Chapter 15-The End
Jake got quickly back into the link, wearing the mask. Together, we flew to where Tsu'tey lay on the Leonopteryx. Mother was there, tending his wounds-but by her expression when she looked up, he could not be save.
"Oh my god." Jake gasped, when he saw the severed Queue.
Jake knelt beside him, and Tsu'tey opened his eyes. "I see you, Jake Sully."
"I see you, Tsu'tey Te Rongloa Ateyitan." Jake replied.
"Are the people safe?"
"They're safe." Jake replied "The man with the scars is dead-and I was told that the other Dreamwalkers have taken Hell's Gate."
Tsu'tey sighed in relief, and clutched the tip of his severed queue. "I can never ride again, or bond with woman." he said "or hear the voice of Eywa. I cannot lead the people. You will lead them, Jake Sully."
"No." Jake snapped, in english. "I'm not official material."
"It is decided." Tsu'tey commanded "Now do the duty of Olo'eyktan. Set my spirit free."
"I'm not killing you." Jake said.
"No-you're not." Tsu'tey agreed "I am already dead."
"No." Jake protested.
"It is the way." Tsu'tey said "It is the way. And it is good. I will be remembered. I fought with Toruk Macto, and we were brothers. And he was my last shadow."
Tsu'tey clasped Jake's hand, and looked up at him pleading. Jake drew his knife, his eyes filling with tears.
"Forgive me, my brother. Go now to the mother spirit."
He stabbed his knife through Tsu'tey's heart, ending the old chief's misery.
He smiled sadly. "He is with Eywa, and at peace. Now, we go to Hell's gate-and we send the rest home."
"We're not killing them?" I said.
"Of course not-If we do that, more could come. Before I do that though-"
He turned to his Leonopteryx, and connected the queues. "My brother-it is peacetime, and I see no reason for you to stay. Go back into the wild, and be free."
We rode there on Direhorses. Not many people wanted to stay, and of those who did, not many were allowed to. We let the Avatar team remain, along with Norm and the scientists.
But even as they left, they looked angry. We watched the man in charge of this project "Parker Selfridge" trudge up the ramp, looking like a lost soul. As the Avatar team said, he was probably dreading the reception he'd get when he arrived at earth-being assassinated by environmental activists.
"No doubt more will come." Jake sighed.
"Even though we didn't kill them?"
"The way I see it-they could learn from this, and come again-but behave, or not come at all. Or they could sent a militia to eradicate us again." He said.
"Well, great." I said.
Jake went back for one last time-I still hadn't told him the news. I was saving that for when he became truly Na'vi. I didn't know how he'd react.
We buried Grace, Trudy and Tsu'tey that night by the tree of souls. They deserved to have there bodies close to Eywa in death-even if two of them were skywalkers.
After that, Jake made the change. It was successful this time. The roots stayed connected, covering him. Mother stopped the chant, and watched , feeling something.
I removed the mask from his dead human body, and kissed it.
I turned to the new body, and stroked it. His golden eyes opened.
"It worked." Mother said.
And so Jake became Olo'eyktan. I told him the news-that I was pregnant with his child-and he was happy. And later, the other's joined us. A few that decided to make the choice.
But we were always on the look out. We knew the skypeople would return oneday...and we'd be ready...