Even The Darkest Night Will End

Personal Note:

So, it has been a while since I sat and wrote. Almost a couple of years since I've even posted a story. Truth is, I had some trouble with my mental health. I lost confidence in myself and my writing. And worse still, with the way the world is going, I've been worrying about supporting myself. I ended up working multiple jobs and losing lots of time that I'd previously used to write. In the end, I chose to seek help and support, plus I have now reduced my working hours, so I currently have more time to write.

On top of that, I lost many of my pre-written chapters for my other stories. And it has been so long that I forgot exactly what I wrote. So, bear with me while I get back into writing and hopefully, I have some of my stories updated soon.

Author Note:

James Cameron's: Avatar the Game seemingly didn't have a lot of popularity, but I personally loved the game. Especially flying around on the ikran in Ikniyama. With the latest movie (which I haven't seen yet!) I was inspired to sit and reconnect with the game. And with it came an idea for a story.

This story is Alternate Universe. Inspired by talks that the next movie would be about the Na'vi, and how not all of them are good. I decided to write a story where the Na'vi do morally grey things to save themselves. This story WILL follow the storyline but I will be making my own amendments and making some stuff up.

An example will the Na'vi language. It is taken from an online Na'vi Dictionary and I just picked words out and used them, so they may not be correct or real. For fans of the Na'vi who've attempted to learn the language, please ignore any errors and enjoy the story!

Plus, many will ask why did I not also include translations in brackets and this is for a reason. I wanted the Na'vi to be frightening and incomprehensible in the beginning. My character and by extension, the reader won't know what's being said or what the Na'vi want. However, I will include my translations of Na'vi words at the end of the chapter.

Story Summary:

Raphael had lost a lot of hope in living on Earth. Death and greed surrounded him. He desired a better future and so chose to enroll in the RDA. What he didn't expect was to be dragged into a war, where he had a big part to play.

No current pairings

Rated T for some swearing and adult themes: mainly the act or reference of abduction and kidnapping in this chapter.

Thrown Into The Deep End

"I had lost all hope." Raphael had said to Kendra when she asked him why he had chosen to come to Pandora. "There was nothing left for me on Earth. But Pandora offered a future." His response was enough to satisfy her curiosity and seemed to have earned him her favour too. It was Kendra who argued for and won him the right to carry a sketchpad on his avatar. The A3 book was abysmally small in his avatar hands, looking more A5 than A3, but it provided him with a connection with what he'd left behind on Earth. Before his training as a signal specialist, before the events that led him into enrolling with the RDA, his art was his sanctuary.

Commander Karl Falco was less kind. He seemed almost desperate. His words, "It was me who fought to bring you here." had rung alarm bells in Raphael's head. This was the man on the brink of doing something stupid. And it became clear that Raphael was being dragged into something dangerous. He was going to be a match atop of very dangerous powder keg.

The powder keg was a dispute between Falco and the local avatar team and the Na'vi clan. The Tipani had a mole in the RDA and Falco strongly suspected the mole belonged to the science division. More specifically, he had a great distrust of the leader of the Avatar group, Doctor Rene Harper.

Having met both men, Falco and Harper, Raphael realised they were headstrong, stubborn men. Their refusal to compromise and negotiate would lead to disaster. And Raphael suspected that was what Harper wanted. Raphael had sensed a dark satisfaction when Harper had met him, the other avatar had seemed pleased by Raphael's presence as if Raphael had proven Harper right in some way. Perhaps his presence proved Falco was getting desperate.

Then there was Tan Jala. Meeting that fearsome warrior had been an experience, but also proved that someone in the avatar team was talking to the Na'vi. "I have been expecting you." The warrior had said as he stared Raphael down. Raphael had taken to wandering the forest when not performing tasks for the RDA, so for Tan Jala to know he was coming, someone had to have told him.

Tan Jala stood maybe an inch taller than Raphael. Like all Na'vi and avatars,' he was lithe, agile, and deceptively fragile. But the way he walked, the way he carried himself made Raphael feel small. The stare too, that hard amber gaze was telling. RDA reports told him that Tan Jala was most likely a capable warrior but erred on the side of peace. But the Na'vi's eyes told Raphael that this native knew he could kill all of them with ease, but was choosing not to. And Raphael made a mental note then and there, Tan Jala was not a man to be crossed.

Of course, Raphael also suspected Tan Jala was his connection to the mole, which meant he'd have to cross paths with this warrior again. And he feared he would not walk from that meeting in one piece, and that was if he survived the encounter.

What is worse is that the Na'vi had wanted Raphael to hunt and kill. It seemed everyone wanted him as a soldier. Even Falco, who'd brought him here because of his skills, seemed more determined to have him hunt and apprehend a traitor than to use his skills as a signal specialist. He deciphered codes and fixed machines, everything he was being tasked to do was madness. It was in his skillset, of course, every enrolling officer had to be trained in weaponry and interrogation tactics, but he was meant to be part of a team, not a lone ranger on an alien world.

The closest he got to perform his role was when a soldier, Dalton if he recalled correctly, had him fix some signals to keep viperwolves out of RDA territory. A simple task. But even then he'd had some suspicions about the machines. The wires had been tampered with, by someone who had known a little bit about machines, so it wasn't the Na'vi.

But who would want an infestation of v-dogs?

The fight with the sturmbeasts was short and sweet. They were powerhouse beasts, not dissimilar in behavior to the extinct Rhino from Earth. Instead of nasal horns, these creatures had a chin horn and a forehead horn, almost like a pronged fork. They weren't the prettiest of beasts, but they certainly were stunning to look at. Thick skin coloured red to white. Their size was unlike Earth animals, the closest Raphael could think of was the extinct elephant but he had never read reports of the ground shaking as an elephant approached. The sturmbeast, on the other hand, caused a small earthquake with each charge. It allowed Raphael to anticipate how close the beast was, to dodge effectively, and then shoot its vulnerable parts. In the end, the sturmbeasts thick hide was no match for his powerful machine gun.

Once both beasts lay still, Raphael took a breath and cautiously laid a hand on the nearest beast's head. "Your suffering is over now." He muttered softly. "I'm just sorry it had to end this way."

He hadn't missed the sickness Tan Jala had spoken of. The animals were delirious, with pain or illness Raphael didn't know. But he knew that the fight had been a little too easy, that the beasts had not given it their all. And that was saddening. He wondered why humanity wouldn't learn from its mistakes. It had destroyed its world and now it seemed set to destroy this one.

"Fuck." Raphael muttered aloud. "Can we not do any fucking better than this?"

He sat and drew the sturmbeasts then, carefully placing their markings and writing beneath his drawing. "How can I stop history from repeating itself?" He'd come to Pandora for a new start. Not to live in a self-destructive one, like the world he'd fled from. He wanted a better future, not a doomed one.

"Ryder, come in."

Raphael put his book away and stood. "Ryder here."

"You better report to Falco. Sending you the coordinates now." As she spoke, suddenly the ground trembled violently, the sky flashed a bright, blinding white and the forest erupted into screams as animals fled and were startled at the outburst of light and sound.

"Kendra. What was that?" Raphael demanded.

"The RDA dropped a bomb on the Na'vi village nearby," Kendra answered. "Radio chatter is saying the new sig spec locked the target."

And there was his answer as to why the signaling machines were tampered with. They weren't to repel v-dogs, they were to help locate the village for a bomb drop. And Raphael had unwittingly played a key role in the destruction of a Na'vi home. With a deep bestial hiss, he pressed a button on his radio and said. "Are you telling me, that signal Dalton had me repair wasn't meant to repel the viperwolves?" He asked. "Are you telling me that I was made an unwitting accomplice to a war crime?"

Kendra didn't immediately answer. A few minutes later she said with uncharacteristic sombreness. "I am afraid so. Looks like you were set up. I'll ask some questions here, but you need to report to Falco."

Falco was unsurprisingly furious, but Raphael was equally as furious as he knew Falco had ordered the destruction of the nearby Na'vi village. Did he have Dalton deceive Raphael or was that all Dalton's idea? And then to make Raphael's fury and worry worse Falco said, "Tan Jala is our link to the mole, follow him."

Horrified Raphael had absentmindedly agreed and then stalked into the nearby forest. He had little idea of where Tan Jala would go. The Na'vi was too light-footed and used to the forest, and he certainly wouldn't be easily stalked by a loud-footed, clumsy soldier. Not that Raphael thought he was loud or clumsy, but there was no doubt the Na'vi would know he was coming.

He was just crossing the small pool heading up to the Na'vi outpost that sat above the village he'd unknowingly aided in destroying when something hit his back hard. He fell forward, letting out a gasp of shock and pain as he fell onto his gun. He threw his elbow back, hitting flesh, and rolled to turn and face his attacker. He fought hard with what was a Na'vi warrior. The man took Raphael's hits like a champ, keeping the avatar pinned, and preventing Raphael from using his gun.

Raphael gasped and in his moment of breathless pain, the warrior grabbed his arms and pinned them above his head. Raphael panted, wriggling beneath the massive warrior and glancing around, desperately hoping some RDA soldiers were close by to aid him. But it became clear very quickly that he was on his own.

Now he was still he could see that the warrior that had him pinned was massive. Easily a head taller than Raphael's impressive Avatar height of three metres. Raphael squirmed in an effort to kick out at the hunter and free himself but it quickly became apparent that he was well and truly caught.

Not a foot to his right was the water he'd just trekked through. With this warrior's strength, Raphael knew if he wanted to he could drown the avatar with little effort. That was a scary thought and one that made a reluctant tremble flow through his body. There was no way the warrior missed the reaction, not with the way Raphael's ears were pinned to his scalp and hair, nor the wide eyes as Raphael stared at the larger man and waited for his next action.

The warrior eyed Raphael, though the avatar could not tell what the man was thinking. He pulled at his hands, testing the Na'vi's strength, hoping for some way out, only to wince at the tightening of the native's hands. The warrior glanced down his body, eyeing his machine gun with distaste before throwing it with ease. Raphael could only gape at his weapon disappearing from sight, reluctantly admiring the strength needed to send it so high and so far.

Now he was pinned and disarmed, easy pickings if the Na'vi warrior wanted to tie him down and leave him to the viperwolves. But it seemed the man had other intentions, as he reached down to his waistband and retrieved a long thick chord, Raphael couldn't tell what it was made of but it looked strong, and the Na'vi began to tie his hands. Raphael put up a token fight, trying to pull himself free, but it did little more than make the Na'vi tut as if scolding a child.

The world tipped, and his body lifted and forced onto its front in a move that made Raphael tremble with the realisation that this man was strong. Strong enough to easily lift his weight, and he was no small fry in his avatar body. His hands were bound to the small of his back. Only then did the weight and presence of the warrior recede, albeit briefly. He took a few breaths before crying out in fear as a blade came too near his face. But the Na'vi only began cutting at the armbands of his backpack. Freeing Raphael from its weight and throwing that to the side as well. Raphael trembled, letting out a relieved breath before making an undignified squeak when he was pulled unceremoniously to his feet and then swung up and onto a shoulder.

Riding on someone's shoulder unwillingly was always unpleasant. But when the Na'vi took to the trees and Raphael was soon staring down to the ground many storeys below him, the fear grew. If the Na'vi let him fall he would not survive the drop.

He heard the other warriors long before he saw them. The regular animal calls, the responding cry of his kidnapper and then he spotted motion as Na'vi appeared from the foliage as if by magic. He did not count many, maybe four or five, but in his undignified position of being carried like a sack of potatoes, he could not determine the true number. What he could tell was that they were pleased with his capture. He felt another hand on his spine, as one warrior reached his kidnapper and spoke, his tone warm and happy.

Every attempt to free himself or shift so the Na'vi's armour wasn't digging into his stomach earned him a sharp, short reprimand in the Na'vi tongue and at one point a hard slap to one of his thighs. So Raphael reluctantly settled in for the long haul and began wondering why they sought to capture an avatar. Perhaps they didn't know he was new, just having reached planet-side within the last few days? If they sought knowledge from him, they'd be disappointed and it meant Raphael would have no use to them. He hoped they'd free him but considering their conduct so far he suspected they'd kill him instead.

Finally, the trees flattened out to grass and he glimpsed Na'vi ornaments and signage indicating they had reached a Na'vi outpost or village. A glance around from his poor vantage point suggested a small outpost. A couple of empty huts and hammocks, an unlit fireplace, and some dusty pots.

Strangely, he was placed onto his feet with far more gentleness than he expected, the warrior pushing him to sit before securing him effortlessly to one of the hut's supports. A quick tug when the warrior walked away revealed he'd not be able to free himself with ease.

There were seven Na'vi in all. Two archers and the other five seemed to favour swords or staves. They ignored him for the most part, eyeing him occasionally but otherwise focusing on their respective duties. It was clear to Raphael that this was a well-oiled team, use to working together and all having their tasks and duties within the group dynamic.

Hours passed, and still, no one seemed to want to reveal the reason for his abduction. Two went off to hunt, one climbed into a hammock for a nap and the other four sat around the now-lit fire talking away in their tongue. Raphael understood not a lick of Na'vi. Although he was an avatar, his main purpose had been as a signal specialist, deciphering codes and repairing machinery, the RDA had not seen the use in teaching him Na'vi as they didn't believe he'd need it.

He knew a couple of words from the reports he read, however, and they occasionally used the word tawtute which he knew was their word for human. Were they talking about him? It seemed a reasonable assumption but he genuinely couldn't tell what their intentions were.

And then, out of the blue, a figure approached, a familiar person Raphael did not want to meet with his hands tied behind his back. Tan Jala eyed the group and him with an analysing gaze before he spoke to the Na'vi. Raphael couldn't get a sense of whether Tan Jala was pleased or displeased with Raphael's abduction.

He approached Raphael and the avatar tensed, his ears folding back as white-tipped fingers tilted his head so he stared up into that predatory gaze. "I am truly sorry for this, RaphaelRyder." Tan Jala said. "But you were too dangerous, too useful to the RDA to be left in their hands."

"I don't understand." Raphael answered softly, wary of challenging this warrior.

Tan Jala frowned. "You do not know. You do not see."

"See what?" Raphael dared ask.

Tan Jala tilted Raphael's head side-to-side. "Perhaps in time, you will see." He said before releasing Raphael and turning to Raphael's abductors. He said many words to the warriors, Raphael didn't know what he was saying, but their looks at him indicated they were talking about their victim. The apparent leader of the group, a warrior adorned with armour made from bone and twine, bowed his head in acquiescence to Tan Jala's words or orders and then Tan Jala left.

Raphael felt a shudder go down his spine, knowing a decision had been made about him that would change his path. He tried to reach up to his bindings with his fingers, but his fingertips didn't reach high enough to even touch the rope. He tried tugging, in an attempt to loosen the material, but instead, it felt like the rope tightened.

The group talked, ignoring their panicking victim for a moment. Raphael looked around, trying to find anything long and potentially sharp enough to cut himself free. But he was unsuccessful, other than the crockery before him there was nothing sharp he could use. The crockery was just out of reach, and even if he could reach it, taking it and smashing it into usable sharp pieces would quickly draw attention. A glance up revealed that attempting to lift himself up the support pillar would be a wasted effort as the support when up to a sturdy-looking roof, secured well by some sort of thick rope. If he attempted such a venture, he would not have time to loosen the rope and free himself before the warriors would be upon him. It seemed there was no escape yet.

"Tam tawtute." The warrior that approached him was the apparent leader. He kneeled before Raphael, analysing Raphael as Raphael studied him. Raphael sensed no ill will but he was wary all the same. "Nga slu Na'vi." Raphael knew he was being told something important, perhaps his fate but he didn't understand. His confusion was clear and the warrior sighed leaning forward and clasping Raphael's shoulder. Raphael tensed and made a futile attempt to shake the man's hand off.

"What do you want?"

His question remained unanswered. Either they didn't understand him or they were not going to speak to him. He suspected they didn't understand because looks of confusion spread on their faces when he spoke.

"Nga yemstokx tewng." This was said in a firm tone as if a refusal was not permitted. Raphael tilted his head, ears twitching as he studied the warrior and tried to understand what the man wanted. But it was not the leader who he needed to pay attention to now. Another more lithe warrior approached. One of the archers and in his hands was a pile of fabric and twine. Raphael's head tilted further, eyes narrowing as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

"Hona." The archer said. "Fi'u tewng nì'o' ngeyä." Again Raphael presumed he was being told something important but nothing was clear. If the archer was offering the items, it wasn't as if Raphael could accept them with his arms tied behind his back.

His answer came when the leader of the group reach back behind Raphael, undoing the avatar's binding with ease. The archer and warrior pulled him to his feet and pushed him into the hut. Once under the illusion of privacy the leader waved his hand at Raphael's clothes and said, "tatem."

This Raphael understood. They wanted him to remove his clothes, to wear the rags that the archer held. They wanted him to dress in Na'vi clothing. He shook his head, refusing and taking a small step back.

"Tatem." The leader said more sternly, taking a step forward.

"No." He said, realising that this word, 'Tatem' was a demand for him to undress. "I won't."

"Ngeyä pxen nì'o' nihawng lehawmpam." The archer said. "Tatem."

"Tsonta lu Na'vi nga tikin tsonta tatem." The leader said, his tone unwavering and firm. Raphael eyed him warily, not understanding but getting the sense he would be forced to do what his captors wanted whether he liked it or not.

"I don't understand. Why are you doing this?" He asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer, but his desperation was growing. He had been curious about the Na'vi, it was one of the reasons he had joined the RDA but he certainly hadn't wanted the first meeting to go like this.

With no other choice, he didn't fight, complying with their gestured instructions. He immediately disliked the clothing. He'd never had so much flesh exposed before. He didn't like it. And worse still, the Na'vi immediately threw his human clothes into the fire. Watching them go up in flames was upsetting. His weapon, sketchbook, and now his clothes were taken from him, everything that tied him to humanity. Were they trying to destroy his identity? Claim him as one of their people? Why?

"Ayoe sänume si tawtute tsonta taron." The leader said.

The archer gifted Raphael what appeared to be a gentle smile before leaving. Raphael took the opportunity to analyse what he was now wearing. His private area was wrapped in a bandage-like material. His loincloth a plain brown with tan crisscrossing patterns was secured to his body by a leather belt that sat atop his hips. His calves were given the equivalent of boots, leather stitched together in a plain but elegant curving pattern or style. To protect his feet, unused as he was to walking the forest barefoot, the sole of his foot had a flat, somewhat thick piece of leather secured in place by the leather wrapping his calves. It was barely any clothing at all, but Raphael took some small comfort in the fact he wasn't entirely nude.

"Kem si awnga yìm nga?" He was asked by a warrior who held his bindings in their hands.

"Heyn." Another said, pointing to the ground near the campfire. Raphael realised that he was asking for the avatar to sit. Perhaps he had to choose between being compliant or being rebound. Since he didn't want to be tied up again he cautiously sat a little away from the group. Close enough to comply with their instructions, far enough away that they knew he still distrusted them.

They kept a close eye on him, wary of him attempting to run, but Raphael remembered the six-storey drop he'd seen as he was carried away from Blue Lagoon. He certainly wasn't tempting fate by running from capable warriors and then falling to his death.

The armoured leader sat before him, caught his gaze, and pointed to himself. "Alkxire." He stated. He tapped his chest and repeated the word, so Raphael assumed it was the man's name. Raphael repeated the word, earning a satisfied grin from the man and then the man pointed at him.

Raphael got the hint. "Raphael." He stated tapping his chest. The male repeated the word a few times, his accent thick but Raphael nodded when the male said his name.

"Nga slu lu tam, Raphael." Alkxire stated. "Za'u. Oe slu kar nga tsaheylu."

Alkxire stood and walked over the edge of the clearing, letting out a call that responded to from deep within the trees. The snorting cry reminded Raphael of horses, and sure enough, a small herd approached. Alkxire greeted one warmly, accepting what appeared to be a halter from one of the other warriors. He spoke a few gentle words as he placed the twine around the beast's head. He turned to Raphael and gestured for the avatar to approach. "Za'u."

Raphael shook his head, stubbornly remaining seated. He ignored the repeated word, 'Za'u', which he began to realise was a word that meant they wanted him to come to them.

Eventually, the leader surrendered the idea of Raphael complying with his instructions. Raphael trembled, expecting anger and reprisal at his defiance but the Na'vi merely sighed. "Tolel. Ayoe slu kä ki'ong."

Raphael tensed when the leader sat before him again and gently pointed at him. "Tawtute." He pointed to himself. "Na'vi." He pointed at Raphael again. "Nga slu lu Na'vi."

So, tawtute meant human, Na'vi was what they called themselves but the third sentence was confusing. Did the Na'vi say, he was not Na'vi, or that he would be Na'vi. He suspected the latter since he had been made to wear their clothes.

Alkxire pointed at his loincloth. "Tweng." He waited and when Raphael gave no response he repeated the word. "Tweng."

Sighing Raphael repeated the word, "Tweng."

"Sìltsan." Alkxire said, with a pleased expression on his face. Raphael merely huffed out a displeased breath but played along with the lesson. The sooner he could speak their language the sooner he could get some answers.

The lesson went on for several hours. It was tedious but with little more to do than play along with his captors' games.

He learned that Alkxire did indeed seem to be the leader. The massive warrior who'd pinned and abducted him was Ziningzi, a giant of a Na'vi and the largest of the seven Na'vi. He wore the least ammount of armour, but this was most likely because he was massive and preferred to wield a rather heavy-looking axe. The less armour meant the faster he'd be and perhaps he also liked the risk. The Tipani were a clan famed for their warriors, after all.

The most swollen-looking man was Tawil. Tawil was painted red and white, had the largest muscles, and wielded a large staff as if it was a lightweight sword as if it didn't weigh a thing.

The smallest archer, still taller than Raphael, was Vapei. He had white painted fingers and toes, and his preferred weapon was a rather fragile bow, but watching the man practice with the weapon proved that appearances were deceptive. He was deadly.

The other archer was taller and slightly bulkier than his fellow archer. His name was Nolawue. His bow was larger and seemed to sacrifice distance for more damage.

The thinnest warrior was a more reserved and quiet swordsman named Kifkol. He was a craftsman when not in battle. Since sitting down at the campfire his focus had been on whittling. Crafting a direhorse quietly as he listened to the group, to Alkxire teaching Raphael Na'vi.

The final member of the team was an average but still, impressive-looking Na'vi named Zoalizi. Zoalizi had all but lit up at the appearance of the herd and was currently cooing over at one particular direhorse, patting its neck and whispering words of affection.

When evening came Raphael had managed to repeat their names without stuttering and was repeating words with growing confidence.

Vapei, Zoalizi, and Tawil left. Raphael would have asked where they were going but he did not have enough understanding or fluency to ask. But the answer came not a short while later when they returned with some sort of deer-like beast.

Alkxire pointed to it saying. "Yerik." Raphael nodded as Tawil began the process of skinning and cutting the meat. Zoalizi began mashing herbs in a large pot, no doubt making some sort of oil or glaze to cook the meat in or with. The smell was not unpleasant.

And more pleasantly, they let him eat without having to earn it. He ate only a little, unfamiliar with Na'vi food and somewhat distrusting the Na'vi still despite them not having harmed him yet. Or rather, they had not harmed him since his capture.

Unfortunately, the good fortune had to end. He found himself being forced into a hut and made to lie prone on a sleeping mat. "Ngoatxoa." He was told as his hands were bound above his head.

With an angry sigh as he watched the majority of the group climb into hammocks, leaving him the only one lying on the floor. He suspected they bound him to prevent him from running. They didn't seem to realise that he knew running was futile.

He sighed again and tried to relax into sleep, to return to his human body and away from this madness.

Only, something wasn't right. He climbed out of his link chamber to find the portable building rocking back and forth. Glancing out of the window, he almost screamed when he realised he was hanging miles above the ground surrounded by Na'vi-mounted banshees. And nearby on a banshee was one Doctor Rene Harper.

He tried his radio but found out rather quickly he was either out of range or in a zone where there was too much interference for the thing to work. Reluctantly, he realised he could do nothing until they landed. But what he would do was beyond his comprehension. A small human, half the size of a Na'vi, would not be able to do much against an army of native Na'vi and their beasts.

He must have fallen asleep because he startled awake some hours later to the pod landing. He fell from his precarious position in an uncomfortable chair and glanced out of the small window to see a Na'vi village surrounding him.

Harper was approaching. "Ryder, are you awake in there?"

He could deny it and pretend to still be linked to his avatar, but Raphael needed answers. So, with trepidation, Raphael left the portable building to confront Harper. "Do you want to explain what is going on?" He asked angrily when he stood at Harper's feet, looking up at the avatar. "What on Earth do you think you are doing?"

"Saving the people." Harper had answered simply.

Raphael snorted. "How is abducting one person 'saving the people'?" He asked.

"You don't realise what Commander Falco is after?" Harper asked startled. "He never told you?"

"Told me what?" Raphael asked in frustration. "What are you talking about?"

"Falco wants the Na'vi gone. And you were going to be the way he was going to do it."

Raphael threw his hands up in the air. "Make sense, damn it! I am fed up with being tricked and lied to. What do you want?"

"When the time comes you will understand. You are not ready for the knowledge yet, not until we know whose side you are on. But Tan Jala decided you were too dangerous to leave with the RDA. We want you to listen to what the Na'vi have to say, listen to their story before you make any decisions."

"About what?!" Raphael demanded.

Harper looked to the sky, to the rising sun. "You best return to your avatar. Otherwise, you'll scare your escorts."

"Kidnappers, you mean." Raphael countered. "What you are doing is madness, Harper. You are betraying your people!"

"To save the Na'vi. The Na'vi didn't ask for this war. They didn't ask for our people to come here and steal. If Falco had his way, the Na'vi will be wiped out and removed from their planet. If the RDA had it their way Pandora would be another Earth." Harper argued. "I'm doing what is right."

"The path to hell is paved with good intentions." Raphael snarled. "How many lines will you be willing to cost in this vendetta against Falco?"

"It is not a vendetta. Falco is just the mouthpiece of the problem and I suspect he has gone rogue as well. His orders are for his agenda. It is why he so desperately wants you. He thinks you'll help him wipe the Na'vi from this world. It is why we had to remove you from the picture. Get you away from Falco's manipulation so you could hear the full story."

"All I am hearing is madness."

"We will explain more when the time comes. But for now, I need you to return to your link chamber and stay there."

"Why?"

"The RDA isn't happy with us and I would rather you were in one place and not getting underfoot."

Raphael sighed. "You mean you've started a war."

"The war has already started." Harper countered. "I'm just fighting for the right side." He shoved Raphael back, and Raphael stumbled under the force the avatar exerted. As gentle as Harper intended to be, he still hit the door of the portable building hard.

Raphael sighed. "Why are you doing this, Harper?"

"You'll understand in time." Harper replied, following Raphael into the building and activating Raphael's link chamber.

Unable to resist the strength of the avatar Raphael laid on the link bed and allowed the lid to slowly close. "You better give me answers soon." He warned just as the lid snapped closed and the machine activated.

A face was ridiculously close to his own when his avatar body 'awoke', he gasped in response, attempting to roll away and stopped by his bound hands. It was Nolawue, he eyed Raphael carefully and seemed pleased with the avatar's sudden alertness. "Nga txen."

"Untie me, please." Raphael asked as he tugged at his hands. But Nolawue seemed to ignore his request, instead calling for Alkxire, who appeared at the entryway of the hut and smiled.

"Nga txen." Alkxire said, repeating Nolawue's words. He knelt and unbound Raphael's hands, pulling Raphael into a seated position where he then stared at the avatar's eyes. He ran a finger back and forth in front of Raphael's eyes and hummed in approval as the avatar's eyes tracked the motion. "Sìltsan." He praised.

Raphael was allowed to stand without support and then taken outside. It was here Alkxire said. "Nga slu makto Pali." He spoke firmly, letting Raphael know that whatever they wanted Raphael to do was not to be refused. "Nga slu teya tsaheylu."

Raphael tensed, trying to step away from Alkxire but someone stopped him. A quick tilt of his head revealed Kifkol. The large warrior had a hand on Raphael's back and was gently pushing the avatar forward.

Alkxire talked rapidly and Raphael in all honesty could not follow. He caught the word tsaheylu several times. Was he explaining how it worked? How it felt? It seemed so as Alkxire put a hand to his chest and spoke wistfully as if he enjoyed and wanted to experience tsaheylu often.

"Nì'aw tsaheylu, fitrr." Kifkol said behind him. It was the first time Raphael heard him speak and the avatar was startled by how deep the man's voice was. The man's voice was powerful and yet Raphael knew the tone he used was reassuring, maybe even an attempt at comforting.

"Srane, nì'aw tsaheylu fitrr." Alkxire answered, his tone equally as gentle. Raphael didn't know why they were trying to comfort him, they were his captors, not his friends or teachers, yet they were showing him kindness. Why? To cause Stockholm syndrome?

Alkxire and Kifkol were not allowing him to refuse this time, Kifkol stayed at his back and Alkxire pulled him forward with a firm grip on his wrist. Once Raphael was close enough the warrior gripped the direhorse's halter with his left hand and pulled the animal's queue down and into Raphael's reach with his right.

Raphael shook his head. "Teya tsaheylu." He was told, their voices firm. He stared wide-eyed at Alkxire, almost begging the warrior to let him go. The warrior did seem sympathetic, even saddened by Raphael's fear but he still firmly told Raphael to bond with this beast.

Kifkol took the initiative in the end, Raphael was startled and jumped back into the massive warrior's chest when the barbarian gently grasped his braid and brought it forth. Before Raphael could shriek or struggle, the tendrils of his queue looped with the direhorse and...

Holy shit. What was this? It was like his mind was in two places, both beast and man. He felt his chest rising and falling with his breath and then he felt a larger chest rise and fall, only it was at the chest and not in and out through the mouth. He felt powerful limbs, larger and stronger than his own. But the most strange was the alien mind next to his, more bestial, yet innocent and full of curiosity.

"Sìltsan." Alkxire praised quietly. "Sìltsan."

Slowly, Raphael came back to himself and took a deep breath. Kifkol helped him step back, allowing Raphael to pull back and gently sever the bond. He heard both men praise him, repeating the word sìltsan which must translate to 'well done' or the Na'vi equivalent of well done.

For a few hours, he was left to sit idle around the campfire as the Na'vi worked. Either hunting, crafting or training. He supposed it was so he could think about tsaheylu and what he'd felt and experienced.

But as the afternoon came, with the light at its zenith, he was told to approach by Kifkol, who held one of the direhorse's by its halter. Raphael frowned, contemplating refusing, but Alkxire quickly approached and ushered him to stand and walk closer.

The bond was easier the second time. Still frighteningly strange but it was as if his mind was adapting to the intrusion. It felt as if he was meant to use tsaheylu, but perhaps that was how Na'vi bodies worked, and by extension avatar bodies.

This time he sensed the direhorse was female, a mare, and she was an old girl. A matriarch in the herd and much more docile because of experience and age. She found his mind strange and equally as frightening but she was curious and accepting as well. She seemed to nudge him with her mind as if poking something strange or unusual and seeing what response she'd get. It seemed, as she grew more comfortable, she was becoming playful. She felt safe, despite his alien mind, and she wanted to investigate. Her nose nuzzled him and he felt her take a great sniff, familiarising herself with his smell and a rumble, not dissimilar to a neigh left her. She was...pleased.

The disconnect was easier too. Not so much of a shock. And once he was detached he was allowed to sit and think again.

By the third time, Raphael was more adjusted, and more welcoming of the bond and the mare didn't mind a bit, used to making tsaheylu with Na'vi. And it helped Raphael greatly to compare her to a horse. He'd had the fortune of being able to ride horses when young before they were classed as endangered. He knew how to mount and ride a horse, but he'd never felt what it was like to be a horse. It was strangely beautiful.

"Nga slu makto pali." Alkxire said. Raphael eyed the leader with wariness. "Nga slu lu tam."

Zoalizi was closer and he gently ushered Raphael with his hand. The gestures revealed what they wanted. For him to mount the animal. He tried to step back but Zaolizi stopped him with a firm hand. "Nga slu lu tam."

With reluctance, Raphael took a deep breath and with a practiced move mounted the animal.

A sound brought his attention to Alkxire who looked at him with...appreciation or awe. "Sìltsan. Nitxan sìltsan." He had the mare walk forward with a hand on the halter.

"Zim tsaheylu. Zim pali." This part of the lesson lasted a while until Raphael felt that he was having the animal walk rather than the animal responding to a tug on the halter. Which was Alkxire's intention, he supposed, to have Raphael familiarise himself with the beast moving and learn how to make the animal move with his thoughts.

When he was allowed to dismount, he was rewarded with a few pats on the back and given a fair portion of cooked meat from their latest kill.

The evening seemed more cheerful and jolly. As if they were celebrating Raphael's progress or perhaps they were celebrating their manipulation of him, he didn't know. But he began dreading the evening. Because he feared being tied up again and waking up in his human body surrounded by the Na'vi and a traitor.

But all of a sudden his body jolted. He heard a cry of his name, felt his knees hit the ground hard and then felt his body being caught by powerful arms before darkness claimed him.

Translation:

Tam tawtute. - okay skyperson

Nga slu lu Na'vi- You will be Na'vi.

Nga yemstokx tewng- You put on loincloth.

Hona- cute.

Fi'u tewng nì'o' ngeyä - This (thing) loincloth is yours.

Tatem- Change.

Ngeyä pxen nì'o' nihawng lehawmpam - Your clothing is too noisy.

Tsonta lu Na'vi nga tikin tsonta tatem. - To be Na'vi you need to change.

Ayoe sänume si tawtute tsonta taron- we teach skyperson to hunt.

Kem si awnga yìm nga?- Do we bind you?

Heyn- sit.

Nga slu lu tam- You will be okay

Za'u. Oe slu kar nga tsaheylu.- Come. I will teach you tsaheylu.

Tolel- I understand.

Ayoe slu kä ki'ong. - We will go slow.

Sìltsan- Well done

Ngoatxoa- Sorry

Nga txen- you awake

Nga slu makto Pali.- You will ride direhorse

Nga slu teya tsaheylu.- You will make tsaheylu (bond)

Nì'aw tsaheylu, fitrr- Only tsaheylu (bond), today.

Srane, nì'aw tsaheylu fitrr.- Yes, only tsaheylu today.

Teya tsaheylu- Make tsaheylu

Nga slu lu tam- You will be okay.

Sìltsan. Nitxan sìltsan- Well done. Very good.

Zim tsaheylu. Zim pali. - Feel tsahyelu. Feel Direhorse.

Additional Author Note:

This story is just me getting back into writing, I'm not entirely sure it's all that good, and in all honesty, I intend to refocus on my older stories. If you wish for this story to be continued please drop a review and let me know that you are interested in this story.

Until Next Time

Kelral Orlyana