AN: I updated! I'm so proud of myself...Review please! *holds out hands*

Note: Sorry about the scare I gave in the last chapter. River's avatar isn't a girl. It's blond and has lighter skin.

Five

"How do you feel, River?" Grace's voice came through the speakers and I blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the big blob of white in front of my vision.

"Vitals are all normal. He's stable." The voice of a man sounded next to me and I felt someone shine a flashlight into my left eye. The harsh light made my eyelid twitch in response and I closed my eye, using my hand to bat away the doctor. Then the light blue color of the skin came into my fuzzy vision.

"Oh my god, I really am in my fucking avatar!" I couldn't help the loud exclamation. The doctors gave a few amused chuckles and I turned to Grace. "How do I look?" I asked as I stood up. she gave me a thumbs up from behind the observation glass and I stood up, the tail behind me whipping around.

"You should sit down before you knock down any of our equipments." The steely voice of a woman made me go still and I smiled at her sheepishly before sitting down. They took several more tests before pulling the cords off my chest and arms. I turned to see Grace tapping the glass. She pointed to the door on the side and I grinned as I moved toward it.

The fresh cool air was oddly refreshing on my heated skin and I let out a high whoop as I bolted from the observation room. It was the first time on Pandora that I didn't have to wear a mask. The other memories of being painfully small and weak comparing to the planet all seemed to fade from my mind as I took a huge lungful of fresh air. I felt oddly free in my avatar. A hand on my arm pulled me from my thoughts and I turned around t see Jake standing behind me. He grinned and yanked one of my long braids playfully.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face, River. It's so unprofessional." He smirked and I immediately schooled my features into one of hideous woe and he snorted. "Well, you seem to have gotten the facial nerves worked out."

"Dude, seriously, how do I look?" I asked him and took a few steps back so he could get a fuller look. Jake smiled and shrugged.

"You look bright, you know, like a daisy or a light bulb. I'm sure Tsu'tey won't notice a thing." He said finally and gave me a playful wink. I frowned and tugged on a piece of long hair. Truth to say, I was a bit shocked when the normally dark haired avatar came out with a head of golden blond locks and paler skin than the rest of the others. But like Grace said, thankfully it hadn't turned out to be a girl. I was a bit curious as to how they managed to make my hair color stick stubbornly to my avatar. Hopefully it didn't have anything to do with my stubborn nature.

Jake chose that moment to reach forward and poke me in the stomach quite hard. He grinned and set off toward one of the fields. I growled and ran off after him, my braids flying behind me. I was surprise how effortless it was to cover such long distances in such short time. I grabbed one of the purple fruits from the waist-high plants and hurled it toward Jake. The soft fruit smacked against the back of his head and I grinned as I called out to the slightly shocked figure.

"Yep, just as I expected, your head's hollow alright."

He laughed and our positions reversed as he set off after me.

I stalked silently though the forest, the sounds greeting me felt softer and friendlier and I felt confidence well in my chest as I ducked under a tall shrub. My avatar wasn't the tallest one in the lab but I had gotten used to movement and walking a lot faster than the others so I found myself back on Pandora after two days of shooting hoops in the training camp. The shirt clung uncomfortably over my chest and I almost wished I had taken it off but I pushed the thought to the back of my head as I drew closer to my destination.

I gently brushed aside a large hanging leaf and set my eyes on the figure crouched in the clearing. Tsu'tey was bent over his kill silently, murmuring his gratitude before digging the sharp blade into the soft fur. I took a moment to admire his muscles like a geeky kid staring at one of the underwear models back on Earth before reaching for a piece of rock by my side.

Tsu'tey's head snapped up as the rock sailed past his shoulder. His hair rattled as he followed the rustling bushes and froze, inhaling softly, but I was already prepared and chose a spot where the wind wouldn't give away my spot. His golden eyes narrowed as he tensed, the hunting knife ready at his side.

"Neytiri?" the low hiss was slightly tentative as if he wasn't sure if it really was the princess. I grinned and pressed a hand over my mouth to stop the giggle that was threatening to break free. After a few seconds, he lowered his head and focused his attention on the kill again. I grabbed another rock and shifted. This time the rock hit his left shoulder and Tsu'tey hissed in anger as he looked up again. I grinned and crouched back down in my hiding place. That was revenge for being so rough in the two week of training while I was still in my human meat suit. I stuck my tongue out and grinned at my reflection in the puddle by my left foot.

Large blue eyes glittered back at me with a mischievous air and I turned to grab another rock and froze when I saw Tsu'tey was no longer in the clearing. The pale deer was still there but he was gone. Ok, this was not a good thing. I frowned and squinted through the thick leaves, my fingers playing with the rock absently. There was no sighs of him but I was sure he was still around. After all, he never left the kills to rot. That would be too much of a waste.

"Damn, where the fuck are you?" I muttered under my breath and shifted on my slightly numb legs. Then the cool feeling of a knife at my throat made me freeze.

"Looking for me?" the low pissed-off murmur in my ear caused me to grin in embarrassment. "Why don't you tell me who in the world you are? Another avatar?"

The knife fell to my back and stayed there. I took a deep breath and chuckled nervously. "You really hurt my feelings, Tsu'tey. Already forgot who I am after a few days?"

I turned my head to flash him a grin. For moment, utter shock crossed his features. Then it was gone to be replaced by a bland expression as he raised an eyebrow. He gave a shove and I lost my balance as I sprawled into the clearing. Tsu'tey stood gracefully and snorted in disgust.

"What?" I snapped as I dusted off my shirt. He shrugged and walked over to his kill again. Black locks spilled down to cover his face as he bent down again.

"I knew your mental capacities haven't changed at all," he started and looked up at me with an incredulous expression. "Throwing rocks?"

I poked my tongue out and sat back. After a while of silently working on getting the fur off the deer, he looked up again, his eyes silently taking in my form. He snorted again before bending down. I glared and flung a stock of grass at him.

"What's so funny?" I demanded with a small flush. I knew my hair color was a bit odd but he didn't have to be such a jerk about it. He shook his head.

"What's with the blinding colors?" he finally said and I shrugged. We sat in silence for a while and I kept throwing small blade of grass at him and he kept ignoring me. After a while, Tsu'tey finally stood up and tucked the knife into the sheath. He picked up the kill and slung it over his shoulder. I stood as well, wincing as blood rushed into my numb legs.

"You'll be back tomorrow?" he asked without turning back and I gave a small confirmation. Tsu'tey turned and gave me a rather nasty smirk. "Now that you got your avatar, you'd better get ready. Tomorrow's going to be one hell of a day for you. If you think you've seen the worst, think again."

And without another word, he disappeared into the woods. I groaned and trudged after him. Now I really wished I was under Neytiri's instructions. Lucky Jake.

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