Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, or it's characters.

Please Note: this story takes place after the movie, there will be Na'vi words mixed in and the translations will be at the bottom of the story to help the flow. Also I came up with this story after reading the activist survival guide that came out for avatar so if something is confusing please let me know and I can tell you where I got it, or where I'm going with it. This is a story about the Na'vi and just to forewarn you there will be no other sky people in it, it's strictly Na'vi.

Chapter 1:

Knowing the Balance

"Sa'nu, tell me the story again," Tommy pleaded with Natyri to tell him the story of balance and harmony. He had heard the story a million times but he was mesmerized by the power and beauty that belonged to Eywa.

"Only if you promise to listen fully, understanding the balance of energy means accepting your own fate and know that you belong to something greater." As she looked into her 10 year old son's eyes as he nodded feverishly, she realized what she was meant for in this life. Just one year before he was born Mo'at had stepped down and was replaced with Natyri as the spiritual leader of the Omaticaya people, it was the third happiest day in her life; only following her union with Jake Sulley and the birth of their son. "When Eywa created the first two Na'vi they wandered around without thought or purpose, never knowing the beauty of the world around them. They cut down her beautiful trees and killed her majestic creatures; Eywa cried for her other creations, and her tears rained down from above putting out the fires the Na'vi had created. She watched in horror as her tears began to drown not only her new creations, but everything she cared for and protected. The two Na'vi climbed a grand tree to escape the flood, and as everything began to die the energy within each plant and animal reabsorbed back into Eywa and from her head sprouted six glowing tendrils. She plucked the tendrils and placed them within the braids of the Na'vi. In seconds the Na'vi began to look around at what had happened to their world, to the paradise that was created, and they too began to weep as they felt the pain they had caused and the energy that was being lost due to their actions. They both began to sing the Seze Tirol and Eywa rose the lands and pushed her tears off creating the great oceans and lakes of our land. The two Na'vi climbed down from the tree and saw it's branches start to glow and reach out for their braids. This tree became known as Utral Aymokriya."

"Tree of Voices," little Tommy blurted out in awe.

"That's correct, but then what happens 'itan?" Natyri said back, hoping her son was learning the true lesson of her story.

"They grew into grand hunters and formed the first forest clan, then died a noble death, and their spirit and energy went back into Eywa," he said in a monotone, this was not the part he most enjoyed about the story.

"That's right, now time for sleep." Natyri said with a smile and watched her son limp towards the family hammock. She worried for him, when he was born there were no screams nor tears from him, unlike most newborns who scream until in the arms of their mother. He did not scream or cry, and when Mo'at took him to examine him, like with all new members of The People, she was the one who began to scream. Alarmed and scared Jake ran to his new son and looked into the eyes of Mo'at, within them he saw the truth, he saw his mistakes and his consequences. Tommy's braid was not the same color as everyone elses, the one thing that binds all life on Pandora together was tainted in this young Na'vi. It wasn't until later when Tommy began to walk, that Natyri noticed her son wasn't growing like his peers, his movements weren't as fluid, he developed a limp when he began to walk, and the only thing unaffected was his intelligence. Mo'at and Norm believed it was the mixing of breeds, when Jake joined his avatar, body and soul, he was still joining a man made mixture of both Na'vi and human genes, thus mutating the blood if only a little. Tommy picked things up easily enough though, he understood the workings of life and nature instantly, and his eyes grew old with the wisdom his mother shared with him with every breath she told him folk tales and lore from ancestors past.

She watched him curl up in the hammock and fall into his dreams and felt a warm arm reach around her slender body. "So peaceful when he sleeps, our little Tommy." She cringed at the name, she understood the reason behind it, the love and honor that name would bring her son, but she couldn't get used to it, it was an alien name.

"Norm feeling better?" Natyri asked. A couple of nights before this the Omaticaya people were celebrating Norm's first steps to becoming a taronyu which meant he must go through the Uniltaron where the soon to be hunter grabs a Kali'weya and lets it sting him, the after effects of the poison give the stingee hallucinations, and insight into his/her destiny. Unfortunately for Norm, the stings poison was too potent, he got sick and started to convulse. They calmed him down, but he had been in a dream land ever since.

"Same," Jake said putting his head down, he wished there was something he could do to ease his friends pain. Natyri turned to face him and pushed her lips against his; Jake had kissed many women before coming to Pandora, but nothing like hers. She was rash and yet gentile, her kiss was eager yet patient, the kiss of a warrior woman.

They joined their son in their hammock and fell asleep in each others arms. Hours passed in peaceful silence until Jake awoke screaming and sweating. Natyri and Tommy's eyes shot open to look at Jake, his eyes were wild, looking around, searching for something. Natyri put a supportive hand on his shoulder and his breathing slowed, "The dream again?" she asked, and he simply nodded.

"It haunts me, that single tree standing alone in a wasteland of nothingness, it scares me," He was pulling himself together, but both Natyri and Tommy could see his pain.

"Anything new in the dreams?" Tommy said interested.

"No my son, nothing new," He rubbed Tommy's head and they all laid down once more to return to their dreams, "get some rest you have a very big day tomorrow." Tommy smiled and Jake hugged his son close.

The morning came without another incident and Tommy's eagerness could not wait another second, today was the first day his father was to show him what it meant to be a hunter. "WAKE UP, SEMPU! WAKE UP!" He shook his father's arm rousing Jake from his peaceful dreamless sleep.

"Alright hi'i'aw, I'm up." Jake rubbed his eyes and watched Natyri do the same. They all exited the family hammock together but Natyri separated from them as Jake escorted his young son out of the protection of their new Hometree and into the dangerous forests of Pandora. They walked for awhile as Jake explained the nature of hunting, "When do you kill?" he asked his perceptive son.

"When you need food, warmth, or for protection" Tommy answered in tone that sounded like he had been saying it for years.

"How do you kill?" Jake asked.

"With honor to the beast and permission from Eywa."

"Very good Tommy," He saw the light shine in his son's eyes, the anticipation, "You want to try running?" Jake always took things very slow with Tommy, like Natyri, he feared for Tommy's safety, but unlike the cautious mother he believed his son had limits. Still, Tommy nodded, and Jake started to pick up the pace. It was very important to learn to run with both speed and agility, the latter of the two is what Tommy had trouble with. He kept up with his father just fine, but every beast in a mile radius could hear him do it, not very good with the predators the forest holds.

Jake was impressed with Tommy's unwillingness to be left behind however and stepped it up a notch, without thought he moved like wind up and through the trees. Tommy stopped and watched his father climb without making a sound, waited till he was almost at the top of the canopy, and followed his example. He pulled himself up branch by branch, but he was making too much noise, the Fan Lizards flew from their hiding spots causing even more attention to be drawn to him. "Be strong son," Jake called down as he watched Tommy struggling to reach the next branch, "They can sense weakness, show no fear."

Jake's ear twitched as he heard the sound of flapping in the distance, his eyes looked around for the cause and his eyes locked on a flock of stingbats heading straight for Tommy. Tommy's senses were never as sharp so when his father yelled for him to hurry in a panicked voice, he looked around too, but he couldn't see what as coming. He tried to do what his father told him and hurry up the branch, his footing slipped however, and he fell hitting his head on a branch and going black before he hit the ground. The bats were coming faster now after seeing him fall, Jake's heart raced in his chest and he let out a terrible screech.

In seconds his Ikran soared through the canopy and Jake jumped on making the tsahaylu and flying down to the forest floor. The bats had made it to Tommy and were swarming around him picking at him as they flew passed time and time again. Jake's Ikran swooped down pulling three bats off of Tommy, one with his jaws, two with his claws; then let out a deafening caw. The bats scattered every which way, leaving Jake looking at his son's torn and bloody body. Scratches were everywhere and as Jake pulled Tommy up more revealed themselves.

Tommy awoke to the wind blowing through his hair and on his face, and as he opened his eyes a tear came down his face. He was flying through the clouds, looking down at the beauty of Pandora, a land he only knew the bottom. He couldn't help but notice the dramatic difference he felt as soon as he realized where he was, that this was where he lived, where his home was. In the distance, he spotted a land barren of life, "What's that over there," he said pointing.

Jake recognized it at once, "The old home of the Sky People, the dead lands we call them." Jake's mind reminisced about the war and the pain they had brought, that he had brought. Tommy knew the story as all Na'vi now did, he knew his father was a great warrior, the Toruk Makto; he wished to be as powerful, so when Jake looked back into his son's eyes he was taken aback at the expression. A fierce calm came over Tommy, one that scared Jake, "The bad lands are off limits, no exceptions, understood," Tommy didn't take his eyes off of it as he nodded half heartedly.

Translations: Sa'nu= mommy; Utral Aymokriya=Tree of Voices; Seze Tirol=blue flower song; 'itan=son; Taronyu=Hunter; Uniltaron=Dream Hunt; Kali'weya=Poisonous Scorpion; Sempu=daddy; Hi'I'aw=Small One; Tsahaylu=Bond; Toruk Makto=Rider of Last Shadow

First Avatar fanfic, please let me know what you think, and whether or not you think im going in the right direction. All feedback is welcome.