+New Experiences+

Mia's P.O.V

Very early the next morning I got a knock on my door from Max. When I opened it he seemed a little agitated, but I kept my mouth shut as he explained that I needed to pack my bag, and get ready to leave quickly. He also told me to tell the same to Jake. With that he walked off leaving me ultimately dumbfounded, and very much so confused. Closing the door I came back inside and was about ready to head over to Jake's room when he already opened the curtain and came over into mine.

"What did Max want," he questioned as I answered still a little shocked, "He wanted us to pack our bags right now. He didn't say why though." Jake looked at me oddly as I merely shrugged my shoulders and did as Max had asked me to. Eventually Jake walked over into his room and did the same. When we were done we made our way down to the lab to figure out what was going on. Upon entering we found everything in a frenzy.

"So where are we going," Jake asked quickly rolling ahead of me as he came up to stop near a desk. I noticed how Max looked at him oddly, and didn't say hello. Instead he kept walking without a word to him. Blowing that off I listened as Grace replied, "Getting out of Dodge. I'm not about to let Selfridge and Quaritch micro-manage this thing. There's a mobile link up at Site 26 we can work out of, way up in the mountains." I felt my heart speed up and my eyes widen at the word, 'mountains,' and it was clear that the same had happened to Norm as he suddenly asked the question I couldn't.

"The Hallelujah Mountains," he asked hopeful dropping his work as he walked over to her. Grace smiled and turned toward him as she answered, "That's right."

"Are you serious," I asked looking at her with a bright smile.

"Yeah," she said turning to look at me now, and as if like that Norm and I were like kids again on Christmas as we jumped around and sang Hallelujah.

"Yes," Norm said fist pumping the air as he walked over to lean against the desk me and Jake were at. Looking at Jake he realized his dumbfounded gaze and replied a little snobbishly, "The legendary floating mountains of Pandora. Heard of them?"

Jake just shook his head as Norm picked up some equipment and walked off. Turning to look at me Jake asked, "There's floating mountains. How are they floating?"

"Don't know. Ask a scientist. I'm just a cultural expert. I only know the things of Pandora, not how they work," I smiled at him with a pat to his shoulder.

"But the mountain are actually floating right," he asked with a big smile.

"You'll see," I taunted him as I walked away to help the others.

Within an hour we were on the helicopter flying through the air, all the while making the bad butterflies return to my stomach. Norm seemed to notice this time and decided not to crowd me so much as he took to the front with Trudy. Grace's and Norm's avatars were with us this time making us all have to squish in together up front however. Jake also seemed to notice my flying problem this time and he turned toward Grace and asked, "Do you know how to cure flying nervousness?"

"Yeah, close your eyes, and pretend you're on a spaceship again," she smiled at him, but then realized why he had asked as she looked at me, "Here take one of these," she called over the sounds of the plane. Taking a pill from her outstretched I yelled out, "What is it?"

"Something that will make you a little less twitchy. It'll calm you down," she cried back as I popped the tablet in my mouth and downed it with my canteen.

"You still afraid of planes," my brother asked as I leaned in to hear. Nodding he replied once again, "Is it because of the crash we had years ago." Nodding again he spoke, "Sorry, Tommy and I never meant for it to scar you for life."

"Don't worry about it. I never took therapy," I said with a slight laugh making him chuckle. Looking up front I heard Grace lean back to say to Jake, "We're getting close."

"Yeah look at my instruments," Trudy said from upfront with Norm. Looking up there I noticed the weird and unusual flashing of the radar. That wasn't good.

"Yep. We're in the Flux Vortex," Grace replied looking out the window to see if she could see further ahead.

"We're VFR from here on," Trudy replied as Norm turned to her and asked, "What's VFR?"

"Means you gotta see where you're going," Trudy giggled looking over at him.

"You can't see anything," Norm exclaimed as we entered into a huge cloud of fog.

"Exactly. Ain't that a bitch," Trudy laughed full heartedly now.

"You've never crashed before have you," I asked nervously as she got ready to say something, but then clamped her mouth shut, and replied, "Don't worry you're safe with me, Mia." Looking over at Jake I just barely had enough time to catch him looking at her in a don't-say-anything manner. Rolling my eyes at this new found protectiveness I looked ahead as the cloud cover slowly faded away. Both Jake and I leaned forward as the sunshine entered into the plane. Jake and I gasped as the mountains slowly came into view. It was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen, or probably ever will see. It was better than the forest that lit up with lights. This was beyond all reason. This was so…different. I bet someone was glad somewhere up in heaven for creating the phrase 'until pigs fly' instead of, 'until mountains fly.'

"You should see your faces," Trudy laughed from the front as she flew around the mountains as we headed for our destination.

Coming to land on one of the floating mountains I saw the trailers resting nearby. Putting on my exo-pack we opened the tightly sealed door and walked outside as Grace walked ahead.

Trudy shut down the helicopter and then came up to us as Grace went ahead and walked inside to the tightly sealed room in the trailer. After a few moments she took off her exo-pack and opened the next door. From there I couldn't see her as Jake, Trudy, Norm, and I did the same.

When we walked inside the next door after taking our masks off Grace walked back into our part of the trailer and said, "Welcome to Camp." Smiling I looked around the room and found the cots. I quickly lunged for one of the bottom bunks as Jake did the same. Trudy and Norm groaned as they had to take the high bunks, which would probably be a pain sleeping in because they had no rails, or warnings if you were about to fall off. I had fallen off a high bunk bed once, and had to get stitches. Needless to say my brothers had laughed at me for weeks to come.

Jake rolled back over to the fridge as Trudy looked inside and made a few unhappy comments about what was already in there, before placing the new food inside. Jake looked over the photos on the fridge as I watched him from far away. He seemed to have something on his mind so I didn't really bug him, what would be the point. He'd just tell me he was fine, and it wasn't as easy getting anything out of him like it was Norm.

(Jake's P.O.V)- Grace didn't miss a thing. She knew I was talking to the Colonel, but I had what she needed, a way back in with the clan, so she's playing nice.

(Back to Mia's P.O.V)

Grace walked over to me and motioned for me to follow her. Standing up off my bunk I motioned for Jake to follow which he did as we walked into the other side of the two part trailer.

"All right. Jake, hang a left. You'll be in the link at the end. Unit one. Beulah. She's the one of the three that's least glitchy," Grace replied leading him over to his new link bed. Then turning to me she pointed to the one some ways down and spoke, "You're the other one at the end down there. Gorgeous, is the second least glitchy. Now have fun kiddies." With that she readied my link and I immediately hopped into the link bed. Closing the net and then the hatch the best I could I almost immediately let my mind go blank. Traveling through the light tunnel I ended up back in my leaf bed. I could feel the early morning here and it made my sense feel dull as I tried resisting from closing my eyes and returning back to my normal body to sleep once more. Opening the leaf bed I got out and waited for my brother to awaken. Soon he was jumping out of his bed as well.

"So you ready to go see Neytiri," he smiled brightly.

"Can't," I frowned as I remembered quickly that she was no longer my teacher.

"Why not," he asked as his own smile fell into a frown.

"Tsu'tey's my teacher now thanks to Mo'at's easy to convince self. He told her that Neytiri had too much work on her hands and she could only handle one. So naturally she told Tsu'tey he would be my teacher from now on," I breathed unhappily as we slowly made our way down to where the village ate breakfast.

"Well I don't see him around right now. How about we go meet up with Neytiri, and claim we didn't see him," he smiled mischievously as did I. Nodding we headed down to breakfast where thankfully I didn't find Mo'at or Tsu'tey. However, we did find Neytiri. Quickly eating some breakfast she took us up higher into Home-Tree for the next lesson.

When we got to the top I was out of breath, but somehow I managed to still keep going, and look out at the view that expanded before me. Looking over at Jake my mouth dropped as he chuckled, "Don't you wish you had a view like this when you were staying in those pent houses down in the rainforest." I shook my head and replied, "No pent house could ever make me feel as good as Home-Tree here."

All the sudden we heard a bird call, and turning to look at Neytiri we found her looking up in the branches as she made another one. Then as if out of nowhere one of the ikran's, a cross between a dragon and a bird, came flying out from the branches screeching loudly. I knew its nickname was Mountain Banshee, but I could never understand until now as I covered my ears.

"Holy shit," both me and my brother chuckled from behind Neytiri, as the thing trained its eyes on us.

"Do not look in her eye," Neytiri warned us as Jake and I turned our eyes away from its. I heard Neytiri speak in Na'vi as she fed the ikran. She talked to it gently as you would a child. This ikran was like her child the way she seemed so close to it.

"Ikran is not horse. Once tsaheylu is made, ikran will fly with only one hunter in the whole life," she said as she walked around to its side and suddenly jumped onto its back making it screech loudly. I stared in amazement at her. So Norm was right. You really could ride those things.

"To become taronyu, hunter, you must choose your own ikran and he must choose you," she spoke looking at the both of us calmly.

"When," I asked with my brother seconding me quickly.

"When you two are ready," she answered before sliding down a headband as her ikran moved forward of the tree limb and dove off with her still holding onto it while calling out in their sort of unusual way.

Jake and I leaned over the side and watched her as she and her ikran flew while showing off to us how good they were. I smiled, already wanting to do it. I might hate flying, but that looked cool, and for some reason I had this feeling I could trust an ikran when we flew. I knew that it would understand my fear, whenever I made tsaheylu with it, and that it would only try to keep me just as calm and reassure me I was in control and not completely it.

Suddenly Neytiri circled back and came at us with her ikran. Ducking down she barely missed us as Jake and I both laughed. Yeah this was definitely something I wanted to do now.

"Mia," called an angry voice as I looked behind Jake at Tsu'tey who seemed very angry. Looking at Jake I chuckled innocently as did he.

"Go on, I'll let her know. I think you've made enough trouble for one day," Jake laughed as he patted my shoulder as I passed him. Walking up to Tsu'tey I asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"You were supposed to meet me early this morning for training," he seethed angrily glancing between me and my brother who stood far off watching Neytiri still.

"Oh sorry, were we still doing that. I forgot," I laughed as I made my way into the tree. He followed behind me and replied, "I will not deal with a baby. Either you will learn from me or no one."

"Now whose being the baby," I chuckled climbing down the roots as he growled angrily. Stopping me halfway down, he took me by the arm and whirled me around as he exclaimed, "Why do you have be difficult?" Glaring at him I replied, "Why do you have to be so uptight." He continued to stand like that for a moment just glaring into my eyes, before they slowly softened as he took in their sky blue colors. Letting go of my arm he backed away a little and replied, "Come on, I will teach you, how to use bow and arrows." Shaking my head I followed him.

Eventually we ended up down near the base of Home-Tree as he made me find a target, before showing me how it was done. After doing it a couple of times he handed them to me and motioned for me to try. Following his example I thought I was getting it right, but I heard him reply, "No, no, like this." Showing me to inhale and hold as I kept my stomach strong I tried to do the same, but I ended up pointing the bow in the wrong direction this time. Shaking his head he walked over to me and took hold of my hands that were holding the bow and positioned them right. I turned to look at him with slight annoyance, and as I did he turned and caught my gaze. We were inches apart, and trying to move, but still a little standoffish by his closeness I leaned my head back some. Seeing that nervous movement he backed away and let me aim, and shoot. It hit the tree squarely in the right place I wanted it to go. Cheering happily I heard him clapping behind me in a 'good-job' sort of way. Turning I smiled at him, finding it hard to form the words 'thank you', and when he caught my smile he was a little stunned at first, but all the same slowly lit up to one himself.

Later after a few more lessons we headed over to nearby river so that we could wash up for dinner. I wouldn't have minded the river all that much if it didn't suddenly sink to 20 feet deep within two yards from the shore. I couldn't swim, and I definitely wasn't about to embarrass my self in front of Tsu'tey by drowning to death.

"Is there a place where it's more shallow," I asked in Na'vi which he had me doing all day to practice and make myself better than I already was.

"No," he replied taking off his bow and setting it down along with his arrows and other various objects that would get in his way in the water. Then taking off, he dived into the water. I just stood there on the bank watching, terrified. I didn't want to swim, not in that deep of water. I couldn't, because I didn't know how to swim, and I had never learned. Sure I had went swimming before, but nothing that went above my neck, or anything that covered my head at all. Gulping visible I saw Tsu'tey surface as he laughed happily from the coolness of the water. Then he turned to look at me with curious eyes and asked, "What's wrong Mia?" Then it dawned on him, even before I spoke, "I can't swim."

Frowning he swam over to the shore and got up and walked the rest of the way over to me. Dripping with cold water he reached out and took my temporary bow off my shoulder and my arrows from my hand. Placing them next to his he then helped to get my necklace off leaving nothing to really cover my breasts other than this small vine like covering Neytiri had lent me to shut Jake up about me being a little undressed.

Then in one swift motion he picked me up and walked me over to the water. That's when I started freaking out and crying, "Please I can't swim Tsu'tey, don't…I'll drown." He looked at me and replied, "No you will not, not as long as I have hold on you." Then like that I felt the water rise up as he went in deeper. I felt a cold chill settle on my back and looking over I noticed the water now was beginning to envelop me. Once we were in deep enough he told me to wrap my legs around him. There was no protest there, and like a frightened cat, scared of the water, I wrapped my legs around him and held onto his shoulders as he extended his arms and moved them around so that he'd float.

"Now see is it that bad," he questioned me. I closed my eyes and nodded as he chuckled, "Open your eyes or you will not learn." Slowly opening them he motioned his head for me to look at what his arms were doing.

"See how I move my arms. That is what you must do. When I tell you to let go you do the same, while kicking your feet. I promise if you start to sink I will pull you back up," he explained while slowly letting go, as I started to panic he stopped and said once more, "I promise I will not let you drown, even if I go down myself." Finally I loosened his grip and allowed him to let me go. Following his orders I slowly began to kick and quickly waded my arms like him. Within a matter of moments I was floating.

"See, now was that hard," he chuckled. Shaking my head while giggling at the mere thought I was floating in deep water.

"Now, try to swim. Watch me," he said as he suddenly outstretched his arms and began to cross the water to the other side. Doing as he had done I found this to be a little bit of more of a struggle. There was a few times I slipped under water, but I managed to bring myself back up before he could reach me. Eventually I managed to make it to him where he was wading beside a rock where a branch hung lowly over the spot hiding it from the world. Reaching out he took my hand and pulled me the rest of the way.

"There, that's some of the basics," he smiled as he pulled me even closer as my legs started weakening from all the kicking to keep me up. Apparently I didn't need to do it, but I didn't realize that till the last minute. Without even saying a word he wrapped my legs around his waist again, and looked back at me, and into my eyes. I couldn't escape him here with his closeness. Right now I sort of needed it. I mean I could climb out by pulling myself up on the rock, but that would mean risking the chance of my legs giving out on me and me falling back into my watery grave. Trying to get away from him some I leaned back, still keeping my legs wrapped around him, and let my body float carelessly. At least this way my hair got wet enough to get some of the grim out from it. However Tsu'tey leaned me back up and helped me with my hair. His hands combed through it softly relishing in the silky feel to it. Even the texture of my hair was different than theirs, except for the braided part of my hair that had the part that helped form any of my tsaheylus with the creatures I would ride.

The bad thing about touching my hair was that it did things to me, other than soothing me. It calmed me in other ways. So when my eyes met Tsu'tey's I was not surprised, by the fact he had realized this. I was surprised though when he didn't let me go to separate us. Instead ever so carefully he leaned forward towards me, keeping his golden cat like eyes trained on my sky blues. Just as our lips barely came close to brushing we heard a yell from across the river, "Tsu'tey, hurry up or all the good food will be gone before you even reach dinner." Pulling away from him quickly I found enough strength in my legs to crawl up the rock behind him. Walking across a fallen tree that had collapsed over the river I walked back over to the other side to grab my stuff where his friend stood. Taking one look at me dripping wet, and shimmering in sun, I saw the lustful look in his eyes. Rolling my eyes I groaned inwardly and went to grab my necklace and place it back around my neck to cove my breasts much better. Then I grabbed my temporary bow and placed it back around my neck as I picked up my arrows and dashed off, not even waiting for Tsu'tey.

What had happened back there I needed to forget. I need to push to the back of my mind. He was my teacher and my teacher only. I had made a promise years ago after Sage's death I would never be with another man, and so far I had kept to that. I didn't need to break that promise now.

Walking back to the entrance of Home-Tree I made my way up to where dinner was, and quickly found Jake and Neytiri. Taking a seat with them, I didn't say a word as I stole a piece of fruit out of Jake's bowel, and stared straight ahead at a piece of loose bark. Jake looked at me worriedly, before looking at Neytiri who just shrugged her shoulders. A few minutes later Tsu'tey entered with his warrior friend and took a seat where he normal sat. He looked over at me and smiled, however I returned it with a scowl as I turned my eyes elsewhere. It was better to break his heart now than later, and maybe with luck he'll let Neytiri teach me now.

Later after lunch, Jake caught up with me as I was heading back down to train with the direhorse for a little while. Taking my hand he turned me around and asked, "Are you alright. You seemed a little off at dinner," he asked worried about me. Shaking my head, for once in my life I answered something different other than 'I'm fine.'

"I've got something on my mind. Something I need to avoid right now and clear my head of," I answered him truthfully as I could. Jake didn't need to know about what happened between Tsu'tey and I, whatsoever, because I knew the moment he did he'd pull the big brother move on me, and quickly run off to find him so that he could put his fist in his face.

"Okay, but you'd tell me if something was seriously bothering you right. I mean I know I'm not Tommy…" he paused as he saw a flash sadness in my eyes but then continued on after a moment, "but you can come to Mia. I will be here for you. I might not be as good, or I might be even better I don't know. What I can tell you is I'm here with open ears and an open heart to try and help." Nodding I told him, "The best thing you can do Jake is let me be for a little while. Let me think, and maybe eventually I'll talk to you, but right now I just want some space, you understand right?" Nodding he forced a smile as I replied, "I'll see you back at camp. I'll only be gone until after dinner." With that he let go of my hand and I went off to train by myself.

Late that night, way after midnight I came trudging back passing a few warriors who were night-guards. I gave them a nod and they did the same to me as I passed. Heading straight for my leaf bed, I jumped right on in, and closed the leaf into a cocoon. It wasn't hard for me to pass out tonight. Traveling back to my real body I lazily opened the hatch and the net as I got out. I walked over and made my log before shuffling quietly over to my bed. Pulling back the covers I climbed in. Jake was already in his, and Norm and Trudy in theirs. Grace was somewhere in the other part of the trailer working on something. The small porthole by my bed was fogging up as it began to rain outside.

My mind slowly drifted back to the man I once loved. Sage had been my everything at one point in time. He had kept me afloat even though I myself barely could. He had helped keep all of my dirty secrets, and even took them to his grave. He had been the perfect man, and now he's gone, all because some idiot decided he was better than him. God I missed him so much.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned away from the window as I went to lie on my stomach. Turning my head sideways I allowed my eyes to slowly close, as I wondered silently if I could ever love again. Could I, or was my heart to cold and bitter now? Slowly I let my mind drift away, and in a matter of no time I was falling into a deep dreamless sleep.

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