SHAFTS of orange morning light.
Jake and Lin asleep in each others' arms.
His hand protectively wrapped around her waist
and her head rested on his other arm.
But then the roar of engines awakens Lin with a start.
The Splintering, Crackling of forest being crushed under enormous
treads gets louder. She WATCHES in growing horror as the blade
of a bulldozer becomes a dark wall behind the sheltering ring of willows
She turns to Jake in a speed of light snd begins to shake him rapidly.
"Jake! Wake up! Where ever you are, come back to me now. Jake!"
Lin cried out as she held his shoulder tightly "Jake! Please!"
Hoping he would awaken soon.
Lin screams in pain as the willows begin to fall before the blade,
to be ground under the treads. She tries to lift him, but he is too heavy.
She is screaming at him, frantically trying to wake him, as she
watched her home being destroyed. But not only that, if Jake didn't
wake up he would get run over.
"Jake" Lin whispers quietly before pulling him by his arms
she can't leave him. She couldn't.
Suddenly Jake wakes up to see Lin dragging him, screaming.
He leaps up as The dozer pushes inexorably into the glade,
splintering the trees, plowing the earth before it.
He quickly kisses Lins forehead and tells her to get to safety before
running into the path of the bulldozer, waving his arms.
"Hey! Hey! Stop! Stop!" Lin watches from afar, feeling helpless.
Jake positions himself where the camera-eyes of the robotic
juggernaut will see him.
Jake grabs a rock and LEAPS onto the dozer.
He climbs quickly to the camera mast. SMASH!
The rock crashes into the lens of the camera.
Jake beats the rock furiously against it, pounding it to junk.
Power suits and troopers stride through the ravaged forest, blasting anything that moves.
A trooper sees Jake on the dozer. He rips off a burst and rounds Clang into metal
as Jake dives off the machine. He grabs Lin and they run into concealing foliage.
From behind a screen of leaves, they watch as the dozers advance, obliterating the sacred site,
leaving only mud and wood splinters in their path.
stunned by the nightmarish, unfashionable wrongness of it.
Lin sobs as the willows die. A pain in her heart to see her home getting destroyed.
Jake knew it was his fault, and he didn't want her to fine out so soon but it might be too late.
Jake and Lin cross the commons toward them. Jake feels all eyes turn toward him.
He takes her arm, stopping her. She faces him with a confused look and batters her eyelashes together.
Okay, listen. There's something I have to tell you.
It's gonna be hard. I just need you to —
He sees Tsu'tey striding toward them, his face a mask of fury.
"You!" Tsu'tey walks right up and SLAMS Jake in the chest with both hands.
It is so unexpected, that Jake topples on his ass.
"Listen brother-
He looks between Lin and Jake and frowns
"You mated with this woman?!"
Everyone's eyes widen and Lin stands their calmly
"Oh shit." Her sister turns away from grace back to her sister
And stares at her, eyes widened.
Neytiri felt hurt her sister didn't tell her sooner.
Jake stands up, reaching out for Lin. She goes to him clutching onto his hand.
"Is this true?" Mo'at asks her youngest daughter with a confused face.
Lin looks up to jake and nods "We are mated before Eywa. It is done."
Tsu'tey turns to Mo'at and Eytukan, his face anguished.
"Brother please...do not attack the sky people. Many Omaticaya will die if you do"
Jake says calmly, lin watches as Tsu'tey takes out his Knife and charges at jake
But he doges and pushes him on the Floor pulling out his own.
"And I am not your enemy!"
Lins father pulls her aside as jake throws the knife on the Floor
"The enemy is out there, and they are very powerful!"
His face softens and he looks back to lin
"I can talk to them" Tsu'tey shakes his head and scoffs
"Lin was promised to me! Everything is changing.
Everything is being destroyed!" Tsu'tey points at Jake,
his pain shifting to rage. "You do not care for me! Not as much as neytiri anyway"
Lin points to her sister
Tsu'tey bite his lip before shaking his head, disappointed and hurt by Lins actions.
"These aliens kill everything they touch, like poison."
Her mother steps forward and looks at her daughter
"Lin! If you choose this path, you can never be Tsahik.
Your life will be wasted." Neytiri looks at her mother
sees the grief in her eyes. And then to her sister
who's hand was rested on jakes chest.
"I have chosen." Lin confirms for her mother seeing her eyes soften
But Lins attentions was drawn to something else. Tsu'tey draws his knife
and LUNGES at Jake, who's ready this time he sidesteps,
blocking the knife, and elbows Tsu'tey HARD in the face.
Tsu'tey reels back, nose bleeding. He starts forward on a second attack but
Eytukan grabs his arm and spins him around. "Stop! This is not a proper challenge."
Her father says looking to his youngest
Tsu'tey glares at Jake while sheathing his knife.
"I challenge you."
Lins eyes widen and she looks over to Tsu'tey then to Jake
"Jake, don't —
Lin and grace both go to speak at the same time
when he interrupts them both sliding his arm around Lins waist
"I accept."
(Sorry short chapter! Promise it'll be longer tomorrow!! X)
(Thanks for reading)
