I remember, when I was back on Earth, the bioluminescence of Pandora was something that the RDA used for jewelry. My mom used to go into the jewelry shops with me when I was a little kid. I'd be holding her hand, and she'd take me over to the section dubbed 'alien' in some places, 'exotic' in others. Some just 'glowing'. She'd pick me up and give me a little piece. There was a little section in the store that was just dark, where you try out this jewelry. She'd put a piece round my neck, take me in there. The little circle would glow on my chest, softly lighting our faces with a light blue. I'd gaze at it longingly, and ask her if I can have it. She'd smile and say:

Maybe Santa will bring it you.

I finally got a piece on Christmas day, when I was seven or so. When I unwrapped it, I was so happy. On the outside, it was just a small circle hanging from some string. But I'd run into my room and go under the covers, and stare at that circle of light. I didn't realize then how much it had cost my mom. I took it to school, tried to make all my friends jealous, saying it was alien. They'd oo and ahh at it, and I was the talk of the class for a week or so. When I went to bed, I put it in the box it had come in carefully, ever so carefully. Sometimes I'd lay with it in bed. It was around January-February time when I noticed that it started to fade in the dark. I ran to my mom, screaming and she looked at me and said:

Maybe it doesn't want to be worn. Maybe it wants to be back home.

But this is it's home! I screamed. It wants to be here!

It's fading because its lonely, Dwight. I think it wants to be back with all its friends.

So my mom put it in an envelope and made me write Pandora on it. She said she'd post it back and it would be happy again. I was sad, and sulked for a while. I realized only years later, in science class, that it couldn't have been from Pandora, because the real bioluminescent jewelry doesn't fade. So the necklace must have been a fake, using glow in the dark powder or something. I laughed when I found out. My mom got me that jewelry to teach me a lesson. That you shouldn't exploit these things. Leave them be, in their natural habitat.

The bioluminescence was no less beautiful the second time I saw it than it was the first time. It kicked in when we were riding on the Leyra and Ni'awtu's Ikrans again. I was no less scared for that matter, too. Didn't seem like there was much keeping me from plummeting to the forest floor and breaking my neck. It didn't make it any less exciting either. It's sort of like a rollercoaster ride. You're scared to hell and back when you're on them but as soon as you get off you want to go again. I noticed the Ikran's body glowing slightly, and dared to look down. The forest floor was far below us as we swooped through the air, above the trees. It looked like a field of blue, every plant I could see from up there was emitting a beautiful light. I had to stop looking though, as I was afraid I might fall off. I was reassured but scared at Leyra's hand around my body. On the one hand, I was relatively safe from falling. On the other, she could just as easily pick me up and throw me off and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I was just going to have to trust her.

The tree in the distance was huge. And I mean huge. It dwarfed every other tree around it, its long branches thicker than the trunks of the trees clustered at the base. I could see little fires in places, the orange glow creating long, flickering shadows. But overall the bioluminescence lit the forest. The wind didn't seem to affect the large structure I guessed was the Hometree the Na'vi were talking about. With a screech, the Ikran suddenly descended towards the forest floor. I held on for grim life, the wind rushing around my body. I could just imagine falling, falling, the world filled with peace before the inevitable crash to the ground. Again, that didn't happen, but I couldn't help thinking that falling wouldn't be a bad way to die. For a few seconds, or minutes you'd be free, flying in the air like a bird before a crash, and death. When we landed I was left with a shaken body and legs that didn't seem to work for a few seconds. I stumbled off of the Ikran, falling flat on my face. One of the Na'vi laughed behind me. Looking up, I saw it was Ni'awtu.

'You are not used to flying!'

I scowled. 'No it's not in my habit to ride on birds four times the size of me.' She only smiled back, flashing rows of white teeth. Leyra was quiet. I got up, wiping the worst of the dirt from the face cover of the exopack.

'What do we do now?' Hilton asked, breathing heavily.

'Now, we walk to Hometree. Follow close.' I licked my lips and watched the Na'vi walk in front of us. I tried to smile at Hilton but couldn't. I was terrified. The forest, in day beautiful and awe inspiring, was now dangerous and scary in night. Every tree was something an animal could hide behind, every plant cover for a murderous Na'vi. The screeches of birds were now a warning, and other sounds that weren't there during the day were cutting through the forest now. The air was still and cold, making me shiver in my orange jumpsuit. I shuddered. Not the best colour to blend in with the night. Not able to do anything else, we followed Leyra and Ni'awtu, the soil shifting under our feet. In front of us was a thick branch running horizontally across what I hoped was the forest floor, and what my gut told me was a drop to certain death. I gulped. I was way out of my depth. In that moment, I longed for the familiarity of Earth, and of my home. That was far behind me now. The two Na'vi expertly leaped up onto the branch, walking skillfully across the mossy surface. I gave a worried look to Hilton. He was breathing heavily, eyes staring at the branch in front of him. When we reached it I saw that it was higher than I'd anticipated, the top rising just below my shoulders. I grabbed onto the top and hauled myself up, my legs scrambling against the branch. I clumsily got a leg up and managed to stand straight up. Hilton did the same behind me, albeit more clumsily. Adrenaline already pumping through my veins, I took a tentative step forward. I looked up. The two Na'vi were looking back, waiting. Leyra had a frown on her face, and Ni'awtu was laughing at us. I flashed my middle finger up at them before I realized that they wouldn't know what it meant. I took a few more steps. This wasn't so bad. I took a few more, then a few, keeping my gaze forward, not blinking. Then I made a mistake. I looked down.

The drop was staggering. The floor was far below, enough to allow a minute or so of free fall. I shouted, fear suddenly rearing its ugly head. I started to feel myself slipping. I shifted my feet left and right, trying to find a stable position, but it was too late. I was veering dangerously to the right now, my left foot was raised off of the ground. I tried to move my right foot to find a flatter position, I could feel it slowly slipping.

I placed my foot on moss. I screamed, falling off of the branch and down below, far below. Only I didn't. A hand was grasping me by the wrist. I looked up and was glad to see Ni'awtu holding me. She pulled me up, and I wobbled a bit. I muttered thanks, but she didn't seem to hear it. I looked behind me to see how Hilton was doing. He was shuffling along the branch on his ass, legs on either side. I cursed myself for not thinking that. I was about to do it when I noticed I was off the branch altogether, on the other side. I sighed heavily, looking at my hands. They were still shaking. It took a few minutes for Hilton to come over. I held my hand out to him and he high-fived it at he got off of the branch.

'I must be goddamn crazy.' He said.

Turned out Hometree was a place for a whole clan of the Na'vi. I wished I'd remembered those documentaries they used to show back on Earth. As we came closer and closer to the tree, looking bigger every second, I could see that there was an entrance to the tree, orange light blazing within it. The ground beneath us changed from soil to soft leaves, their crunching indicating our arrival. A few lone Na'vi were scattered around the floor, who promptly got up and started shouting in their tongue. I flinched. What the hell were they going to do with us? It seemed like it was only a few seconds before we were surrounded by what looked like hundreds of the blue creatures, looking at is in awe, in contempt, in fascination. I tried to keep my head down, not letting them see how scared I was. Some tried to touch me and some succeeded, throwing me off course. I walked faster, wanting to get this over and done with. I was starting to feel like I didn't belong on Pandora.

Inside the Hometree, I didn't feel any safer. We were told to wait until a figure descended down the spiral that rose up through the inside of the tree. It felt more cramped in there, and I longed to be back at the lake with only Hilton for company. The Na'vi that was walking down the spiral held an aura of power about him. Unlike the others, he wore an ornate headdress. A band holding a leaf was secured around his head, and spiky leaves rose up from the object hung from his shoulders. His necklace held what might have been bones, or teeth. I was suddenly petrified. He bellowed something in Na'vi, his voice commanding and deep. Leyra was about to reply but Ni'awtu cut her off, speaking fast and gesturing towards us. It didn't take a genius to explain that they were discussing our fate. As the conversation continued, I risked looking at some of the Na'vi in the crowd. Most of them looked scared, as I was. I supposed they would be. I was as much an alien to them as they were to me. I could pick out small children, pointing at me and asking their parents questions. I turned my mind to the conversation. I asked Leyra what they were saying.

She scowled at me again, an expression that seemed permanently fixed on her face. 'He wants to kill you. Ni'awtu says no.' she turned away, saying something to Ni'awtu. Ni'awtu turned and shouted at her before moving back to whom I guessed was the leader. He had a thoughtful expression on his face now. I liked to think he was taking pity on us. I hoped they knew about the prison. At least that would provide some context I guessed that that was what Ni'awtu was providing.

She finished talking and a few people from the crowd interjected with their own remarks. The leader raised his hand, and looked me straight in the eye. I held his gaze, trying to appear confident. He waved his hand, said something, and turned away, walking up the spiral. Ni'awtu smiled. She turned to us. 'Come with me.'

She led us up to the top of the tree, and helped us out onto the branches. Hammocks hung from every available space, some with blue figures resting in them. There were two of the hammocks very close to the tree. She looked at me. I noticed how pretty she was. The blue light complimented her face, and she was beautiful without the need for any of the earth supplements that had become commonplace on my home planet. Botox, makeup and unnecessary things like that. I smiled despite my situation.

'You sleep here tonight. We decide your fate in the morning.' She said. And that was that.

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