𝑭𝑰𝑿 𝒀𝑶𝑼. | 𝑱𝑨𝑲𝑬 𝑺𝑼𝑳𝑳𝒀. 🩹

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕.

— 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍.

Neteyam was the first word that left his lips as he opened his eyes, having suddenly appeared in what seemed to be a cave, a big entrance next to him with water falling down, the sun shining through making a rainbow appear.

As Toruka emerged from around the corner, this time in a long white cloth that resembled a dress in some ways, her hair wrapped up in a bun, she approached Jake who was sitting on the floor, just watching the water.

"Where am I?" He questioned as he looked at Toruka. The floor was damp and the air was the most calm he ever felt. "The in between." She said, her tail softly swaying behind her as the dots on her face shined.

"This is where spirits come when they are not ready to pass over, where they go to think about passing over or cheating death. They come here to be judged." Toruka sat next to Jake now, a hand resting on his shoulder that were dropped.

"But do not confuse this place with you being able to talk with them, you get one opportunity to pass over this waterfall and see them one last time, but you aren't ready." Toruka stood up and moved over to a stone chair, placing herself on it with her legs crossed. Her tail now draping over her shoulder.

"If I was to judge someone, I would judge the people who killed them. Killed my mate. My boy." Jake stood up and stood in front of Toruka, hands crossed over his chest as his tail started to flick at a quick pace, anger fueling in his body.

"I do not blame you, but I can not make that judgement. Your heart is filled with anger and hurt, do you wish to live your life in that state?" Toruka narrowed her eyes. She knew the answer. Everyone had the same answer, even though she couldn't agree out loud, she would feel the same way he did.

"I would live my life perfectly fine if the two people who killed them were damned to never walk this planet amongst Eywa. Breathe the same air as me." Jake had moved up a step, hands at his side in a fist as his heart rate began to pick up. "You don't know what it is like to lose someone."

Toruka was quiet, she knew this was the first time Jake had openly said his feelings and not silenced them or sugarcoated the idea. "I lost my mate and son in the same day, they both bled out in front of me and you ask why I have hate in my heart?" His voice was cracking. Shutting his eyes to take a deep breath, he placed a hand on his chest before opening them again. "You judge people and send them to pass over with Eywa or let them cheat death, you don't know what it is like."

Toruka stood up and moved her way over to Jake as motioned for him to sit down. "You think judging people is easy? Then I want you to be the judge of this." Jake had sat down and rested his chin on the palm of his hand.

Toruka had moved behind the wall and reappeared with his three kids, they weren't looking at him or anyone, it was as if they were just spirits. "Judge your children. One will spend eternity here, never being able to pass over and move on. Stuck in a constant loop. The other will pass on with Eywa and the other will be damned to never be at peace." Toruka had stood next to Lo'ak who was besides Kiri and Tuk.

Jake shook his head. "I'm not judging my children." His voice was pained. "You can't ask this of me."

"But I can. Damn one of your kids to never be at peace, let the other pass over and be happy and let the other be stuck in a constant loop. All I do is just judge people, right?" Toruka knew the more she pressed the more he was let himself forgive, it wouldn't be enough, but it would be a start.

"Should you send Kiri to never pass over. She blamed you at one point for not doing anything as Ney'tiri laid dying. Did you know that? Shouldn't she be punished? Or Lo'ak. Your son who feels like an outcast. He used to speak with Eywa and at one point he said it should've been you for Neyetam." Jake couldn't blame his kids, at one point he felt the same way. He should've been the one to take the bullet or done something.

"Or Tuk. She did nothing wrong, but she too shouldn't have the opportunity to live happily as she said she hates you. Don't you remember?" Jake did, he remembered the first month of them passing and Jake had messed up with her hair. She said she hated him because Ney'tiri could do it better.

But he still couldn't blame them.

"I can't.. I can't judge my children." Jake was defeated.

"I had to judge my own daughter. She died by killing herself, she let a permanent decision affect her for eternity. In Eywas eyes, that judgement is a constant loop, waiting to be forgiven." Toruka placed a hand on her chest as she moved forward to Jake, moving his own hand to his chest. "In the in between you don't feel emotions unless they are connected to you. So, on judgement day, when I saw my daughter look me in my eyes and I knew I couldn't give her peace, that pain traveled back to me to the real world. Judging people is hard, I am not asking you to stop judging the men who killed your mate and son, I am asking you to stop judging and blaming yourself."

The two of them had moved off of the chair and settled in front of the waterfall.

"Jake, you bare these sins of something you can't undo, that isn't your fault." Toruka said. The two sat in silence for awhile before suddenly the water had parted ways, in a distance was a dozen na'vi children all playing with one another. Their laughter and smile echoing throughout the field.

A toddler Neteyam had ran out of the group and towards where they were at, a smile on his face as he looked towards where they were, but not moving.

"Neteyam." Jake whispered as he stood up, his hands placed on his chest as he felt tears fall and his chest get heavy. "He can not hear you, but he knows you are here." Toruka said, a smile on her face as she looked between the two boys.

"Is he okay?" He said quietly. Neteyam had lifted his hand in almost a gesture of saying 'hello', his toddler smile was always Jakes favorite feature.

Toruka had a gentle smile on her face. "More than you know."

As the water closed and opened again, a now older Neteyam appeared in front of his eyes before he took off running back to the circle of children. He was taking care of them now.

"Does he forgive me?" Jake said as he watched his eldest scoop a little Na'vi up in his arms and spin the two of them around, his smile never leaving his face.

"For what?" Toruka asked, a confused look on her face having been asked such an odd question.

"Couldn't save him. Couldn't get to him in time."

"Neteyam doesn't think that. When Neteyam had passed, he told Eywa that he wishes he could tell you that he isn't mad or hates you. He understands." Toruka said. "Jake, it's time you let go of this pain you feel of not being there in time."

Jake moved over the waterfall before standing directly under it, letting the water wash over his body as if he was slowly washing away the guilt.

Outside the waterfall was the same scenery he saw when Neteyam and him had hunted for fish the first time, the most peaceful moment in his life.