt like another eternity, Neytiri stopped and grabbed my arm. I looked at her and tried to communicate that I was angry through my eyes.

"He's gone already. Let's go back and forget about him," she said. I hung my head in defeat as she pulled me. Then it caught my eye.

Fire.

"Neytiri," I said, pulling on her. She followed my gaze and groaned. "What did I tell you?"

She stayed silent and we crept closer. We weren't the only ones stalking him. I watched as viperwolves closed in on him. He waved his makeshift torch around and I knew he was hopeless. Neytiri pushed past me and began fighting them off. I joined and tried not to focus too much on it.

I only killed two. The rest I managed to chase off into the trees. I turned to Neytiri as she grabbed hold of his torch and tossed it into the water.

"Hey-" he protested, but it was short-lived. He looked at himself and then everything around him. I crossed my arms and watched Neytiri out of the corner of my eye. She didn't want to be here in the first place.

He turned to me and I already knew what was coming.

"Thank you. Both of you," he said. Neytiri rolled her eyes.

"Do not thank. This is sad. They did not have to die," she snapped. I looked over at her as she glared furiously at him.

"Then why'd you save me?"

She went silent and then in a split second, she looked at me. I threw my head back in annoyance and let my arms drop to my sides.

"You were with Grace?" I asked, watching him closely. He nodded slowly and I turned to Neytiri.

"I will take him somewhere safe and he can return to them. They can come find his Avatar tomorrow," I said. She nodded and made her way back toward the village.

"Wait-"

"Come," I said before he could get another word out. I went the opposite direction of Neytiri and continuously looked back at him. He kept trying to get next to me.

"You're just gonna just drop me somewhere?" he asked.

"Yes. You have done enough damage already."

"So take me wherever the other woman went," he said.

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"You are like a toddler. A messy, ignorant child who does not know any better. We have babies better behaved than you," I said. I saw him stop and just stare at me.

"So you're going to leave me unattended?" He cocked his head to the side and his arms were crossed.

"I am taking you back to Grace," I said.

"By leaving me unattended in the forest."

I rolled my eyes.

"I might as well just leave you here. Let you fend for yourself."

"You wouldn't do that."

I chuckled and went to turn away. His eyes widened but before I could turn my back on him, a cloud of panopyra swarmed him. He began swatting them.

"Don't," I said sharply. He looked at me and I watched as they landed on him. My mind was spinning. I couldn't form a complete thought anymore. The idea of leaving him alone to fight for himself was less appealing now.

I watched his eyes go soft and he stood, frozen, as they sat on him. I took a breath and watched them disperse as quickly as they came. He looked at me and his face scrunched in confusion.

"Come with me," I said, grabbing his wrist.

We went back the way we came and I led him to the village quickly. He had gone silent now and it left me completely in my own world.

A similar thing happened to me one day with Neytiri. I had been told to never return once they found out I was initially sent here for intel. Then the panopyra came to me. I remember the look on Neytiri's face. The way her eyes lit up. She brought me back to the village and told them all that the forest had chosen me. That I was meant to be here.

I held my breath as I approached Neytiri with him. She sized him up and then glared at me again.

"Eywa bring me strength so that I do not claw my sister's eyes out. What are you thinking?" she hissed.

"The forest. The panopyra. It chose him."