Avatar 1. A Fresh Start

_Prologue_

_ Pandora was a lush world, beautiful, bursting with life. Life of all different kinds, like that crawled, slithered, walked, trotted, and even glided. It was almost impossible for one to not love beauty of the world, but one also had to respect that beyond that beauty, it was a world of many dangers._

_ Its atmosphere was a gasping death to humans, the dense jungle hid predators so cunning, so powerful and so deadly that even the largest dinosaurs of earth appeared like nothing more than iguanas by comparison, and then, there was the Na'vi._

_ The Na'vi, were the local population of the planet Pandora. From the outside, they appeared to be little more than primitives, perhaps even savages by some of the more intolerant and less observant. Standing on average at over three meters tall with blue luminescent skin, an almost feline face with a feline shaped nose and yellow eyes and almost elfish pointed ears, they looked like something out of a fantasy novel by Tolken. _

_ What the Na'vi apparently lacked in advanced technology and science, they made up for in their prowess in battle, and what could be described as a mystic link between themselves, the planet and life of Pandora. Could a planet have been said to have achieved sentience? If so, the Na'vi could be essentially considered the immune system, and they reacted strongly to any foreign presence, especially the humans, or as the Na'vi called them, "Sky People."_

_ The humans had arrived on Pandora years before, hoping to exploit the vast natural resources of the planet to help support the dying flame that was Earth. In particular, they came seeking an ultra-rare element called unobtanium. A super-conductive material, it had the power to unlock technologies in computation, a clean and endless energy supply, and so many more benefits. _

_ Unfortunately, the element was exceedingly rare and impossible to produce synthetically, so much so that humanity had to travel the vast distances between stars, land on a world that was hostile in every description of the name, face dangers that would make even the most hardened combat veterans run in fear just to gather more of the great, grey rock._

_ Like white blood cells attacking an infection, the Na'vi responded to these intruders who plowed and destroyed everything in their path without care or pause. It soon became apparent to all that diplomacy was needed, if for no other reason than to give the Resources Development Administration, RDA, something to protect themselves with in case the conflict ever escalated into a full shooting war, something that they could at least say, "hey, we tried."_

_ Enter the Avatar Program. The Na'vi would not speak to humans, so humans had to become Na'vi, or at least something that resembled them. Avatars were genetically grown hybrids of human and Na'vi, the only external differences were that they had four jointed fingers with an opposable thumb instead of three unjointed fingers, and eyebrows. The bodies themselves were remotely controlled by human operators via a telepathic link through implants in their bodies. The operators themselves could only control their one specific Avatar due to the fact that each Avatar was grown specifically for that one driver using their DNA. _

_ To become an Avatar driver, one normally had to undergo years of training and screening to find out if one could even hope to control a body, then add on all the additional cultural, language and customs training, becoming an Avatar driver was much harder than it seemed. Jake Scully was the one exception. His identical twin brother, Thomas, was killed just before departing for Pandora, and not wanting to lose a multi-million dollar investment, the RDA had recruited him, despite having no training or understanding of the Na'vi or Pandora._

_ Perhaps this is where I, your narrator, found myself in conflict. Jake was about as different to his brother in every measurable way despite their being twins. I was close friends with Tom, and I harbored a bit of jealousy and a grudge against Jake for essentially having bypassed years of training and scrutiny, that he got a free ride into a program that so many tried for, but fewer than one percent ever achieved. Then, this complete newcomer goes and achieves more in three months than the entire team had been doing for years. _

_ Looking back, I was a selfish fool to believe that Jake got it light. Did I truly believe that he felt his brother's life was worth being here? That losing his legs was ever part of the equation? No, he had it worst, and yet, the best. _

_ You, my faithful audience, know the rest of the story, the pain, the suffering and climatic battle and bid for freedom that we fought against the RDA and their mercenary goons, and how it ended, and at what price. Such a loss of life on both sides of the conflict, another dark stain on the history of man. I send this message, and the epic that follows it, so that what happened here is not lost to the vastness of space or the depths of time and that the sacrifices on both dies would not be in vain. This is Researcher and Avatar driver, Doctor Norman Spellman signing off. _

Norman stood from the video recording station just vacated only moments before by Jake Sully who was also entering in his final log to be transmitted beyond relativistic speeds to Earth in the hopes that someone back there was listening. He rubbed his temples, the days of exhaustion finally catching up to him, a soft blue light covering his face.

Turning, once more before resigning himself to another fitful night of sleep and dreams, suspended in fluid, wrapped in bandages was his Avatar body, recovering from wounds from the battle in the few days prior. Neytiri, Jake's had helped him stabilize the wounds that would have ultimately proven fatal to the body, and several warriors from the Omaticaya Clan had carried the body back to Hell's Gate. After several hours of surgery, the prognosis had gone from bleak to cautiously optimistic. It would only be another few days and then he could be out and about in the lush Pandoran wildness with it.

Yawning heavily, Norm headed for the now mostly vacant dormitories. Most of the humans had been evacuated the day prior, leaving only himself, Doctor Max Patel, Jake Scully and a few other Avatar drivers who had assisted indirectly with the battle. His own personal prognosis was in flux. He was trapped on this alien world, not wanting or desiring to return home to Earth, and what future did he have there anyway if he wasn't suicided on the flight home anyway? He would have to answer for what had happened here on Pandora, the deaths of so many of the RDA mercenaries, the loss of massive company and government property, not to mention the charges of treason, despite knowing that he had absolutely done the right thing, but what was his future here?

Food and air supplies were not infinite. Eventually either he would have to return to Earth, if not on the _Venture Star_ or a sister vessel that would undoubtedly be coming later, or did he live out the last of his life as a Doctor and human, or become reborn into his Avatar body as Jake had been, and if so, then what? Yes, the prognosis was in flux and a complicated one indeed.


	2. Hard Choices

_Chapter 1_

_Light, there is light_. That is the first thing that Norm thought to himself after going through the almost LSD-like trip of rainbow lights as his consciousness connected from his human body to his Avatar.

The bright haze that he saw started to clear somewhat, almost as if waking from a deep sleep. That was not entirely untrue since his Avatar body had been sleeping for the past several days, recuperating from the final battle days before. Turning his head slightly, he could see Max Patel to his side, donned in a lab coat and breathing mask, running Norm's Avatar body over with some kind of scanner.

Max asked him, "can you hear me Norm?" Norm grunted an affirmative, and slowly raised himself up to his elbows, feeling some pain and stiffness in his joints. Max rested a hand on his shoulder, urging him to slow down. "Take it easy, we only just got this body back up and running, we don't need to put your Avatar back into the healing pod again so quickly."

Norm nodded in acknowledgement, and slowly raised himself up to a full sitting position. Looking down the oversized hospital gown he wore, he saw the scars from the surgery a few days prior to remove several slugs from a M60 rifle had noticeably diminished. It never ceased to amaze him just how durable Na'vi bodies were opposed to humans.

As his vision cleared, he became aware of at least two other visitors in his room, both Na'vi. Shaking his head and opening the almost cat-like eyes again, the wavy figures came into focus. To his right stood Jake and his Na'vi mate, Neytiri. Jake was smiling widely, not restraining the fact that he was glad to see Norm's Avatar up and functioning again. Neytiri, also smiled, but her tail flailed in slight agitation and impatience, almost as if she felt out of place inside the medical lab.

"So this is where dreamwalkers dream, Jakesully?" Neytiri asked him as she eyed the large, sterile room.

"One of many, yes," was his response as he turned to Norm. "How are you feeling, friend?"

Norm winced as another round of pain and stiffness crept along his chest, but seemed diminished somewhat. "About as good as I could expect I suppose. A bit of soreness and stiffness, but otherwise ok." Norm turned his sitting form to the side and let his feet dangle off the edge of the hospital bed, and gently moved to stand upright.

At first, everything seemed ok but as he pushed himself up off the hospital bed, a wave of vertigo overcame him, and he stumbled forward. Fortunately for Norm, Jake and Neytiri snatched him by the arms and kept him from falling as he recollected his feet below himself.

"Easy, friend. Your body has been through quite a bit of trauma over the past couple weeks, take it slow," Jake coached Norm as he helped ease him back upright. Neytiri did not say anything, but her eyes and flapping tail betrayed similar feelings to that of her life-mate. Slowly the pair let go and Norm stood unaided in the Avatar room.

"I'm going to take a few steps here now, be ready to catch me if anything happens." Norm slowly raised one foot and took a small step forward, carefully planting his feet. _Ugh, just like learning to walk again all over _he thought as he made the few shaky steps from one end of the room to another. He slowly turned back and walked back across the room again, albeit much more steadily than before.

Max Patel stood at the side of the room monitoring his vitals from the systems attached to various electrodes across his body, and nodded in approval. "Well Norm, everything looks alright here. With everything said and done, I'd say you and your Avatar are going to be just fine." Norm smiled at that, relieved to hear that everything was alright. Jake and Neytiri smiled in agreement, although her apprehension in being inside the cold, sterile room was still apparent.

Jake seemed to pick up on this and nodded to both her and Norm at the same time. "If it's all the same, I think we'll be outside in the training grounds to get some fresh air. If Max here thinks it's alright, why don't you get changed out of that smock and meet us there when you're ready?" Max nodded his agreement and norm replied, "you bet. Give me a few minutes." With that, both Jake and Neytiri opened the sealed door to the side of the room that exited to the vast Pandoran wilderness.

Doctor Patel removed the various sensors on Norm's Avatar, then turned away to give Norm some privacy as he quickly slipped on a pair of shorts, although he decided to forego a shirt or his ballcap. Since most of the natives wore little more than a loincloth, a step that he was not just quite ready to make, he felt that the least he could do would be to go with something similar.

Slowly walking outside, his eyes dimmed then adjusted for the bright Pandoran light. He could see in the distance numerous Na'vi tribesman and a few of the remaining Avatars walking about the training area. Jake was taking a free moment to try a bit of one-on-one against Neytiri at the basketball hoop, and Neytiri was mopping the floor with him at the moment since the score could be described at a little to a lot. One thing could be said for Neytiri, she was a natural talent for about anything.

After watching Neytiri sink another basket, Jake walked over to Norm, the two taking a walk around the edge of the training grounds, allowing Norm to stretch his legs some. Not much was said at first, although the pensive look on Norm's face said about all of it. Jake started first, "how long until air and food supplies run out?"

Norm thought in his head and replied, "well, given between myself and Max and the remaining half-dozen Avatar pilots, we have enough supplies to last several months at least. Here's the thing, while we _can_ eat Pandoran food and wildlife, we have only a limited quantity of oxygen. The _Venture Star_ was also on a resupply run to offload CO2 scrubbers and air filters for the base's oxygen supply."

Jake nodded as Norm paused a moment before continuing, "the problem is that most of the supplies were still onboard the _Venture Star_, and we simply lack the resources and refining ability here to create replacements. Sure, Pandora has a nice mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, but if you can't filter out the ammonia and methane, well, you know the rest. Way as I see it, we only have a few options to lengthen our resources, and maximize our time here. We can cut off and cannibalize the air filtration systems from non-critical sections of the base for a start, which would be enough to give us at least a couple years supply of breathable atmosphere."

Finally Norm groaned, venting all of his frustrations. "Dammit Jake, even if we could somehow extend the life-support of Hell's Gate to last until the next transport arrived from Earth, what would we have to look forward to if we went back? Show trials, prison? That is if they didn't space my sleeper pod halfway back!" Jake looked down, knowing full well where this would go.

"The fact is Jake, we cannot go back, you know this. It takes about three years to grow an Avatar body, we have the necessary materials and hardware here to do it. The only way we are going to survive and make it long-term is if we fully transfer ourselves to our Avatar bodies. If myself and the remaining pilots did that, it would free up the resources and time needed to allow Max to create himself an Avatar." Norm stopped, turned and faced Jake, who's eyes remained downward, but gradually looked up.

"How does the rest of the staff feel about living their lives as Na'vi?" It was all he could manage. His choice to become fully Na'vi had been an easy one. He could be whole again, he had his legs back, a mate that loved him, and a future in the Clan, and no family back home. For others like Norm, the choice was fairly apparent, but it was not a choice that was being made by them, and as compared to Jake, less than ideal.

"They understand what ultimately needs to happen. So far I haven't heard of anyone saying that they'd rather die than go fully Na'vi, but none are especially looking forward to going fully native either. Of course none really have had your experience and time with Omaticaya, and I suppose in time they'll adapt. I mean, really, what choice do we, or did we have?" Norm turned away, staring out to the vastness of Pandora. Eywa stared back and smiled.


	3. Two Paths

_Chapter 2_

"You look distressed, Jakesully," came Neytiri's soothing voice. Jake looked behind him to see his beloved bathed in the soft purple and white light of the Tree of Voices. Jake came here often to meditate and pray, both to Ewya and to God. He mainly prayed to God, while he more or less communed with Ewya.

Jake had never been an especially religious man, his brother the scientist the constant skeptic, although he was raised in a traditional Catholic home, but he was convinced that at least Ewya was real. He did not believe that Ewya was some kind of deity, but rather that she was the consciousness of Pandora itself. Not a or indeed _the _God, but perhaps the largest and most advanced organism known in the galaxy.  
To an extent it did make a certain amount of sense. The Na'vi said that Ewya did not take sides, that she merely maintained the balance of life. Most living organisms behaved in that manner regardless. The human body plays host to thousands of types of bacteria and microorganisms, some beneficial, some not. Only when things passed a point, such as becoming infected with an outbreak of bacteria, did the body react. How many germs did someone kill every time they took a shower without a second thought? How could just a single small being, even a Na'vi, compare to the vast greatness that would be a planet-sized entity? The similarities were there, and at least this much Jake understood. The late Grace Augustine and currently both Max and Norm had an inkling of this power, but without the Na'vi's ability to directly interface with the planet, they lacked the clearer understanding of such. Yes there was God, Jake of this was certain, but there was also Ewya, and of that he was positive.

Turning back to face Neytiri, Jake let out a small sigh. "I am worried for my friends, the other dreamwalkers and Sky-people that stayed." Jake was sitting on the stone outcropping at the base of the Tree. Neytiri sidled up next to him and sat down gently, her hand reaching for his. She gave him a gentle squeeze, coaching him into continuing his thoughts.

Neytiri thought so much like a Na'vi that she had a hard time understanding certain human conceptions, much like Jake had struggled initially with his understanding of the Na'vi and their deep connections with the forest. The first time he tried to explain to her why he came to Pandora, that he needed money to fix his legs, she looked at him like a second head had just sprouted out of his chest.

"They are worried, afraid. Afraid of what will happen to them if they stay, and what would happen to them if they leave. They feel alone, their families back home have spurned them, and they feel as if they do not have a family here." Neytiri pulled her hand back at that comment and gave Jake a hard look.

"You are a fool, Jakesully. They do have family here, they have you, me, the entire Clan! How can you say that they do not have family?" Jake realized the error of his chosen words as he reached out and took her hands back into his.

"I know that and so do you, but for them it's very scary. It's that they have had to give up everything that they've known, everyone they've ever known and loved, it's a steep price to pay." He paused, trying to explain it in ways she would understand. "Imagine if there was an ocean so great that there is no way to cross it. You are on one side, I am trapped on another."

Neytiri showed a pained face as she looked at Jake, clearly not a situation that she ever wanted to fathom. "We could never see each other again, but there are Na'vi on each side where we could start our lives again with. Perhaps you might find another mate," she hissed in disgust at the mere thought, Jake continued on. "But would your new mate and family replace me fully now or ever? Would mine ever truly replace you? Would we ever be truly happy again with another mate or Clan?" Neytiri looked down, moistness in her eyes as realization dawned on her. Na'vi were traditionally mated for life, and usually when their partner died, it was not uncommon to find another mate, but it was exceptionally rare for those new pairings to be as happy or successful as the original. She never really thought of things from the Sky-people's perspective, she had just assumed that because they stayed they would be happy. Jake always had a way of explaining things that she could not quite understand, and she always had a way to action.

Neytiri's face then took on a hard edge, she stood and pulled Jake to his feet. "Then we must show them, Jakesully. We must show them that they do have a home here with the Omaticaya, that they do have brothers and sisters here, come." With that, the two young lovers dashed off the Tree of Voices and towards their waiting ikran winged mounts.

************

"Become a warrior, a Na'vi hunter? Jake, I might have been able to pull the trigger on a few bloodthirsty mercs, but I'd hardly call myself a warrior." Norm's Avatar and Jake sat atop one of the modular RDA buildings in the Halleluiah Mountains, the same where the duo along with Dr. Augustine had spent the majority of their three months of observation of the Omaticaya. Norm had relocated out to the remote outpost by himself to ease the burden of resources back at Hell's Gate, also because he far preferred the natural beauty of the Halleluiah Mountains to Hell's Gate, and had decided that if he were to die here on Pandora, he'd rather do it here with the spectacular views of the giant floating island mountains.

Neytiri gave an impatient huff, Norm's answer not exactly to her pleasing. Jake was essentially filling the role of negotiator between the timid scientist and the femme fatale Na'vi warrior princess who could be more stubborn than he cared to admit at times. "We are talking about your future here Norm. You fought in battle with your Avatar. Your actual life was in no real danger, sure, but you still showed bravery in combat where you could at least suffered quite a bit of pain, and what happened after your Avatar fell? You got out and kept on fighting where if you had fallen, it would have been permanent."

Norm looked down a moment, there was no denying the truth in Jake's words, but he was not really a warrior. "Jake, I don't have what it takes, I mean you're a marine. You have the instincts, the desire. I'm a scientist, I'm a doctor. I'm...." Neytiri let out a hiss and bared her teeth. "I'm going to follow your advice when you say that I could be a hunter for the Omaticaya."

Jake rested a hand on Neytiri's shoulder, giving her a restraining movement and casting her the look of _please beloved, don't try and force the man_. Neytiri for her part sat back and looked down briefly, although her tail still flicked in agitation. Jake took a breath and responded to both parties involved.

"Norm, I think it is a great compliment to yourself that Neytiri has such confidence in you, and your viability as a productive member in the Omaticaya. I personally have no doubt that you could pass the warrior tests, but at the same time we should respect the fact that just because you can do something, doesn't necessarily mean you should. We both know you have many talents that would be of use, and there are many roles in the Clan. Not all of the Clan are warriors or hunters, although everyone who hopes to have stature in the Clan must at least know how to hunt and ride. Just because one may not be the best hunter, does not mean that you could not contribute in a manner any less."

Neytiri looked up at her mate, understanding starting to dawn both her and Norm's face. Jake continued, "yes, you should and need to test out as a hunter, but the Clan does not need another hunter or warrior. What we need is someone with your knowledge of medicine. We need Norman Spellman, Ph.D in xenobiology."

Norm looked up, letting out a sigh of resignation before a weak smile crossed his Avatar's face. "Just tell me I'll have the opportunity to get my own banshee." Neytiri let out another hiss at the Sky-people name for the ikran. "Uh, I mean ikran," he quickly corrected.

Jake merely chuckled. "Careful what you wish for, friend. It just might happen."


	4. The Road Less Travelled

_Chapter 3_

Neytiri let out an impatient hiss at the struggling scientist, wondering who was the greater skhawng, her for encouraging Norm, or Norm for his clumsiness. Both she and Jake had started his Na'vi training in earnest, the first thing being physical training and toning. Norm, while he was physically healthy and took care of himself, he was not the competitive athlete that was her mate, so the trio had started off with runs and climbs throughout the Pandoran wilderness.

Norm, for his part, thought his legs and chest were about to burst. He had lost track for how far or long they had been running except that it just seemed to never stop. He wore the same basic loincloth that the men traditionally wore, silently cursing the discomfort of the straps, although he had to admit it did keep him cool and the Pandoran breeze was refreshing. _No wonder Native Americans and the Scottish wore loincloths and kilts, they actually serve a purpose._ He had little doubt that in the sweltering heat of Pandora, too much moisture would surely create an infection along any chafe, and _that_ was a particular embarrassment he was not about to have to undergo.

The trio ran through the jungle, leaped from one branch to another and just kept on going. Jake had urged Neytiri to slow the pace slightly, something she was reluctant to do, but Norm was able to at least keep pace at the slower speed. Nearing the end of the almost freestyle running trip in the jungle, Norm watched in amazement as both Jake and Neytiri jumped off the edge of a stump outcropping to fall almost four stories to the ground below. He watched as the pair were bounced off giant leaves all the way to the ground, it reminded him of moonbounces that he loved so much when he was a kid.

The pair, now on the ground looked up at Norm, mischievous grins on their faces. "C'mon Norm, it's not so bad!" Jake cupped his hands around his mouth so he could be heard from so far down. Norm's mouth was gaping open, were they serious?

"Nu-uh, Jake, no way. I value my Avatar's non-broken limbs." Norm didn't budge an inch, although he didn't turn to back away either. Hearing a giggle from behind him, he turned to see Ninat, the Omaticaya's greatest singer. Since his arrival in the Clan camp in the few weeks prior, even a blind person could see that Norm had the hots for her. On more than one occasion he had been so mesmerized by her singing that he had fallen asleep. He returned the favor once by singing in front of the entire Clan and for her, "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by the Aerosmith....in Na'vi. While a few of the lyrics were lost in translation, his absolutely stunning voice and vibrato had completely stolen the crowd. Since then the two performing duets on occasion had been the highlights of Norm's time with the Na'vi, and a budding romance was clearly in the works.

Jake nor Neytiri had never figured that the bookish scientist had also minored in music, or that he had been the lead singer at his school's Chorale. Norm was the type to seem like he could get stage fright far too easily. Jake had nearly lost it when Norm had explained that if he ever had failed out of the biochemistry program that he had a full ride scholarship to the Peabody Institute of Music. Regardless, the hidden talent had certainly hooked the attention of the sultry Na'vi singer....and more than a few other women of the Clan.

Ninat now looked at Norm with a complete and utterly evil grin, but her eyes were soft as she charged at Norm who put up his arms in a valiant, but ultimately failed attempt to get her to stop. She caught him in a leaping hug square on, and the duet teetered over the edge and plummeted the five stories to the ground below.

Norm discovered two important things that day. One, that his soprano voice under enough stress was still there, and that the giant leaves were just like the moonbounces he remembered when he was younger. Gathering his shaky feet below his body, he spit out a large clump of dirt that he managed to catch on his landing, while Neytiri, Jake and Ninat were collectively having a huge laugh entirely at his expense. Something else strange was happening, he found himself laughing too, completely and uncontrollably so.

* * *

Norm sat cross-legged on a lone stone outcropping of the Na'vi village meditating, trying to find his inner and emotional center after the hard day of exercise with Jake and Neytiri. While Norm was also raised in a Christian household and held those beliefs dearly, he had also become an active practitioner of Zen. He felt that the meditation helped him focus his mind for the rigorous demands of being an Avatar driver.

During their stay in the Hallelujah Mountains, both he and Grace had gotten into more than one philosophical debate on religion that ran late into the night, much to the dismay of Jake. The one unable to accept or believe anything that she could not quantify or measure on a scale scientifically. The other, while very much the scientist and believed in the pursuit of truth and knowledge, also understood that some things had to be taken on faith.

A sudden bit of commotion to his back caught his attention, along with the shrill scream of a Na'vi woman in pain that sent a blood-chilling sensation through his body. Bolting to his feet, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the sound. _Is it an attack, what's going on?_

Arriving at the small thatched roof alcove, a small crowd of Na'vi surrounded a woman with a massively bloated belly. Mo'at, the Clan Tsahik and healer was at her side, probing the woman's belly, while Jake and Neytiri stood at the other. Norm was immediately fascinated but also horror-stricken at the same time. He could tell immediately what the problem was, the child in the womb had not turned. Na'vi, at least as far as birthing went, was almost identical to humans. Granted that Na'vi babies had almost a thirteen month incubation time, they birthed identically, just on a larger scale.

Norm took a step forward to enter the alcove, but the woman's mate, a young hunter with a distressed face, challenged him with a drawn knife and blocked his way. Norm raised his hands to show that he meant no harm, but the hunter and knife still were in his way.

_"Calm, Nik'ta, calm!"_ Came Mo'at's voice in Na'vi. The hunter called Nik'ta eased off slightly, but still kept his blade out, clearly ready to defend his life-mate from any perceived threat. Apparently, Norm's presence as an outsider was unwelcome.

Jake rushed over, placed a calming hand on Nik'ta's shoulder, easing him into lowering his weapon. The warrior promptly did as he was instructed, not daring to disobey the Toruk Makto, but his eyes still betrayed his true feelings, his flapping tail showing just the same.

Norm slid past the hunter and knelt as the side of the pained Na'vi woman. _"What ails her, Great Mother?"_ He asked of Mo'at, even though he already knew the answer. Mo'at did not look up from the bloated belly, her hands running over the distending flesh, another stroking the face of the Na'vi female. _"The child has not turned, it cannot be born." _The Na'vi woman began to cry, knowing that she and her child would die a slow, painful death. Mo'at rested a comforting hand on her face, but it did little to assuage the pain she was feeling.

Norm looked up, his face taking on a hard edge and stared at Mo'at squarely in the eye. Jake recognized it, it was the same edge he had the day he went into battle, the edge when he defended Jake in the Avatar Link Room against Selfridge's cronies. _"Great Mother, all may not be lost. The Sky-People have long since had a way to birth young that cannot be birthed."_ Mo'at looked at Norm, then to Jake who nodded in agreement and in support of his friend. The surrounding crowd hissed and stepped back at the mention of Sky-people, Nik'ta roared and charged in, throwing Norm to the side, his knife at his throat.

Norm kept his cool and continued to speak. _"Great Mother, Nik'ta, if you allow me to do nothing, then both the child and mother will die! Please, allow me to...." _His words were cut short by another vicious snarl from Nik'ta, despite urgings from Jake, Neytiri and Mo'at for him to back off. Then, the room became silent as a lone woodsprite, seeds from the Tree of Voices, flew into the room and gently glided down and landed on Norm's shoulder...then another....and another.

Nik'ta started to tremble as all of Norm was slowly covered with the almost jellyfish looking spores, his knife clattering to the floor as he fell back on his knees. The woodsprites stayed on Norm a moment longer, the only sounds in the room being the gentle breathing all present, then they slowly floated away. All who were present understood what it was, there was no mistaking a message from Ewya. Some fell to their knees and began to chant and pray, others like Nik'ta appeared too shocked and stunned to do anything other than remain like stones.

Mo'at, seizing the opportunity, ushered Norm to her side. _"Help her, Noruhmann," _she instructed him, still struggling over his name. Norm knew this would hardly be an ideal situation for a caesarean. Without anesthetic, bright lighting or sterile tools...but he worked with what he had. He placed a hand on the forehead of the pregnant woman stroking her gently and smiled. _"It will be all right."_ He placed a loose stick in her mouth to bite down on. Neytiri ushered everyone out, while she and Jake blocked the entrance. Norm then picked up the dropped knife, the edge of which was sharpened to a razor and looked back at the woman, and gave her the most confident smile he could muster.....

*****************

_"My daughter! Praise Ewya!" _Nik'ta held his newborn up high, parading her around the village. All members of the Omaticaya came out and surrounded him, cheers of celebration abounded.

His life-mate was resting comfortably, Mo'at having stitched her up after Norm had finished the cesarean birth of her child. Norm had discovered something else about Na'vi physiology, and that was the neural link that they used to control their mounts could also be used to deaden, or at least lessen the sensations of pain if it was shared with another, a role the Mo'at had accepted and had greatly reduced the discomfort for Norm's patient.

He now sat below a tree, feeling Pandora's cool breeze take away the sweat from his Avatar body, a slight tremble working its way through him as the adrenaline started to wear off. The parade behind Nik'ta finished its circle, but stopped as they were about to pass Norm. He looked up, seeing the young hunter holding his daughter that rested comfortably.

Nik'ta held out his hand, Norm took it as he was pulled to his feet by the young Na'vi warrior who began weeping in gratitude. Ninat came up to Norm's side, placing an ample arm around the still slightly shaking scientist. Norm seemed to calm at this, although he was still feeling mentally and emotionally drained.

Nik'ta spoke first, _"Dreamwalker, you have brought me my life. It is in your honor, and the grace of Ewya, that I humbly offer my apologies and welcome you as my brother to the Omaticaya." _Norm's mouth opened slightly, unsure what to say. In the background, he could see Neytiri and Jake smiling proudly. Nik'ta continued, _"I ask you now, brother, what shall I name my daughter? If not for you, I would be without a family."_

Norm thought for a moment. He thought for a long, long moment before he answered, _"Grace. Call her grace." _With that, a fresh round of hoops and hollers came across the entire Clan as a lone woodsprite landed on the baby's forehead, almost as if Eywa herself was kissing the newborn and welcoming the newborn Na'vi Grace into the world.


	5. And That Made All the Difference

_Chapter 4_

Norm walked freely through the Omaticaya village, taking a moment to breathe deeply and appreciate the natural beauty of Pandora. He had found a bit of a niche in the Clan community after his efforts for baby Grace in the weeks prior. Everywhere he went in the community, Na'vi villagers had paid him respects from anything from head-nods to outright praises to Ewya. This was a rare honor indeed, more so for someone who was not even officially a member of the Clan yet, although that was on the cusp of changing.

Nik'ta and his mate, who he learned the name was Minthra, had practically adopted him as a member of their family, both calling him brother, although for them they took the term much deeper than just simple honoraries. Norm had become almost like a surrogate parent to the newborn Grace, and had spent more than one night helping put the baby down. Apparently Norm also had a real soft spot for kids, and while the Na'vi had no real term in their language for godparent since every member of the Clan was expected to take part in the raising, Norm was certainly taking a very active part. Being in such a role also had the dual-purpose of also strengthening his resolve and focus, and setting a good example for the young child became a huge driving force for Norm.

He had continued to step up his training with the Clan. He could now ride a direhorse, what the Na'vi called that Pa'li, with relative ease. Norm had found the neural bonding, Tsahaylu, as disorienting at first as Jake had. The first time he tried to mount Ninat's Pa'li, he had been tossed like a rag-doll into the nearest pit of mud, again much to his personal expense.

Fortunately, he did find at least some sympathy and understanding from Jake as he related his experiences in first trying to learn how to mount a Pa'li. Norm, however, had done a bit of horseback riding back on Earth and was a bit more familiar with riding. His graduate and doctorate studies involved some prolonged stays and travels deep into the North American wilderness, and in some cases the land was so remote and the roads so poor that the only way to move was via horseback. Not long after mastering the Pa'li, he had become an accomplished rider, often taking parts in the hunts for the Clan acting as the hound, flushing out the game for the hunters to take down. His skills at archery left something to be desired, however. Not that it mattered, being considered a miracle worker by some with his knowledge of medicine and riding skills, there had been enough of a push by the majority of the Clan to allow him to take his trial at becoming a full member of the People.

Then, there was Ninat. Norm didn't even know where to start with the Na'vi woman. She certainly was beautiful and it was hard to ignore the obvious attraction that the two held for each other. The thing was, there were some very real cultural boundaries between them. At the end of every day, Norm would pop out of the link chamber and he would be his lanky six foot, white-skinned human self, and every time he looked himself in the mirror he was reminded of that fact. Ninat was an alien, ten foot athletic beauty that Norm was convinced the Sirens of Greek mythology were modeled after in her image.

Was it really love that they were experiencing, or just an infatuation? His mind was spinning in circles about her, oftentimes he would pretend to be asleep just to watch her sleep in the hammock next to his. Could a Na'vi/human hybrid and pure Na'vi make it work? Jake so far was the only example of such a pairing, and so far it seemed to be going very well, almost perfectly. Of course Jake's decision to convert had been an easy one. Sure, Norm felt obligated to assist the Omaticaya in any and every way he could, his small repayment and penance that compared to what the humans did, a thousand Norms or Jakes could never hope to repay. The nagging question in his mind was where did obligation and responsibility end, and where did his desires and wants start? One thing was for sure, tomorrow he would be scaling the Iknimaya with Jake, Neytiri, Ninat and a few other young Na'vi Clansmen for their final test at becoming a full member of the People by bonding with ikrans and becoming Ikran Maktos.

* * *

The ride to the base of the floating mountains had been smooth enough. Norm's faithful mount having walked him a considerable way up the side of the large stone outcropping at the base of the massive boulders. No matter how many times he saw it, the sight of an entire floating mountain range was absolutely breathtaking. Norm was not alone, indeed Ninat, Jake, Neytiri and two other young Na'vi candidates that Norm didn't recognize were along for the ride as well.

"_Higher!"_ Neytiri shouted at the crowd in her native tongue as they continued to climb upwards, now dismounted from their Pa'li's. Running across a long bridge of the floating boulders bound together by gigantic vines, Norm was slightly unnerved at feeling the rocks shift below him. It reminded him of a recurring nightmare he had as a child of being on a swinging bridge high above a ravine, and invariably falling. He looked ahead and saw the others continuing forward, and banishing any misgivings. He trusted his body and training and kept on going forward.

Reaching the end of the bridge, they leaped into the sky, catching hold of some dangling vines as they continued to pull themselves higher and higher. The vines seemed sturdy enough, but should one of them break...Norm didn't finish the thought nor did he looked down and just kept pulling himself up. In the distance, he could hear the distinct squawks and chirps of the ikrans, _we're close_ he thought to himself.

After scaling the dangling rope vines, the group stopped for a small break at the base of a waterfall, the sounds of the ikrans very loud and distinctive now. They were certainly close. Jake approached the three who would be testing out today, smiling at all of them, providing a sense of encouragement. It was very rare that someone would die from the trials of gaining themselves an ikran, although it did sometimes happen. They were well trained before being allowed to make the attempt, and while Norm was hardly the best shot with a bow, he was a surgeon with the sling used to muzzle the ikran.

Tired of the anxiety and waiting, Norm stepped forward first, signaling that he was ready. No words were spoken, Jake merely nodded and motioned towards Ninat who smiled, but her face also belayed some concern as well as she motioned for Norm to follow her up the very narrow edge of the waterfall to the nesting ikran. The pair clambered up without any problems, Norm close behind.

"Remember Noruhmann, you must choose your ikran but it will also choose you. You must feel it here," she thumped her chest for emphasis. Norm merely nodded speechless, already knowing that the ikran would try and have him for breakfast before it allowed him to seal the bond. He nodded back and placed a hand on her shoulder, providing quiet thanks and mustering his courage, turned and saw the sea of ikran before him.

They all squawked and made threatening noises at him as he moved through the nest, but each one that he approached either backed away or flew away. A couple held their ground a moment longer, but ultimately they too left. _What happens if none choose me, do I get to try again?_ That particular line of thought was cut short by a presence behind Norm, along with a loud snarl and shriek. Turning, Norm saw what, at least from his perspective, was probably the biggest ikran in the nest. _Nah, they probably just seem bigger since this is the one that's going to try and ice me_.

The creature snarled and clawed at the rocky ground, it's color a brilliant cyan and aqua mix dotted with purple, an absolutely glorious sample. "So you're it eh? Well come on then!" Norm shouted while spinning the sling, hoping to elicit a response from the ikran. He succeeded and the pterodactyl looking beast shrieked and charged.

Norm dived to one side and let the sling fly...but he missed. At the last moment the ikran batted away the sling with one of its claws, and now it bore down on Norm with the gigantic teeth still very much a threat. Norm dove to the side, as the ikran pounced where he once was a moment ago. The sling still lay on the ground where the resistive beast had knocked it, and Norm made a dive for it. Collecting the sling in his hands and banishing his nerves from the first failed attempt, he quickly turned back towards the ikran that now stood clawing the ground, preparing to charge again. It did so and Norm let the sling fly, this time he was dead on as the sinew-like material deftly wrapped several times around the creature's massive maw.

The ikran then got in close, too close and Norm grabbed one of the neural whips where he would make the bond and landed neatly on the creature's back. The ikran bucked like a wild bull, determined to throw the parasite off. Norm held on for dear life as he wrestled for the ends of the neural fibers to make the bond. Every time he thought he had the creature about beat being only inches from making the bond, the beast would throw or rattle him to the side, the edge of the cliff and the thousands of feet below getting closer and closer.

"Make the bond, Noruhmann!" Ninat shouted at him while he still wrestled with the creature. _I'm doing the best I possibly can, this giant beast is only trying to kill me!_ Norm mentally mocked the advice. His thoughts were cut short as something below the ikran gave way, and both Avatar and beast knew the terror of free-fall.

"Noruhmann!!!" Ninat shouted, leaning over the edge of the cliff, but he was gone, lost in the clouds below. She sat back on her heels, then collapsed completely, waves of anger, rage and sorrow building. _He was not ready! This is my fault, I should have been more exacting, a better teacher._ The thoughts were mirrored closely to that of both Neytiri and Jake, and while Norm actually was still very much alive somewhere in a link room, his Avatar was probably no more than a blue paste on the Pandoran wilderness.

A swath of cyan and purple suddenly filled her eyes and the group was thrown back, the image of the Pandoran jungle far below filled with that of an ikran in flight, mounted by one very smug-looking Avatar, the bond complete. Norm pulled the ikran up, and it landed neatly at the now relatively vacant ikran nest. As one the spectators surrounded Norm, admiring the beauty of the flying wonder that chose him. He dismounted, still grinning ear to ear. Jake and Neytiri smiled and clapped him with congratulations on his shoulders. Ninat stayed a little further back, feeling tears of joy and relief that Norm had come back to her.

If Norm had noticed her emotional relief, he didn't make any mention or notice of it. Instead, he motioned for her to follow, not wanting to waste a moment longer on his newfound ability to fly. She merely giggled happily as she crawled on the back of his ikran, wrapping her arms around him. Normally ikran could only carry one rider, but this particular sample was special, somewhere in size between that of an average ikran and the deadly Toruk. Ninat gave norm a squeeze, as if spurring him to move. He simply smiled back and spurred his ikran forward, and the two as one sailed off the giant floating mountain.


	6. Doubts and Convictions

_ A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I usually don't comment much on my own stories but I've gotten a bit of feedback by my readers, and I have heard some concerns that Norm seemed to be getting too good at everything and I wasn't holding true to the character. The point I'm making is that he's a multi-talented individual, and I give him more credit than a lot of other people do for my own reasons. A lot of people write off the character IMHO only because he was a bit skitterish and a klutz in the film, but I think he is much more than that. _

_ As far as keeping him balanced, while he might be good at riding a Pa'li, I did write that his ability with a bow was less than satisfactory, and for his Ikran Makto test, he blew the first shot with the sling completely. I had intended to highlight that error more and probably will in a rewrite, but it didn't come out that way in this draft. Also keep in mind I am writing this story as if it takes place across many months, not just back to back so it's not like he just hopped on a Pa'li and rode off. _

_ He's an over-achiever in academics and sciences. How many people do you or did you know who were valedictorians or salutatorians, or just gifted in school and didn't have a talent for music in one way or another? He's a doctor, so having a knowledge of medicine and anatomy kinda goes with the territory, and the only reason he picked up riding a Pa'li so quickly is because he spent some time on horseback during his doctorate studies. Some skills such as archery, I deliberately took down because he has no experience there. _

_ Now, Norm as a personal character I feel has changed. He has an edge now from the Battle at the Tree of Souls and the struggles since then. He still battles with his personal insecurities which is what I'm going to be highlighting in later chapters. Insecurities around Ninat, and the inevitable prospect of becoming fully Na'vi and doing away with his human body entirely among others. Keep in mind he almost had a panic attack crossing the sky bridge to the Ikran nest. Please continue to R&R and enjoy, the feedback is appreciated very much so, tells me I got an interested audience. :-)._

_-Outreach117_

_Chapter 5_

Norm sat at his desk at the remote outpost in the Hallelujah Mountains, rubbing the back of his neck in exhaustion. He had just completed another grueling day in his Avatar form, only now he was an Ikran Makto. He let out a deep groan and flopped back in his chair, suddenly feeling very restrained and looked over to the link pod in great longing. Right now he wished he could be linked into his Avatar body, riding atop his ikran, weaving in and out of the mountains to the valleys below, living his dream.

Norm groaned again, "ugh, what are you doing Norm?" Grace's warning came back into his head, _Pandora has many dangers, one of the subtlest is that you'll come to love it._ That was about as accurate as it was for him right now, one of Jake's video logs coming to mind, _it feels like the real world it out there, and the dream is in here_ Jake had said once. Norm was feeling more and more by the second the very same way.

Where was he going with this? Food supplies and air were limited back at Hell's Gate. From the last report from Max, his own personal Avatar was coming along nicely, but even with accelerated growth it would still be some time before he could even consider becoming an Avatar driver, about two more years at the minimum.

By that time the food supplies would have been entirely consumed and they would be finding sustenance on Pandoran wildlife exclusively, the breathable atmosphere in the base would be dangerously low for humans, and that's if the encroaching Pandoran wildlife didn't completely overrun the base first, or some other catastrophic failure didn't happen with the base's equipment. Lacking a full staff to support the facilities of the base, a lot of systems were falling into disrepair, but the more people you placed in Hell's Gate to help keep things running, the heavier the strain on resources. The remaining humans had to keep a very delicate balance between personnel and resources, but no matter what way you sliced it, ultimately it would come down to a bit of luck that nothing major went wrong between now and then.

He had known that he would eventually have to convert fully to his Avatar body if he wanted to survive, it was a simple inescapable fact, but like a college student delaying a paper until the last minute, it was not a prospect that he liked to ponder on, although he found himself facing the reality more and more. He was an Ikran Makto now, a full member of the people. That came with obligations to the Omaticaya that he could not ignore, on top of the already heavy burden of guilt and repayment that he felt for the People of Pandora.

Then, there was Ninat. Norm didn't even know where to start with her, although she had a pretty good feeling about him. Now that he was an Ikran Makto, and add that to his reputation as a skilled healer, he was perhaps one of the most eligible bachelors in the Clan, and more than one woman had made a pass at him. Norm had found the attention flattering, but also very disconcerting and confusing. Having lived in a shell during his time in college and being out in the American wilderness for months at a time for his doctorate programs, women were probably the last thing that he ever thought about having any experience in. Could Ninat truly be it? Were his feelings for her genuine, or was he merely caught in the moment? Could they make it work?

Mating for life was a very, very steep prospect and Norm wasn't sure if he was read to make that dive. And what of Ninat's feelings for him? Was she merely admiring the fact that he was gifted with both song and healing, or did she possess genuine emotional feelings for him? It would be easier for her, sure, because all she had ever seen was his Avatar, that at least _looked _Na'vi except an extra finger, eyebrows and ears. Norm was the one who had to wake up every day, look in the mirror and be reminded just how human he was, and how alien she was, could a human truly be in love with someone who was not even of the same species? Norm continued pondering his thoughts a moment longer while eating his cold breakfast in relative silence, then a thought struck him as he slapped his hand down on the table.

Quickly finishing his breakfast he slipped over to the link pod. _If Ninat is it then I think it's time that we met._ His thoughts faded as his consciousness slowly started to come together in a different body in a different place.

* * *

"Ninat, I must speak with you." Norm had found the sultry singer eating some wild fruits and berries alone and in peace away from the village. She immediately turned and smiled at Norm, the fluorescent dots on her wild blue skin glowing a soft aqua as his Avatar approached her, although something in his posture and face told him that something was amiss but she kept her smile.

"Noruhmann, welcome home. Have some?" She offered up one of the juicy fruits for his Avatar to consume, which he accepted and consumed gratefully, but did little to assuage the concerned look on his face. The Na'vi were many things, but not being direct with their feelings was certainly not one of them. What their words and facial expressions could try to hide, their bodies betrayed with a flapping tail or fluorescent glowing of the various spots on their skin. Ninat had never understood the human tendency to hide true thoughts and meanings behind facades, and she wished Norm would just be direct with her. Right now to Ninat, Norm was lit up like a Christmas tree, a sea of tumbling emotions.

She came over and sat down next to him, a soft hand working the tension in the back of his neck which Norm sighed in appreciation to, but mentally cursed the distraction. He might be a healer, but Ninat certainly knew where and how to ease other kinds of pain. "Tell me what is troubling you, Noruhmann." Her eyes were soft, almost a pained look to them, and Norm could scarcely bring himself to look at her.

"Ninat, I, uh...." Norm started off, but wasn't really sure where to go. He knew what he wanted to say, but just didn't know how to say it without hurting or scaring her. She inched closer, perhaps a little too close.

Ninat, either through sense or hope, finished his thoughts for him. "You are concerned about who you are to be life-mated to. This is normal, but Ewya shows us the right way." Her voice almost dropped an octave becoming dark and husky.

Norm pushed her hand off of his neck, not wanting any distractions why he composed his thoughts, although he held her four-fingered hand in his five-fingered one. It felt strange, but he had to keep his focus to say what he needed to say.

"Ninat, you....know what I am." She nodded, and urged him to continue. "I do care about you, very much so. More and more I find myself wishing I was born Na'vi, not a sky-person who dreams out of a Na'vi body." Ninat kept silent and felt her heart flutter, but squeezed his hand in encouragement while she played with his pinky finger. The extra digit felt as alien to her as her hand felt to his.

Norm took a small breath, stared her straight in the eye and gave himself hell. "Ninat, I...I would like to choose you. But..."

"But you are afraid that I would not accept you for what you are." Ninat had again finished his thoughts for him. Norm nodded his head in agreement, not wanting to hurt the woman that he loved. Yes, he loved her. _Dammit Norm, gather your balls, man up, and do this!_

He steeled himself, looking back into her eyes. "Ninat, I think it is time that you and I met." She looked at him, confused by his words. What did he mean meet? They had already...her eyes opened wider in understanding.

"You want to meet see me with your own eyes, to see me without your Dreamwalker?" Ninat wanted to tell him, scream to him, sing to him, that she already had chosen him, and her seeing him or not seeing him in his human body would not change that. Still, this seemed important to Norm as the two worked their way up the trunk of the new Hometree to their waiting Ikran mounts.

* * *

Norm glided his almost oversized Ikran mount down to land next to the remote link site still remaining in the Hallelujah Mountains. The giant beast squawked and chirped as it pecked at its wings. Ninat's mount did the same as she landed neatly next to his.

"So this is where Dreamwalkers dream and wake Noruhmann?" She queried as she walked up to the edge of the structure, shielding her eyes as she looked in one of the clear glass windows.

"One of many, but it is where I reside." Norm replied, walking up to be next to her.

"Alone?" She asked, seeing nothing else moving in the narrow cabin.

"I am with the People, I am with you. I have never been alone." Norm replied as he laid his Avatar down flat.

"I will see you in a moment," and with that Norm's Avatar slipped into a deep sleep, a sleep that they could never be woken from that Ninat knew as she looked at the prone form, completely motionless. For the first time, she felt a tremor of what might have been fear or panic go through her body, not afraid that she would reject Norm, but that Norm would reject her.

A tap on the clear glass brought her attention back to the cold structure of metal, her head swinging back around quickly, and meeting another pair of eyes, except these were the eyes of a Sky-person. Ninat hissed and stepped back, but only for a moment as the other features registered. The face, scruffy with the follicles that the sky-people called a "beard" but still distinctly that of her Noruhmann stared back. There was absolutely no mistaking the soft features, gentle eyes that betrayed no harm. The creature donned what she recognized as their breathing machines, and stepped out of sight. _By Ewya, he's coming outside?_

A hiss at the side of the metal structure caught her attention, and a door popped open. _Ewya, help me, guide me._ Why was Ninat so nervous? She had spent many months with him, but this would be her first time seeing him in person, outside of his Dreamwalker body. She was scared of what she would see, or more precisely, what she would _not_ see.

A form stepped out, dressed in the strange human clothes. She had to suppress a giggle at how _uncomfortable_ those clothes looked to wear, but their was no mistaking her Noruhmann, even behind the mask. Ninat dropped to her knees to bring herself down to Norm's height.

_"I see you."_ Norm said in clear and precise Na'vi. _"I _see _you."_

Ninat paused for a moment as she cupped his face in her hands, looking deep into Norm's human eyes, her forehead now resting against his, the only sound being her breathing and his Exo-Pack hissing. Norm was nervous too. Would Ninat panic, scorn him, spurn him? Toss him to the waiting Ikran who probably saw him as a very delicious six-foot snack on legs? The moment seemed to drag on forever, but a smile crept across Ninat's face, one the Norm recognized all too well, and he smiled back.

"_And I see you, Noruhmann. _My_ Noruhmann...."_ At that moment, Norm had never felt more confident, more resolved about his decision. He just knew instinctively, what he had to do, and by Ewya he would do it.


	7. Going The Distance

_ A/N: Thanks for the continued reviews, I got a few tricks & tips up my sleeve still for Norm (Noruhmann for my Na'vi readers out there) and I definitely appreciate the cautions of making him a Mary-Sue. Believe you me, we aren't going there with him. He's a fun character to write with little backstory so I got a lot of room to play. Enjoy._

_-Outreach117_

_Chapter 6_

Norm and Ninat stayed atop the mountain that night, talking. They didn't hunt or mount their ikran, the just talked. At some point Norm had gone back inside the outpost and gotten back inside his Na'vi body so he could talk in relative ease and comfort without his Exo-pack. Now, out under the stars the two just lay there intertwined.

They had not bonded or mated, the decision to consummate that aspect of the relationship Norm decided, and Ninat reluctantly agreed, should wait at least until after he completed his transference to his Na'vi body. He had no desire for them to mate and then make Ninat a "widow" should the transference fail.

Even that would be on ice for the time being, the point he reluctantly admitted was that he didn't want to leave Max high and dry and be shy an extra person should anything go wrong with his Avatar. It would take time, that much Ninat understood, but she was understandably less than thrilled about having to wait so long. Nonetheless it was decided that it was for the best, and in the end would make the actual event all the more wondrous.

Norm had playfully remarked that she was only afraid someone else in the Clan would try and claim him. Pey'lal, the Clan's best huntress, had been practically stalking Norm, and he couldn't help but feel like a rather unique variety of prey to her. He was convinced that one night she was going to catch him in a snare, club him over the head and drag him to the Tree of Souls to finish the deed right there. One other unique difference about Na'vi culture versus human culture was that becoming an Ikran Makto merely made a hunter eligible and while they could choose a woman, she had to choose him back, and it was more often than not that the women actually proposed to the men.

That comment about Pey'lal, who was one of Ninat's closest female friends, had earned Norm a clot of dirt to his face by a wickedly grinning Ninat, who was laughing hysterically afterward much to Norm's expense as he spit out bits of dirt. Of course she followed up the dirt clod with a kiss on his cheek that flushed with embarrassment, but in hindsight was totally worth it and one of the sweetest things he had felt in a long, long time.

Now the young couple, still unbonded but very much in love lay below the twinkling stars. As Ninat fell asleep next to him in the warm breeze, Norm winked up at the stars and closed his eyes as he settled down to sleep. Ewya winked back.

* * *

Things seemed to fall more into a pattern with Norm around the village after that. He now participated in hunts riding both a Pa'li and his Ikran that he named Maiestas, latin for greatness. On the hunting parties he still acted as the flusher of the game more often than not, but his archery skills continued to improve and he brought in his share of food for the Clan. Jake and Neytiri continued his tutelage in earnest, oftentimes going for runs that went for miles over rugged terrain.

When he was not in the hunting packs or working with Jake and Neytiri, he spent a fair bit of time with Mo'at to learn the Na'vi healing arts. While Norm had experience with internal surgery and was very familiar with Na'vi physiology, most of his training centered around being able to perform his duties with a fully function medical lab along with every drug and tool that humanity had developed. What he lacked was a knowledge of herbal remedies and natural solutions that could be found in the flora and fauna of Pandora. Some of these medicines were as effective, if not moreso, than quite a bit of modern medicine. Pandora overall actually had an under-abundance of harmful parasites and bacteria. Ewya kept the ecology in such a balance that they were fortunately rare.

It had been absolutely amazing to Norm what the locals had been able to concoct from Pandoran plants. They had a mild painkiller that could be garnered by chewing on the roots of certain plants. take the same plants leaves and boil a tea with it, and one had a potently powerful anesthetic that could put out a grown Na'vi for hours. One had to be careful not to use too much since it could potentially stop someone's heart. The plants reminded Norm of opium from earth, although the "recreational" use was essentially nonexistent with the Na'vi.

There were others too, many others. Tree sap that could function as a congealant for major wounds, spices that could be ground into a paste and became a crude but effective type of Icy/Hot for sore muscles, leaves that when bound together were effective bandages, muscle relaxants, stimulants, even neurotoxins for their arrows. The only thing that modern medicine could potentially provide over these remedies and solutions would be in the area of preventative medicine, which is where the Na'vi differed greatly from humans. They did not look at age and death as being some great barrier or something to be feared. Norm understood this, they had a link so deep and connected with Ewya and the world, indeed the universe that they viewed aging and death so casually that it was almost unnerving. With their ancestral memory stored in Pandora itself, it could be said that Na'vi lived forever. As long as Ewya lived, so did the Na'vi.

That is not to say that Na'vi did not grieve, they did but ultimately they could find comfort by touching into the memories of their lost relatives at the Tree of Souls. Humans might be able to look back at home movies or videos, perhaps a photo album, but the Na'vi could still touch their souls.

Norm gained a wholly new appreciation for the Na'vi's resistance to humans. Jake had been right about the humans not having anything the Na'vi wanted, and if anything humans were something to be pitied. The Na'vi had their own version of the internet that was Ewya where they could link into and share so much more than mere computer code. They could fly on their Ikran mounts, they had great strength and agility, lived in complete comfort and in perfect balance on Pandora. Humans could be said to have developed technology merely to compensate for their lack of ability to commune and connect with the world and the universe the way Na'vi could.

Norm was beginning to truly understand the Na'vi, for the absolute wonder that their society was. They didn't have technology because they didn't _need _it, they had everything they ever needed and would ever need.

Twice a month Norm would go out with a small contingent of hunters to the remains of Hell's Gate. Once there they would usually assist by clearing out some of the encroaching vegetation on the base's perimeter, and also hunt any small game that came close to the base. This food was then split between the Omaticaya and the small contingent of humans still living at Hell's Gate to help alleviate their reliance on stored foodstuffs since there was a limited supply.

* * *

Norm watched as Max's Avatar grew inside the incubation chamber. It had started as little more than a quarter-sized embryo, and now had matured to a Na'vi about the age of six or seven. It would still be about another year and a half before it was completely finished, not soon enough as far as anyone at the base was concerned. Power outages were becoming more and more common throughout the base as rolling brownouts caused multiple issues with the equipment, and on more than one occasion the Avatar had almost been lost from the unreliable power. Sadly there was not a whole lot that the remaining scientists or staff could do about it, in fact all were Avatar drivers themselves with the exception of Max.

There had been a few fatalities, a Thanator had gotten loose in the base and had killed several Avatar drivers late one evening as they traveled outside across the tarmac from one building to another. There was nothing left of the victims, and their Avatars were buried by the Na'vi. There had also been a couple suicides, anything from self-hangings to gunshots to the head by those who were just not willing to transfer their consciousness and felt that it was over. Some left notes explaining that they did it so that resources would be free for the remaining humans, others cursing humans, Na'vi and Pandora alike.

Now only Max and four Avatars and their drivers remained. Since the incident with the Thanator Jake had posted a constant watch at the base, a posting that most of the Na'vi were reluctant to take, but out of obligation for Doctor Patel, accepted. Secretly, however, the morale at Hell's Gate was looking worse and worse. Norm, Ninat and their party did what they could to assuage the feelings of helplessness, but it was a battle in vain. The four remaining Avatar drivers themselves had long since concluded that their chances of survival were bleak....very bleak. If the Pandoran jungle beasts didn't get them, then a power outage or air filtration failure would. Max and Norm merely hoped they were wrong. In the meantime, below the base and deep inside the micro-fusion power source, a magnetic coil started to rattle loose........


	8. I Have Become Death, Destroyer of Worlds

_A/N: Moving right along since the only thing better than cliffhangers is to fall from the said cliff. Hold on everybody._

_Chapter 7_

"Tell me more about Earth, Norm." The question came from Ninat as the two lay back on the cool grass arm in arm in the former Avatar training ground, looking up at the stars. Norm looked over, Ninat's features and stunning beauty made only more so in the twinkling light. It was not as dark though as earth nights were, typically the multiple moons kept the lighting to something a little less than dusk on Earth.

"Well, what would you like to know? _Why _would you like to know?" Norm responded back. Earth was a rather big subject, so narrowing it down wasn't easy, also Ninat generally didn't care much about or want to know anything about the Sky-people, so her inquiry seemed strange to him.

Ninat turned to face Norm with a smile and kissed him gently on the cheek, grinning as she saw the glowing dots all over his body flare up. "Because I want to know more about the world that made you Norm, I want to know about the world that brought you here, to me." her voice almost dropped to a husky tone at the end of her sentence. Norm had come to appreciate one thing about Ninat, she could be a real tease with her Siren voice.

He took a deep breath and sighed. What would he tell her about earth? Sure there were still forests left all over the planet, some of the Amazon remained and quite a bit of the Canadian Yukon, and indeed the Great White North remained remote as ever. Still, it was a dying world. Some places were utterly torn apart by petty war and squabbles and starvation. The Resource Wars of the early 22nd century had decimated most of Eastern Europe and countries like India and China that had the largest populations on the planet practically imploded. Earth's global population had gone from almost 12 billion to 10 billion in less than a decade and had continued to recede.

Even North America wasn't untouched with vast land grabs in the Canadian wilderness, and racial tensions that had been building for the past century between the Hispanic and Caucasian residents of the United States. These had led to massive race riots, and even a few states and regions attempted secession. The revolts had been ultimately put down, and brutally so. The whole area had been a powder keg, and the fuse was already lit. Trudy, the bold and hard as nails pilot had grown up in the slums after what some called the Race Wars, and while Norm had only thought the best of her, apparently racial tensions didn't end at the solar system. Norm mentally winced at the memory of what some of the RDA grunts had said about her when she was out of earshot.

Norm pushed the thoughts of his dying homeworld from his mind and thought for a moment. He did not want to tell Ninat about the vast failures and pains of the planet, he decided to tell her something else. "Ninat, you know the world I come from, it is very different from Pandora. We...have no Ewya there. There is no balance between life, no communication. Humans have no knowledge of Tsahaylu." Ninat nodded, feeling deep sadness, even pity for the Sky-people. Norm continued, "the world is a dying one I fear. We lost our balance and connection, and with it, the Earth." He paused a moment, trying to find something more cheerful to talk about, usually thoughts of Earth just made him too sad. It was home, as rotten as it could be at times, it was still his home.

"There are still vast places though that have been mercifully left untouched. They look nothing like Pandora but are beautiful all the same."

Ninat looked at Norm again, "tell me about it, Noruhmann."

"Well, it's colder for one in a lot of places. We have snow quite often." Ninat's eyed opened very wide at that. Snow was something that was seen only on the highest points of the Hallelujah Mountains and was practically nonexistent elsewhere on Pandora's tropical surface. Norm continued, "but it's very beautiful. When the sun sets, it's not like it is here. We have no giant planet that we circle. You can see stars far more brilliantly than you can here, and many, many more. So many you could not even count." Ninat gave Norm another encouraging kiss, clearly enjoying the details and wanting to hear more.

"When the sun rises, it's brilliant, even more than here. It's darker at night and brighter during the day. When it sets, the color of the sky becomes lined with red and purple, it's glorious and beautiful." Norm wanted to say more, but dwelling on Earth too much just made him sad. Ninat seemed to understand and gave him a gentle hug as she traced a finger down his neck and the pair settled down to sleep.

Unfortunately, sleep would not be on the order of events that evening as a rumble that became a tremor shattered the silence of the Pandoran night. Ninat and Norm awoke with a start, both clearly panicked. _An earthquake on Pandora? There's not enough gravity or mass and the tectonic plates have long since stabilized, what's going on?_ Norm's mind was rushing as he ran over to the Avatar control room, klaxons throughout the base were blaring. Even though he was stuck outside the glass encasing and could only see inside, the alert screens inside the control room told him everything he needed to know. Fusion reactor number 2 had suffered a catastrophic failure with the heat shielding, and he watched in horror as the red temperature line surpassed the "YELLOW" zone and began to creep into the "RED" line. Max Patel was already awake and in the control room dressed in nothing more than nightwear, clearly having run straight from his bed to the control room.

Norm rapped on the clear glass to get Max's attention. Max put a hand up, as if to say _just a moment_ before he turned in the intercom for the Avatar prep room that both Norm and Ninat stood. "It's bad Norm, real bad," Max's voice came across. "We've got an overheat on one of the two reactors, it's already 12 degrees above RED line and rising, fast!"  
"Well shut it down then, SCRAM it!" Max hit the shutdown override control, and the reactor started to cool slightly....then the temperature stabilized just above the edge of the RED line, and ever so slowly started to creep back up again. A string of profanities came across the intercom at this.

"No dice, the control rods are warped out of place! They can't be fully reinserted, I can't shut down the reactor. It's going to blow. Norm, get out of here!" Max went back to punching more controls, trying in vain in vain to get something, anything to get the reactor to slow down.

"Not without you Max, get an Exo-pack, you can ride on my Ikran, we'll get the other survivors out on Pa'li mounts!" Norm pleaded, but Max merely shook his head.

"I'm sorry Norm, but I have to stay here and try to manually control the coolant. If I do that, it might give you and the remaining Avatar drivers enough time to get themselves and their Avatar bodies clear." Max's face took on an almost blank emotion, like he was a machine.

Norm smashed a fist against the glass, "dammit Max, this isn't open for discussion. We'll have plenty of time to get everyone out, and that means you too!" Ninat barely understood the conversation between Max and Norm, she had no idea what was going on, only that something very, very bad was about to happen.

Max merely looked back, his face absolutely flat. "Norman, when this thing goes, it's going to go up like a 30 kiloton nuke, nothing within two miles is going to live. The ground will absorb some of the blast, but if you don't get everyone else out now it's over. If I leave this post, you have five minutes before it goes." The blaring warning horns only accentuated Max's point. "If I stay, I might be able to give you fifteen, that's more than enough to cover the ground to the safe distance. Now get out of here!"

With that, Doctor Max Patel slammed the emergency metal shutters, covering the glass with a layer of metal meant to cover an accidental breach of atmosphere. It would be the last time Norm saw Max alive.

Norm turned to Ninat, "get the Pa'li riders that are waiting here, hurry!" Ninat rushed out of the room, not asking for explanations as she shouted across the tarmac for the mounted Na'vi guards to circle up around her. Nearby the four remaining Avatar drivers were running towards the gathered group, their Avatar bodies still laying dead to the world in the cabin at the edge of the training grounds.

Not wasting time for explanations, Norm gave clear instructions for the Na'vi riders. The ten separate Pa'li's were to lash down on the saddles one Avatar body while the driver rode in the Pa'li next to them, leaving two Pa'li's not carrying any extra cargo. They were to ride as fast as they could towards Hometree. They were not to stop or even look back for any reason. When they saw the flash, they were to drop their Pa'li to the ground and cover. There, they would wait for Norm and Ninat to circle back with their Ikran mounts, and the refugees would make their way to the new Hometree and meet up with the Clan.

Explaining this procedure to the Na'vi surrounding him hadn't been easy. There was no vocabulary for reactor, nuclear or meltdown in the Na'vi language, so Norm had to explain with other words, such as calling the reactor a sun. Some of the Na'vi looked at him incredulously, but the steadily growing rumbles, the panicked humans, and blaring warning lights and klaxons all throughout Hell's Gate convinced them to at least act on Norm's instructions.

* * *

It had taken almost five minutes to mount up everyone for the ride back, but it was getting far too close for comfort as the seconds ticked by. Now and again Max would come across the intercom and tell them to hurry. After a painful seven minutes of loading altogether, Norm shouted for the riders to leave and the convoy of humans and Na'vi rode out at a fast gallop.

Norm started to make another run back towards the Command Center determined to save his friend, but Ninat caught him by the arms and threw him to the ground, absolute terror in her eyes.

"Go Norm, get out of here! Save yourself, you have only four minutes!" Max's voice came across the intercom again. Norm struggled to his feet, tears streaking down his face as Ninat pulled him reluctantly back to their waiting Ikran mounts that squawked and shifted in agitation and impatience against the trembling earth.

Both quickly mounted their Ikrans and as one, gave the command of _fly like a bat out of hell_ through their bonded links. The Ikran needed no further encouraging and took off without a second thought, wings flapping wildly. Norm ran the math in his head and swore. An Ikran at full speed could do 75, perhaps 80 miles an hour at level flight, and well over 150 in a dive. With barely three minutes remaining they would be hard pressed to get outside the two mile minimum safe distance coming from a dead stop at ground level. Ikran gained their speed through dives which is why the nested so high in the mountains since they could take almost two minutes to fully accelerate from a level start to full speed. Even the smaller forest Ikran nested high up on trees or boulders so that they could swoop down to gain speed quickly.

Urging his mount faster, they plowed onwards in the darkness, remaining barely above treetop level, not wanting to get caught in the blast and shock wave at high altitude. Norm shouted over to Ninat, "c'mon we have to move faster! Do not look at the light, when you see it dive for the ground and stay down!"

Ninat was about to respond when the darkness of the Pandoran night suddenly became a bright white, as if a star had erupted behind her. Ninat, losing track of Norm but remembering his instructions, dived towards the ground. It would not be enough time, after what had been barely three seconds the blast wave hit, and Ninat was still about fifteen feet above ground. The invisible fist tossed her like she was a rag doll clear off her Ikran mount and she slammed into a tree, and everything went black.

* * *

The flash could be seen even fifty miles away at the new Hometree. Jake had been resting softly, snuggled with Neytiri when bright light woke him from his slumber. Walking outside his private alove there was a loud clap, as if thunder itself had come right next to him, and an ominous mushroom-looking cloud formed over where Hell's Gate had been.

Jake fell to his knees, his mind a maelstrom of emotions. Immediately he could feel several lives vanish and join Ewya, he was not sure who though. Neytiri knelt beside him, enveloping Jake in her arms even more frightened than he was.

After a moment of basking in the bright light Jake looked up, the look of determination that Neytiri had come to know so well written across it as he brought himself to his feet. Turning to the gathered Clansfolk, all who were scared of the awesome amount of power they had witnessed, he had to assure his people. "There has been a great tragedy at the Sky-people's Hometree. Some of our brothers and sisters are now with Ewya, I have felt it." With that, several scared gasps and cries went out among the crowd, Jake continued, "at dawn's first light, I will lead an Ikran party to search for survivors. For now, pray to Ewya for the safety of those that are out there now, and those that have passed on."

Pey'lal, along with both Nik'ta and Minthra immediately stepped forward as volunteers to search for their brothers and sisters of the tribe. Jake smiled but in the background he could here the distinct sounds of baby Grace crying, having been rudely awakened from her sleep and obviously scared. For once, Jake wished he could shed a few tears too in fear for his friends, and in sorrow for those now gone. Steeling himself he headed back towards the tops of Hometree to help prepare the mounts for the rescue attempt at dawn's first light. He had to be strong for his people, there would be time to grieve later.


	9. Visions of Aftermath

_A/N: Hope you're enjoying that freefall from the cliffhanger. Don't worry, we are rapidly approaching the ground at near terminal velocity. Sorry if the wrong document got posted, should be fixed by now._

_Chapter 8_

Norm bolted upright out of his link pod drenched in sweat, gasping for air. "Oh my God. Oh my God...." He kept saying it over and over, shocked and paralyzed at what happened. The last thing he remembered was seeing the flash from the explosion and Ninat diving for the ground. He had followed suit, but like her, he had also been caught in the blast wave in flight and was knocked clear off his Ikran before hitting the ground and losing consciousness.

While the landing had been rough and his Avatar knocked out cold from the blast, he had little doubt that physically it was ok. The carbon-reinforced bones were much more resilient than human bones, and could take quite a bit more punishment. He would try to relink with the Avatar in a couple hours, and hope that the physical trauma wasn't too great.

Still shaking, Norm worked his way over to his lone cot and just sat down, tears burning his face. Max was gone, Hell's Gate gone along with however many other lives. He didn't have much hope that the Pa'li team made it out. The blast came a bit earlier than expected and was larger too, and what of Ninat? Norm hugged himself as his body began to violently shake in panic as nerves took hold. He had never felt so alone or scared, and he let out a blood-boiling scream of pain and grief.

* * *

The world was blurry, she couldn't see anything. She squinted, her eyes slowly starting to come into focus. Then the mother of all pain slammed into Ninat. She let out a muffled scream of agony but bit her lip to keep from attracting too much attention. Pain after all was not always bad, it reminded someone they were alive, and she definitely was alive.

Looking down at her body her left arm twisted in an unnatural fashion, clearly broken. She could taste blood in her mouth, a result of a broken lip, and her entire body ached from being body-slammed into the tree. Something else was strange too, her entire back felt as if she were badly sunburned. Moving her right arm she could clearly see where she had been sunburned, the flash causing her blue skin to darken in patterns along where her clothing went. Fortunately the burns were not too severe, much of the blast having been absorbed by the ground, but it still hurt and burned mercilessly.

She staggered to a kneeling position, feeling lances of pain come through her arm as she brought herself up. Dawn was just breaking on the horizon and the jungle was eerily quiet. She made an attempt to stand, taking it slowly as vertigo and dizziness were quick to persuade her to not move too fast.

Taking bearings of her surroundings, she turned back towards where Hell's Gate was, and was nearly driven to her knees again by the sight. Almost as far as she could see, trees had been either blown over completely or totally stripped of any leaves. Small fires were everywhere. She had never seen anything like it, the devastation of Hometree merely looking like a mashed weed in comparison. Tears of pain and fear dripped from her face as she called out, "Noruhmann!" There was no answer. "Noruhmann!" Again, no answer. Stumbling forward, it was not long after that Ninat too began to succumb to shakes of panic and nerves.

* * *

From the sky, the devastation seemed just as bad. Jake's Ikran circled high above the massive crater and blasted landscape. There was absolutely nothing left of Hell's Gate, not even dust, just a big empty hole in the earth where smoke slowly poured out of. His face brought on a hard edge as they swooped lower, searching for any survivors.

Jake made a motion with his hand and his flight of more than a dozen Ikran mounts fanned out over the landscape, searching for any signs of anyone. To his left Pey'lal dove close to the ground, her keen eyes clearly having picked up something. To his right Nik'ta circled slowly over a large clearing. Minthra was not with him, ultimately electing to stay behind with Grace, a fact that Jake was grateful for. He did not want to wish this sight on anyone.

He swooped down for a closer look, bringing his Ikran to almost hover over the ground as he scanned for any signs of survivors. Neytiri kept with him and the two fanned out in a deliberate search pattern, praying to Ewya for some kind of luck.

* * *

Norm's Avatar slowly opened its eyes, then succumbed to a rack of coughs as the ash was expelled from his nose, his vision blurry. Norm shook his head, trying to clear his vision as he patted himself up and down. _No broken bones, that's a good sign_. He moved his arms and legs, wiggled his toes and snapped his fingers, everything seemed to be working normally. Patting himself down, he did not notice any major bleeding or other injuries, although his entire body felt as if a giant fist had just smashed it, which was not far from the truth.

He turned his Avatar and looked out along the blasted landscape, equally horrified of the scene of destruction. Hearing a pained squawk behind him, he turned to see his Ikran, Maiestas, lying wounded on the ground. Norm rushed over, the beast having been trapped beneath a fallen tree. Blood poured out of it's mouth, it's right wing shattered and left leg clearly broken. Its head thrashed about, clearly in pain, trying to free itself, but the more it struggled, the more it hurt.

Norm approached his mount, the heavy dagger sheathed across his chest feeling heavy, and deep down he knew what the right thing was to do, the merciful thing was to do. Squatting down next to Maiestas, he reached out and stroked the Ikran's head and neck while unsheathing his blade.

_"I see you brother." _Norm spoke in flawless Na'vi. _"Although you leave this body behind, your spirit goes with Ewya." _With that, Norm deftly plunged his knife deep into the chest of the tortured beast, Maiestas no longer feeling any pain as the Ikran went to Ewya. _"Be in peace,"_ Norm finished as he sheathed his blade.

In the distance, his ear perked as a cry reached him that sounded distinctly like that of Ninat's voice. He spun around towards the sound, and like a warhound slipped from its handler, ran in that direction. _Hang on Ninat, I'll be there soon._

* * *

Ninat continued to shout for Norm and staggered onward, her eyes blurry with both blood and tears as she coughed on the smoke from the smoldering brush. The distinct sound of an Ikran above caught her attention as she turned towards the sound and waved with her good arm.

The great winged mount glided to the ground and Pey'lal stepped off, running over to her friend, while Ninat wept in both relief as well as fear for Norm. _"Easy sister."_ Pey'lal said as she lowered Ninat to the ground, inspecting her wounds. The broken arm would need to be set back at Hometree, and the burns certainly looked painful, but thankfully nothing appeared to be amiss that would be permanent or crippling.

Offering Ninat some water from a flask, both female Na'vi turned their heads towards the sound of something crashing through the underbrush. Pey'lal drew her knife, afraid a that an opportunistic viperwolf was looking for a quick snack. Fortunately, a creature far less dangerous in the shape of Norman Spellman's avatar crashed through the last few feet and collapsed in a heap.

_"Skxawng,"_ Pey'lal gently teased Norm as she turned away from the pair to pick up the water flask. _"Making all that......"_ she didn't finish her sentence since Norm apparently seemed to be drinking his fill straight from Ninat's lips. Pey'lal looked away, slightly embarrassed. Skxawng or no skxawng, Norm knew how to make an entrance, but she was deeply appreciative that Ewya had brought the couple back together.

* * *

In a clearing a few miles away from the crater, Jake surveyed the damage. The entire human contingent was dead. Those that weren't killed from the shock of the blast died when the heat caused an overload in the Exo-packs and slowly suffocated. Jake winced as he remembered his near death experience, and that it was definitely _not_ a pleasant way to go out.

The Pa'li riders fared little better. Six were dead, one was barely alive, and the remaining three were in a bad way with some broken bones, but ultimately would recover. Both Ninat's and Norm's Ikrans had been killed, along with several of the Pa'li mounts. The remaining mounts were so badly injured that Neytiri and Nik'ta had mercifully euthanized them. This was to say nothing for Doctor Patel who's brave sacrifice at least allowed the few who did survive to make it.

There would be repercussions back at Hometree, this much he was sure of. Relatives would want explanations, families would be shattered even more and Jake would have to bear that responsibility since it was his decision that the Na'vi remain at Hell's Gate to assist Max. Even Norm would probably reap the whirlwind. Jake merely hoped he was wrong, the Omaticaya could not afford any more losses, no more divisions.

With heavy heads, the survivors were loaded onto Pa'li riders that had come from Hometree and the convoy slowly walked out, heads and eyes low and in utter silence. At that moment, thunder clapped and rain poured down on the charred landscape as if Ewya herself were crying. The entire group had no doubt that she was.


	10. Heavy Price Paid

_A/N: Sorry about the mixed up chapter, hope me giving you an extra one tonight will help make up for that._

_-Outreach117_

_Chapter 9_

Norm had been almost catatonic on the ride back aboard the Pa'li mounts, a drastic change from his overjoyed response to knowing that Ninat was alright. Now he sat, barely flinching as the rescue party continued their trek back to Hometree. Ninat suspected, and correctly so, that since his major concern on his mind, namely her safety, was assuaged that everything else was starting to sink in. Norm had a lot weighing on his mind: the destruction of Hell's Gate, the loss of Max Patel, the deaths of the entire remaining human staff and several Na'vi, having to mercifully kill his Ikran, and his love being injured in the resulting escape.

He certainly wasn't alone. Everyone grieved, almost communally although not many tears were shed. Ninat had gotten her crying out for now, although she suspected that there'd be plenty more time for that later. Norm had talked privately to Jake about his concerns for radiation sickness. The weather pattern indicated that any radioactive fallout from the cloud would fall far to the east, Hometree was located to the northwest, almost in the exact opposite of the weather.

The explosion had started underground which limited the amount of direct gamma and neutron bursts, and the survivors had been a little over two miles away when the explosion actually occurred. It was agreed that Jake would return to the outpost in the mountains where Norm currently was located to recover some gear to be sure that nobody had received a lethal dose, something that considering the limiting factors and relatively small yield, seemed very unlikely.

Ninat rode on the back of another Pa'li next to Norm, her left arm in a cast made of some kind of bamboo looking sticks and bound with vines to keep it stable. Before they had moved out, both Jake and Norm had gone about setting the bone which had been excruciating for Ninat, but necessary or else the bone would not heal properly. Norm visibly shook at the memory of her pained screams as they had reset the bone, but she seemed to be in less pain now. Norm cast a look at her and then looked down, for some reason feeling suddenly insecure.

A very unpleasant thought began to work through his head. The only reason he hadn't mated with Ninat yet was because he wanted to wait until after he had completed his transference to his Na'vi body. That had been on ice since he hadn't wanted to leave Max Patel without an additional pair of human hands should anything at the base need doing. Now, for better or worse but Norm felt was definitely worse, there was nothing holding him back from finishing what he promised he would do with Ninat. There was only one thing, he felt completely rotten inside. _Ack, what kind of a pervert am I to be thinking about life-pairings when I just lost a close friend and almost got killed?_

The fact was Norm was feeling very uninspired to finish his prior promises with Ninat. Sure, she would give him time to grieve and would be there to console him, but how long would be long enough before he was feeling comfortable to finish what he promised....if he even still felt that way? _Quit it, Norm. Now is not the time to be thinking about these things, of course you're feeling depressed._

After another sidelong glance, Norm spoke up. "How is your arm Ninat?" Her face was blank also, as if she had seen a ghost, but some color flickered to her spots as Norm talked to her, although she was slow to answer.

"It hurts. The back of my legs and arms feel as if they are on fire." Norm winced visually as he noticed again the burns on her body that looked like a severe sunburn. Not enough to blister, but enough to cause quite a bit of pain. Na'vi skin was more durable and resistant to heat than humans. What could cause a Na'vi to blister could cause a human to char. She continued, "I will be fine, Noruhmann. But it is you I worry about."

Norm tried to be dismissive, "I only suffered a few minor bruises and burns, I will be fine." He looked away, not liking where this conversation was going.

Ninat reached out with her good hand and gently took his in hers, "I wasn't referring to the injuries to your body, but the injuries to your soul." Norm did not draw his hand away from hers, a move that surprised Ninat. She had noticed Norm's almost scarily impassive emotion during the ride, and she was not sure what his reaction would be.

Norm squeezed her hand back, and for the first time looked her in her eyes. "I.....I am in pain. Great pain." His voice became choppier, moistness in his eyes. "I am going to need you to be there for me. I...." Norm choked up, "I am scared. I'm the last Sky-person on Pandora. I'm so afraid."

Ninat didn't know what to say to that. She wanted to argue that he was Na'vi, an Omaticaya, but as she remembered every time he went to sleep he woke up in that small Sky-person body that she saw not too long ago. Now, everything Sky-person here was gone. He and Jakesully were the last two of his kind here on Pandora, and even then that would be a stretch of the truth. Wisely, she didn't push the issue as he gave her hand another squeeze and let her go as they continued the slow trek back to Hometree.

* * *

The reception at Hometree didn't go much better. Fortunately there were no screams of hate towards the Sky-people or any clamors against Jake or Norm. Jake figured that everyone was probably too tired and drained to be giving any kind of grief at the moment. He was sure that eventually the floodgates would open up, but for now, it was a time for grieving.

There was a small funeral given for the deceased, Na'vi and human alike were placed in a small grave along with woodsprites. Tears were shed by some, prayers to Ewya were made by all. It was a very sobering moment. Entering his private alcove with Neytiri, Jake sat down on the log bench, his head in his hands. Neytiri closed the "curtains" which were really an exotic Pandoran plant that draped over the openings to the alcove to allow for privacy for the occupants. Once the drapes were lowered and Jake was confident they had their privacy, Neytiri came over and wrapped her arms around her beloved Jake as he broke down and wept bitterly. Neytiri cried too, the immense woe coming across their bond like a tsunami of emotion.

In an adjacent alcove, Norm and Ninat also closed the blinds for privacy as Norm worked a soothing balm into Ninat's burns, similar to aloe from earth. Feeling much relieved from her burns, Ninat then eased Norm's pain as he too finally broke down and cried shamelessly. Putting her arms around him, she spoke softly to him in Na'vi, singing even, that everything would be ok in time. She just only hoped that she was right.


	11. Picking Up The Pieces

_A/N:Alright, we've hit that ground after the long fall. Time to take stock of the injuries and dust ourselves off. Once more, here we go._

_-Outreach117_

_Chapter 10_

Norm rolled out of the lone cot inside the solitary structure that he occupied after another night of fitful sleep and nightmares. It had been almost a week since the incident at Hell's Gate, now what many of the Na'vi were calling the "Night of Lightning" due to the extremely bright flash and bang from the explosion.

Tensions in Hometree mercifully had not materialized. Rather than try and explain the nature of the accident, many of the Na'vi took it as a sign from Ewya that the last remnants of the time of great sorrow was forcibly cleaned, cauterized from the surface of Pandora by Ewya herself. Jake had reluctantly been willing to allow the Omaticaya to think what they will, Norm disagreed. Max deserved a better legacy than to be remembered by the Omaticaya as some kind of mistake that had been wiped away in a mere instant. Still, the peace in the village came first, they could not endure internal struggles. Somewhat reluctantly Norm felt that would have been what Max would have wanted his sacrifice to accomplish, peace. Now, without divided attention between Hometree and Hell's Gate, the Omaticaya could focus entirely on recovery.

Somewhat absent-mindedly Norm stood up and looked out window at the Pandoran wilderness, the clouds just starting to clear over the tops of the floating Hallelujah Mountains. Norm smelled, he hadn't showered in days and had barely eaten. Almost absent-mindedly he ran a hand across his face, no longer scruffy he had an outright beard. He had clearly been in the throes of a depressive episode and had never felt so alone, and was only now starting to come back out of the deep mental pit he crawled into.

He had even considered upon occasion just venting the entire cabin atmosphere and snuffing it. Looking back on it, the night after the incident he was standing by the airlock, hand hovering over the red release valve, shaving violently. Ultimately he just didn't have the courage and had succumbed to another fit of emotions.

Today, he swore, he would try and make things different. Ninat had been both openly and quietly unconditionally supportive of Norm, while he did what he could to be there for her. In comparison it was certainly a one-sided arrangement. Stripping off the reeking clothes he stepped into the far too compact shower and took his time meticulously cleaning himself, letting the hot water bring some life back into him.

Stepping out of the shower he picked up a razor and began to shave. Several weeks worth of beard did not come off easily and it took him nearly twenty minutes to be shaved to his satisfaction. Donning clean clothes and an Exo-pack, Norm stepped outside and for the first time since meeting Ninat, he felt the cool Pandoran breeze run over him. Sitting down cross-legged, Norm closed his eyes and focused his mind to find his emotional and mental center. _Yes, today is a new day, and I will make it right._

* * *

Ninat rolled over in her sleep, feeling a slight pain in her arm as she did so. The pain had noticeably diminished in the past several days, a fact that Ninat was infinitely grateful for. Na'vi typically needed about two to three weeks versus a month or more before a cast could be removed, the added resilience of their bodies lending to a much higher regenerative ability. The burns on her back and arms and legs and all but disappeared as well. Her skin itched and peeled where she had been burned, but nothing too severe fortunately.

Ninat's main concern was still that of her potential mate, Noruhmann. She rolled over in her hammock in their shared alcove, seeing the Dreamwalker sleep in the sleep that they could never be woken from. Deep down, she ached for him and also worried for him. It had been just as apparent to her as well as the rest of the village that he was in a deep state of grief over the loss of Max. The Na'vi had more or less gone back to normal around the village, their grieving period being shorter than that of humans since they could still touch the memories of the deceased with Ewya. _When Sky-people die_, she mused, _where do they go if they are not with Ewya? Will they ever be seen again? _She looked over at the sleeping form, _perhaps this is why Norm grieves like he does._

Ninat also knew that Norm felt a great amount of personal responsibility over what happened in the week prior. It was a burden that he carried inside and that no one could see, except potentially her. She sat down next to his sleeping form, placing a hand on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath, the heat of his body.

She had been so intent on listening to Norm's body that she failed to notice his arm come up and pull her into a hug. Ninat squealed in surprise then let out a giggle as the Dreamwalker waked.

_"I see you,"_ Norm spoke, his eyes peering into hers.

Ninat was quiet for a moment longer before she replied, _"and I see you."_ She reached down and gently stroked his face, noticing the edge that he had been missing for the past week start to come back. She never realized just how much she missed seeing that side of Norm until now. Norm looked down after a moment suddenly feeling very ashamed and selfish, Ninat felt her heart flutter.

"Ninat...I have been absent from you." She could tell what he was trying to explain, Norm was trying to tell her that he felt sorry for not being an encouraging partner during a very difficult time for both of them and that he felt guilty for it.

"Sssshhhh, Noruhmann. It is alright," she gently cooed to him.

Norm merely shook his head, "no Ninat, everything is not all right. But, I think it is time that we make it all right." A grin starting to spread across his face.

She looked at him, puzzled for a moment, then realization dawned on her face as her eyes went wide and her jaw slack.

"Yes, Ninat. I have been blessed by Ewya to be given a new chance at life, an opportunity to start again. I have no desire to squander that opportunity." Norm huffed, as if a bad taste was in his mouth. "I'm tired of all this doom and gloom around here, I think it's time we had something to celebrate about."

Ninat merely giggled in response, although a tear started to form on her cheek as she realized that everything would be ok. As one the couple ran to find Jake. It was time that Norm took his place among the Na'vi.

_A/N: Short chapter, I know. Don't worry, more goodness will be upcoming and someone as perky as Norm, always hyper and happy I couldn't see him being depressed forever. We are now back on our feet, admittedly a bit dusty from that fall, but life goes on. Keep tuning in!_

_-Outreach117_


	12. Through The Looking Glass

_A/N: I see light. It's the light at the end of the tunnel...or is it an oncoming bullet train on greased rails? Read on and find out!_

_-Outreach117_

_Chapter 11_

If Norm could pick the most uncomfortable and scariest moment of his life, this would have been it. The sun had set, the sky lit by the stars and the other moons of Polyphemus, but there was the eerie glow of the Tree of Souls, along with the glows of the hundreds of Na'vi Omaticaya linked into the roots of the tree. He was naked, wearing only an Exo-pack as Ninat carried his human body that he was currently in. His lifeless Avatar was carried by Nik'ta who had a soft but concerned expression on his face.

Approaching the center dais at the base of the Tree of Souls stood Mo'at, Jake, Neytiri, Minthra, and Pey'lal. _Well, if I die here at least I am in the best company that I could ask for. If it works, _he looked at Ninat¸ _I'll be fixed for life with the woman of my dreams. Please, Ewya. It's been a rough week and all, but if you make this work I'd be most appreciative._

Ninat seemed to sense Norm's thoughts and looked down at him with a smile on her face, although he could see the underlying concern that this just might not work. He reached up and touched her face ever so gently and smiled back. Approaching the dais, Norm looked up at the surrounded Na'vi. For several of them, this was their first time seeing Norm in his human body. One way or the other, it would also be their last.

_He is so small,_ thought Nik'ta as he rested the inert Avatar at the feet of Mo'at who wore a glimmering, flowing silver tunic instead of her traditional red garb. _Small, yet has such a big heart and spirit._ Minthra seemed to echo her mate's thoughts and reached to hold his hand as the entire crowd backed away from the two naked bodies.

Mo'at began to chant and the entire Tree seemed to become afire with energy. _"Ewya, bring our brother Noruhmann back to us. Bring him to you and back to the People!" _Small tentacle-like probes, thousands of them, began to grow out of the tree and press into both Norm and his Avatar. Norm had braced himself and thought it would hurt, instead the sensation felt soft, warm even. The chanting of the gathered Na'vi became louder, and yet more distant as Norm began to lose focus of his mind. _It's almost like linking up. I wonder if this isssssss whhhhhaaaaaa.............._

He never finished his thought as his body went completely limp and his consciousness left the physical realm and entered into the realm of Ewya.

* * *

_Light, I see light. I can think, I am here. _Norm felt like he was floating, but could not find his body. Trying to move around he found that he had no body, he simply was there. _What the?_ _Am I dead?_ All around the Norm-entity there were other bright lights, beacons swirling about. The scene reminded him of a clear night on earth with scores of fireflies dancing about.

The Norm-entity did the equivalent of a squint as he noticed a far brighter light, a nexus of energy. It had no recognizable shape, but it radiated brilliance in a way that could not be captured by words, encapsulated in words. _Oh my, is that Ewya?_ The Ewya-being did not move, although an energy radiated out from the nexus. It was not a physical energy, but an emotional one. If the Norm-entity could categorize the emotion, he would have called it one of peacefulness and joy. The emotion felt warm, and he wrapped himself up in it like a blanket. _I could get used to this, I like it here,_ the Norm-entity thought. _If this is death, then no wonder the Na'vi don't grieve as much._

Another burst of energy came from the Ewya-being, this one the Norm-entity interpreted as a smile. Another voice penetrated the Norm-entity's consciousness, a voice all to familiar. _What the....Grace?! Grace, is that you?!_ Another entity that twinkled and shined just like the Norm-entity came from the Ewya-being and paused before Norm.

_I am with Ewya, Norm,_ the being "spoke" in a sense. He did not hear the sounds, but more like he understood the thoughts and emotions. _Go back. Go back.........._

The Grace-entity shimmered brightly and the Ewya-being flashed what only could have been a smile and the Norm-entity felt himself hurtling back into the physical world.

* * *

Norm opened his eyes, his vision blurry. Mo'at seemed to be speaking, her lips were moving but he could not hear anything. Shaking his head, his ears seemed to suddenly switch on and words registered in his brain. "Noruhmann. Noruhmann, can you hear me?"

Norm grunted an affirmative as he felt the warm presence leave his body, although a small smoldering seemed to remain. Looking down, he found himself inside his Avatar body. _My body now._ He struggled to a sitting position, his vision slowly clearing. Around him members of the Omaticaya surrounded him, touching his new body and linked their arms together, reminiscent of the coming of age ceremony. Ninat had draped a leather cloth across his lower torso to grant some small modesty and she lowered herself to her knees to look into Norm's eyes.

"I am here, my Ninat. I saw her, I saw Ewya." Norm was visibly shaken at the experience, but continued to explain. "She gave me her blessing, she gave _us_ her blessing." Ninat's eyes grew like saucers as she held out a hand to Norm.

Norm took the hand, and wrapping the leather tightly about his waist, the pair stood and ran out of the Tree of Souls.

Later that night, underneath the waterfall by the banshee nest, Norm and Ninat stood staring at each other, not quite believing that their dream was actually becoming a reality. As Norm reached for Ninat and she for him, he somewhat absent-mindedly wondered just what bonding and mating for life would be like. He didn't have to wait that long to get his answer as the two became one, and they explored the deepest parts of their partner's mind, body and soul long, long into the night.


	13. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

_Three years later......._

Norm and Ninat sat around the fire with the rest of their family and the Omaticaya Clan for the evening meal. To his left was Nik'ta and Mithra, along with their daughter Grace, now three and up to her eyeballs in mischief that drove her parents to no lengths of frustration. They smiled back at Norm who looked at his own family.

His beautiful mate Ninat and his toddler son Maxwell, named in memory of his deceased friend sat eating. Ninat used a wooden spoon to gently feed her son a fruity paste made of various Pandoran berries, her own belly bloated with their second child well on the way. Maxwell was the spitting image of his father, although he retained more of the Na'vi features of his mother. His hands had only three fingers like regular Na'vi, but he retained very thin eyebrows, and a very, very strong powerful voice that was obviously inherited from both sides. Maxwell knew how to shriek and scream like any other three Na'vi children his parents knew. The terrible two's were looking to be a very painful prospect.

They were hardly alone as it seemed as if everyone in the Omaticaya was having kids. Jake and Neytiri had a newborn named Tsu'Tey with another child planned, and even the great huntress Pey'lal had found time to get herself a mate and was starting to bloat with the child growing in her. Mo'at had found endless amusement at her daughter's expense watching her cope with the vocal newborn while Jake had very wisely kept his face blank and his mouth shut or else risk being exiled to sleeping in the branches for the night if Neytiri didn't outright push him out of the tree first.

Much else had changed in the past few years. The cratered remains of Hell's Gate had filled up with water, providing irrigation for the rapidly growing plant life to reclaim the blasted landscape. Despite residual radiation levels, Pandoran plants were considerably hardier than their Earth counterparts having a much higher level of adaptability. Still, the area remained banned by orders of the Olo'eyktan, although that hardly needed much encouragement. Many of the Na'vi viewed the area as cursed and none were ever willing to return to that place. Many ghost stories and legends of the troubled and haunted spirits of the Sky-people used to scare children had been made since the Night of Lightning, and the legends stuck with the Clan and nobody dared trespass on the demon's land.

Both Ninat and Norm had found themselves new Ikran mounts, two beautiful specimens of cyan and dark violet. The morning after they had mated under the waterfall behind the Ikran nest Ninat had made the wild suggestion that they go for a flight. Norm had thought she was crazy, but sufficient "persuasion" had encouraged him to change his mind otherwise.

Norm's fears and concerns of a returning RDA presence, at least for now, had not materialized. It hadn't even been four years since the Time of Great Sorrow, and the earliest outbound flight from Earth with a properly equipped crew to mount any kind of attack would take six years to arrive. Add in the six years time it would take the _Venture-Star_ to return to earth, the time needed to load out and supply a vessel or multiple vessels, could be almost two decades before the RDA even considered landing on Pandora. He was sure that they were out there, flights to and from the planet occurred every couple years, but he doubted that anyone would dare try to land on Pandora and trespass on the Na'vi unless they were truly prepared to do so. More likely either the ships simply turned around and headed home once arriving in-system, or received wireless communications from the outbound _Venture Star_. Regardless, the Na'vi would have to be ready for their inevitable return.

Norm pushed the thoughts from his brain as he squatted before his son who almost seemed to glow in his father's affection. He smiled down at his mate Ninat who smiled back up to him. Ewya smiled at them both.

_To be continued....................._

_A/N: I would like to take some time to thank my dedicated readers and fans and all those who took the time to read and review. I hope you had as much enjoyment in reading this work of fiction that I have in writing it, and I intend to keep writing many, many more. Thanks to each and every one of you, and due to the high popularity and support for this story I have decided to make this only the first episode of a Trilogy. The next chapter is merely a preview of the next part of the series, it contains ****SPOILERS**** so don't say I didn't warn you. A special thanks goes out to James Cameron for creating this beautiful world and sandbox for all of us to play and lose our minds in. Stay tuned, the Sky-People are returning!_

_-Outreach117_


	14. SPOILER! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

_A/N: WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE NEXT EPISODE IN THE SAGA. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED CLICK THE "CLOSE" OR "BACK" BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!_

_-Outreach117_

Maxwell ran through the forest, his slim and athletic body toned to the edges of perfection through yeas of training. In front of him Tsu'Tey outpaced him slightly. Despite being a year younger, Tsu'Tey was several inches taller than his close friend, an advantage that worked out in the long-distance runs that their Mentor Pey'lal put them through. Behind them three other teenage female hunters, Grace, Sylwanin, and Yinfai.

All five had grown up in the same crèche and had been practically inseparable. They hunted together, worked together, lived together and some of them had little doubt that they would probably be mated to each other.

Maxwell and Sylwanin had been caught on more than one occasion sneaking off in the darkness by their friends, something that earned them quite a bit of embarrassment, but were hardly alone. Tsu'Tey was first in line to become the next Olo'eyktan as the first son of Jake and Neytiri. His arranged mate looked to be Yinfai, although Grace had a friendly competition going for his affections. It remained to be seen as they got older and actually became adults in the Clan if it would remain friendly.

Pey'lal had run out in front as she always did, clearing a path but setting a pace for the adolescents to follow. Her instructions had been simple, keep up or spend the night outside. None of the teenagers were especially inclined to try and test that theory and though their legs and lungs burned and feet hurt, they all kept pace with the apex huntress.

A rumble and flash in the distance caught Maxwell's attention as his ears and eyes turned to face the unknown sound. Had he still been watching where he was going he would have noticed Tsu'Tey had stopped next to Pey'lal, and he ran clear into his best friend, crashing to the jungle floor.

_"Skaxwng!"_ Tsu'Tey shouted at Maxwell who was about to retort but a threatening hiss from Pey'lal silenced both boys and the suppressed giggles from the girls.

_"Oh, Ewya, guide us. Protect us from harm!"_ Pey'lal prayed openly as she watched the flash turn into a shape that she never wished to see again, or that her child would have to see. The shape was triangular, had a black bottom with a white top. It was sleek, beautiful, a reminder of terrible pains of seasons past, and warning of even worse pains to come. The Sky-People had returned.


End file.
