The aircraft was still flying through the clouds as it was still daylight. Mirabel was still more excited as she looked through the windows along with Norm. They only saw the trees and creatures flying around. Jake also got a good look at the view a bit as he was hanging on, but in his wheelchair, he can lean forward for a better view. Grace was looking back at the avatars to see if they're still there, but thankfully the seatbelts were holding tight to them.
"Are we there yet?" Mirabel asked her mother with a whisper.
"We're getting close." Grace spoke to Jake and Mirabel as she faces them.
Mirabel smiled as she felt more excited and then looked at the radars with Norm and Trudy.
"Yeah, look at my instruments." Trudy spoke as she looked at the radars as they were acting up so strangely.
"Yep. We're in the flux vortex." said Grace as she looked at them and looked back at the window.
"We're VFR from here on."
"What's VFR?" Norm asked as he looked at Trudy.
"Means you gotta see where you're going." the pilot smiled and continued driving until the aircraft went into the fog.
"You can't see anything."
"Exactly."
Mirabel looked at straight at the window as she could see nothing from the fog. Just like last time as she remembered the first time she rode on an aircraft. The fog was indeed thick, but soon it'll clear at. Suddenly, she saw something that was close to the aircraft. Trees were sticking out of the mist, and roots were coming out from above. Mirabel looked to see Norm and Jake as they were looking through the window as they saw the trees and the roots.
Finally, the fog finally cleared out as the sun was shining and all five just stared at the floating mountains. Madison smiled as she was happy to see the mountains again while Norm and Jake were in awe.
"Oh, my God." those were the only words that Norm could say.
"Amazing, right?" Mirabel asked as she smiled at the two.
"Yeah." Jake replied in soft tone.
Trudy chuckled as she looked at the guys and then turned back to face the front window.
"You should see your faces." the pilot continued to laugh.
The aircraft kept flying as the flew past a mountain after mountain. Mirabel can't stop staring at the beauty of those mountains. She remembered how she reacted just like boys until she spotted a familiar cabin that the aircraft was close by.
"There it is. Site 26." she spoke.
The aircraft got closer to the cabin slowly as it got closer to the ground until it finally landed.
"Thank you for flying Air Pandora." Trudy said as she was making a joke.
Grace came out first along with Mirabel as they got their masks on including the others. Mirabel stood between the aircraft and the site as she was getting a good look at the floating mountains. She missed this. She missed seeing the sight of the view.
"Hey, Butterfly. Come on, hurry up." Grace hollered as she was heading into the site and Mirabel quickly caught up with her.
Inside the site, Grace and Mirabel went in as they were in a chamber to suck out the Pandora into regular air as everyone took their masks off and Grace opened the door to enter the shack.
"Okay." Grace spoke as she looked at her daughter. "You know where your bunk is, right?"
"Yep." Mirabel smiled as she remembers and starts walking to the direction.
"And I'll show you how to operate the link, it's in another room."
"Got it."
Mirabel came to a familiar bunk that she once knew. It looked cozy for her, items that she picked up when she was outside were decorated around, and on the wall were pictures of the mountains, plants, trees, and even pictures of her with the Na'vi children. Such good times she remembered as she placed her things on the bunk. As she heard the power was now on, thanks to Grace, Mirabel went to a small desk and start setting her electronics and digital cameras up for her next blog.
"Okay, that's settled. Now to the set up the links." she said to herself and starts leaving the room.
She spotted Jake, Norm, and Trudy as they went in and had their masks off, and bags set on the floor.
"Welcome to camp." Grace spoke as she approached to them.
Trudy was now getting settle as she came to a small fridge to get something out while Grace was giving Norm the tour. Jake was with Trudy as she looked at the fridge door that has the pictures of Grace in her avatar body and was with the children.
"So..." Grace continued with the tour as she was with Norm, "this is my bunk. Over there is Mirabel's. Norm, go under." she pointed at the bunk.
"All right."
"Trudy, you'll take the top one."
Mirabel went to the link chambers that there were only two. But she remembers there were two more in the other last time she checked.
"All right." Grace came in as she was showing Jake where his link bed be. "Jake, hang a left. You'll be in the link at the end."
Jake followed her as he was using his wheelchair. He was still looking around until he looked at his left to see the link bed being turned on.
"Unit one. Beulah. She's the least glitchy." said Grace.
"But she can work just fine." said Mirabel.
Jake looked at the link bed as he looking to see that if it's still in shape. Mirabel and Grace looked at each and smiled until Grace spoke to Norm.
"Norm, I need you to operate Jake's link."
"What?" Norm spoke as it sounds like he wasn't too pleased. "Oh, come on."
Mirabel just looked at him as he walks away from Grace while Jake gets on the bed.
"Hey. You got a problem?" Jake spoke as he looked at him.
"Yeah, I do!" Norm snapped as he turned to face him. "I trained three years for this mission. I speak the language fluently."
Grace turned to face him while Mirabel just looked stunned as she stared at him.
"He falls off the frickin' turnip truck and all of a sudden he's cultural ambassador!?" he spoke to Grace as he was pointing at Jake.
"It's not our choice, Norm." Grace spoke.
"It's all Eywa. We can't deny what Eywa's choices are. Just like how we can't deny our God's work." Mirabel spoke.
Norm looked back and forth at the two and then glowers at Jake.
"Yeah, well I didn't come out here to wash the dishes while you're on some interspecies booty call." he said and that stalks away past Mirabel and exit the room.
Grace just turned as she looked shocked but then smirked.
"Well... he can't go far."
"Should... we go talk to him?" Mirabel asked as she looked at her mom.
"Nah. Let him blow off a few steams." said Grace as she decided to operate Jake's link but then spoke to her daughter, "Better get yours set up. I'll meet you there."
Mirabel nods her head and starts leaving the room, heading to the other room. Going for the Unit Four as her mother told her to be back at the craft. She starts setting up the link bed as she was operating it until the link was now opened. With the sounds of humming and the beeps that sounded approving, Mirabel smiled as she knew she was ready to go. Now she has to wait on her mom to come.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Mirabel turned to see that if it was Grace, but to her surprise, it was Norm. He was just staring at the floor, looking silent for a second.
"Do you... do you need any help?" he asked.
"I just need someone to operate the link once I'm on it. I was waiting on mom, but maybe you can help me out." she answered.
Norm slowly walked past her as he was now checking to see if anything was right. Mirabel slowly sat on the link bed and had her legs set in the foam, waiting for Norm to be done.
"Sorry how you saw me acted that way back then."
"It's fine. Really, it is." Mirabel replied.
"I was... I was just..." Norm tried to explain on what he felt but couldn't find the words.
"Frustrated? Jealous?"
"Kind of both, I think. I mean... why Jake?"
"I was wondering that as well. Confused, but it's not our decision, Norm. It's all Eywa. There must be something that Eywa sees in him. Just like me."
Norm paused as he heard what she just said and then turned.
"What do you mean just like you?"
"Back when I was eleven, before the school tragedy and you and Jake arrive, I was hanging around with Neytiri and her sister. We were just looking at the sky and talking, until the woodsprites appeared. They were all around me just like Jake. I didn't know what that means, all I can say that it was a sign from Eywa. I don't know what She sees in me, but I think... maybe she saw something special in me or... wants me to protect Pandora."
"Protect?" Norm questioned with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean 'protect'?"
"Ever since the school tragedy and seeing the screens of what the RDA has done to the forest, and... what they did to my friends, I feel like I'm wanting to protect it. And learning that I was not exiled, I thought maybe I could train hard, be part of the Na'vi clan, I could protect Pandora."
"That sounds like a big responsibility."
"It does, but I'm positive that the Na'vi will too. Including Jake if he learns."
Norm nodded his head. Wasn't sure about Jake, but hopefully she's right. With a sound of a beep, Norm looked at the screen to see the green and the word 'active'.
"You're all set. Ready?" he asked.
Mirabel quickly got on the link bed and was in position as she laid down.
"Ready." she replied.
As Norm gently laid the lid down, Mirabel starts closing her eyes and cleared her mind as she gaining conscious to her avatar body.
Back at the Hometree, Neytiri was leading Jake and Mirabel as they were in their avatar bodies. They were climbing up to the top of the tallest tree of the Na'vi's home as Neytiri was planning on showing them something. Jake was trying to keep up with the girls as they crossed the core of the trunk and came to a section of the largest branch. The soldier was catching his breath as he was beside the girls but then looked at view to see how high they were.
Mirabel was looking around as she remembered that she has never gone this high before when she was little and also listening to the sound of the wind howling until Neytiri was making sounds that sounds like a bird. The avatars looked at her as they were wondering what she was doing until she stopped. All three listened as they heard twigs snapping and something flapping until they heard noises. Jake and Mirabel looked at the branches and saw something moving and popped out of nowhere. The two moved back a little and then got a good look at the creature. Mirabel smiled to see that it was an ikran. The creatures that remember seeing the Na'vi riding on them.
"Do not look in her eye." Neytiri warned her and Mirabel as she looked at the ikran.
The two quickly do as she told them but looked at Neytiri as she was feeding the creature and calling it 'Seyzey' which was a name. The ikran took a bite of her meat and looked at Neytiri as she was speaking her language to her.
"Ikran is not horse." Neytiri explained as she had her queue and gently connects to the ikran's antenna. The ikran shivers and stretches her wings out as the connection is made. "Once shahaylu is made, ikran will fly with only one hunter in the whole life."
Neytiri got closer to her ikran as she was adjusting the saddle and climbs smoothly onto the creature's back. Mirabel quickly caught of glimpse of the ikran and smiled at the beauty of the creature. She's been hoping on riding one ever since she was a kid.
"To become taronyu, hunter, you must choose your ikran and he must choose you." Neytiri explained as she looked at Mirabel and Jake.
"When?" Jake questioned as he looked at her and Neytiri smiled.
"When you are ready." she replied as she had her goggles set and let out a screech, causing the ikran to dive down.
Jake and Mirabel looked down and down watched to see the ikran flying as Neytiri was riding on her. The two couldn't stop smiling as they were amazed and hoping that they'll fly too, once they trained hard.
To Be Continued...
