𝑭𝑰𝑿 𝒀𝑶𝑼. | 𝑱𝑨𝑲𝑬 𝑺𝑼𝑳𝑳𝒀. 🩹

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐕𝐈.

— 𝐍𝐄𝐘'𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐈.

The two walked for a few moments, neither one saying a word to each other as Jake stayed quiet. He could feel himself having a shortness of breath, the tears were there but he refused to let them fall. "You are not mad?" He asked Sänume.

Sänume could only chuckle lightly, "I am more angry at my Mate than I am at a widowed father who just wants to say good bye." She said honestly. "Toruka is at our sacred roots, traveling to her village would take too long and we still need to be back in time for the travels to the volcanoes." She said as he could see off into the distance stood Toruka next to the most beautiful land he had ever seen.

Trees were decorated with torches as the flames were lit blue and red, the ground felt as if it was breathing slowly with his heart beat as each step he took, the ground moved. "Jake." Toruka said as they arrived closer, instantly greeting one another.

"Toruka." Jake replied back with a soft tone.

"Lay down on the ground, the vines of the roots will wrap around you in a gentle hug of warmth, don't be afraid. I will be there with you, just like before." Toruka said as she moved to sit on her knees, Sänume on the opposite end of him as Jake laid on the ground. "Will she really be there?" He asked.

Toruka smiled softly before moving her fingers to close his eyelids. "Take a deep breath and relax."

...

As Jake woke up, this time standing now next to Sänume and Toruka, the three of them began to move across a grassy path. "Where exactly are we?" Jake said as he followed it with another question. "And is anyone going to tell me where we are going?"

Sänume chuckled, "Jake, try to focus on your surroundings and take in the calmness you feel." She said to the other like he was her own child. As the three finally reached the top of a hill, Toruka motioned out to an empty meadow. "Beautiful, isn't it?" She said with a soft whisper.

"No offense, but it is empty. Am I missing something?" He said truthfully. Toruka moved to stand in front of the other, "Trust me, Jake." She said before placing her fingers on his eyes and then gently moving them away. Now, Jake could hear and see what really was there.

The sky had changed to a darkness now, the stars littering the sky as they all twinkled. Out in the distance was many Na'vis who had passed, but they weren't people, they were colors. Orange, blue, purple, red and yellow; all of them were moving and their laughs could be heard all the way up to them. "What are those?" Jake asked. "These are the spirits who wished to not pass over, they stay here and are happy." Toruka said as she looked at Jake and then the Na'vis. "No matter where they pass away, they all come here to finally say good bye or to simply just.. be at peace forever."

Jake couldn't begin to count how many he could see, he could tell the smaller they were, they were kids, the darker colors were older ones and the lighter ones were middle aged. "We don't see them as who they were when they passed, we see them as personalities and their colors, happiness and warmth." Sänume said, her hand placed on the others back to gently rub it. "We often bring people here to say good bye to their loved ones so they can finally move on. To finally have that closure."

Jake nodded, but he was too busy staring at them all to have noticed one was moving out from the crowd and staring up at the three. "Who is that one? Staring at us?" Jake said as he finally noticed it. The blue orb was finally directly in front of him down below, staring at him. "She's not staring at us, she's staring at you, Jake." Toruka said. Jake turned to look at her with wide eyes before he felt the tears fall rapidly.

Jake moved down to meet her halfway, hands moving to wipe away at his eyes at he finally made it to her. "Ney'tiri.." He said with a soft tone. "Jake.." The two stared at each other before Jake pulled her into his arms; tears falling down fast as he felt himself break down for the first time since everything. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't have protected you and saved you, or Neteyam." He choked on his sobs as Ney'tiri pulled back, sitting the two down in the meadow as she softly gripped his hand. "Breathe, Ma Jake. I'm right here."

He was beginning to forget how her voice sounded, so when he heard that familiar phrase, he felt the tears fall some more. "I am not mad at you, Jake." Ney'tiri started off, "You did everything you could and more, do not apologize for something you couldn't have known would happen." Ney'tiri spoke with that gentle tone he craved for deeply. "I couldn't get to you in time." Jake said through a soft cry.

"Do not blame yourself anymore, Jake. I do not want you to live your life with this grief and pain, blaming yourself for this." The two stared at each other, Ney'tiri having now changed to the younger version of herself when she first met Jake; him doing the same. They were back to those two people in love. "Do you forgive me?"

Ney'tiri cupped his cheeks before placing a soft kiss on his forehead before she smiled against it; feeling the emotions and memories of the two running through their veins. Their children all laughing and smiling, the happiness going through both of their minds to ease Jakes sorrow.

As Jake and Ney'tiri were quiet, the two took each others hands in one another as all they could do was just stare at one another, their eyes speaking for their unspoken thoughts. "The kids miss you." Jake said after a few moments of silence. "I know in another time, they would want you here instead." Jake said his true thoughts, eyes staring down.

"Ma Jake, no matter who is there with them; they would miss us either way. Do not be hard on yourself, they all grieve differently, but they have you and you need to be strong." She placed her hands on his chest, "Strong heart." She knew it was hard on him and could never blame him, she would never be angry or mad at him. "I know you have found another as well." That made Jake feel like someone was stomping on his heart.

He loved Ney'tiri, he valued her opinion and valued her wise words; but he never wanted her to feel replaced. "Ma Jake, look around. This is the place for people to pass over and to be at peace.. I do not want you to hold on to this inner battle." He understood her words more than he intended, eyes looking up at the other he sucked in a deep breath as he calmed himself down. "I want you to be happy and she is a good person. Take your time, don't think you need to be perfect and don't worry about me; I want you to be happy, just like I am now." She rested her forehead against the other as his arms came to softly hold her upper arms, breathing in her scenet.

"Where is Neteyam?" Jake questioned. "Neteyam doesn't want to stay here forever, he wants to be back with you all. He is waiting for you, whenever you are ready to bring him home." Ney'tiri said.

Jake asked the obvious question. "Why don't you want to come home?" Ney'tiri was just smiling softly. "Because it is my time to pass over, I am ready to be with the great mother, my father and sister; even Grace." As the names left her lips, the three appeared behind her in a distance, watching with happiness and content. "Give me your pain and sorrow, let me take it so you can be happy again."

Grace had her hands up to her mouth as she was quietly crying, Eytukan and Slywanin were holding one another as their colors were vibrating with a ray of peace. "Are you happy?" Jake said as he looked back at her.

"I am." As the two stood up one last time, he held onto her again as the tears were coming to a halt, but still there as they dried on his cheeks. "Do you forgive me for not wanting to come home?"

Jake nodded his head, he could never be mad at her. "I was never mad." He whispered before he pulled the other into another hug, this time longer as he felt her warmth begin to spread all over him, the feeling of pain and sorrow slowly vanishing.

As the two pulled back, they shared one last final kiss before she softly whispered against his lips. "I'll see you again, Ma Jake." Watching as the colors began to vanish, Jake felt himself let out a sigh before he turned to look at Sänume and Toruka, both who had made their way down to him. The sky turned back to its warm sun.

"Let's go home, Jake." Sänume said as she reached a hand out for the other to take. Jake gave her a soft look before he moved to take it.