MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

T W E N T Y

The mist rose on the grass. Jake stood ready. I... Wasn't allowed to go. Jake and Tsu'tey talked last night, and convinced Mo'at to keep me here. I'm currently begging Tsu'tey.

"Please, Tsu'tey," I said, holding his arm. "I want to help, to destroy those people. Those monsters."

"I know, Iris," Tsu'tey replies holding my face. "But it is too dangerous. I will not lose you when I just got you."

Then he does something surprising. He places a sweet kiss ok my lips. Involuntarily, I slid my arms around his neck. His circle my waist. When we pull apart, he presses his forehead against mine.

"Iris?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you..."

"I- I love you too, Tsu'tey..."

........

"Tsu'tey?"

"Yeah?"

"What if you don't come back?"

"I will. I promise I'll be back for you. With all my heart."

But then we hear it. The footsteps. I pull him into a tight hug. Jake and Neytiri round the corner, and she gasps. I feel tears roll down my face.

"Please stay safe," I say, placing one more chaste kiss on his lips. He nods and goes with Jake, leaving Neytiri and I alone. Even she got to go...

She comes over and opens her arms. I fling myself into them. She pets my hair and shushes me, like a mother. Mo'at rounds the corner, a frown on her face.

"Time to go, my child," Mo'at says to Neytiri. "I have Iris."

"Yes, Tsahik," Neytiri replies, leaving. I stare at Mo'at unable to stop the tears. She motions for me to follow. I nod and do so.

She leads me around some trees, and into a small cleared area. There sits Ryder and Seth. Seth has warpaint on. Mo'at grabs my shoulders harshly, and yanks me to face her. She's crying.

"We will need more help, Iris, and if you've talked to Eywa, please," Mo'at said, and I nodded. I grabbed her arms and nodded harder. She let me go and I turned. Seth was sitting in his spot, and I jumped to mine. I connected our queues, and Ryder roared out.

There was no doubt they heard it. Four or five sets of footsteps crashed through the brush, and I saw them:
Jake
Neytiri
Aton
And...
Tsu'tey.

They all looked at me in awe when my Ikran basically blasted off into the air. But then Tsu'tey's face went angry. It was the last thing I saw before we were gone. I knew where I was going. We flew, desperately, over fields. Trees thinned under me.

About an hour later, I saw what I was looking for. The decaying body of a young Toruk... I was almost there. I pushed Ryder forward, egged him to go faster. The village came closer. I landed Ryder and ran, down to those caves, and collapsed at the most purple vines. I connected my queue to them. I was immediately hit with this light.

Eywa helped me up, bringing me quickly through burning brush. I saw Seze, Neytiri's Ikran, her best friend, lying there asleep forever, bleeding bullet holes right where her lungs would be.

We kept going, however. Then I saw Tsu'tey, spiralling downwards, I reached out, and so did the forest. Giant leaves, brush, they all made one big pallet. He landed safely, and they moved away. Eywa pushed me and I went forward. Tsu'tey saw me. Somehow.

I looked at myself. I was white. You could see my clothes, but my skin was white. So was my hair! I looked back at him. Eywa stood beside me.

She touched my shoulder as we reached out to each other, and before we touched hands, I was gone. I saw his eyes flash with so many emotions. Pain the biggest.

As soon as we got back to the cave, I turned. She was gone. I sighed and stood, fleeing. It was night. Ryder and Seth came down, and we were gone. How long had it been?

How was everyone?

Is my love okay?...

I'll just have to find out........