DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Avatar"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow 20 reviews already! I've never gotten that many for just two chapters before. Thank you guys so much! I dedicate this chapter to all of those wonderful people who review. This one's for you :). Enjoy!


CHAPTER 3

Atraiu was keeping up surprisingly well as I lead him through the dense jungles of my home. You would expect him to be clumsy and slow, like most of those on their first run through the jungles, tripping over roots, and getting caught up in the amazingly obvious Fire Wasps hoards, but he was fast and graceful like he was born there. I still couldn't begin to fathom the fact that he was there at all. A strange looking, foreign Na'vi who couldn't remember anything about his life before he landed on the forest floor. This was most certainly the most exciting thing that had happened to me since I fell off of Laysan on our first flight out.

"Excuse me for asking, but what is this 'Hometree' you are taking me to?" asked Atraiu, who had suddenly appeared beside me. No one had ever presented me with a question like that before, so I wasn't exactly sure how to answer.

"Um, well, it's our home. It's a gigantic tree that has been hollowed out, and made appropriate for living. We used to have another Hometree that had been used by the Omaticaya since the days of the first Toruk Makto. And probably generations before. But, eighteen seasons ago, that Hometree was destroyed during the Invasion of the Sky People. It was a very traumatizing experience for our people. Or, at least, that's what I've been told."

Atraiu nodded, taking it all in a lot better than I would have imagined.

"Do you live in Hometrees where you're from?" I asked. Atraiu turned, and gave me one of those "we've been over this" looks. I smiled slightly, certain that I was blushing a dark purple.

"Oh, right, you can't remember."

We continued running for about fifteen more minutes, and the glory of Hometree appeared in the distance. It's leafy limbs soared into the sky, going higher, and higher, almost touching it. I could immediately remember all of the times my sisters and I would race to see who could reach Hometree first. Taka would always win, of course. It was memories like that one that truly made Hometree beautiful. The beauty and comfort reached out to me, pulling me in. It was my home, after all. The only home I had ever known. In my admiration of Hometree, I had forgotten the welcoming party.

Suddenly, an arrow went whizzing by my head, stopping me and Atraiu in our tracks. Another one came behind us, and Atraiu was on the ground before I could blink. About five Omaticaya appeared from the brush, mounting direhorses. One was my old friend, and future chief of the Omaticaya if things went my parents' way, Lock'tu. He had a strong, undeniable confidence that came with being a Na'vi warrior. That, of course, was what threw all of the girls of the clan insane, but that wasn't what I loved about him. When he put away his bow and spear, and the hard exterior of a warrior, he was kind, and gentle, and my best friend. Another one of the scouts was my very sister, Taka. She had an arrow notched to her bow, directly pointed at a stunned Atraiu who was now on the ground, bound by a long strip of rhino hide.

"What's going on, Taka?" I asked, facing my sister.

"Who is this stranger?" she asked, completely ignoring my question. I bent down next to Atraiu, cutting his bonds with my knife.

"He's with me." I answered. Taka rose an eyebrow at me, like she was expecting some other answer.

"Really? So, suddenly, some odd looking stranger you find in the jungle is with you?" she asked skeptically. I stood, pulling Atraiu to his feet, and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose so." Taka glared at me for a moment, but still didn't lower her bow. I caught Lock'tu's eye, and he smiled slightly. I smiled back.

"But, you don't know...he might be..."

"Taka, there hasn't been any Dreamwalkers since before you were born. I highly doubt they would start popping up now. He speaks Na'vi like one of the People, don't you?" I asked, turning to Atraiu. He nodded quickly, confirming my statement. "See? And..." I stepped closer to her direhorse so the others wouldn't hear. "he needs our help. Please, sister, just let us pass."

Taka looked down at me, staring me straight in the eye, and the warrior vanished for just a moment, and my big sister returned. She sighed deeply, and finally lowered her bow. She looked back at Atraiu, shaking her head in doubt.

"You better be right about him, Kana." With a quick, high yelp, Taka turned her direhorse around, back towards Hometree, and the rest of the scouts followed. Lock'tu stared at me for a moment, then followed Taka.

I turned back to face Atraiu, and shrugged in apology.

"I'm sorry about that. My sister is very, very paranoid." Paranoid was an understatement.

"Oh, so that is your sister?" asked Atraiu, obviously interested. I nodded, and turned, continuing on my way towards Hometree. Atraiu followed.

"Yes, my older sister. You will meet my younger sister in a moment, along with my parents, and good bit of the Omaticaya clan. So, be prepared."

Atraiu smiled, for he thought I was joking. Hugh, right. When he was suddenly bombarded with mymother's questions, he would start wishing that he had just stayed unconscious.

It only took a few more minutes for us to reach the opening that lead into Hometree. It was still the middle of the day, so the bi-luminescence of the Tree at night was not present. But it was still astounding. I looked back, and I could see Atraiu looking around in awe at the pure size of Hometree. But it wasn't the tree that truly shocked him, but the inhabitants.

All of the Omaticaya were waiting at the base of Hometree; man, woman, and child. Taka probably told mother and father that I was bringing a stranger home as soon as she entered. I took a long, deep exhale. I wasn't that nervous, but now that all of the eyes of the clan were on me, I felt that I could faint at any moment.

"Stay close to me." I said to Atraiu. I'm not even sure he heard me, for there was a kind of fog over his eyes. I hoped that he would stay close to me anyway, and I began my walk of shame.

No one said anything the entire time. It was utterly silent. Every Na'vi in the clan had their eyes on Atraiu. I mean, why wouldn't they be shocked? He had a Lekku and a tail like one of the People. Everything was Na'vi, except his skin color and his eyes. It was all so...surreal, it was almost a dream. And the fact that he couldn't remember anything about his past just made it all the more strange.

The crowds parted as we made our way through, and, finally, my parents and family appeared before me. Taka stood with them, her arms folded in frustration, and Sayla was also close by, that glow of "knowing" about her.

"Mother, father, I see you." I said quickly, greeting my parents. They responded in kind, but kept their eyes on Atraiu.

"Kana, who is this stranger?" my mother asked. I could see father tensing up, which meant that one suspicious word would spell death for poor Atraiu.

"Mother, father, this is Atraiu. I found him in the jungle when I went out to fly with Laysan..."

"You found him in the jungle when you were flying?" interrupted my father.

"Well, yeah, I kinda jumped off of her back and landed in the jungle..."

"You jumped off of her back?" interrupted my father, again. I rolled my eyes in frustration.

"You know what, beside the point! I did find Atraiu in the jungle, but, when I found him, he was unconscious. When he came to, he didn't remember anything. He doesn't remember where he is from, what he's doing here--he barely remembers who he is. He needs our help."

My mother and father exchanged glances, having one of their "moments". Taka and Sayla were still just standing there, utterly silent.

"Sa'nok." my mother said, calling my grandmother, Mo'at, over. Even though they spoke in whispers, I could still hear them.

"Have you ever heard of anything like this, mother?" she asked. Mo'at looked back at Atraiu, scanning his form with her eyes. After a moment, she sighed, and shrugged.

"I can not say that I have. There have been rumors of Na'vi who live off of the mainland on small islands in the sea. They rarely come here, and even when they do, they are not seen. But those are only rumors. But, still..."

Mo'at walked away from my parents, and faced Atraiu. He stood tall, staring the older, much more intimidating woman straight in the eye.

"Do you know where you are from, young one?" she asked. Atraiu looked up at me, as if he was seeking my approval. I nodded hesitantly, for I wasn't sure what I was allowing. He must have taken that as some kind of signal, for he answered Mo'at with confidence.

"No, tsahik, I do not." There were multiple murmurs throughout the clan in response to this. Mo'at waited for the noise to simmer down before she continued.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Once again, I do not, tsahik." More murmurs. Mo'at nodded, and began to circle the shocked and probably scared Atraiu.

"Well, let me answer one of your questions for you. This is Pandora. We are the Omaticaya clan. My grand daughter is the one who found you."

"Yes, Kana." he said, turning his head to face me. He smiled that smile of his again that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "We have been acquainted."

I could feel mother's eyes glaring into my skull when he said this. This stranger was enough to worry about, but the fact that I found him made it all the worse.

Mo'at continued to circle Atraiu, then, suddenly, called Sayla over to her. Mo'at was Sayla's mentor, so she hurried over as fast as she could. Mo'at whispered something into my sister's ear that seemed bordering on importance. Sayla nodded in understanding, then she approached Atraiu. The Na'vi male looked down at the younger female, but still felt intimidated by the pure spiritual power that she held. She reached out her hand and slowly placed it on his chest, directly over his heart. I saw Atraiu flinch as he felt her energy flood into him. Sayla closed her eyes, and exhaled. Apparently, she had found whatever it was she was looking for, for she pulled her hand back from his chest.

"His spirit is very pure." she said, once she rejoined her family. "I don't know if that is because his loss of memory has shielded his true nature, but, I can find no darkness in his heart."

"Hm, so, he's not here to kill us. I suppose that's a good thing." stated my father, constantly frank. "But what are we going to do with him?"

We all just stood there for a while, in utter silence, everyone thinking something, but too afraid to say it. I couldn't stay silent any longer, however.

"I think he should stay with us." I uttered. My entire family suddenly turned their eyes on me. I shrugged slightly as if I had just thought of the notion. The truth was, I had been thinking that since before he tackled me in the jungle.

"Certainly not!" This, of course, came from my mother. I rolled my eyes in total and complete frustration. She would never change, would she?

"Mother, he needs our help! Besides, you heard Sayla. He doesn't have a dark soul, he's just terribly lost and confused. What do you say, Sempu?" Now everyone's eyes were turned on my father. He looked back and forth between all of us, completely caught of guard.

"Jake?" asked mother, trying to intimidate my father onto her side, which usually works. Father coughed slightly, even though I was sure he didn't need to.

"Um, I think that's a great idea, K." I swear, I heard my mother growl. "Because the sooner he gets his memory back, the sooner we find out about where he's from, and then we have knowledge of an entire new breed of Na'vi." he said quickly, covering his tracks. Mother stared at her mate for a long time, as if she was trying to remind herself why she loved him so much. Finally, she hissed threateningly, which meant she had decided.

"Fine, fine! He shall stay, but only until he gets his memory back. Until than, he is under your watch, Kana." She turned to face Atraiu for the first time, and quickly walked up to him.

"You shall stay with us, Atraiu, until your memory returns. My daughter shall watch over you; teach you our ways. For the time. Kana," she said, turning her head slightly to look at me. "tend to his wounds. He is rather scratched up." And with that, she walked away. Father smiled slightly, winking at me, before following her. He was trying to regain points with me that he had lost that morning, and it was working. Taka "humphed" loudly, and went stalking off in some random direction. Sayla was just staring at Atraiu with this odd confused look on her face. I couldn't help but have this strange feeling that she picked up more than a pure soul from Atraiu.

I approached Atraiu, smiling, as the clan began to scatter as the event settled down.

"Congratulations. You've survived my mother. The rest of Pandora should be easy after that." We both laughed slightly as I lead him towards the large spiraling root that went up into Hometree. Suddenly, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. I turned, and couldn't help but smile when I saw Lock'tu standing before me.

"Tsamsiyu, you startled me!" I said with a smile. Lock'tu smiled kindly, shrugging.

"Forgive me. I did not mean to startle. Um, may I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, looking directly over my shoulder at Atraiu.

"Why? What's wrong?" I was intentionally trying to appear oblivious. Lock'tu took hold of my arm, pulling me closer to him.

"Just...be careful, Kana. We don't know who this stranger really is, what he wants. If his intentions were darker than we believe, if he does anything to harm... I will not see you get hurt." he said, looking me directly in the eye. There was such a fierce sense of protection, and concern that flowed from him, I was almost overwhelmed. I pulled my arm from his grasp, shocking him slightly.

"Don't worry about me, Lock'tu. I can take care of myself." I backed away from Lock'tu quickly, and caught up with Atraiu. Lock'tu sighed heavily.

"I know you can. That's what worries me." He looked away from me, and saw Atraiu staring him directly in the eye. They immediately shared in a very intense moment where territorial lines were being drawn. Lines that, if crossed, would end in a head on confrintation.

---

Night had fallen by the time we reached the level of Hometree that my hammock was located on. The forest was glowing, and the beauty of the night surrounded us. I took these few moments to notice that Atraiu had the glowing spots on his body like mine. There was so much about us that was similar, but still so much that was different.

There was a spare hammock next to mine, so I offered it to him. He lowered himself into the hammock with skill and grace, shocking if not impressing me. I left him there to fetch the proper tools to mend and clean his wounds, and some food.

"I'm not sure how long it's been since you've eaten, so just tell me if you want anymore." I said, handing him I flat plat filled with meat and fruit, when I returned. He dove into it with ruthless abandon, eating like he had never eaten before. He must have been out for a terribly long time.

I took a small cloth that I had soaked in water, and dabbed at the many scratched and cuts he had on his body.

"You were either in a terrible fight, or your fall was worst than mine." I said with a smile, even though I wasn't joking. He had multiple knife cuts.

"Yes, I do believe that someone either dropped me, or caused me to fall right into the middle of Pandora. At least, that's what my body is telling me."

I took a long needle made of the bone of an Ikran, and thread made from the thinned bark of Hometree, and proceeded to stitch up some of Atraiu's deeper wounds. He didn't even flinch once. Even though I was struggling to keep my eyes focused on a surprisingly deep cut on his arm, I could feel his eyes baring into my face. I tried my hardest not to blush.

"Thank you." he said suddenly. I stopped my work, and looked up at him, confusion written on my face.

"What for?" Atraiu leaned closer to my face, wearing a smile that radiated kindness and gratitude.

"For saving me. Who knows what could have happened to me if you hadn't found me." I smiled as well, and, instinctively, I reached out and cupped the side of his face in my hand. It took me about three seconds to realize exactly what it was I was doing. I quickly drew my hand back to my side, afraid that if I didn't hold it, I would touch him again. He just stared at me; the expression on his face was completely unreadable. A long, awkward silence followed, and would have gone on for ever, if I hadn't spoken up.

"So, I'm all done. Um, you should get some sleep. It's been a long day for you." I pulled myself up onto the branch directly above his hammock, leaving him to curl up in his temporary bed. But, before I left him completely, I turned back towards him. "Oh, and you're welcome."

I was gone before I saw him smile an almost satisfactory smile, as if that answer had just made his entire day. Atraiu touched the side of the hammock like he had seen another Omaticaya do, and curled up as he let it wrap around him. He quickly fell into a deep, dream-less sleep.

I must admit, I was very happy that mother chose to let Atraiu stay with us, but the reason, I was not sure of. He was handsome, okay, there many handsome young Na'vi males in our clan. It was something else. Something mysterious and new that I couldn't quite describe. He drew me in, and then held me there. I was terrified beyond all fraction of a doubt, but I was also annoyingly enchanted.


AN: There you are! Yes, this was a long one, sorry about that. I'll try to keep the chapter lengths pretty consistent from here on out. Please, review!!!!!

Sa'nok: mother

Tsahik: Matriarch

Sempu: daddy

Tsamsiyu: warrior