Pandora: The Final Solution

I gratefully acknowledge one of the foremost creative geniuses of our times, James Cameron, for conceiving the lush moon Pandora and the "noble savages," the Na'vi, that inhabit it. This story uses the characters and setting he created for his movie, Avatar. I have not received any money for my work based on Avatar. If I could get paid by the hour for these stories, I would retire and spend all my time dancing and writing in comfort.

Author's Note: This chapter corresponds to the very last scene in the original movie Avatar. Everything to this point has been filling in the backstory as I have envisioned it. The remaining chapters will be my extrapolation, ignoring the publicity for the upcoming sequels.

Chapter 34: Well of Souls

Jake is lying on his side in a coma, with his mouth open on the ground, totally oblivious to everything around him. His heart beats erratically and his breathing is shallow and irregular. In time, his body settles into a more normal rhythm. Slowly he regains consciousness. The first sensation is a terrible pain in his head, so bad that it swamps all other functions. No senses. No thoughts. No muscular control. When he finally gets his mind focused enough to make a coherent thought, what comes out is, "Worst headache ever." After an eternity, he thinks, "I'm hit. Gotta get help." He tries to move, but nothing works. He cannot remember where he is in relation to his unit in Venezuela. This situation makes him frustrated, but he refuses to give up. He's not ready to die out here, alone in the jungle.

A familiar voice, seemingly far away, yells, "Look alive, numb-nuts."

At first, he can't put a name or face to the voice. Then recognition pops into his thoughts. "Grace, is that you?"

The voice is closer now. "Move it, marine. Are you expecting anyone else?"

He remembers a conversation with Grace not long ago. "I know, Eywa speaks to no one." Jake takes a deep breath and tries to spit. "I hate eating mud."

"Well, if you wake up and get your ass moving, you won't be chewing the dirt and ground cover. I don't recognize that moss, but it probably won't hurt your new body."

"Uh-huh. I'll ask Norm to take a sample later."

Grace laughs in reply. "Come on, Jake, time to rejoin the living."

After many tries, Jake rolls his head over a lump so he's facing skyward. His eyelids flutter and he gets confused again. All he sees is a lot of swaying pinkish-white stripes and bright white spots drifting about. Then a blue blob floats overhead briefly and disappears. In the distance he hears a thunderous chant, but can't make sense of it. Like being outside a football stadium, with the crowd cheering. Why would a crowd be nearby? He feels something warm rubbing his right cheek. He hears someone calling his name, with an accent that is both unusual but familiar and comforting. His eyes pop wide open. Neytiri!

"That's it, Jake. Neytiri is trying to wake you up. She's afraid you'll not survive this ceremony and end up like me. Eywa says you'll make it, if you fight through the pain. Your human body is dead, so pull your entire self out of Eywa and into your Avatar body."

The headache fades as self-awareness flows in. "I'm in the Well of Souls, and Mo'at is doing the transference ceremony. All of the Na'vi clans that answered my call are here. I've got to show them that Toruk Makto lives as one of them after they helped move my spirit."

"You're getting it, Jake. You've got to get up and rally your troops. Since you are practically awake, I'm going to go. You are on your own now, until you bond with a sacred tree again. I'll be there, just ask for me. Good luck, Jake."

The blue blob reappears. Jake blinks and his eyes focus on the blob that he now can recognize. A huge smile sweeps over his face. "I See you."

Neytiri raises her hand up over her head, and Mo'at stops chanting. As tears well up in her eyes, she answers, "I See you."

Jake becomes aware of a prickling sensation over most of his body. Feels like getting a tattoo, but covers most of his body at once, not localized like a tattoo needle. He looks up at Neytiri and whispers, "How do I get out of these filaments?"

Neytiri sits back and replies, "It looks like Eywa is pulling them out. Don't move and let them come out on their own." She pinches hold onto a broken filament in his neck and slowly slides it out.

Jake lifts one arm up and the filaments fall out of it. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "That's better." He sees Mo'at standing with her arms upraised as the chanting dies out around him. He tries his legs, and they move. He thinks, "Finally! I have a whole body!" He rolls his shoulders so he is lying flat on his back, ignoring the pain caused by lying on his tail and queue. He becomes aware of the deathly silence around him. Everyone in the well, the Na'vi that fought with him, seems to be holding their breath. It's time to show them they succeeded in this ceremony. He raises his arms toward Neytiri. "Help me up, my love."

"It's too soon."

Mo'at says softly, "Za'ki said you must rest."

"I will, I just need to sit up now."

Neytiri reaches out with her left hand and Jake grabs it with both hands, and she slowly pulls him up into a sitting position.

"This is embarrassing. Where's my loincloth?"

Mo'at hands it to him and says, "Take it easy. Don't try to stand yet."

Jake says, "Thanks," while he wraps the loincloth around his waist and ties it. "I promise I will rest, after I thank everyone for helping me."

Mo'at turns away, giving Neytiri an unhappy grimace.

Neytiri says, "I'll take care of him, Mother." She carefully places his clan leader necklace around his neck. "You are very handsome, my love. Here, you must have this, too." She hands him the ceremonial bow her father gave her as he lie dying. "Give me your other hand." She pulls him up into a standing position.

Steadying himself with the bow, Jake turns around slowly to look at the Na'vi bonded to the sacred tree as the glowing roots and filaments darken. He continues turning until he is facing the leaders from the other clans. Focusing on Akwey who is nodding at him, Jake speaks loudly. "Brothers! Sisters! I thank Eywa for bringing me here. I thank Eywa for the Omatikaya clan who took me in and taught me how to be Na'vi. I thank Eywa for giving me a toruk to ride. I thank Eywa for your clans that came here to fight with me. I thank Eywa for sending in the wild animals during the battle to overcome the killing machines. I thank Eywa for this ceremony that makes me truly Na'vi." He turns towards Neytiri. "I thank Ewya for giving me my mate, Neytiri, for all she has done for me, and will do for me." He slowly turns to face everyone around him. "I have much to be thankful for, because Eywa has given me something to live for, something to fight for. I thank each and every one of you for coming here and fighting with me, including those that died or cannot be here now. I thank you for assisting in this ceremony. With your help, and Eywa's, I am now one of you!" Jake raises the bow over his head, causing all Na'vi to jump up and whoop in response. The Well echoes the yells, making the sound louder than thunder.

When the cheers lessen, Jake continues. "I know the Sky People. They will return in even greater numbers. They cannot get here for many years, but they will come. We will prepare for their return. Tonight, though, we give thanks to The All-Mother for what She has given us and has done for us. Tomorrow, you will return to your homes, and the Omatikaya will walk to our New Hometree." He pauses during more cheers. "We will begin preparing for the Sky People after our homecomings. Eywa has given us another great gift. I will stay here, beneath this sacred tree, until all clans have left. I ask each clan to come to me before leaving. Using this tree, I will introduce you to Tsu'tey, who was my brother and clan leader and is now in Eywa, so that you will know whom to contact when you need to give me a message. Any Na'vi may contact him through any sacred tree on Eywa'eveng at any time, and he will pass the message on to me. Now, let's celebrate all that Eywa has given us." The cheers continue until the musicians begin playing, and the excited jumping turns into more organized dancing around the ancient, sacred Tree of Souls. Jake slowly sits down on the edge of a terrace and looks up at Neytiri and Mo'at.

Wrrtll and Maytse come up from behind Neytiri, hand in hand. He is carrying a skin of water over his shoulder, and she has a basket of food. Jake looks to them and says, "My friends… Wow!" Jake turns to Mo'at and asks while pointing at the couple, "Did Neytiri and I look like that?"

Mo'at says nothing but smiles and nods her head in assent.

"So that's how Tsu'tey knew we were mated."

While Wrrtll just stands there and smiles, Maytse answers, "We flew back here as soon as the shuttle left for the last time, and became mated before Eywa under this tree that night. We've been busy since then."

Jake grins and says, "I'm sure you have been. Congratulations."

Wrrtll responds, "Thank you. I'll remind you about our eight days away after we get everyone into our New Hometree. Za'ki found us getting our meals tonight, and said we should bring this to you." He hands the water skin to Jake, as Maytse sets the basket of food down in front of him.

Jake swallows a mouthful of water from the bag and says, "Thanks. I didn't feel very well when I first woke up, but now I think I could eat a horse, I mean pa'li."

Wrrtll replies, "You must be very hungry, pa'li don't taste very good."

"You've eaten one?"

Wrrtll laughs, "No, that's what I've been told since I was a baby."

Maytse changes the subject by saying, "Death stinks! The usual urine and feces, luckily no blood or gore this time." She starts gathering the vines that wrapped both of Jake's bodies during the ceremony.

Jake looks over at his human body, now lifeless, with the filaments going limp and falling out of it. "This is so weird, seeing myself dead. I worked so hard to keep that body in shape, and now it is worthless…" Jake's face gets very somber as his voice trails off.

Wrrtll squats before him and puts his hands on Jake's shoulders and says softly. "Yeah, I remember how surprised I was to see that body and being told it was you. I didn't believe it until you started talking like a skxawng. Brother, what should be done with it?"

"Bury it next to Tsu'tey. There is a rock up there with my name on it. Put the rock on top of the mound after the grave is filled in."

"Do you want a burial ceremony?"

"No, I'm still here, just can never use that body again."

"I See, that makes sense."

Maytse cleans Jake's human body as best as she can with the vines. "Wrrtll, you can pick it up now."

Wrrtll picks up the body and cradles it in his arms.

Maytse says, "Put that body over your shoulder like a sleeping child." After Wrrtll shifts the body into position, she says, "That's good. I'll get some fwampop to clean up here, and then meet you up at the grave site. Now go."

Wrrtll nods and steps down the terraces, through the crowd of celebrating Na'vi.

Mo'at turns to Maytse and says, "Congratulations, and thanks for your help. Thank Wrrtll for me when you meet up with him."

Maytse mods and replies "You're welcome. I'll tell Wrrtll." She darts through the crowd towards the herd of fwampop in the shadows by the wall of the Well.

Jake digs through the basket, saying, "There is more food here than I can eat." He pulls out a grilled meat strip, a teylu bundle, and a fruit and nut wrap. He hands the basket to Neytiri and says, "Help yourself, and give some to your mother. I'm sure both of you are hungry. I remember how hard you worked during Grace's ceremony. After eating, we'll have the energy to join in the festivities."

The women pick some food from the basket and then sit down, surrounding Jake. They eat in silence, watching the young warriors dance and the leaders relax.