SMSTSS 6: Blue Moon! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and others belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is multi-genre story.
Special Note: This is a 1000-plus word story.
Part 7
It was a few hours later that Ranma and Ka'Sume arrived to the top of a chain of floating islands, made possible by the Unobtainium that lined the base of the chain, and by the magnetic field of Pandora.
"Whoa," Ranma said, as he surveyed the scene. "This place is…beautiful…"
"Indeed it is," Ka'Sume said, as she smiled broadly. "It is here where the best herbs can be found."
Pause.
"And it is here that you will be able to acquire a new friend."
"The Ikran?"
"Uh-huh," Ka'Sume said. She then climbs up a thick vine. "Mine is named 'Screech'."
"Screech-?"
"SQUAWK!" screeched an Ikran, which caused Ranma to jump.
"Gah!"
"Hello, Screech," Ka'Sume said, as a pterodactyl-like creature lands close to her and Ranma. "How are you today?"
"SQUAWK!" the Ikran said, as Ka'Sume began to feed the creature.
Ka'Sume turns towards Ranma.
"Come, and help me feed screech," Ka'Sume said, as Ranma hesitantly stepped up to the creature. He wasn't afraid of it, but he didn't want to get into a 'situation' with the creature nevertheless…'
"Squawk!" the Ikran said, as he nestles his beak into Ka'Sume.
Hesitantly, Ranma pulls out a bunch of fruit from his bag, which he had picked before arriving to this place. He then hands it to the creature.
"Squawk!" the Ikran said, as accepted the food.
"He likes you," Ka'Sume said with a smile.
"He likes the food I got him, that's what…"
Meanwhile, Tsu'Tey and Usagi are flying around the valley miles from Hometree, hoping to find more lands to hunt.
FWOOMP!
"We're here," Tsu'Tey said, as he and Usagi land nearby. "We can see if your tracking skills are up to par."
Usagi hops off of "Naru", her Ikran, and proceeds to take remove her gear.
"I hope I don't hurt anyone," Usagi said. She understood that sooner or later, she might take an innocent life…
"That is the problem with you 'dreamwalkers'," Tsu'Tey scoffed. "You worry about what might be rather than embracing what is. And if we need to hunt for food, or kill for protection, then that's it."
Tsu'Tey slings his gear on his back.
"Come, we have much work to do…"
"Do we have to crawl in the brush?" Usagi whined, as she began to follow her teacher.
"Yes, so quite whining."
"Dang!"
Hours of scouting the area proved fruitful. Unfortunately, they came upon a six-legged "jungle cat" called a "Thanator"…
"RROWRRL!" the Thanator roared, as it attacked Usagi.
"Ah!" Usagi said, as she embraced for the attack.
However, Tsu'Tey intercepts it, as he tried to use his knife while leaping at it.
"YAHHHHHHH!" Tsu'Tey roared, only to be swatted away by the Thanatos' paw.
WHACK!
The Thanatos turns its attention back towards Usagi, thinking that she was easy prey. However, just as the creature was about to pounce, Usagi's crescent moon mark appeared.
FLASH!
"Gra?" the Thanatos replied, as it cowered from the light.
In a trance-like state, Usagi glides over to the creature, and touched its head.
"Not today, and not the Na'vi," Usagi said, in an echo-like voice.
The creature seemed to understand, as he slowly backs up, and sprints away…
As soon as the Thanatos was gone, Usagi turns to tend Tsu'Tey's wounds.
"Tsu'Tey!" Usagi said, as she goes up to the injured Na'vi, no realizing that a strand of white vines had disentangled themselves from her connecting braid, before going back into the ground…
"Tsu'Tey, are you okay?" Usagi asked.
"I'm fine," Tsu'Tey managed to say, as he clutched his side. His lower abdomen was scarred from the paw strike.
"We better return to Hometree, now," Tsu'Tey said, as she grimaces a bit.
"But you're injured!" Usagi said. "Let me help."
"I don't need your help," Tsu'Tey said.
"Yes, you DO," Usagi said, as she pushes Tsu'Tey back into the ground. "I know some bio-manipulation tricks that can help you."
"How?"
"Let's see," Usagi thought, as she thought about the stuff she learned from the Syrrannites on the planet Vulcan…
"Okay," Usagi said, as she touches the wound. She closes here eyes, and concentrated on sending her life energy into Tsu'Tey. However, nothing seemed to happen.
"What are you doing?" Tsu'Tey said with annoyance.
"I don't understand- oh!" Usagi said. "Now, I get it…"
Usagi realized that because she is using an avatar, as she can uses her own life-force to perform the bio-manipulation technique. However, there might be another way…
"Tsu'Tey, we need to join," Usagi said, referring their respective queue. She still had hers, running down the center of her back, even though she managed to put the rest of her hair in her usual hairstyle…
"No!" Tsu'Tey yelled. "We are NOT joined!"
"But you need help! And you know that you can't fly in your state."
"But-"
"Here," Usagi said, as she takes her braid and Tsu'Tey's. "There is nothing going to happen, okay?"
With that, Usagi joined her braid with Tsu'Tey's. Almost immediately, there was a weird sensation, as her mind and Tsu'Tey's are joined as one. Images, memories and other experiences are exchanged…
"Whoa," Usagi said, as she blinked her eyes. She then turns towards Tsu'Tey.
"I had no idea…"
"The same," Tsu'Tey said in awe. "You…you ARE the legendary 'Moon Princess', as Eywa has told us."
Pause.
"Truly, you are indeed a warrior."
"I try," Usagi replied, as she concentrated on Tsu'Tey wounds. It was increasingly becoming difficult to do so, since Tsu'Tey's feelings were sprouting with her mind. This had the effect of causing her feelings to sprout in reply.
"We…we better get through this," Usagi said, as she placed her hand on Tsu'Tey's. "Now, I will direct you to perform the bio-manipulation…"
Usagi moves Tsu'Tey's hand to cover the wound. She then closes her eyes…
Slowly, the wounds reseal themselves, leaving no scarring. However, during that time, her feelings, as artificial they may be, increase exponentially, until they become too intense for Usagi to deny.
She was falling in love with the Na'vi warrior.
"No," Usagi said, as she moved her hand away. "This isn't right!"
Tsu'Tey grabs Usagi's wrist.
"Calm down," Tsu'Tey said. "I apologize for my…intrusive feelings. I've always aspire to follow your legendary example."
Usagi turns to look back at Tsu'Tey.
"You…you do?"
"You off-worlders are a strange, but there are…exceptions."
Pause.
"And your Mamoru Chiba was lucky to know you."
"I…I always thought that I could wait in meeting someone, until I knew for sure that I wouldn't see my 'Mamo-chan' again," Usagi said with a sigh, as she turns to look away. She then turns towards Tsu'Tey.
"I always dreamed that he would be my first, when he and I would get married," Usagi said. "But I don't know if I can wait that much longer. I mean, I'm almost thirty years old, and never knew a man's touch. And maybe, I never will…"
"Since you are a dream-walker, then allow this moment to be nothing more than a dream," Tsu'Tey said, as he strokes Usagi's facial cheeks. "Allow your true body to be safe for this other person, and be with me in the now."
Usagi looks into Tsu'Tey's golden eyes. Somehow, they reminded her of Mamoru…
'Mamoru, I'm sorry,' Usagi said, as she allows Tsu'Tey to pull her into a romantic embrace. Soon, Usagi and Tsu'Tey allowed nature to take their course, as they unofficially joined as mates for life…
Meanwhile, in an Avatar sub-station, somewhere in the mountains, Norm, who was taking a break from using his own Avatar, looked at the readings. Dr. Grace Augustine, the head of the Avatar project, wanted that part of the project moved elsewhere in order to prevent one of their own from giving intelligence to the Director Selfridge and SecOps…
"Well, quite interesting," said Norm, as he tried to make head of the readings.
"What is?" asked Trudy Chacon (Latina female), the assigned pilot to the party, as she lowered her magazine.
"There readings," Norm said. "I have never seen them before…"
Trudy looks over at the monitors.
"Well, is Usagi in trouble?" Trudy asked.
"No, but according to these readings, it appears that she is in some intense activity. And I detected some intense readings immediately before these."
Trudy looks at the readings. She only had some understanding of what was going on, but clearly, something was happening.
"I'll say…"
Tbc.