Starting New

Chapter 2

I stayed up all night, weighing my options and trying to make a decision. Of course, my heart had already made such decision last night already. I was just trying to decide how I would tell everyone at our base. How would they react? There had been many mixed reactions when Jake had turned Na’vi. But, that was before. Now the people here might be a bit more understanding in my circumstances, hopefully. I could only prey they wouldn’t condemn me as a betrayer as they had done to Jake.

My plants and research had been discarded as I anxiously waited for Jake to come. I wasn’t sure if I was reluctant or excited about it. There were so many mixed feelings. I had considered talking to Trudy about my opinions, but didn’t know if she could truly understand, considering she never had an avatar like Jake and I. I wished Grace could be here. She would understand. She would encourage it.

I was still in shock of Neytiri’s death. It came so sudden. Jake hadn’t really gone into detail, but I was sure it was either during or shortly after the attack at the Tree of Souls. That had been only a week ago. It was starting to feel like eternity.

“Have you decided?”

I jumped out of my chair from where I had ended up falling asleep next to my avatar. Jake stood in the doorway and watched me. He ducked underneath the doorframe and came to sit next to me. It always surprised, me, even today, at how much bigger the Na’vi were.

“It looks like you would have had to make the decision with or without me soon,” Jake commented, laying a tentative hand upon my avatar that looked to be asleep, probably noticing the sick pallor of the blue skin.

I nodded and said nothing.

“I spoke to Mo’at about asking you to join the tribe,” Jake continued, leaning back in the chair and letting his long legs rest in front of him, “She hopes you will say yes.”

I knew Mo’at, the shaman, had saved both Jake and Grace from what would have been a sudden early death. She seems to understand our circumstance and had encouraged peace between humans and Na’vi for some time.

“It’s a big decision,” I said with a nod, clearing my throat, “But I do want to help the tribe. I want to help rebuild what was lost. I’ll do it.”

“You will?” Jake said, sounding surprised, “The way you talked last night—I thought you would say no.”

“I thought about it all night. I didn’t sleep a wink you know. You and your Na’vi thoughts kept me up.”

Jake gave a little smile, “I feel like we were chosen to be avatar drivers for a reason. Grace fulfilled her reason. She died trying to protect the tribe. I have fought to be where I am. Now it’s your turn.”

“When will it be done?”

“As soon as possible.”

The ceremony was to be performed that evening. I had donned a mask and followed Jake outside. He was carrying my avatar, which still had on a hospital gown. I was still nervous about the entire transformation. I hadn’t spoke to anyone on our base about it. I left Trudy a short note, telling her in in very few words what was happening and where she could find me from now on.

We walked on a bit and instead of his Ikran waiting; there was a five legged dire horse.

“You knew I’d agree,” I said suddenly.

He turned around suddenly and nodded, “I hoped you would. And I figured you didn’t want to ride Tsu’Le anytime soon.”

“Tsu’Le?” I asked.

“Yes, my Ikran. That’s what I named him. I ride my Toruk sparingly now. I like to save that adventure for when he’s really needed.”

“How are we-”

Jake somehow managed to jump upon his horse and cradle my avatar at the same time, “Give me your hand.”

He pulled me on behind him and took off almost immediately. I struggled to hold on. He moved quickly through the forest and I tried to figure out how this five legged creature was able to run while holding all three of us. Their new Hometree was further away. He seemed to take a long way as to avoid the other Hometree, which was in ruins.

We zig zagged through the immense forest, passed rivers and lakes. I saw the new Hometree in the distance. It was large, not as large as the previous one, but still quite large by the Na’vi standards. The people looked up when we arrived, still very interested in a human. I nodded slightly to them, still holding Jake around the waist. The children seemed confused, worried perhaps at seeing an unconscious Na’vi draped across Jake’s chest. The adults, however, understood quite well.

“Here we are,” He said, helping me down and then hopping down himself.

Some other warriors greeted Jake customarily and took my avatar from his hands.

“Now, I must speak with Mo’at,” He said.

She seemed to sense his arrival and came over to me quickly, taking both my small hands into her bigger one and smiling sadly.

“What have you decided Normspellman?” She asked.

I looked between her and Jake and nodded, “I decided to go through with it. I will become Na’vi.”

She bowed slightly and nodded, “Very good decision.”

I spent the day with Jake. Many of the people greeted him warmly and he spoke to all who stopped him. I struggled to keep up with the language. Jake had been living with them long enough to speak it almost fluidly. I had to listen intently to catch their meanings. He showed me around the new camp. They were in an entire state of building new. The women were cooking the dinner feast and others were sewing new hammocks and cloths. The children played games of tag and a varied version of soccer.

Jake had been truthful when he said they were rebuilding. The men were putting up pillars and pulling giant tan tarps to cover themselves from rain. But, something seemed to be missing. I had expected messes, complete disarray, but there was none of that. The Na’vi each had his or her own tasks and everything was in order. Jake had made it sounded like there was nothing left for them. The people are so in tune with nature and I found that they really didn’t have that much in the first place.

“It’s the memories we miss the most. It haunts so many of the tribes people,” Jake said to me later.

“It doesn’t seem like you need my help,” I argued.

“We always need help. You are more than needed, you are wanted here,” Jake said and nodded over to a small, covered entrance way to the side of the grounds, “Go there. Mo’at will tell you what to do next.”

I offered one nervous last look and made my way towards the entrance. Mo’at was inside and she quickly pulled a curtain closed behind me. I had fasted for the day, drinking only water and no food. She said I had to become “pure body and pure mind”.

“Normspellman, sit,” She instructed in English, pointing down to a mat on the ground.

I looked around briefly at the quaint décor and nodded. She followed quickly and I was surprised at her agility at what I imagined to be an old age. She leaned over and lit a pipe, breathing in deeply. She lifted her hands and the smoke from the pipe moved around the room. The smell was sweet and drifted into my nostrils.

“I didn’t want you in the tribe in the beginning,” She said, inhaling deeply, “You are an outsider. Outsiders are not welcome.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to follow what she was saying. She didn’t want me here? Jake told me she had. What was she getting at?

“I had made that decision on my own, but there was a sign from Eywa,” Mo’at said and her large yellow eyes looked into mine, “She sees a future, Eywa does. She sees good things happening with you. She sees…peace with Jake. He is very troubled. Our Neytiri was very special, Normspellman. I hope that Eywa is right. I know she is. You will make the difference.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I didn’t want to question Eywa. I wanted to be accepted.

“We shouldn’t make them wait any longer,” She said, her hands moving to my shoulders, “But I must know, do you make this decision on your own? Will you adhere to the ways of the Na’vi?”

“I do,” I said, nodding my head with a kind of reverence, “I do want to become Na’vi. I want to help the people.”

“Then it shall be done by the will of Eywa,” She said softly and touched my shirt, “Now, I leave you. Remove these articles that make you human. After tonight, you will be forever Na’vi!”

I watched Mo’at leave the small hut. I stood in my clothing and took a deep breath. This was my last night as human, the last time. I was scared. I was scared that it would go wrong. I was scared that I wouldn’t be accepted by the tribes people. I wondered about this sign that Mo’at had mentioned. What did she see? I hadn’t much more time to contemplate this as I heard the people chanting outside. I listened for a moment, amazed at such spiritual connection I felt to the earth and to the Omaticaya.

It was my time. I had made the decision and I must stick by it. I tentatively removed my articles of clothing one by one, the red shirt first, and then the boots, the khaki pants. I stood nude in the room with only my breathing mask on. I found the leaves from the neyamo vine carefully laid into a basket on the ground. I pulled them out, my eyebrows raising a bit. Did she expect me to wear these? I thought back to when the transformation had been performed on Grace. That’s what had been used to cover her. I wasn’t there for Jake’s transformation, so I could only assume. The curtain opened a moment later and I jumped slightly, trying to cover my body from the intruder. It was Mo’at. She studied me for a moment.

“This body we respect, but this body will be no more,” Mo’at explained putting a hand on my shoulder, “Wear these vines. They are a sign of life.”

She pulled the vines out of the hand and began weaving them around my lower body. I was more than embarrassed.

“It is time.”

I followed Mo’at out, passed leaves and bushes and trees to a solitary Tree of Souls close to their vicinity. The single tree was large, but it was the color—the brightness, the beauty that really took my breath away. My state of semi-half dress was suddenly forgotten as I was lost in the song and colors of the dance the people performed.

“Come,” She said.

I followed her and she had to give me a boost to reach the higher area beneath the tree. Jake followed soon after with my avatar, wrapped in a similar leafing. He laid the avatar down and I watched in confusion as he gently touched the forehead and glanced at me.

“Lay down here,” He said, instructing me to lay down next to my avatar.

I followed in suit, my head falling next to my avatar’s. It was a very unusual feeling to know that I would be waking up in the body next to mine and never again in this body.

“You must concentrate, Normspellman,” Mo’at said with a nod.

I watched the women of the tribe sway to the Pandora’s beat beneath their feet.

“Close your eyes,” She whispered, placing her large palm over my eyes to close them.

“Jake!” I said suddenly, my eyes opening quickly.

He came over to my side and took my hand, “What is it?”

“What if I don’t wake up?” I whispered, “What if it doesn’t work?”

“It will work,” He said firmly, his skin glowing in the darkness, “Eywa chose you as she chose me. Now sleep.”

I closed my eyes once again, listening to the beautiful music of the Na’vi, the beat of their planet. I felt small tendrils stick onto my skin, but I did not wake. I could feel Eywa in me already, sending me calming visions of waterfalls, rainbows, and their beautiful planet. The sound of the people soon became a dull hum and I felt myself nodding off. Moments later there was a rush of memories, a blur of colors, and a sea of life.

I opened my eyes and things seemed to blur together for a moment. After the fog disappeared I found myself looking into large, expressive yellow eyes. Jake smiled brightly and nodded encouragement.

“Welcome to the Na’vi, Norm.”