Sorry for the angst of that last chapter. Hey! It wouldn't be YAOI without some good old angst! ;) Please enjoy and give me some feed back! I need to know how I am doing! Sorry about the length and any errors. I know these get a bit long. Warning: Some sexuality in this chapter. Enjoy! -YaoiBoy


"Avatar" is the property of James Cameron and Twentieth Century Fox.
I take no credit or monetary compensation for the fictional world referenced in this work.


PRELUDE: The Lonely Goodbye

Nawm cried loudly when he got the news. He would be placed on the next shuttle down to the surface. Alex was still in the cryo-tube due to further complications from exposure to the Pandoran atmosphere. By direct order, Nawm was no longer allowed to visit him. The Na'vi hunter was mortified and pushed the young soldier against the wall who had delivered the news.

"Hey! I'm just the messenger!" he had cried. To his own credit, Nawm had calmed down and released the man.

Max came to the lab finding much of the gear from the work table on the floor, broken. At the sound of sobbing, the scientist turned to see Nawm, crouched and staring longingly at Alex's avatar. Dark streaks ran down the hunter's face. Max had placed a hand on the Na'vi's large forearm, promising him that Alex could still be his future. Nawm then placed two fingers on the glass of the amnio tank and silently said a prayer to Eywa.

"I will see you again, my Alex. I promise!" he affirmed to himself as he floated his way through the narrow passageways to the ISV's docking bay, an armed escort following closely behind him. He had changed back into his native clothing, not allowed to take anything away from the human spacecraft that was not of Pandora.

Drs. Augustine and Harper, working from a drawing of the Tipani clan's markings, had been able to locate Nawm's village through aerial surveillance footage. Having mapped the entire surface of the moon, they found the giant, tree-bound village located in the south-western hemisphere, on a continent close to the equator. At long last, Nawm would be reunited with his brethren. The humans had dropped him off a few kilometers south of the colony, so as not to attract too much attention. Max had seen him off with a big hug, giving the hunter a bad filled with his favorite foodstuffs. "Be careful with that," the scientist had told him. Nawm was unsure about the warning, but somberly agreed.

After the shuttle noisily took off back to the heavens of the night sky, Nawm looked up into the sky and sighed. Hungry, he sat down and opened the bag Max had given him. Upon examining the contents, he immediately understood Max's warning. One of the human-made glass panels was inside. The hunter took it out carefully and placed it on his lap.

"Max?" Nawm questioned to himself. He placed his oversized thumb and forefinger to the screen as Max had taught him. The device instantly illuminated, displaying many familiar pictures. Moving his thumb across the screen would move from one image to the next. He paused when he came upon one of Alex, Grace and Max, smiling together in front of a large window on the Magellan, Pandora visible through it in the background. Smiling, he placed his fingers on Alex's face, making that section larger.

"My love is up there."

"My home is down here."

"But I long to be with him…"

"…up there."

The hunter turned the panel off and started walking… away from the village.


CHAPTER 7: Enter the Avatars

Over the next year, humankind made great strides establishing a permanent settlement on the moon's surface. The heads of the RDA Sciences team on Earth had decided that the best place for a settlement was in the northern hemisphere of the west, about 200 kilometers above the equator. Having only one shuttle slowed the process down greatly, but everyone was determined to complete the mission, despite the frustrating delays. The ISV could stay in orbit indefinitely as long as the shuttle remained operational to collect anti-hydrogen and deuterium from the atmosphere of nearby Polyphemus. Due to the cancellation of the Leonov ISV project, the Magellan would have to stay in orbit long enough for the base of operations to be built and for the first load of unobtainium ore to be delivered. Those goals accomplished, the ISV would refuel and immediately return for Earth.

Due to the extreme dangers of the native wildlife, the first structure to go up was a 7 meter high perimeter fence. They started with a 2.5 square kilometer clearing which they located on the large continent they had dubbed "New Eden". It was very hot and natives were nearby, but the land was clear and flat which presented an ideal place to start. 30 Marines were set to the task of erecting the fence. Several AMP suits were sent down to establish a perimeter and fight off the ever aggressive Pandoran predators. Two men were lost within minutes of the first landing to flying beasts. More would have been taken had it not been for Cpl. Quaritch's skill at the controls of his AMP. The marine was assigned the duty of leading the AMP team securing the area which had been immediately named "Hell's Gate" by his fellow soldiers. They considered Pandora to be a "hell hole" and the name stuck quickly.

After a few hours, the octagonal fence was completed. Several AMPs stayed positioned at the corners to ward off or shut down any airborne threats. The soldiers then got busy constructing a solid landing platform for the shuttle. Concrete made from the Pandoran earth and waterways was poured into several foundations for the first complex of buildings: A command center with an adorning air-traffic control/observation tower, living quarters, a hanger, and a factory/refinery. All initial buildings would have to be constructed from the material at hand; muddy earth forged into strong brick.


Until the living quarters were completed, all personnel had to live in portable, inflatable habitats brought down from the ISV. They were air-tight and even provided filtration of the atmosphere thanks to Max's adaptations of the systems.

Fully recovered, Alex was assigned the task of formulating a plan to extract the massive cache of unobtainium detected underground just one kilometer to the south. Passing a crash course in the operation of an AMP suit, he and two marines made their way to what would become the first mine. The scientist kept a picture of Nawm with him in the breast pocket of his environment suit. Large pockets of unobtainium would likely be dangerous to humans if they were directly exposed to it so Alex had ordered the team to wear the suits as a precaution. He said a short prayer for Nawm's safety before he activated the suit and thumped southward, his escorts flanking him.

Grace was put in charge of cultivating the native soil to try and grow food that humans could eat. Initial testing had shown the native flora and fauna to be very poisonous and not suitable for human consumption. She would continue to study the native plants for anything that could be useful for human survival. Since her passion was botany, she was very enthusiastic about her work and wasted no time in setting up a lab. Refusing to drive an AMP, she dawned a partial environment suit with exo-pack and examined the forest close to the perimeter fence, marines at her side for protection.

Max was told to step up his Avatar project. The Na'vi bodies would increase the construction efforts exponentially. Three link modules and scanners were sent down from the ISV and set up in a makeshift control center. It was very temporary, being in an inflatable structure, but all the basic amenities for human survival were present. One could even take a short shower. Power was provided via solar and fusion generators. Once the station was ready, the three occupied amnio tanks were sent down, the human-Na'vi hybrid avatars almost ready for use. In just another few months, they would be taken out for their first real test.

Just recently taken out of cryo-sleep, the young Asian woman Sakura begrudgingly accepted the task as administrator of the base's day-to-day operations. Being the only person with any political ties back to the RDA on Earth, she was placed in change of the entire operation. Using her no nonsense style, she whipped all operations into order. Projects moved forward at a blistering pace. As a result, she was not very popular with the settlers and considered a tyrant. No one dared confront her, however. Little Miss "dragon fist" commonly sent people to the colony's medlab for treatment.


A few months later, the base had started to take shape. The initial, permanent buildings were in place and almost all personnel were moved inside to the new living quarters. The remaining two dozen staff were flown back up to the ISV along with their first load of precious unobtainium cargo. The RDA officials back home were ecstatic with the colony's progress. A partial crew of 40 would be left behind to maintain the base until the ISV returned.

With personnel resources now stretched thin, Max was burning the "midnight hydrogen" getting the avatars ready. He would be ready for his first full test the next morning and he cursed himself for not getting proper rest. He was a man only 30 years of age, but he was wise enough to know when he was pushing himself too hard. "Dad worked himself to death…" he thought. He shut down his computer terminal and called it a night. Leaving the admin complex, he equipped his exo-pack and made his way outside and over to the living quarters. It was dark out and the air was cool. The blue light from Polyphemus gave everything a matching hue; the bioluminescent Pandoran plant life giving off yet another spectral array of colors. Shades of violet assaulted his landscape.

"I'll never get tired of this," he thought as he admired the kaleidoscope of visible light around the base. "It's breathtaking." Looking back behind the admin building, he saw the beginnings of the new factory and refinery which were only partially operational. Plumes of dark smoke rose from the site. "Not again," he cried. He swore then and there to do whatever he could to help preserve Pandora's environment. He cursed himself for having not cloned another avatar for himself. There would not be time for that now. In the distance, he heard the cry of wild banshees. Not waiting for the sounds to get closer, he picked up his pace. No one had been assaulted by the predators since the new, automatic gun turrets had been installed on the perimeter fence. However, old habits die hard.

Entering his quarters, he sat at his plain metal desk and activated his HoloPad for a moment to compose a quick message to Alex. He wanted to be on the record about the pollution generated by the refinery. Satisfying that, the man lay in his bunk and tried to sleep. How could he? The real test of all his hard work was only hours away. If it didn't work, years of research would have been in vain. Whispering a lullaby passed down by his mother, he eventually drifted off, the words of the native tongue soothing to his soul.


The next morning, a groggy-eyed, bearded scientist made his way to the administration building and up to the sciences lab. There, the attractive Dr. Alex Foster was waiting for him with a cheery smile, wearing his white lab coat.

"So, today is the big day, huh?" said the brunette enthusiastically. "So, we finally get to take these new bodies out for a spin?"

Max could not help but smile. "Yes, Alex. I have everything in order. We are good to go. Come on. Let's complete the checklist and power up."

The lab was in a similar configuration to what Dr. Lovecraft had set up in the lunar station; hub and spoke. The room was round with the command center in the middle and the link units forming the "spokes" of the "wheel" of link bed scanners. It was much larger than the lunar facility; all the link units installed and ready for use.

"Right now, we only have 3 avatars," explained Max to the small group of scientists and engineers. "But, as you can see, we have 12 units here. Today's test will determine how the rest of these beds get filled. We might end up with a bunch of vehicle drivers if this ends up in failure." Max grimaced. "No pressure…" nervous laughter filled the room. "Okay, let's do it!" The group left immediately manned their stations. The brunette stayed with Max.

"Right…" answered Alex, not completely paying attention. He walked around the room, examining the equipment, whistling in admiration. "Damn, the RDA is sparing no expense. Is that one of the new computer cores you were telling me about?" He was pointing to a rack of computer hardware on the wall opposite of the entrance.

"Indeed!" exclaimed Max, walking over. "One-hundred and twenty-eight 10THz CPUs in a parallel configuration. Quad quantum matrix I/O buses with limitless, hot-expandable holographic memory storage. It is screaming fast, but cost a mint. There are only a few of these supercomputers in existence right now. The other one is up in orbit on the ISV." The older man laughed for a moment and smiled. "We'll need much of this computing power to initiate and monitor all these psionic links. It will eventually act as the computer core for the entire base." Max was truly geeking out.

"Really, now…" said Alex. "Can it play Space Invaders?"

Max just shook his head and smiled. "Just come over here, you idiot." He powered up link unit number one. "The team is getting your avatar de-cantered as we speak." He pointed to the large window behind the unit, running halfway around the circular room. Looking down below, Alex saw his avatar lying on a gurney like one of Dr. Lovecraft's monkeys. Beside his was Grace's Na'vi body, followed by Sakura's.

"Damn…" thought Alex looking at the strikingly beautiful alien bodies. "So Grace and Sakura are testing the avatars as well?" asked Alex.

"They will be in for their first linking this afternoon. They insisted you go first," replied Max, finished at the console. "They will go under the link once you successfully connect with your avatar and have been using it for a while. You are the guinea pig, Alex." They laughed for a moment. The older man sensed concern in the younger man's eyes. "Relax, young man. I will monitor every step of your progress."

"Everything is ready to go, right?" exclaimed Alex. "I mean… What are they afraid of? I'm not about to get lobotomized, am I?"

"Alex," pleaded the older man. "I have double and triple checked everything. However, there is still some risk. I want to make sure you understand that." He looked the man into his eyes. "The moment I sense any trouble, I'll pull you out. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

"Yes, Max. Geez…" cried the younger man. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go!" He walked over to the link unit, placed his lab coat on the chair beside it and opened the capsule.

"Okay, Alex," called Max. "I'll get this started." He thumbed a control on the wall and spoke loudly. "Dr. Harper, are you ready in there?"

"Indeed, doctor," said the burly man from behind an exo-pack. "Let's get these birds out of the nest!"

"Right." Max walked back over to Alex and engaged the startup sequence. "Alex. I'm going to keep you in for one hour. After that, we'll sedate you and bring you back. For now, we'll stay in the lab."

"Got it." He smiled and pulled the lid closed. The scanner came to life, beginning to spin. Inside, Alex closed his eyes, smiling with anticipation. A few minutes later, he became aware of new appendages. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw Dr. Harper staring down at him.

"How's it feel, Dr. Foster?" asked the man.

Alex smiled and slowly inched up on his elbows to sit up. "Doc, this is amazing, but something doesn't feel right." He tested moving each of his arms and legs; he wiggled his toes. Suddenly, the avatar winced. "Oww! I figured it out!"

"What's wrong?" called Dr. Harper. "Where's the pain?"

The young avatar, in an expression of pain, turned sideways a bit. A moment later, the reason for his sudden outburst became obvious. His tail flicked out violently and flopped back and forth for a bit. It had gone numb from the body being laid directly on its back while it was waiting for its driver.

"Okay, Dr. Harper," said Alex with a frown. "Do Grace and Sakura a favor. Turn those guys on their sides and let their tails free. I feel like someone stapled me to a wall."

"Oh, my goodness," exclaimed the older man and immediately motioned another staff member to adjust the other two bodies into a more comfortable position. "Sorry about that, Alex. We'll account for that in the next set of examination tables. Okay, please try and stand up, slowly."

Max watched carefully through the observation window as the younger doctor threw his large blue legs over the edge of the table and slowly eased them to the floor.

"That's it, Alex. Steady…" The strong man took Alex's hand and helped the avatar get to his feet. Once fully erect, the burly man only came up to the young doctor's waistline.

"Damn, I'm tall!" said Alex with a smile. "Hello down there!" He looked down at the smaller figure that was Dr. Harper and waved, sporting a silly grin. The man just shook his head and took the avatar's hands.

"Come on, Mr. Comedian," called Harper. "Let's see if you can walk."

"Okay, I'll give it a shot."

With Dr. Harper's help, Alex walked slowly around the lab, gaining confidence. In a few minutes, he was perfectly capable of walking on his own.

"I'm good!" called Alex. "Can we go outside? Please?" The avatar made large, golden puppy dog eyes at Dr. Harper. The human looked skeptical before pressing the button for the intercom to Max.

"I don't know, Max. I'll let you make the call on this one." The stocky doctor looked back at Alex as he continued to parade around the room happily.

Before Max could answer, a strong hand gripped his shoulder. The doctor shrugged and answered automatically. "Yes, Sakura?"

"You will address me properly, Dr. Patel," said the stern young administrator. "I take my job as seriously as you do, you know." Her English had vastly improved over the last year. She only broke into her old speech habits when she became overly excited.

The doctor bowed curtly. "My apologies, Administrator Sakura."

"That's better," smiled the girl and patted the doctor's arm, patronizingly. "Let him go outside. We need to see what these bodies can do."

Max laughed at girl's demeanor. "You can be so cute sometimes, when you aren't being a little bitch."

"Hey, now!" snapped Sakura as she swung and stopped the blade of her hand an inch from Max's nose, grinning aggressively. The doctor didn't even flinch. He just turned to face her and smiled back. The girl smiled wider. "You are getting better, Max."

"Thank you," responded Max with a small nod. "Now, seriously, I'm not so sure we should rush this. Dr. Foster is still getting used to his new body. His coordination isn't 100% where it needs to be, just yet. We need to take it slowly."

"Nope!" the girl snapped. "Send him out now, or next time I break 'nose!"

"Oh, come on Sakura!" cried Max. "I'm tired of this game. You really need to listen to me on this. You're acting very immaturely!"

Sakura closed her eyes, looked down and blushed. "I'm sorry, Dr. Patel. I' under lot of pressure. RDA back home not patient." She looked back up at the man. "Please send him out. For me?"

Max exhaled and closed his eyes. Sakura really could be charming, sometimes. "This is a bad idea…" The scientist pushed the intercom button. "Okay, Dr, Harper. Please take Dr, Foster outside, but I need you to monitor him very carefully."

"Alright, Max. I hope this is a good idea," expressed René. He turned to the avatar before him. "Alright, Alex. Listen to me carefully. We are going to go outside, but you are to stay right next to me. Is that understood?"

"Understood!" answered the avatar. Alex was beaming and immediately made his way to the external door, almost taking the medical equipment he was connected to with him. The equipment rolled to a stop against the examination table with a loud, metallic clunk. "Ah, sorry about that," he said and began to disconnect the leads from his body.

Back upstairs, Sakura squeezed Max's shoulder. "Thank you, Dr. Patel. This will look very good on 'progress report."

Max folded his arms and stared at Sakura, warningly. "Administrator, I must express my objections to this. These bodies require an extreme effort to manufacture. Not to mention the materials required. They are extremely expensive."

"I'm aware of that, Max." She placed her arm around his as they starred down at Alex and René opening the exterior door, making their way outside. The avatar looked up and waved at them as he walked through the doorway. Sakura smiled and leaned into the man, repositioning her arm around his waist. "I have faith in you, Max. You are 'very smart man." She squeezed him tightly. "Don't let me down on this, okay?" She let the man go and walked over to a link bed, placing her hand on top of it, running it along the smooth surface. "I am ready, Max. Please tell me what to do."


A year earlier…

After being dropped off by the Valkyrie Shuttle Polo, Nawm had walked all the way to the Southern Sea before he decided that he could not survive alone out in the forest. Sure, he was able to hunt for food and protect himself from the local wildlife, but he was extremely lonely. The pictures on Max's parting gift were becoming like a wound that would not heal. He missed Alex so much, he cried as he thumbed through the images, always stopping on the one with Alex, Max and Grace in front of the window. Tears staining his cheeks, he lay down on a leaf bed inside the hollow of a large tree. Putting the HoloPad aside, he tried to sleep, eventually succeeding.

The next morning, he was startled awake by a strange noise next to him. His golden eyes looked upon the HoloPad he had left lying beside him once he had finally nodded off. On its screen was a flashing dot. The noise was coming from there. Next to the dot was an arrow. When the Na'vi stood up, pad in hand, he noticed that the arrow would turn, based on the direction he was facing. He didn't understand many human writings, but he had picked up a few simple words and phrases while he was on the Magellan. Next to the dot were letters; A L E X. Nawm looked at the screen carefully, slowly sounding out the letters.

"A…"

"AL…"

"AL…E…"

"EX…"

The hunter's eyes went wide and he gasped. "Alex! My Alex!" He ran out of the hollow and onto the limb of the tree he was in, watching the screen carefully. The arrow pointed south, across the vast sea.

"I must bond with a new Ikran," he thought, sighing. "I must fly!"

He only had one choice; he had to return to his clan and complete Iknimaya, again.


After a full day's ride on a wild Pa'li, Nawm stared up at his old hometree; his Kelutral, standing tall and proud in a valley, deep in the mountains. There was an ikran nesting ground near by, but he would need to seek spiritual guidance before he tried bonding with another mount. The thought of flying with one other than Txan was painful for the young hunter, but he needed to heal the wound of the loss of his great friend.

Upon exiting the mountain pass and entering the clearing, he was stopped immediately by Tipani warriors, weapons drawn.

"Stop where you are, traveler!" called the Na'vi immediately in front of him. Looking among the three warriors confronting him, Nawm did not recognize them. He had been missing for a very long time. It only stood to reason that he would be seen as a stranger.

"Please, I mean you no harm. I am Nawm, one of your brethren." Nawm extended his arms in the traditional greeting of the Tipani clan. "Please, brother. I have been gone for a long time. I wish a meeting with Sänume at once. It is urgent."

The warriors looked at each other and then back at Nawm. "Come this way."

He was escorted into the base of the giant tree by two of the guards and they quickly ascended the spiral walkway up to the first level. There, he was told to wait as one of the guards walked forward to the Tsahik's chamber, disappearing inside. Nawm was incredibly nervous and struggled to maintain his composure. Would Sänume remember him? He looked around the first level of his old home. Many eyes were upon him; none familiar. Nawm began to wonder if he had been gone a lot longer than he had originally thought. Before he could contemplate further, the warrior emerged, the clan Tsahik directly behind him, ornately dressed in the traditional tunic of the spiritual leader. The old woman's eyes went wide when she saw the young hunter.

"Nawm, my child!" she exclaimed, running over and hugging him tightly. The warriors were dismissed and they started their way back down. "We all feared the worst when you left us that night, so long ago. We presumed that you would not return." She took the young Na'vi's arm and led him inside her chambers where they sat together on a pallet of grass, woven into a floor covering. "Where did you go, child? Why did you leave us?"

Nawm was not prepared for this. So much had happened. He didn't know where to begin. His thoughts drifted to Alex and he began to sob, placing his hands over his face.

"Oh, Nawm," called Sänume in the calm, soothing voice he remembered. She came closer to the young man and cupped his chin with her hand. "You have grown into a beautiful example of manhood. Please do not despair. Give me your story." She reached around for her queue and placed the end of it in Nawm's hand. The tendrils emerged, longing for a neural connection. "When you are ready," she said with a smile as she sat on the pallet, cross-legged.

Nawm hesitated for he knew that all his encounters would immediately become exposed. He did not know how well the clan would react to the news of the strange, pale visitors in their metal machines. He looked into the Tsahik's eyes, his fear betraying him. He pushed the braid away. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

The Tsahik's eyes narrowed a bit. "What do you fear? I will not judge you. I only wish to understand your feelings. Please share them with me." She placed her braid in his hand once again. "Tsahaylu, Nawm. Please."

The hunter closed his eyes and froze, afraid to make the connection. Tears streamed down his gentle face; angular features accented by the dim light of the bladder lanterns. "No. Please do not ask me to do this."

The Tsahik looked puzzled, then frustrated. "I sense strong feelings from you. For your own good and the good of the clan, I need to know what you have seen. You leave me no choice." In a quick flick of her wrist, the woman pricked the hunters arm with a needle from her tunic.

"No! Please, don't!" Nawm screamed as he grabbed his arm and fell backwards, trying to move away. He quickly became groggy as the drug took effect, soon unable to move. The woman sighed and took his braid in her hand and connected it to hers. She then placed the hunter's head in her lap and stroked his face endearingly.

"There, there," she coaxed as the bond was completed. "There is nothing to fear." She immediately closed her eyes and took a stoic stance as she queried Nawm's mind. "What is this?" Her stance hardened as she experienced Nawm's memories. Her eyes opened. "This cannot be possible!" She probed again, looking down at the paralyzed hunter. A tear made its way down his cheek. The woman reached her hand down and wiped the tear away. "You have found love… with one of them!" The leader raised her arms in the air. "Eywa, please help this child for he knows not what he does!"

She paused, turning to the food wrap he had carried in with him. Opening it, she extracted the HoloPad. "So this is the Hu-man ma-chine," exclaimed the woman. Touching the screen with her long fingers, it came to life on the picture Nawm loved so much. She touched the screen over the image of Alex. "So, this is your lost love. He is very handsome, but this is not to be. This will be hard for you, but you must forget. I can help." Another tear rolled down the hunter's cheek, his motionless body not capable of any other expression.

Suddenly, the Tsahik stood up. "Avatar…" She closed her eyes. "They take your blood." Her eyes opened wide and she gasped loudly. "They look like us! Eywa help us!"

Breaking the bond, she wearily collapsed to the floor, looking as if she were in a trance. Her eyes rolled over white and she spoke quietly. "Yes, all mother… I see you… Please, show me the way."


When Nawm awakened, he was in a nivi, high within the hometree. It was light out; very early morning. Looking around him, many Na'vi were still sleeping soundly. He gasped when he remembered the previous night. "Oh, no!" he cried. "They will attack!"

He climbed out of the hammock and hastily made his way back into the trunk, hurrying down to Sänume's level. Hopefully, he was not too late. As he entered the room, there was much energetic conversation. Apparently, they had been debating all night long. Sänume noticed Nawm immediately.

"So!" exclaimed the spiritual leader. "He has awakened!" The young hunter looked around to discover all leadership figures present, including Tan Jala. "Come. Join us!" called Sänume. Cautiously, he sat next to the woman, who not only served as their Tsahik, but also as their Olo'eyktan. Tan Jala continued speaking where he had left off.

"I accept the task of meeting with these Hu-mans," he said proudly. "I will fly out today with Nawm and two of our best warriors." He held up the HoloPad. "This hu-man device was brought to us by Nawm." He then passed the HoloPad to Nawm. "Nawm will use this ma-chine to lead the way back to them. We will then ascertain as to whether they are friend, or foe." He looked over at Nawm. "I sincerely hope they are not the later." He continued addressing the room. "It will be a long journey. The hu-mans live across the vast, southern sea."

The elders began to mutter amongst themselves. Sänume stomped her foot to demand silence.

"Is such a journey possible?" cried Beyda'amo, a proud warrior. "Your ikran will tire before you complete the journey across. It is a fool's quest!"

"Calm, my brother," called Sänume. "I suspect the southern sea is not as vast as you may think. There are songs of our ancestors who made the journey across the sea to and communed with the scared tree, Vitraya Ramunong. The Tree of Souls."

Beyda'amo huffed loudly. "The tree is only a legend. There is no proof it actually exists."

"No, we do not have direct evidence," said Sänume, coming to her feet and walking towards the warrior's position in the circle of elders. "But the songs are very clear. The sacred tree stands south, beyond the waters, deep in the mountains."

Muttering began again. The elders were tired and in need of sleep. Sänume knew she would have to make her case quickly. "Nawm has returned with truth to many of the legends. The Txon pongu. Yes! They exist, far, far away on their island of fire. Nawm has seen them with his very eyes. He did battle with the monsters we fear in our sleep!" The murmur returned and all eyes were on Nawm.

"Is this true?" questioned Beyda'amo. "The Night People actually exist?"

Nawm, trying the build a little confidence stood and addressed the group. "They are called olo' fkeu ik atxkxe." The group began to laugh at his effeminate tone of voice. Nawm, growing angry, raised his voice. "And yes, I fought off their mighty Olo'eyktan with my bare hands!"

More laughter.

"Stop laughing at me!" the hunter cried, loosing his confidence. They only laughed harder, despite Sänume's shouting in a futile attempt to restore order. Tan Jala just looked on in disbelief at the childish reaction from his peers. Nawm dropped his hands to his sides and bowed his head.

"You defeated the clan leader of the Txon pongu with your bare hands?" laughed Beyda'amo. He turned to the others. "This sissy boy can barely ride a Pa'li, let alone make battle!" He turned back to Nawm and spit at the ground. "You insult me. Waste my time! The very sight of you is dishonorable." He stood up and looked over the young Na'vi hunter. Shaking his head, the tall Na'vi warrior abruptly stomped out of the meeting, chin high. Several others stood up and followed, making much laugher as they made their way up the spiral towards the nivi to get what little sleep was left. The young hunter fell to his knees and began to sob softly. Sänume approached slowly and placed her slender hand on the young Na'vi's shoulder. Tan Jala came forward as well, placing his hand on Nawm's other shoulder and wiping away Nawm's tears with the large thumb of his free hand.

"I believe you, Nawm," spoke the master hunter. "Our great Tsahik is rarely wrong on these things. The bond of Tsaheylu is un-lying. No falsities can traverse the link. I believe what she witnessed and wish to meet these mighty people. But, let us first start with your close friends." He looked over the young hunter with curiosity. "You carry yourself as one with great loss, my brother."

"His beloved is with these hu-mans," chimed in Sänume. "I do not understand, but Eywa has told me it is her will for them to be joined. The Great Mother must not be forsaken. I will do everything in my power to assure that her will is fulfilled. I suspect there is more of this story waiting to unfold. His hu-man friend may very well be the key to unlocking some great mysteries for all Na'vi people."

Tan Jala laughed heartily. "I cannot even begin to imagine what you must have seen in this boy's confused mind." He knelt down and took Nawm's chin is his big, sturdy hand. "Nawm, I will help you find what your heart seeks." He stood up, motioning Nawm to rise with him. "Come. We must prepare. Where is your ikran?"

Nawm, looked down again. "Txan is lost. I fear I pushed him too hard in my attempt to fly away from this place." He looked up towards the elders ascending the spiral. "You see. They are the reason I left! They all hate me! I just want to leave this place forever. I never expected to return here."

"Nawm, my brother," calmed Tan Jala. "Do not judge all based upon the actions of a few. Beyda'amo may be strong, but he does not speak for all of the clan." The master hunter smiled. "But enough of this! I am sorry for your loss. Losing one's ikran is something every Na'vi must face. Be strong, young one. To lose one's mount so early in life will burnish the control of your feelings. Your next bond will be very strong. Now, come. There is a group of young hunters leaving today for Iknimaya. If you hurry, you can be among them."

Nawm smiled. "Okay. Thank you, Tan Jala. I will fly with you. Together, we will find my Alex."

"Yes, my brother," said the master hunter. Sänume says this hu-man may be the key to unlocking some of our oldest history; might even lead the way to this fabled Tree of Souls. I believe there will be new songs sung upon our successful return." He smiled brightly. "Glorious songs!"

"Perhaps," Nawm responded and curtly bowed to his clan mate in the traditional gesture. "I see you, brother."

"I see you, Nawm. Now, catch yourself a big one!"

"Alright!"

Nawm scampered down the spiral to the ground level where he saw the line of would-be warriors, ready to leave. As he stepped up to the end of the line, has heart sank. Beyda'amo was leading the group. The warrior scowled when he saw the effeminate hunter.

"No! Go back!" he yelled, pointing at Nawm. "You will be a bad influence on the others. I will not tolerate another of your failures."

Nawm began to protest, but the young candidates immediately began to laugh at the high pitched whine of his voice.

One of younger men looked at Nawm curiously. Turning back to Beyda'amo, he spoke loudly. "Didn't Nawm already complete Iknimaya? Did his ikran reject him?" The youth scoffed. "I would have. Who would wish to fly with that?" He pointed meaningfully at the older candidate.

Beyda'amo laughed and placed his hands on the youth's shoulders. "Tsu'tey, you will make a fine warrior. Now, I want you to show the girl-boy Nawm how it is done." He looked over at Nawm. "If you are to come with us, you must prove yourself worthy to the young Tsu'tey."

"I will not answer to arrogant youthlings," said Nawm, stubbornly. Switching to English, he went on. "That kid is a brat. He can suck my…"

"Silence!" screamed the master warrior. "Hold your tongue, insolent! That wretched alien speech pains my ears! Respect the youth, or go back. It is your choice. But control your words. I will not warn you again."

"Geez, what a piece of work…" mumbled Nawm in English. Tsu'tey looked up at Nawm, confused. "I do not understand your works."

"He speaks the alien tongue of the Hu-mans," injected Beyda'amo. The warrior turned to Nawm again. "Do not speak such words again, girl-boy!"

"Fuck you!"

The warrior didn't need to know English to understand that Nawm was cursing him with an insult. The tone of voice was unmistakable. The warrior's eyes narrowed, but then he calmed himself. "So, the girl-boy has a little fire after all." He smiled. "I will enjoy watching an ikran throw you into the abyss! Now, we must be on our way. The pa'li are ready. We ride!"


Nawm had to grit his teeth and bare the arrogant young Tsu'tey's commands as they traveled to the nesting grounds of the ikran. The group of Na'vi had split into teams of two once they started the climb into the floating mountains, their direhorses left behind.

As they climbed, Tsu'tey would purposely smack Nawm in the face with his tail, a Na'vi insult. The young man would giggle every time he did it. Nawm swallowed his irritation and continued to climb. The other two groups were progressing faster, a gap growing between them.

"Why are you so slow, boy-lover?" Tsu'tey slapped Nawm in the face with his tail, again. The boy looked down at Nawm and giggled, slapping him yet again. Nawm had taken all he could stand. Upon cresting the next floating platform of rock, the older hunter grabbed Tsu'tey's tail and pulled the youth towards him, taking the kid by surprise. Locking him in a strong embrace from behind, he took the youth's tail and caressed the boy's face with the tuff at the end.

"You should respect your elders, young one," said Nawm with a seductive tone of voice. He ran the tuft along Tsu'tey's neck, as if trying to tickle it. The youth's breathing picked up as he struggled to free himself.

"What are you doing, freak? You are not my elder! Release me!" cried Tsu'tey.

"I have 3 seasons on you, child!" spat Nawm. He ran his left hand along Tsu'tey's torso, feeling the powerful muscles under the tight skin. "You will submit to me, or I will do very girl-boy things to you." His hand made its way to the youth's loincloth, caressing the flesh behind it.

Tsu'tey froze, instantly understanding what was happening. In stubborn pride, he stood his ground. "I will not submit to you, freak!" He closed his eyes and exhaled as Nawm massaged his member, which was beginning to respond. His legs began to shake as his erection began to rise.

"So, who's the freak now? You seem to be enjoying this, sexy boy. Are you also a girl-boy, Tsu-tey?" Nawm laughed menacingly as the younger male finally began to submit. The boy was beginning to pant and his toes began to curl at the uncontrolled pleasure.

"Stop…"

"Not until you stop using my head as a punching bag." Nawm ran his thumb over the tip of Tsu-tey's erection as he squeezed the shaft gently. It obediently flexed to rock-hard in his hand. "You are really into this…"

The boy could not take anymore. Before long, he would come in Nawm's hand. He refused to let it come to that. "Okay, stop! I submit! I submit!" cried the youth.

Nawm smiled and loosened his grip on the boy. Tsu'tey immediately spun away from the older hunter; a prominent left-leaning fold in his loincloth and his darkened complexion a dead give away as to his condition. "My goodness, Tsu'tey. What will you do about that?" he asked sexily, eying the boy's loincloth. The tip of his erection was visible out the left side of the garment. Tsu'tey groaned.

"Look away!" the boy yelled. "I'm not a girl-boy!"

Nawm laughed and turned his back, giggling as he listened to Tsu'tey scamper up to the next platform to finish the job. His thoughts fell to Alex. "I want to do that to you, my Alex." He sighed. "Once I get my ikran, I will find you." His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Tsu'tey's moaning. Nawm's ear flicked wide as he hear the sound of uncontrolled release coming from above. The hunter put his hand over his mouth in awe as he saw the younger boy's seed shoot from the ledge above, some of it landing on the ledge in front of him.

"Holy Shit!" Nawm exclaimed, in English. Wanting Tsu'tey to understand him, he switched back to Na'vi. "Someone needs to find a mate!"

"Shut-up, girl-boy."

Nawm just smiled and climbed up to meet him. He giggled when he saw Tsu'tey was still extremely flushed. "Aww, that's so cute. Are you going to behave, now?"

"I hope your ikran bites your head off."

Nawm smirked. "Well, I see we understand each other, then."

Tsu'tey no longer tried to slap Nawm with his tail and they began to catch up to the rest of the group. Tsu'tey would occasionally look down at the older Na'vi, his skin remaining flushed for a while. Nawm could see that the younger boy's loincloth was still somewhat tented. Apparently, Tsu'tey was not satisfied.

"Damn… That boy needs to get laid." Nawm thought, his own flesh still hard and dissatisfied. He hastened his pace towards the top of the mountainside. The faster he got this done, the better.


Back to the present…

Nawm followed his target carefully. He would only have one chance to complete his task. The hunter took a deep breath and readied his weapon. Swooping lower, he sent his new ikran Mune in a diving curve to the right. He pulled back on his bow and took the shot. Direct hit! His prey fell to the ground. Excited, Nawm landed nearby and ran over to claim his prize. He looked down at his kill and immediately screamed.

"Alex!"

The hunter snapped awake to the sound of a rainstorm. He and Tan Jala were dry and sleeping safely inside a hollow. The older man groaned from the outburst, but did not wake. Nawm looked at his hands. He could still feel the taught bowstring in his left hand. "Why did I dream that I killed Alex?" With much difficulty, he lay and fell back asleep, making sure his bow was on the other side of the room. "Tomorrow is the big day," he thought as he nodded off.

The next morning was very humid from the heavy rain. Nawm woke early in anticipation of what was to come. They were almost on top of the "blip" on the HoloPad. "We are very close now," said Nawm. "I can feel it!"

"Let us hope so," answered Tan Jala. "We have come a very long way." He placed a hand on Nawm's shoulder. "But I will trust your Hu-man ma-chine. There is something happening a short distance in front of us - sounds that are alien to my ears. I suspect we have found your Hu-man tribe."

"Yes, master. I think our journey has come to an end." Nawm smiled and placed his hand on top of Tan Jala's. "Thank you, brother. You are a good friend. We would have never made it without you." The junior hunter stared in the direction of the human colony. "What will you do, now?" he asked his elder. "What are your plans?"

Tan Jala stood up and smiled. "I want to meet these Hu-mans. I want to commune with them and learn their ways as you have. I suspect they have questions about us. I want to help answer them." He paused for a moment and closed his eyes. "I have often dreamed that there would be visitors not bore of Eywa. I believe the All Mother brought them to us!" The older man stood up. "Come now! Let us fly now and we will spread Eywa's goodness!"

"Yes!" cried Nawm as he called for his ikran. The beautiful scarlet red banshee landed shortly afterwards with a shriek; Tan Jala's mount right behind her. Making the bond, they both took to the sky, calling loudly.

Passing over and into the next clearing, they saw it: structures that were not of Na'vi or Eywa's design. The humans were everywhere, riding in their machines and working the ground, furiously. Then they saw something that was unexpected: there were Na'vi working the field, wearing human clothing.

"What is this?" cried Tan Jala. "It appears we are not the first to greet the humans."

"Master, I will explain later," called Nawm. "We should dismount here. We will be treated as hostiles if we fly over their village. They will fire their weapons upon us."

"That is wise," Tan Jala responded. "We'll land here at the forest edge, but they have already seen us. They are coming towards us now in those walking ma-chines."

"Yes, they call them AMP suits," said Nawm. "Let me handle this."

Confidently, Nawm took off his weapons harness and faced the approaching AMP drivers; their cannons at the ready. The Na'vi hunter addressed them loudly, in English.

"Hi!" Nawm waved his hand in a peace gesture. "Greetings to the people of Earth! We mean you no harm!" He turned to Tan Jala with a smirk and said, "I heard that in a movie." The older man was totally confused. Alex frowned and waved him off. "Never mind…"

The poor AMP drivers were so dumbfounded they just turned and looked at each other without saying a word.

Puzzled, the hunter continued. "Come on, guys! It's me! Nawm!" No response.

The Na'vi raised his arms, pleading. "Come on, don't you remember me? You're making me nervous."

Inside one of the AMP suits, Nawm saw that the driver was talking furiously to someone, as if arguing. Tan Jala looked at Nawm with fear. "What is happening, Nawm? Do we ready our weapons?"

"No, I think we are safe. They are talking to their superiors," answered the younger hunter, his brow starting to get damp. "Hopefully, my Alex is near and will save me."

"And what about me?" asked the master hunter. "I have no beloved to protect me. Is your Alex going to come to my aid, as well?" Nawm just shrugged his shoulders.

"You do not instill much confidence, young one." The older Na'vi shook his head and prepared for the worst.

The AMP drivers continued to jabber on their radios, guns still pointed at the Na'vi hunters. Nawm was growing bold and impatient.

"Hey, Jarhead!" yelled Nawm. "Tell Quaritch that his sexy Na'vi lover is back from exile!"

There was an audible chuckle from the AMP driver on the left. The tail end of it was heard as he engaged his speaker. "…ahha… Yes, I just got confirmation of who you are. Please sit tight as we are awaiting orders from… your lover." More laughter as he turned off the speaker. The AMP driver on the left just stood there, not sure what to do with him self. Meanwhile, his comrade was about to lose himself with laughter.

"My companion is named Tan Jala," announced Nawm. "He wishes to meet with you all." He turned to the master hunter.

"Ee-llo?" he said timidly, in English.

"Greetings," answered the lead AMP driver. "I've been given orders to escort you to my superiors. Please follow me." They both lowered their weapons and turned back towards the human encampment.

"Where is my Alex?" asked Nawm, running up along side the lead driver.

Tan Jala stayed a few steps behind, still not completely comfortable with the aliens leading them towards the strange city of human structures. The black ground they stepped onto was hot and hard on the feet. The older hunter hissed at the harsh environment.

"What is this ground?" he complained. "It is ill suited for my feet."

Nawm was focused on the AMP driver for his answer. "My Alex… where is he?"

The driver groaned and continued to stomp forward. "He is… around." They approached the newly completed hangar building. Stepping inside, there were more AMP suits and other vehicles which Nawm did not recognize.

"Wait here," called the driver. "The base administrator will be right with you." They both stomped back out of the hangar, presumably returning to their duty stations. Several human soldiers in environment suits remained to watch over the Na'vi. Weapons were pointed at them, so they dared not say a word, although Nawm was growing very impatient.

A few minutes later, they were both approached by a strangely dressed Na'vi being led by a pair of humans. Tan Jala stared intensely at the Na'vi, not able to take his eyes off the beautiful female before him. Her hair was down past her shoulders, braided neatly and decorated with local wild flowers.

"Eywa, bless my eyes…" he chanted. He eyed the woman up and down, consuming her. She was wearing garments that covered most of her body, but her curves were quite visible through the tightly fitted clothing. Nawm noticed his companion's enthusiasm and shook his head with a smile. Their host noticed as well, not minding the older hunter's gaze. She even smiled at him before turning to Nawm. She was noticeably leaning on the humans to help her walk.

"You are Nawm, correct?" addressed the woman.

The younger hunter nodded in confirmation, a bit taken back himself by the young woman's extraordinary beauty.

"My name is administrator Sakura." Just as Nawm was about to speak, Tan Jala rudely pushed the younger man aside.

"Oe ma Tan Jala. Nga lor tutee!" exclaimed the older Na'vi. "Fyape ngop nga?" He took the woman's hand and knelt, kissing her fingers. Sakura was very surprised, but appeared to be flattered. She turned to Nawm who frowned at the man.

"Nawm, what did he say?" asked the administrator. "I do not know your language." She looked back down at the man and smiled. "I suspect he is flattering me."

"Yes, Administrator. He is. He thinks you are very beautiful." Nawm cleared his throat loudly and switched back to Na'vi, addressing his elder. "Tan Jala, what are you doing? Looking for a human mate?"

"Hu-man?" He stood back up and looked Sakura over, carefully. He then noticed her five fingered hand. "How is this possible? I do not understand."

Nawm laughed. "Sakura, you are in one of Dr. Patel's avatars, aren't you?"

The young female avatar smiled and her skin flushed a bit. "Yes, Nawm. Max's program is a huge success. I, Drs. Augustine and Foster are all effectively using these bodies."

"Alex?" asked Nawm. "My Alex… Where is he?"

She laughed loudly. "I suspected you would be looking for him. How did you find us?"

Nawm extracted the HoloPad from his food wrap and turned it on, displaying the tracing grid.

"Max…" thought Sakura. "Fascinating… How long have you been travelling to find us?"

"The date on the HoloPad indicates almost one of your years has passed," said Nawm. "Where is my Alex?"

"Wait, Nawm…" Sakura put up her arm to try and curb young man's enthusiasm. "Nawm, it isn't that simple. I can't just let you roam free around the base. We are under strict orders not to engage with the Na'vi. Do you understand?"

"But… why?" Nawm began to look disappointed. "I just want to be with my Alex."

"We have orders from Earth to shoot any natives that approach the perimeter. However, I have instructed the marines not to shoot unless provoked. You are both very lucky to be alive."

She looked back over to Tan Jala, who was still entranced. He smiled at her, tilting his head to admire. She smiled back, slyly.

"Do you like me?" She swung her hips a bit, tail swinging seductively, clearly enjoying her power over him. She laughed before leaning down to her human handlers who were laughing as well. "Let's all go inside where it is quieter." Indeed, the sounds of the base were making it difficult to talk. "Nawm, please tell your handsome friend that he will be safe inside our buildings, but the air will smell strange to him."

"Right," he acknowledged. "Now, about my Alex… When can I see…"

"Later," Sakura interrupted as they strode slowly into an airlock. The space wasn't designed for Na'vi sized bodies, so they all had to duck through the doorway. "We will need to start making those bigger." Tan Jala nearly panicked when the air changed. Sakura held the man's hand and smiled at him. Her technique worked and he was immediately calmed.

"You are quite the charmer, Administrator," called up one of her handlers. The name Anderson was stitched on her uniform. "I'm going to miss walking you around once you fully get the hang of walking on your own. You really have a delightful effect on the men. Now, I see it works on the natives, as well. You are hot stuff!"

Sakura was clearly becoming embarrassed. "No, you flatter 'too much. You' too kind." She closed her eyes and laughed when she realized her control of the English language had slipped again. Her handlers laughed with her. The young woman now laughed with everyone together when this happened. Civilian personnel had actually learned to like her, treating the administrator as a friend, despite her strict manner of running base operations. On the other hand, the military was not quite so entertained. This next meeting would be yet another trial of that relationship.


"Absolutely not!" yelled Quaritch. "I say throw them back immediately. Have you forgotten that we are under strict orders not to have relations with the natives?" The Colonel eyed the faces around the table. The colony's small complement of senior staff was there, including military brass and civilian leaders. Max was there as well. In total, eight people were seated around the makeshift conference table in the mess hall. Everyone sat on the same benches enlisted personnel enjoyed their meals. Nawm and Tan Jala were seated at the head of the table, sitting on supply crates. Nawm translated quietly for the older hunter as the meeting progressed. Nawm was disappointed that Alex was not among the participants.

"Colonel," called Sakura, back in her human body. "Things have changed since that order was handed down. Our quotas are being met. Earth's first shipment of unobtainium is already on the way. RDA officials are very happy with our progress. Remember, we are on our own out here. The natives would make powerful allies.

"Ma'am," countered the Marine. "Have you no regard for what my men went through to secure this facility? I have lost ten of my best soldiers protecting these grounds. As far as I'm concerned, that was ten too many." He stood up and walked over to the window, looking outward into the forest. "I know what's out there. The beast is not our friend. We have one mission out here. I will not see it jeopardized over some misguided optimism that the indigenous actually want to be our friends. Trust me. They do not."

"Colonel, please-"

"Night people! Need I say more?" He stared sternly back at the group and met with each member's eyes, individually. "They destroyed our shuttle and nearly skewered and barbequed the entire crew. Now, I'm not the smartest guy on this moon, but that sounds an awful lot like an enemy, to me! They only want one thing from us: death." After a pause to let his words settle, he returned to his seat, hands clasped, and returned attention to the Administrator. "Ma'am, you have the floor."

The young woman lowered her eyes and held silence. She looked up at the members around the table, which had her full attention. The only sound in the room was the air filtration system. Tan Jala coughed at the audacious fumes, his color having changed a bit, along with Nawm's due to the changed environment. "Nawm… I'm sorry."

"What… but wait a minute!" cried the young man. "Are you saying we have to leave?" He looked frantically around the room. All eyes lowered, except the Colonel, who crossed his arms, looking satisfied. The young hunter turned to his elder. "Come, Tan Jala. I can see when we have worn out our welcome." They both stood up and made towards the door, their handlers standing with them. Nawm suddenly turned back and eyed Quaritch, sternly. "He will not get away with this." He immediately thought of Alex. "He must be here somewhere…" thought the hunter as they left the room.

Their handlers took the Na'vi hunters to the airlock to be paraded straight to the perimeter fence by AMP drivers. As the fence was opened and they crossed back onto the grassy meadow, Tan Jala seemed relived at the feel of real earth under his feet. Once they were outside, the fence closed behind them while the AMPs stood guard to insure they left the grounds completely.

"That went well…" said Nawm.

The elder hunter just breathed deeply and smiled. "I admit that I'm glad to be out of there. The environment was very hostile, don't you think? Some friends, you have." They begin to walk back to the forest. "That Administrator one… Sa-ku-ra, it was. She was a fine one. I must see her again."

"Okay, Casanova."

"I'm sorry?"

"Nevermind…"

Disheartened, Nawm and Tan Jala called their ikrans and took to the sky, searching the surrounding area. According to the older hunter, a Na'vi village was nearby. He had noticed it during journey to the human village. "It may be one of our sister clans," said the older man. Hopefully, they would be able to help.

End of Chapter 7


To be continued…