Jake Sully's childhood shaped him to believe he was expendable, but with time and the support of his newfound family, he discovered his unique and beautiful place in the new world.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Jake's fingers trace over the hardened outer shell of the link one last time. Cherishing it for all it ever gave him, and for all it would bring for his people in the years to come.
"You'll never be part of them. It's not possible." Graces voice is ever so distant in the back of his mind as he traces his fingers over the same ridges. "You can't do this. Do you know how many Navi die in their dream hunts?"
"I have to do this, Grace." He insists, refusing to let her hold him back even though she tries as she grabs his shoulder. "I'm going to become one of them."
"You moron. This isn't how you do this." She yanks him back forcefully, pinning the cripple down as she stands over him. "You go in there, you make your peace, and you leave. That's it. This costs billions of dollars to sustain every time you link. This is all it will ever be to us, don't you see that?"
"Like hell it is." He shrugs her away, despite almost stumbling before wheeling to the monitor. "-I'll prove it to you."
An ever so faint smile spreads across his lips as he thinks about her. Forever lost from the one chance she had to stay here and grow with them, permanently.
Grace watches Jake from afar as he walks back to her — with white paint still dried along his torso and back.
Norm is beside her as she weeps, hardly able to contain the tears as Jake approaches.
Without any sort of exchange, she closes the remaining distance and places her palms on the sides of his face. Her smile and inevitable tears saying more than she could ever voice.
His fangs scrape against his lips as he smiles so widely at her expression, and folds a hand over hers as he closes his eyes.
"I was wrong about you." She finally speaks up, breaking the silence between them both.
He opens his eyes slowly, and stares lovingly into hers as he feels Norm's hand rest on his shoulder.
"We're so proud." Grace adds on, and Norm brings his other hand to her shoulder as he smiles just as widely.
His gaze shifts back and forth, savoring each precious second as he takes in the significance of this moment.
To his right stands the motherly figure he had always yearned for, now enveloping him in a warm embrace — filling the void he had carried for so long. And to his left, his newly adapted brotherly figure — the last remaining link to his Tom — standing tall as ever and filled with pride to see the connections coming together.
Maybe there was hope after all to save the Omatikaya, and to continue more positive relations with the humans.
"Jake," Norm's voice echoes through the metal hallways as he approaches his friend, ready to lend a helping hand. Max follows closely, holding a few masks in his hands. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" Norm asks, his voice filled with concern and support.
