Archive of Our Own

            Kyungsoo had been spending more time just taking in the things around him. The city he lived in, his neighbors, his home, himself. He found himself standing in front of the mirror more than he used to, trying to remember his features and how they resembled his parents. They had long passed, but he still visited their grave even if it was for the last time. He knew they would be proud of him and would he happy that he was leaving this dying, grey planet they used to call home—what he used to call home. He was being shipped out by the following morning, where he would officially kiss his life as a Human from Earth goodbye.

            Albeit a bit later than he originally planned, Kyungsoo was going to Pandora, an Earth-like moon from the Alpha Centauri System. He had researched its ecosystem and inhabitants for more than a decade, having read many books and reports from the scientists already stationed there—especially the research of the renowned Dr. Augustine—and was going to continue that research through the Avatar program. However, his plans got put on hold when word of growing conflict between the RDA and the moon’s natives reached Earth. He thought that it would blow over and things would continue, but his leg of the program got shut down once it was confirmed that the Na’vi had taken over and kicked the Humans out.

            Kyungsoo almost lost all hope of getting off this planet until he heard some colleagues talking about the RDA’s plan to re-establish control. The plan was to return with stronger artillery and troops and begin the colonization and terraforming necessary for human relocation, but what Kyungsoo found most interesting was Project Phoenix. The RDA would dispatch a group of recombinant soldiers—Avatars with the implanted memories and personalities of SecOps soldiers who were killed in action during the war between Na’vi and Humans. Kyungsoo in no way wanted to help the Humans in their efforts to re-establish control, but he would try to use their efforts to get what he wanted.

            Luckily, Kyungsoo had connections to get him more information and a spot on the next ship to Pandora. This mission would, however, require military training, which he was lucky to have time to acquire. Ten years to be exact, since new soldiers and machines could not be built in a day. While getting his military training, Kyungsoo worked on studying the deeds and accomplishments of the soldiers he would be working with, so he could blend in seamlessly. He was sure there would be questions about where he came from since this was a group of privately contracted militia, but he also had someone working on putting his information in their records in case someone tried to look him up.

            The full plan was to blend in until he could find a chance to slip away into the forest. Kyungsoo was confident enough with his knowledge of the plants and animals of Pandora to survive on his own for a while, and if he were lucky, a clan would take him in. He wasn’t putting his bets too high on that outcome, though.

            If you had told him he had been asleep for five years, he wouldn’t believe you. Technically, it was like dying and being reborn, and it was probably how babies felt, minus the crying and warm touch from a mother. Kyungsoo’s mind was quite fuzzy as he blearily looked up at the medics checking his vitals. He almost didn’t know where he was and why he was in a medical facility until he was allowed to sit up and see his reflection in the glass walls in front of him. He hadn’t seen his Avatar in person until now, only having seen AI renderings of what it may have looked like, and the real thing was much better to look at. Some areas of his memory were still fuzzy, but he was told they would come back to him in due time.

            Kyungsoo was one of the first to be woken up, so he had some time to himself. He found himself once again looking in the mirror in his temporary quarters. He looked about fifteen years younger, which was accurate considering the DNA they collected from him to form his Avatar was from at least fifteen years ago. It was hard to believe this was his new body. Knowing blue wasn’t his favorite color, Kyungsoo had taken ample time getting used to it, but now that it was on him, he felt it suited him. He had tiger-like stripes in a slightly darker shade than his base color, and with the dimmed lights, he could almost see the bioluminescent speckles scattered all over his body. His eyes were no longer the dark brown so common to Humans; instead, they were yellow, almost hazel, and were much larger. He still had noticeable Human features such as eyebrows and four fingers, but that’s as far as they went. The only Na’vi feature that would take some getting used to would be his tail; it was like it had a mind of its own.

            “It’s kind of cruel, isn’t it?” Kyungsoo was startled, hearing the voice behind him, and he turned around to see that it was one of the Recom soldiers, Zhang. He was the only other Asian on this squad—technically the only Asian, considering he wasn’t really a part of the team.

            “What is?” Kyungsoo responded carefully.

            “Having us come back as our enemies. I would have preferred being an undead zombie than this.” Zhang laughed as he went to sit on the extra bed in the room, and Kyungsoo gave a nod of false agreement. “But I have to say, I feel way stronger in this body. I bet those monkeys don’t know what’s coming to them.”

            Kyungsoo only hummed, more than a bit troubled by the statement, and hyper-aware of his tail flicking back and forth. He was glad he wouldn’t have to be around these psychos for too long; he could only hope they had a cruel death and then another in the near future.

            When it came time for their briefing, he finally got to meet the team leader, Colonel Miles Quaritch, who was just as intimidating as his files sounded. He and Zhang were the last to arrive, and Kyungsoo decided to sit towards the back as the Colonel began speaking.

            “We are not in Kansas anymore. We are going to Pandora.” He paused to look out the window as they approached the moon before turning back. “Now, I know you’re all askin’ yourselves the same question…Why so blue?” This made a few laughs before he continued. “For our sins in our past life, we have been brought back in the form of our enemy.” Zhang nudged Kyungsoo with a smirk at the clear Deja vu. “That gives us their size, their strength, their speed. And with our training, that’s a pretty potent mix.”

            “Do we have a mission yet?” Corporal Wainfleet asked.

            “Indeed, we do. Our mission is to hunt down and kill the leader of the Na’vi insurgency. The one they call Toruk Makto. Jake Sully!” Quaritch scowled, saying that name, and the rest of the soldiers hooted, hearing this detail. They were then told a bit about where they would be landing once on Pandora since their original base, Hell’s Gate, was destroyed. They would be further briefed on the progress of the moon’s colonization when they got onto solid ground.

            Bridgehead City was the new Human settlement on Pandora. It looked like something right out of a dystopian film with its high, heavily armed walls and desolate land around it. Even the bit of forest that surrounded the barren dirt looked burnt and poisoned. Once inside the walls, they were instructed on where to go and where they would be staying in between missions. Quaritch and Wainfleet broke off from the rest of the group, going to get a personal tour and briefing from the new commander of the RDA’s military defenses, General Ardmore. He didn’t know much about her other than her position in this whole operation, and he had no intention of getting to know her if he wanted his plan of escape to be successful.

            Despite getting a tour of the main facilities in Bridgehead City, security was too heavy to slip past, especially with how much he stuck out like a big, blue, sore thumb. He would have to escape while out on the field, where it was easy to ‘get lost’ in the forest and fake his death; then, all he would have to worry about was disabling the gear that tracked his location and vitals if he got separated. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be too hard since he studied a bit of engineering.

            Luckily, their first mission was already given to them only a few hours after arriving. Kyungsoo grew more uneasy the longer he stood surrounded, watching the Humans and bug-like droids scurry around. He had already learned to tune out the whirring and buzzing of technology he grew up around on Earth, but with his new heightened senses, it was maddening.

            Before they get to their aircraft, the whole crew is given field gear: a throat com, tear gas, extra ammo, among other things, and a gun. Despite having had basic training, it still felt like it was his first time holding one. It didn’t feel right in his hands, and he kept fiddling with it as they boarded the helicopter.

            “Loosen up a bit, kid. I’m sure we’ll blend right in.” Knowing that Zhang was trying to lighten the mood, Kyungsoo only nodded. He tried going through his gun training in his head as well as coming up with possible escape scenarios, but as soon as they got over the forest, his attention was elsewhere. He had only seen this much green in books and media, and immediately recognized a lot of the megafauna that littered the area. The air was also fresher once they were away from Human settlement, though there was still the smell of fuel being burned by the aircraft’s engine. As they were flying through some of the legendary floating mountains, there was a long whistle from one of the soldiers behind him, indicating he wasn’t the only one who was impressed by the sight.

            Their drop-off location wouldn’t be too far from the mountains, and they would be left on their own for a while since the airships only had about a ten-minute window before they were forcefully evicted by Eywa herself. Once on the ground, the ships quickly made their departure, and all was quiet except for the sounds of the forest. Everyone stood ready with their guns poised until all was clear before fully taking in the forest around them. Seemingly knowing the area best, Quaritch led the way. While the rest of the crew swept the area as they navigated the thick foliage, Kyungsoo flanked the back of the party, resisting the urge to touch everything he saw, needing to keep up the air of aloofness all the other Recoms had.

            The pitched barking sound, akin to that of a hyena, halted the group in their tracks. Kyungsoo easily recognized them as a small pack of Viperwolves. With guns at the ready, they waited for the attack, but the creatures stayed put, analyzing them from a distance before going on their way. Some of the soldiers were shocked by how well their new forms worked, but it was a short-lived experience as they were instructed to keep moving forward. They keep walking until they come up to what looks like an abandoned trailer, windows broken and overgrown with vines. Looking inside, Kyungsoo saw what looked like a beat-up link bed—he was very familiar with the mechanism, having been trained to use one to link to his Avatar.

            Once they made sure everything was clear, Quaritch told them to patrol the perimeter around it. They watch for a second as the colonel and Wainfleet move ahead to examine the trailer more, going up to a broken and overgrown AMP suit, before doing as they are told. A few stay closer to the trailer while the rest of them, including Kyungsoo, check the areas just outside the view of the building.

            If he was quick and quiet enough, Kyungsoo thought he would slip out of view, disable his gear, and make a run for it while the others were busy snooping around. The only person who was close enough to possibly notice, or would even care about his absence, was Zhang, but the feeling was not mutual. He did feel a bit bad for the guy, but the feeling could be easily forgotten because of their conflicting moral views. He was just about to execute his plan when Walker, one of the two women on the team, signaled for them to move forward, probably having heard something through the brush.

            They hid within the leaves and roots, waiting and watching to see if something would come out, and it was a small group of Na’vi children and…a Human boy? Walker grabbed the smallest child, and the other children immediately brandished their bows, aiming at her; however, as soon as they saw Kyungsoo and the rest of the soldiers with their guns, one of them dropped their bow. The Human boy painted with blue stripes still had his bow ready to fire, even hissing and growling.

             “Put it down. Put it down,” the Na’vi boy told the Human one, and though hesitantly, he complied.

            As soon as the weapons were away, the soldiers grabbed the rest of the children, restraining them by their arms and kuru. Kyungsoo inwardly winced, knowing the rough treatment was painful. His attention was taken away from the children as Quaritch and the rest of the Recoms approached. Quaritch stood in the middle, examining the children as they squirmed and made noises of frustration, his eyes lingering on the Human boy for a few seconds until Wainfleet brought him to the oldest girl they captured.

            “Hey, Colonel, check it out. We got a half-breed.” He held up the girl’s hand to show her four fingers.

            Quaritch examined the girl for a few seconds before moving over to the boy, demanding, “Show me your fingers.” The boy complied, but with both of his middle fingers straight to Quaritch’s face. This only made him laugh, saying, “You’re his, aren’t you?” The boy only hissed in response, and that must have been enough to confirm his suspicion as he took over, grabbing his kuru and yanking him forward. “Where is he?”

            “Sorry, I don’t speak English...to buttholes,” the Na’vi boy said smugly in his native tongue, but Quaritch wasn’t having any of it as he yanked his kuru again.

            “Where is your father?” Quaritch asked as the boy growled in pain, baring his fangs. When he didn’t get an answer, Quaritch pulled out his knife, making the other children panic and plead. “Really? You want to play it this way?”

            The Colonel tossed him aside and went back over to the older Na’vi girl who had been making the most noise. However, the Human boy was the one to protest the most this time.

            “Hey, don’t touch her!” he grunted, fighting in the Recom soldier’s grip, even as he told him not to move. “Don’t hurt her, please.”

            Looking a bit confused, Quaritch asked, “What’s your name, kid?”

             “Spider...Socorro,” He answered curtly, out of breath.

            Everyone watched cautiously and quietly as Quaritch’s expression changed from confused to shocked as he waved away the soldier and crouched to the boy’s level. “Miles?”

            “No one calls me that.” The boy, Spider, said, looking more upset than shocked.

            “Well, I’ll be damned. Well, I figured they sent you back to Earth.”

            “They can’t put babies in cryo, dipshit.” Hearing this, it would take an idiot to not understand what was going on, at least that was what Kyungsoo thought as he saw how conflicted Quaritch looked as he stood up and put his knife away. As the soldier went back to restrain Spider, Quaritch called in for extraction.

            The need to escape was now more than urgent in this situation. He in no way thought children would be involved in this mess and didn’t want any part in whatever they had planned beyond this.

            They bound the kids’ wrists as they moved back over to the link shack and had them sit by the AMP suit as Quaritch and Wainfleet went back to what they were doing. They managed to pull up the dashcam footage stored in the suit, but Kyungsoo didn’t pay any attention as he scoped the area for the best escape route. Just when he had found an opening where no one was paying attention, or so he thought, Zhang popped up next to him.

            “Do you really think that’s the Colonel’s kid?”

            Kyungsoo had to fight the growl he felt building in his chest and just sighed. “I don’t know.”

            “I mean, not this version of the Colonel, but the one who died. I knew he had a girl while he was here, but who knew that they would have a kid. Must hurt knowing your own blood took the side of the enemy.”

            As if to spite him, it started raining and getting dark, and they were all called back as the airship would be arriving shortly. They gathered the children again and got into a waiting position not too far from the shack. Now would be the perfect time to slip away, with how much they blended in and how the rain made it a bit harder to hear, but he was positioned too close to the children and Quaritch to do so. Kyungsoo wished, and dare he say, prayed to Eywa that something happened to give him an opening.

            Through the rain and other sounds of the forest, a distant yipping echoed through the trees. To the untrained ears, it could have been brushed off as the sound of an animal, but to Kyungsoo, he knew it wasn’t. The children could tell as well as their ears reacted, and they turned in the direction of the sound. It only got closer, and he noticed the children looked at each other, nodding as if they knew what or who was coming.

            The oldest girl—whose name Kyungsoo heard as Kiri from the others—began chanting a prayer, slowly increasing her volume until it annoyed the soldier who was holding her and Spider. When he stood up straight to yell at her to shut up, the first arrow flew, killing him instantly. All hell broke loose then, as shots were fired in the direction from which the arrow came, and the children used this chance to free themselves. One of the kids managed to set off one of the smoke bombs attached to one of the soldiers’ suits, filling the vicinity with greenish-yellow smoke and making it hard to see. While the soldiers moved forward through the smoke to go after the escaping children and shoot at the incoming arrows, Kyungsoo moved backward, trying to make sure he was not seen.

            Shots from the opposite direction came his way, making him duck and hide under roots and leaves, but he kept running as soon as the firing stopped. He also worked on removing anything on him that could be used to track him, leaving him with most of his gear and weapons, but he dropped the larger gun, only keeping the handgun and utility knife. Once he felt he was a good enough distance away, Kyungsoo stopped and hid just to make sure he wasn’t being followed. He did hear the airship in the distance and assumed the others were being picked up and that he was in the clear, but he still stayed quiet.

            After what seemed like ages, Kyungsoo finally felt safe enough to move, but as soon as he got up, he felt pain in his shoulder. Checking the area, he was indeed bleeding from a bullet wound. It stung like hell and hurt to move his arm now that the adrenaline was wearing off, so he knew he had to find a river to clean and dress the wound. He had a small canteen of water with him, but he knew where there was water; there were also plants that would help him heal.

            He walked for what seemed like ages with no sign of a river or pond. Though it was still raining, which was lightly washing the wound, at least the sun had come back. It must have been just an eclipse. Not wanting to bear the pain any longer, Kyungsoo hunkered down in a secure place under some large roots. Feeling that it had not gone all the way through, he knew he would need to remove the bullet to feel a bit better and begin somewhat healing until he could find the proper plants to form medicine. Knowing this would be a painful process, Kyungsoo took his shirt and balled it into his mouth, took a deep breath, and then began digging into the wound to remove the bullet. He groaned into the cloth, eyes burning and tail thrashing, as he tried to focus on locating the bullet, but once he did, he pulled it out and threw it to the ground furiously. With haste, he grabbed the canteen and dumped its contents onto the profusely bleeding wound, wincing yet sighing as it cooled the burning skin. He used the remaining water to clean his hands before grabbing the bit of gauze in his emergency pouch to stuff and wrap the wound. He also found a small adrenaline shot in the pouch and decided to take that so he could have the strength to keep moving.

            After a while, Kyungsoo was finally led to a river after following a small group of hexapedes. Lucky for him, there were several dapophet plants along the shore, so he collected a few pods and leaves to save for later, and one pod to eat now. As soon as he bit into the flesh of the fruit, he began feeling better.

            Kyungsoo continued to follow the river until it started to become dark. Even at night, it was never completely dark; the bioluminescent environment, as well as the light reflecting off Polyphemus, kept most things visible. His next goal was finding shelter for the night; he had a bit of rations in his pouch to last him the night, and maybe the morning, so that wasn’t top priority. A cave would be nice, but a tall tree with decent leaf coverage would suffice in desperate times.

            The rain finally let up as Kyungsoo continued to walk around, but didn’t have to travel too far from the river to find the perfect root and rock formation for shelter. There was, however, the distinct smell of rotting flesh in the area, but after a quick look around, Kyungsoo found there were a few dead sturmbeest nearby. This should have set off warning signals in his head, but he was growing tired again as the adrenaline began wearing off. He quickly gathered some twigs and somewhat dry leaves so he could start a fire to warm himself, but just as he got a small spark to light some of the leaves, Kyungsoo heard a roar in the distance. Pausing to listen, Kyungsoo considered finding a tall tree to sleep in instead, but he doubted he could climb too high with his injury. Hoping for the best, Kyungsoo stoked the fire then made sure his back wasn’t to the forest as he settled down with his handgun ready.

            Kyungsoo jolted awake, maybe an hour or two later, finding that his fire had gone out. Aside from a few insects and the flow of the river a few meters away, it was eerily quiet. Not feeling too safe at the moment, Kyungsoo quickly but quietly got up from his resting spot to keep moving; however, as soon as he emerged from his shelter, a deep growl rumbled from above him. Kyungsoo knew what he would see when he turned around: a Thanator, but when he did turn, he could immediately tell something was off. He didn’t spend too much time dwelling on it, though, as he ran for his life.

            Kyungsoo had read a bit about the behavior of a Thanator and figured he would do fine as long as he quickly left the predator’s territory, but this one would not seem to leave him be, even if they were far away from the den. He thought he could maybe climb a tree to buy himself enough time to think, but the creature was so close that if he paused for even a second, Kyungsoo knew he would sustain fatal injuries, which would no doubt lead to a gruesome death. Just then, Kyungsoo remembered he had a few stun grenades, which could buy him time.

            With no hesitation, Kyungsoo pulled the pin of one of the grenades and chucked it behind him. He only glanced back for a second to make sure it hit its mark, and though it did not strike the Thanator, it fell by its feet before bursting in a flash with smoke. The animal shrieked as it tried to regain its bearings, and Kyungsoo used these moments to climb the biggest tree in sight, using the small vines spiraling around it to bring him up faster. He saw some large fungi higher in the tree’s canopy and figured he could land there to re-evaluate his game plan moving forward, but before he could get halfway up, the Thanator’s angry roars could be heard below him; it was also using the vines to scale the trunk of the tree.

            Kyungsoo cursed as he tried to climb faster, but he could only move so much with the wound still fresh on his shoulder. At least trying to get somewhere where he could take out his gun, Kyungsoo climbed towards the nearest branch. When he got closer to the branch, he reached for what he thought was a knot in the tree to pull himself up, but was sorely mistaken when the ‘knot” violently popped open, releasing a cloud of dark dust—spores—in his direction. The effect was immediate, Kyungsoo’s eyes, skin, and throat burned, and he lost his grip and fell, who knows how many meters to the ground—he just knew it was high enough to knock all the wind out of his lungs, maybe even some of the spores he just inhaled, and feel like he had just been hit by a truck. He could barely see a few inches in front of him as he wheezed, but he could see the shape of the Thanator turning to lunge down at him.

            At this point, Kyungsoo was ready to accept his fate. Maybe he wasn’t as competent or prepared to live on Pandora as he thought he was. He would have been better off sticking with the RDA or maybe never leaving Earth in the first place. He closed his eyes, waiting for the death he knew was coming, but when it didn’t, Kyungsoo cracked his eyes open again. It was still hard to make sense of his surroundings as his senses still burned from the spores and his ears still rang from the fall, but he could tell something was going on, that someone was standing over him. He tried to sit up and get a better look at his savior, but he was in so much pain that he flopped around like a seal. He was sure he was a pitiful sight and just gave up as he succumbed to the pain and fell unconscious.

            Kyungsoo woke up, not quite feeling like he had been run over, but more like he had been lightly beaten up. He did feel like he was floating on a cloud until he opened his eyes and realized he was indeed up hanging in the air, lying in a net-like hammock. Looking around through the net, Kyungsoo could see that he was in some sort of tree settlement, but not something big enough to house a full clan, from what he could see. He could hear conversations, but couldn’t quite tell what was being said because of how far they were or because of how low their voices were. Kyungsoo tried finding a way out of the net and found it much quicker than he expected, as a part of the webbing glowed blue before folding back on its own, making him roll out and land roughly onto the weaved platform below.

            Some of the voices Kyungsoo had heard stopped, and before he could get up, there were a couple of Na’vi, probably hunters, standing over him; one of them holding a spear while the other wielded a bow.

            “It seems that the dreamwalker has finally awoken,” the one with the spear laughed.

            “Dream...walker?”

            “You know. Sky People parading in a false Na’vi body while theirs is asleep?”

            “Why are you explaining? He knows what that is.”

            “Not if he seemed confused.”

            “I am no dreamwalker,” Kyungsoo huffed, interrupting the bickering. He slowly stood up, but as soon as he was on his feet, a spear was pointed at his chest.

            “What are you then? Some kind of four-fingered demon working with the Sky People?”

            Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “No, and I want nothing to do with the Sky People. Not anymore. I ran away.”

            The hunters looked both confused and curious, and seemed like they wanted to ask more questions, but another seemingly older Na’vi came over.

            “What are you two doing, bothering the prisoner? He is supposed to remain tied up until Kai returns with the Olo’eyktan and the resistance leaders.”

            “We did nothing. He fell out of the hammock on his own, and we came to check on him,” The hunter with the bow explained.

            “Look, I don’t want any trouble. I just need my stuff and I’ll be on my way.” Kyungsoo quickly noticed that all his gear was gone, and he was left with nothing but a brown loincloth.

            “Troublemaker or not, orders were given to keep you here. Now you can cooperate and patiently wait with us, or you can be tied to a post.”

            Kyungsoo easily chose to cooperate, and he was invited to eat dinner with everyone around the fire. Kyungsoo expected more hostility from the natives, but what he was already met with was also reasonable. They gave him a plate with roasted fish and fruit, and he could say it tasted better than anything he had ever eaten on Earth.

            “So, what is your name, Dreamwalker?” One of the hunters from before asked, and Kyungsoo sighed at his new nickname.

            “Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.”

            “Dokyungsoo? Sky People have such strange names.”

            “It’s just Kyungsoo.”

            “Well, ‘just Kyungsoo, ’ I am Sehun.”

            “And I am Yeol,” the other hunter introduced.

            “Nice to meet you both.” Kyungsoo went back to eating, but the silence was not kept for too long as Yeol spoke again.

            “So, if you are not a dreamwalker, what are you?”

            “I...” Kyungsoo took a moment to think of a way to explain. “I used to be Human, one of the Sky People, but I had my…soul put into this body permanently.”

            “A consciousness transfer?” When Yeol said this, everyone else eating and chattering around them went silent.

            “Are consciousness transfers...bad?” Kyungsoo asked cautiously, clocking everyone’s reaction.

            “No,” the elder Na’vi answered. “But it can only be performed by the most skilled of Tsahìk. Even then, most chose not to meddle with the balance of nature.”

            “The Sky People must be getting stronger if they can perform a consciousness transfer without the guidance of Eywa.” Sehun looked a bit frightened at the thought, and others did too.

            “Well, I am not the only one. There were more of us, but Jake Sully killed most of them. I was able to get away with only a bullet wound.”

            The elder Na’vi hummed. “Yes. Though his methods are…questionable, Toruk Makto is very diligent when it comes to protecting the people.” Others made sounds of agreement. “If you have forsaken the Sky People as you say you have, then you will have nothing to worry about when the others return.” Kyungsoo hoped he was right. The last thing he wanted was to be on any clan’s hit list. It was best to make peace with them as soon as possible.

            He almost couldn’t fall asleep, thinking about how best to explain himself and convince them to keep him alive, but as he was still recovering from his injuries, fatigue soon overcame him. When the next day came, he was startled awake by the sound of a helicopter. Before his body could fully process being awake, he was reaching for the gun on his hip, only to then remember he no longer had his gear. Looking up to the sky, Kyungsoo tried assessing where the threat was coming from, only to see a Samson flying straight toward the camp.

            “Don’t freak out. Those are the resistance leaders our elder spoke of,” Yeol informed, appearing next to him. “Kai and our Olo’eyktan arrived at dawn. Now that the Sky People are here, they will discuss what to do with you.”

            Though he didn’t like the way it sounded, he already knew some kind of judgment would be imminent. He just hoped these people would continue to show him mercy. Despite Kyungsoo having told them he meant no harm, they still tied his arms behind his back before being brought to the leaders.

            “...I didn’t know what he was when I encountered him. I thought he was one of your guys, but he seemed...different.”

            “We aren't sure who he is, either. The gear you brought us was RDA, but it’s newer and sturdier. Nothing we could make with our scraps.”

            The leaders were already talking when Yeol and Sehun brought Kyungsoo over. They stopped talking to look at him. All present seemed Na’vi, but upon closer inspection, two of the four were probably Avatars.

            “We were informed that you defected from the RDA. I wasn’t aware that they started recruiting Avatar drivers,” the Avatar with the most human-like clothing said, looking directly at Kyungsoo.

            “I’m not a driver. This is my permanent body,” Kyungsoo corrected.

            “He told us that the Sky People performed a consciousness transfer on him,” Sehun added, earning them a few audible reactions.

            “Ironic how the RDA is making soldiers from the very things they are fighting against, but stealing someone’s consciousness is beyond cruel,” she then said, sounding very exasperated.

            “It was a voluntary transfer, well, at least I know mine was. I am not sure about the others, but they seemed devout to the RDA’s mission.”

            “Others? There are more of you?” The eldest-looking Na’vi exclaimed with a hiss. He stepped right up to Kyungsoo, demanding, “What do they plan to do? Are you here as a distraction while they ravage our clans behind our backs?”

            “N-No, sir.” Kyungsoo cowered a bit. “I am out here by my own choice. They probably think I am dead. But they seemed to be more focused on finding Jake Sully...Y-Your Toruk Makto?”

            “Father, maybe he is telling the truth. And if he is, maybe we can use what he knows to fight back against the Sky People.” The Na’vi dressed similarly came forward to place her hand on the man’s shoulder, but kept an eye on Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, nodded furiously to further express his compliance. The older Na’vi grumbled as he turned away, and his daughter stood in his place. “So, what is your name, Ketuwong?”

            “I am Kyungsoo.”

            “Well, Kyungsoo, I am Etuwa, Tsahìk of the Aranahe clan. And the man who just stormed off was my father Ka'nat, Olo'eyktan of the Aranahe clan.” Kyungsoo nodded to them respectfully before she continued, gesturing to the Avatar who had spoken to him before. “This is Alma Cortez, the resistance leader of this region. She is helping us take our land back from the Sky People you call the RDA.” Kyungsoo nodded to her as well, then looked to the Avatar that had yet to be introduced. Alma was the one to introduce him.

            “And this is Kai, one of our Na’vi hunters who has joined the resistance.”  Kyungsoo nodded to the introduced Na’vi in greeting, but he said nothing as he only glared at Kyungsoo, looking him up and down.

            “Do not worry too much about him. He is always cautious of strangers,” Sehun whispered from behind him as he untied Kyungsoo’s restraints.

            “That’s understandable,” Kyungsoo said, rubbing his wrists.

            “He should warm up to you in no time...if he finds you interesting.”

            “Are you two...close?”

            “Close? We are practically brothers. Our bond is very strong.”

            “About as strong as the bond between Na’vi and pa’li. You are the horse in this situation,” Yeol added, which earned him a shove from Sehun.

            “If that is true, then it is the same for you!”

            “You are just jealous that he spends more time with that Zeswa hunter, huh?” As the two Na’vi bickered about their relationship with Kai and even began to wrestle each other, the Na’vi in question stepped in to break them up.

            “What are you two skxawng fighting about now?” Kyungsoo was a bit surprised by how smooth Kai’s voice sounded. He expected something gruffer and raspy with how serious he looked. Kai joined in the bickering, and it was amusing to watch the friends interact until his attention was grabbed by Alma again.

            “You should come back with me to HQ. There, we can get you clothes and a place to stay until we can find you something to do.” Despite wanting to roam on his own, his first night on Pandora proved that he at least needed somewhere to go if things went south. Once he settled and had new gear, then maybe he could go back out on his own, but at least now he would not be alone.

            During the entire flight to Resistance Headquarters, Kyungsoo was hanging out of the door to see everything. He was glad he didn’t have to hide his curiosity and wonder this time around, and Alma seemed just as happy to see his reactions. Once they reached HQ, Kyungsoo was introduced to many of the Humans and Na’vi who are part of the resistance. It turned out he wasn’t the only newcomer at HQ; a few of Alma’s former students had recently been rescued from an RDA facility in the area and were also getting used to the forest. There were so many new names and faces that Kyungsoo could barely keep up, but he was assured that things would become familiar in due time if he decided to stay.

            After receiving clothes—a cropped shirt, some cargo pants, and boots—Kyungsoo met with one of the resident medics and the resident biologist. While his vitals were checked, he quickly connected with the two Humans tending to him. Nalin had joined the RDA to research things that could help people on Earth, while Alex had also been inspired by Dr. Augustine’s research about life on Pandora. Kyungsoo could easily see himself becoming their friend, and thus he also found his occupation while at HQ.

            Kyungsoo spent a few days recuperating until the medics gave him an all-clear to move about freely before going out to explore on his own. He was told the area was generally safe RDA-wise, but there were always small outposts in random places. He was given a map of the forest that he could update to his liking, but he was mainly told to pay attention to where there was a lot of pollution. That usually meant that there was a large RDA site nearby, which he was advised to avoid unless he planned to take it down. Kyungsoo didn’t really plan, nor want to do any fighting, but he would if he had to; though, he felt he would need more than a little basic combat and gun training.

            “So, we dissected your gear after Kai found you, and there wasn’t too much to worry about concerning being tracked.

            “That’s because I got rid of it as soon as I could,” Kyungsoo laughed.

            “Smart thinking,” Alex laughed, too, handing him his gear back. “We restocked your med kit and sharpened your utility knife. Oh, and here is your new throat-comm tuned to our frequency, so we can get in touch with you no matter where you are in this region of Pandora.”

            “What’s this?” The last thing to be placed in Kyungsoo’s hands was a chunky gun-like device, which he turned over in his hands, noticing the faded acronym T.A.P. on it. “TAP?”

            “No, we call it SID, short for Systems Interrogation Device. It’s a little thing I developed to help the Avatar drivers and Na’vi in the resistance hack into RDA computers. I’ve only been able to put together a few of them with the scraps we have, but I figured I’d give you one since you seem like the type of guy to be out in the field rather than in the lab.”

            Kyungsoo chuckled. “Well, this place you all made is nice, but I am a nature kind of guy.”

            “Great! Well, if you are bold enough to sneak onto bases or come across any abandoned outposts, let me know, and I’ll give you pointers on how to use it. I would tell you now, but we’re having some electrical trouble that I need to sort out.”

            Kyungsoo quickly offered to help, which in turn gave him the chance to use his new gadget. Though he still had to fiddle with a few wires, the SID did the rest of the work that would have usually had to be done on a computer. After everything was fixed, Kyungsoo made sure he had everything he needed for at least a day’s trip and back, before heading out into the forest.

            While out exploring, Kyungsoo took note of every species of flora and fauna he knew. Call him old-fashioned, but he always carried a notepad for his notes and drawings. He understood that having things down digitally was convenient, but it never sat well with him; even more so now that he was on a planet so full of all things natural.

            All the small creatures—like bugs and little reptiles—were easy to draw, but he wanted to draw something bigger with more detail. Maybe a Hexapede or a Sturmbeest for starters. They seemed to be the most common in this region. Kyungsoo wandered around for what seemed like ages until he found a small herd of one of these animals. He turned to the page in his notebook titled “Yerik” before creeping close enough to get a good angle for his drawing; however, a few branches snapped under his boots as he stepped, alerting the creatures. He tried hunkering down so they would not see him, but it was too late. They ran off down through the trees. Kyungsoo tried this again several times, even managing to find some Sturmbeest, but they all ran away. He completely gave up by nightfall, not wanting to strain his eyes too much in the dark or run into any night predators. Looking at his map, though, Kyungsoo groaned out loud, seeing how far he was from HQ. Kyungsoo decided to camp for the night and make his way back to HQ by dawn.

            Kyungsoo continued exploring, still trying to get his sketches, but after almost a week, he still could not get close enough. Even as he sat out of breath in a tree after being chased by a creature he hadn’t seen before, the small group of reptiles hissed at him before scampering away. There was no way he could do field research, and he wondered how others before him managed to pull it off.

            “You make too much noise.” Someone said from above him, almost startling Kyungsoo out of the tree.

            Looking up at where the voice came from, it took him a few seconds to see and recognize the Na’vi crouched amongst the leaves. “Yeah, I have figured that out by now. You’re...Kai, right?” He remembered seeing the specific tattoos the hunter had on his chin, neck, and shoulder that he hadn’t seen on other Na’vi. The swirling dark ink was hard to miss, especially paired with the splashes of war paint that attempted to mimic its intricacies.

            Kai said nothing at first, only staring down at Kyungsoo before climbing down to his level. “Your Human shoes…boots…you need to get rid of them.”

            “...Okay?” Kyungsoo chuckled at the random English word thrown in, but when Kai continued to look at him as if expecting him to do it right away, Kyungsoo did, taking his socks off as well. Seeing that the other was satisfied, Kyungsoo asked, “Anything else?”

            Kai narrowed his eyes, looking Kyungsoo up and down, saying a quick “No,” before jumping down from the tree and disappearing through the brush. Kyungsoo sat quietly for a bit, hearing what he thought was in ikran in the distance, and processed the…interesting interaction before climbing down the tree again.

            For the rest of his outing, Kyungsoo carried his boots over his shoulder, tied together by the laces. It ended up making a big difference, and he made a mental note to thank Kai the next time he saw the hunter. Though he could not sit or stand right next to the animals, he could get much closer as long as he moved very slowly. He managed to get drawings of a few Hexapede, Sturmbeest, and even that reptile that chased him. Bringing the sketches and description back to HQ, Kyungsoo confirmed that the creature was called a Scarab Crawler, Tslikxyu tsawlak in Na’vi.

            Eventually, Kyungsoo stopped wearing his boots altogether. He had noticed Na’vi around HQ wearing simple feet and ankle guards or nothing at all, and figured he ought to do the same. One of the Humans at HQ showed him how to make his own ankle guards while a Na’vi gave him the materials. He was also given basic designs to make his own gear, which he wrote in his notebook. It gave him more things to do while exploring the forest, instead of just wandering around aimlessly until he came across another animal.

            Kyungsoo thought that gathering materials for gear would be easy, but looking at his list again, he wasn’t sure how he would attain some of the items. Things like moss and bark would be moderately easy, but getting hide and teeth...Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if he wanted to kill animals just for those materials.

            “Are you having trouble with your drawings again?”

            “No, I’m looking for...” Kyungsoo paused, looking up from his notebook to see Kai standing not too far from him. “When did you get here?”

            “I have always been here.”

            “No, I mean...” Kyungsoo sighed, and Kai tilted his head before coming closer. He stood next to Kyungsoo, glancing at his notebook.

            “Moss...Fiber...Foraging?”

            “Yes, but…I don’t know how to get these things.” Kyungsoo pointed to the hide and teeth on his list, and Kai hummed.

            “Trading is common, so you could simply ask...” Kyungsoo opened his mouth to say something, but Kai continued. “Or learn to hunt.”

            “I am not so sure about hunting.”

            “All Na’vi must learn to hunt. It is necessary for survival.”

            “But I am not Na’vi.”

            Kai’s ears folded back as he narrowed his eyes at Kyungsoo, once again looking at him up and down. “Yet, here you are in this body, by your own choosing, if I remember correctly.”

            Kyungsoo laughed dryly, a bit surprised that the other remembered that detail.  “Right. Okay, then maybe I’ll ask someone back at HQ to teach me. I heard someone named So’lek was a really good hunter.” Kyungsoo was turning to leave when Kai grabbed his arm, but let go as soon as he realized what he had done.

            “I could teach you...Since you are already here, and it would be pointless to walk back.”

            “Alright.” This time, Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes, clocking how the hunter tried to maintain an air of indifference. Kyungsoo even tried his best not to laugh in fear of angering his new teacher as he watched Kai struggle to get his bow off his back too quickly. Once he finally did, he held it out for Kyungsoo to take.

            “You may use my bow for now, until you can make your own. I will also show you how to do that.” Kyungsoo nodded as he took the longbow, but with no arrows. Before he could ask for some, he was guided through the forest.

            Kai showed him a patch of woody grass, explaining that it could be used to fashion arrows in a hurry before showing him exactly how to make them. Kai then showed Kyungsoo how to hold the bow, and it was then that he confirmed that Kai had four fingers instead of three like other Na’vi. He had noticed this small difference when they were first introduced, initially assuming he was an Avatar like Alma, but when he was referred to as Na’vi, he thought nothing else of it. Until now. Now, he wondered if he had other Human-inherited Avatar features.

            When Kai came close to explain some things about the bow, Kyungsoo drew his attention to his face. The first thing he noticed was the lighter complexion of his skin, which was a greener shade, more turquoise compared to the cobalt of the forest Na’vi. His markings also seemed more fluid, like water, compared to the jagged, almost tiger-like stripes he and the other Na’vi he’d seen had. He also noticed that Kai had eyebrows—though light and obscured by paint, they were noticeable up close. They’d barely talked or gotten to know each other, yet Kyungsoo’s curiosity was piqued by not only Kai’s alluring features, but by something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. This Na’vi seemed very interesting, and it made Kyungsoo want to know more about him.

            “Hey, you are not paying attention!” Startled, Kyungsoo’s hand slipped and released the arrow on the bow, hitting a tree in the distance.

            “Sorry, I...” Kyungsoo stopped talking as Kai stepped away to remove the arrows from the target. When he returned, he didn’t seem angry like he thought he would be, and he simply took another arrow and helped Kyungsoo nock it into his bow.

            “Your form is good, but next time you need to look at where you are shooting.” Kai slightly corrected Kyungsoo’s hand placement before pointing to their right at a great vine. “This time, aim for that purple plant over there.”

            Kyungsoo did as he was told, taking aim and letting his arrow fly, knocking the plant from its perch. He wasn’t sure if knocking it down was the goal until Kai guided him to the plant and showed him how to harvest it. He was told that this was the only way to harvest the plant, but to be gentle when picking the fiber from the flower.

            “This can be used to fashion cloth. It is of fine quality, but in the right places and right conditions, you can find better quality.” Kyungsoo reached to grab his notebook, but Kai stopped him, pointing to his head. “Some things must be committed to memory alone, lest we forget to remember.”

            Kyungsoo’s eyes widened upon hearing such a thing, and he thought it must be important if Kai seemed so serious about it. It was clear in his eyes, which were an intense gold color. Kyungsoo caught himself staring again, but realized he wasn’t the only one as Kai looked away and stood up. “So...”

            “Well...” They both spoke at the same time, but Kai was the one to continue. “I think that is enough for today. Rest is also important.”

            “Right. Here.” Kyungsoo handed Kai his bow back, but Kai shook his head.

            “You keep it. I can easily make another.”

            “Cool, thanks.” Kai nodded, and Kyungsoo turned away to check his map. To his dismay, he was once again very far from HQ, and he wasn’t yet comfortable traveling alone at night. It was only dusk, but he didn’t think he would make it back in time. He then checked his supplies to see if he had enough food for the night and realized he was completely out of rations. He let out a small groan as he realized he would have no choice but to head back if he didn’t want to possibly starve.

            “Is everything...okay?”

            Not thinking that Kai was still there, Kyungsoo whipped around. “Uh, y-yea...I mean, not really.” Kai toed forward as he continued. “I am sort of out of food, and HQ is quite far, so...”

            Kai hummed in understanding before he turned and started walking. Kyungsoo just stood there confused until Kai beckoned him to follow. Kyungsoo had to jog to catch up to Kai. His movements were graceful, almost like those of a dancer or gymnast—he didn’t quite walk or run, but something in between, and he leaped over large objects with ease. Kyungsoo wasn’t exactly clumsy, but his movements could be compared to those of a child riding a bike for the first time.

            “Where are you taking me?” Kyungsoo called out as he climbed the great vine behind Kai.

            “There is an Aranahe camp nearby!” Kai stopped to let Kyungsoo catch up, then slowed his pace. “There are plenty of camps all over the Kinglor forest. I was surprised by your ability to avoid them with how much you wander around.”

            “Yeah, my sense of direction isn’t too great, even with a map,” Kyungsoo laughed, but then paused as he thought about what the other said. “Have you been following me this whole time?”

            “...No,” Kai said a bit defensively as he trotted the rest of the way across the vine.

            “Hey! Wait up!” Kyungsoo tried to run after him, but immediately lost his balance. He thought he was going to fall into the water below, but a quick hand grabbed his arm.

            “So clumsy,” Kai laughed as he pulled Kyungsoo up and kept a firm hand on his wrist until they were back onto solid ground. Not too far ahead of them, the smaller trees broke away to reveal a bigger tree in a small clearing. It looked similar to the settlement he woke up to a few weeks ago, decorated with lanterns, colorful silks, and woven platforms, and it then hit him how long he had been on Pandora so far. It couldn’t come close to how long others have been there—some their entire life—but he felt excited yet terrified to find out what Pandora fully had to offer him.

            All eyes were on them once they climbed the fungus staircase to the main platform. Everyone greeted Kai warmly, asking him about his journeys, how long he was staying, or how he was doing, but when eyes landed on Kyungsoo, smiles wavered, and there were a few whispers.

            “This is Kyungsoo.” Kai introduced. “He escaped the hands of the Sky People after they performed a consciousness transfer on him. He wishes to learn our ways and join the resistance.” Many nodded in understanding, but a few still seemed unsure; either way, everyone went about their business.

            As he followed Kai over to what looked like a cooking station, Kyungsoo whispered, “Thanks for introducing me, but I am not too sure about fully joining the resistance. I am more of a scientist than a fighter. I barely made it out here on my own, as you know.”

            “No matter. Many have become warriors during these times. It is a burden set upon us by the Sky People.” Kai’s voice hardened, sounding more serious than when he was instructing earlier, almost sounding...Angry? Sad? Kyungsoo wasn’t quite sure.

            He instead tried to focus on what Kai was making. The Na’vi had pulled a few things out of a satchel, meat, fruit, seeds, and spices, and started throwing things together before wrapping them in a leaf. Kyungsoo didn’t know what he was expecting when Kai placed the wraps into what looked like a wooden pan with a terracotta lid and then into the fire, but when it came out, he wasn’t expecting it to look like a tamale.

            “What is this?” Kyungsoo asked once one of the wraps was handed to him on a wooden plate.

            “Niktsyey. Nothing too special about it. I just put whatever in it, but others have more refined recipes.” Kai wasted no time tearing into his food, the wrap still steaming.

            Kyungsoo turned the food over in his hand a few times before finally taking a bite. “Wow! This is amazing,” he practically moaned. He said nothing more as he devoured every bit of it.

            “I’m glad you like it. I’m not the best cook, but I can put together simple things. If you want to taste a real masterwork, you should try Relun’s cooking.”

            “I love to cook. Maybe he can show me a few things.”

            “Good luck with that,” Kai laughed as he finished his food.

            They talked a bit more about cooking—more like Kai listened while Kyungsoo talked— and Kai expressed how he and the Aranahe chef may get along a lot better than he thought. He then promised to show Kyungsoo all the prime foraging spots so he could bring exquisite ingredients to coax Relun into mentoring him.

            When dusk turned to night, many of the Na’vi still around found a comfy spot to settle for the night. Kyungsoo was exhausted after having such an eventful day, so he excused himself to rest inside one of the tents woven into the tree. He half expected Kai to come inside to rest as well, but he instead sat on the edge of the main platform to stare up at the sky. Kyungsoo was just dozing off when he heard humming. The melody seemed very pleasant, and he almost wanted to stay awake to hear the rest of it, but it lulled him to sleep.

            For the next couple of weeks, Kai continued to show Kyungsoo how to survive and navigate the forest. So far, tracking has been his biggest challenge. There were already a ton of new smells he wasn’t used to, but distinguishing each one became overwhelming at times. Kai reassured him that it would become easier with time and that it was okay to rely on other senses to guide him as well. When Kai wasn’t with him, Kyungsoo took every moment he could to practice on his own; he especially used it when he wanted to continue his research on animals. Kyungsoo made sure to show Kai all his new drawings, especially that of a few Viperwolf pups playing with each other. Kai seemed very impressed and proud of his accomplishments.

            Now that Kyungsoo was bolder with his exploring, Kai took him on more challenging expeditions to test and strengthen his agility and stamina. Kyungsoo felt a sense of Déjà vu—and maybe a bit of dread—when climbing a particularly tall tree with mushroom platforms higher up. Luckily, he was able to meet Kai at the top without falling. Soon enough, Kyungsoo could travel further and faster without trouble, now able to easily keep up with Kai’s pace. He still wasn’t as graceful as the other, but he no longer stumbled around.

            “When do I get to learn hand-to-hand combat?” Kyungsoo asked, feeling pumped after the climb they had just done. They were in an area called the Rising Spires, which Kai told him had an amazing view from the top.

            “It’s not necessary since we Na’vi do not typically fight amongst each other, but the Zeswa do engage in dance-fighting as a sport.” Kyungsoo took a seat on the grass, listening intently as Kai continued to talk about it. “I do find the art fun, but more of the dancing part rather than the fighting. I have a friend in the Upper Plains who is an exceptional dance-fighter. He helped me find my rhythm.” Kai showcased some of his moves, and Kyungsoo gasped at how talented he was.

            “It’s like watching ballet.” A more contemporary form, to be specific, but Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if Kai would understand what he meant.

            “Yes, it’s one of the Human things I found most interesting.”

            On second thought. “You seem to know a lot about Human things,” Kyungsoo commented curiously, and Kai paused his dancing. “I guess the people at Resistance HQ have taught you many things.”

            Kai said nothing for a bit, just staring at Kyungsoo as if he wanted to say something. “I guess I could teach you to dance,” He finally said. It wasn’t what Kyungsoo was expecting him to say, but he was happy, nonetheless. “But I will save that for later. Learning about tsaheylu is more important.”

            “Oh, I know what that is. It’s the bond you make using your kuru; it can also be used to connect to the Pandoran neural network to connect to Eywa, upload memories, or speak with the dead.”

            Kai folded his arms, looking impressed and annoyed. “Well, don’t you know everything, Mr. Scientist?”

            “Not everything. I only know the surface-level things, but thanks to you, I am learning just how deep and entwined Na’vi culture runs.”

            “Yes, the forest has much to give. Eywa will guide you, help you find your path.”

            “What about you? You’ve done so much to help as well.”

            “All I am doing is helping you hear her voice.” Kyungsoo hummed in understanding. Eywa was not a foreign concept to him, but she was a bit difficult to understand. Maybe he would understand better once he had a chance to directly connect with her.

            Kyungsoo’s attention was brought back to Kai as he turned away to give a loud, bird-like call to the air. They waited a few seconds before the return call of an ikran could be heard in the distance. Before long, an ikran swooped in and landed right next to Kai, looking surprisingly similar in color and dress. It was clear that this was the hunter’s flying mount as they exchanged greetings, and Kai gave the ikran a treat and pets. Kai’s ikran had mainly sky blue and turquoise skin with white blotches and accents. She was also adorned in colorful gear and paint like Kai’s, which complemented her just as well.

            “This is Tsweseya.”

            “She’s beautiful.” Like you, Kyungsoo wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure if the compliment would be accepted. He slowly moved forward to get a closer look at her, and she stared him down the entire time.

            “Oh, she knows it. She’s very sassy and likes to show off.” Just as he said this, Tsweseya screeched and shook her wings open, displaying the pearlescent vanes at the ends of her wings. Kyungsoo stumbled back in surprise and awe, and Kai then rolled his eyes as she nudged him for more pets, which he willingly gave. “But don’t let her beauty fool you, she is quite merciless in battle, especially when it comes to protecting me.”

            “I hope we form a bond that deep,” Kyungsoo said, looking directly at Kai. When the other glanced back at him, Kyungsoo quickly clarified, “I mean me and my ikran.”

            Kai hummed, sounding pensive—maybe the slightest bit disappointed—but still smiling and saying, “I hope that for you as well. Ikran can bond with no other Na’vi after you, so make the bond worthwhile.”

            Kyungsoo only hummed in understanding, but then asked, “When can I choose my ikran?”

            “When you are ready,” Kai said simply as he took a few steps back toward the opposite edge of the spire.

            “What…are you doing?” Kai did not answer as he just looked at Tsweseya before running and jumping off the cliff.

            Kyungsoo’s heart dropped as he ran to the edge to see Kai free-falling; however, Tsweseya jumped after him when Kai’s call for her echoed through the air. Kyungsoo only started breathing again when he saw her catch Kai on her back. They flew around the other surrounding spires before coming back to hover right about him.

            “What the hell was that?”

            “You must learn to trust your ikran with your life, otherwise your bond will be weak,” Kai said surly, but Kyungsoo wasn’t so sure.

            “Isn’t there…a safer way to do that?”

            “There are many ways, but you will know what’s right when the time comes. When you are ready.” Kai said nothing further as he and Tsweseya flew off again, leaving Kyungsoo alone at the top of the mountain.

            Kyungsoo had already learned to hunt and gather properly, to not upset the balance of the forest, but Kai was almost always there to make sure his kills were clean and merciful and that he said the proper prayer each time. When the shots were not perfect, Kyungsoo was taught how to swiftly end the animal’s suffering with a dagger. This gave him a chance to learn how to craft his knife and get rid of the one the Humans gave him.

            Next was the learning of the songs, especially the ones sung before and after a successful hunt. Songs could be learned in many ways: hearing them in the flow of the forest around you, hearing them being sung by the Na’vi, or hearing them from Eywa herself. Kai gave him a chance to experience all forms, but it wasn’t until he was able to connect with Eywa through Utraya Mokri, a tree of voices, that Kyungsoo fully understood the importance of the songs. It quickly became known that Kyungsoo was a natural singer as he learned the lyrics to songs. Kai easily expressed his fondness for Kyungsoo’s voice, and other clan members flocked over whenever they heard him.

            Since he was good with songs, Kai introduced him to the Na’vi concept of Songcords. After explaining its purpose in recording history in a more physical form, he showed Kyungsoo the Aranahe Clan’s cord as well as his own.

            “Why do you have two cords?” Kyungsoo asked, noticing the beaded cord draped around Kai’s neck.

            “This?” Kai laid a gentle hand on the cord around his neck, smiling fondly. “It’s my mother’s songcord. It’s…the only thing I have left of her besides vague memories.” Quickly realizing what he meant, Kyungsoo quickly wanted to apologize, but Kai told him there was no need. “She...died when I was a baby. Knowing she is with Eywa brings me more peace than sadness, and I can revisit my few memories on harder days when I need to.”

            Kai fiddled with the cord fondly for a few seconds before securing his cord back around his waist and unwrapping his mother’s cord from his neck. He began telling Kyungsoo what each piece meant as far as he could remember, until he reached the final piece, which represented his birth. He told Kyungsoo how his father used to sing it to him to help him sleep and even sang him a part of it. It was then that Kyungsoo realized this was the song Kai hummed often, especially at night.

            “The song is beautiful, and you have a great voice. I can feel the love you have for her in each note, and I hope she can feel that through Eywa.”

            “I do too.”

            Before the end of the day, Kai helped Kyungsoo start his own songcord, which he tied around his wrist. It only had a few beads and one larger piece to represent his arrival to Pandora, but he was assured his cord would grow to be an amazing song.

            The more Kyungsoo spent time with Kai, whether it was for training or just hanging out, the closer he felt he was getting to the Na’vi. He didn’t notice it right away, but he realized Kai responded more to touch or acts of service. He was always running errands or helping other clan members when they weren’t training. It made sense why he always paid close attention to what Kyungsoo did and tried to help when and if he could, and it only increased when Kyungsoo did the same for him. Despite all of this, Kai didn’t seem to have a lot of friends. Of course, there was Sehun and Yeol—as well as someone from the Zeswa clan who he mentioned from time to time—but when Kai wasn’t helping the clan or with a friend, Kyungsoo often found him sitting alone somewhere, whittling some wood, stone, or bone, or soaking in nature. Kyungsoo thought Kai would be very popular amongst the clan because of how talented and attractive he was, but when he brought it up, Kai would always brush it off as him not having time for friends since the return of the RDA. Kyungsoo truly did wonder what he did when they weren’t together.

            When they were together, and Kai wasn’t teaching him anything new, Kyungsoo would be the one teaching him things. Despite being a native, there were a lot of things he didn’t know about Pandora, but he couldn’t blame him; it wasn’t like Kai had access to an entire database full of information collected over many years by many people.

            “You remind me of my father. He’s a scientist just like you, researching the people, plants, and animals. He has tons of books full of drawings.”

            “No wonder you like me so much. I remind you of your old man,” Kyungsoo laughed, but it faded as he thought about something. “Is he also...”

            Kai tilted his head in confusion before gasping, “Oh, no. He is still alive, but he doesn’t live in the forest anymore. He is back on the islands where my mother grew up and where I was born.”

            “You weren’t born here in the forest?” Kyungsoo had forgotten that he had been curious about Kai’s backstory, but over time, he had come to accept the Na’vi’s differences just as they were. That wasn’t to say he no longer cared—Kyungsoo, in fact, cared more than he would like to admit—but didn’t want to treat Kai like a specimen to be poked and prodded for answers.

            “I thought that was obvious with how different I looked, but I guess not to some Sky People. All they see is blue and think danger.” Kai laughed, though it was awkward, and stopped seeing that Kyungsoo wasn’t laughing. “But no, I was born on a small chain of islands in the middle of the sea.”

            This explained some of the other physical differences Kyungsoo had noticed, like how Kai’s tail was flatter at the end, like a paddle, with no hair. There were also his forearms, which were wider and fin-like. Kyungsoo had initially thought that it was just a modification he made to his armguards, but saw Kai without them a few days ago. Kyungsoo was completely fascinated by the idea of feature variation based on the environment, but didn’t want to seem creepy and kept his questions simple.

            “So, your mother was from a sea clan, and your father is from the forest?”

            “Yes, but...” Kai hesitated with his next words, fiddling with the grass between them. “My father is an Avatar.”

            Kyungsoo’s eyes widened upon hearing this. It answered the remaining questions he had about Kai, but now he had more questions he wasn’t sure if Kai could answer. He was sure Avatar and Na’vi hybrids existed, especially after the fall of Hell’s Gate and the rise of the resistance; however, judging by how old Kai probably was—likely older than his avatar, but close to his real age—he was probably born a while before the war.

            “Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. Na’vi and Avatar procreating. Many think it’s disgraceful, an abomination...a spit in Eywa’s face...”

            “Hey, I don’t think that of you,” Kyungsoo quickly said, grabbing Kai’s hand and feeling him trembling. “Is that what people have said to you?” Kai didn’t say anything, didn’t even look at him, but nodded as he stared at the ground, eyes distant. Kyungsoo was lost for words. He was aware of how critical Na’vi were of anything brought here by the Humans, but he would never have thought it could affect someone as wonderful as Kai. Kyungsoo was all too familiar with not being accepted by your own kind, but he was lucky enough to get away from the source of his problem. Knowing it’s what he probably needed ages ago, Kyungsoo scooched closer to give Kai a tight hug. When his trembling and restless movement came to a stop, Kyungsoo held his breath, thinking he had made the wrong move, but then Kai slumped into him and began sobbing. Kyungsoo allowed him to cry for as long as he needed, only letting go when Kai lifted his head and wiped at his face.

            “I’m sorry. I know that was strange, and you probably think I’m pathetic. I’ve spent many years hating my own existence, wishing I was never born, but…I could never hate my parents.”

            “Well...I don’t think you’re pathetic. In fact,…” Kyungsoo paused for a moment to look at Kai’s tear-dampened face—the paint around his eyes had been smeared to uncover the lovely turquoise. It was only when Kai looked up at him, right into his eyes, that he had to tear them away, lest he be read like a book. He chose his next words carefully. “I think you’re very strong to have lived with these feelings for so long and continue to stick around the ones who talked badly about you. I’ve done the complete opposite.” Kai sat a bit straighter as he listened, but stayed shoulder-to-shoulder. “I’ve been running from my problems all my life. That’s why I’m here on Pandora.”

            “...I’m glad you’re here,” Kai said softly, surprising Kyungsoo with how sincere it sounded. When he looked at Kai again, the other was still staring at him.

            “I’m...glad you’re here, too. Despite any and everything you’ve gone through, I truly am. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met you.”

            “You’d probably be dead,” answered curtly, laughing a bit as he fell back to lie on the grass. “But I don’t want to think about that. Thank you, Kyungsoo, for listening.”

            “Anytime.” Kyungsoo watched as Kai closed his eyes and let out a big yawn.

            “M’so tired now.  I forgot how draining crying was.” He stretched his limbs, feeling the grass underneath him before bringing his arms to rest behind his head. “I think I’ll sleep here tonight.”

            It was getting late, and Kyungsoo didn’t feel like traveling to the nearest camp or back to HQ, so he settled on the grass next to Kai. He didn’t lie on his back like the other did, but on his side. He just kept his eyes on Kai as he lay with his eyes closed, admiring how peaceful he looked. He didn’t seem as tense as before, which was almost all the time, and it brought Kyungsoo some peace of mind knowing he was the cause of it.

            When Kai finally thought Kyungsoo was ready to take the last step in becoming a hunter, he brought him to the Aranahe Clan’s ikran expert to prepare him. Kai clearly trusted this man more than himself to teach Kyungsoo all he needed to know about choosing and catching an ikran, so he sat back and just watched for a while. Once he was ready, Kai promised to meet him at the highest point of the woodsprite arches.

            Kyungsoo was guided to the entrance of the rookery, where he was told he would climb to the top and approach an ikran to try and form a bond. He was told that it was common for an ikran to try and challenge their potential match, but some could be docile. Kyungsoo was hoping for the docile option.

            As he climbed, he came across several of the flying creatures, but they all flew away in fear. He knew this task would not be easy, but he did not expect it would take so long either. He felt like he had been climbing for ages and had almost fallen on several occasions. Once he was almost at the top, he heard a screech before an ikran landed right in front of him. This ikran had such a beautiful pattern of black and grey with specks of white, and they seemed very apprehensive of Kyungsoo despite approaching him on their own.

            “Hey there,” Kyungsoo said, slowly moving forward with his hands out. “You seem curious.” Kyungsoo carefully took out the ikran mouth binder he was given, but the creature immediately hissed at him and moved about restlessly. Quickly catching the response, Kyungsoo threw the bola aside and out of view. “I didn’t like using that thing anyway.”

            Now that the ikran was a bit calmer, he kept moving forward until he stood right in front of it. The ikran tilted its head to the side when he reached out to touch it, and that helped him to remember the most important part of this whole process. He took his braid, revealing the end of his kuru, and brought it towards the ikran’s. They looked right at him as he connected, and Kyungsoo let out a gasp as he was transported into the mind of his flying mount. He could feel the strength of her body, her breath, her newfound trust in him, and he knew this was a perfect bond. He decided to call her Huchu, after his childhood dog that she reminded him of, and she seemed to like it.

            Flying took a bit of getting used to since he was told that all he had to do was think of what he wanted her to do, and she would do it. Once he felt he got the hang of it, Kyungsoo opened his map to remind him where he was to meet Kai; however, as soon as he pinpointed the location on the map, Huchu turned and started flying in that direction. It seemed she knew exactly where she needed to go, and before he knew it, Kyungsoo could see the arches ahead of them. Once he was close enough, he could already see someone standing at the top of the arch.

            “Hey!” he called out to grab Kai’s attention, and his ikran screeched her greeting as well.

            When they landed, Kai came right up to them, barely letting him dismount before he introduced himself and petted Huchu. “She’s so beautiful,” Kai said, petting her head and scratching her chin. Kyungsoo could feel her happiness at being praised and petted through their link, and it made him feel warm and a bit giddy. “What did you name her?”

            “Huchu,” Kyungsoo said as he finally disconnected his kuru and gave his ikran a pat on the head. “It’s Korean for black pepper.”

            “Korean? My father speaks that. It’s another form of Human language, right? Like English?”

            “Exactly.” Kyungsoo looked around, expecting to see Kai’s ikran, but didn’t see her anywhere. “You didn’t climb up here, did you?”

            “Oh, no. My Tswesya is around here somewhere. She can barely sit still for too long, quite like me.”

            “Sorry if I took too long. It was a lot of climbing, but luckily, Huchu accepted me quickly.”

            “I’m glad to hear that, I just wish Tsweseya had accepted me so easily. She wrestled me for what seemed like ages. At first, I thought we wouldn’t be a match, but she would come straight for me every single time I reclimbed the rookery.”

            “You did it more than once?” Kyungsoo gasped, not being able to imagine himself doing that twice, let alone more than that.

            “Yes. I climbed the rookery five times. It would have been only four times if the medics from the resistance hadn’t nursed me back to health.” Kai suddenly turned around and lifted his cummerbund to reveal a jagged, almost horizontal scar running across his back. “On my fourth climb, I fell, hitting a few of the floating rocks on the way down. They said I would never walk again, but I prayed to Eywa, my mother, my ancestors, anyone. Slowly, feeling came back to my legs, and I worked as hard as I could to be able to walk again.”

            “My god. That’s insane. A real blessing.”

            “I know, and as if for a reward for all the trouble, Tsweseya accepted me on my next climb.” As if sensing that they were talking about her, Tsweseya flew in and landed next to them. “Speaking of the winged devil.” Kai laughed as she nudged him, and he gave her pets and a treat.”

            They sat shoulder to shoulder on the arch for a while, just talking and letting their ikran get to know each other. Kyungsoo asked Kai what he had done while he was making the climb.

            “I was here the entire time, waiting for you and hoping you were successful.” Now knowing what he had experienced, Kyungsoo understood why he was so worried. “I am glad everything worked out in the end.”

            “Me too.”

            After talking for a bit longer and sharing a snack, Kai stood up to stretch his limbs before looking to Kyungsoo again to ask, “Are you ready to strengthen your bond?”

            “...Yes?” Kyungsoo was unsure of what Kai meant until he was running and jumping off the arch as he had done on the spires. His heart still leaped from his chest as he watched Kai fall, only to quickly be caught by Tsweseya, and he once again hovered over him, but this time with an expectant gaze.

            “Well, what are you waiting for?”

            Kyungsoo looked worriedly over the edge, trying to spot Huchu flying nearby. His heart was still in his stomach after seeing Kai jump off, and now he was about to do the same. Looking for Huchu one more time, but this time spotting her, Kyungsoo took a few deep breaths, took a few steps back, and then took a running jump off the cliff. He immediately started screaming, seeing the ground accelerate towards him, but he quickly remembered he needed to call his ikran. He tried to make a noise similar to what Kai did, but nothing happened as he kept falling. He tried again with a different sound, but he kept falling. He thought he was done for as the ground grew dangerously close, but right before he could hit the ground, Huchu swooped under him and scooped him up on her back. His first instinct was to connect kurus, and once done, he could guide her. It was clear she could feel how shaken he was by the experience because she was too, but they both knew the next time would be easier.

            From that point on, Kai took Kyungsoo on ‘missions’ with him now that he could travel faster and further. He started teaching Kyungsoo some of his hunting strategies and encouraging him to develop his own. When they came across RDA sites, Kyungsoo let Kai do all the fighting while he dismantled and/or hacked the machines. Though he knew they were bad, he wasn’t sure how he felt about killing Humans, considering he used to be one. Kai reminded him that he was no longer Human and would have to fully accept that if he wanted to become Na’vi.

            “I used to be the same way, having grown up around the Sky People. What I do is try to treat them as if they were a child of Eywa and give them a swift and merciful kill. Praying for them is not necessary, though, since they are not truly of Eywa.”

            Kyungsoo kept this in mind on all their missions and even paid attention to how Kai fought. It was only then that Kyungsoo realized that Kai used a spear when fighting the RDA, using his speed and agility to quickly take out the enemy. Seeing that a bow did not have to be his primary weapon, Kyungsoo developed his own weapon design, a crossbow, which he became more comfortable with than a regular bow.

            Word soon got around about how he had become a true taronyu, and members of the Aranahe became more welcoming of him whenever he showed up. Soon, Kai finally brought Kyungsoo to the Aranahe Hometree, but only after making sure he looked presentable and had the best items to share and contribute to the clan. Kyungsoo presented his items to the major artisans first before putting the rest in the clan contribution basket. The person he wanted to impress the most was Relun, with whom he presented the best quality ingredients as a gift. He and Kai gauged the chef’s reaction to each item—especially the meats, which all came from clean and merciful kills—and though he had some biting words, he seemed impressed and agreed to mentor him. Kyungsoo was very excited and wanted to start right away.

            Everything he hunted and gathered from that point forward, he brought to Relun for cooking lessons, and everything he made, he brought back to Kai for them to share.

            “What is this I hear about Relun taking on a young and handsome apprentice?” A female voice said from behind them. They had just arrived at Hometree and turned to see a Na’vi dressed in bright yellow silks and colorful feathers.

            “Nefika. Words are always quick to your ears.” Kai seemed slightly annoyed but smiled at the woman, hugging her before turning back to Kyungsoo to introduce him. “This is Kyungsoo, Relun’s new apprentice.”

            “It is good to finally meet the acclaimed student Kai has taken under his wing. I hear you are a natural when it comes to foraging, unlike he was at a young age.”

            “Nefika!” Kai groaned, but the woman laughed.

            “You know I only tease, Ma’yawntu.” She patted Kai on the shoulder before looking at Kyungsoo. She circled him and touched some of the clothes he was wearing before nodding in approval. “I am glad to see you have introduced him to our finest dyes and silks. Hopefully, you will continue to teach him the weaving skills that I taught you.” Kai only nodded in understanding, and she bid them farewell before going about her way.

            “Who was that?” Kyungsoo asked, finally seeing Kai’s shoulders tense.

            “Nefika. She’s the best weaver in the clan, so she may criticize your attire from time to time, but luckily, you have me to prevent that.”

            “So…does the whole clan know you are teaching me, or is it just her?” Kyungsoo had a light tease to his voice.

            “And why does that matter to you?” Kai somewhat knew he was teasing, but fell for it anyway. “It’s not like I deliberately talk about you. You just happened to come up in conversation.”

            “So, you do talk about me!” Kyungsoo laughed when he saw Kai’s face turn a light shade of pink. “Well, I am glad. I know someone is putting in a good word for me to the clan.”

            Kai rolled his eyes. “Why do you care so much anyway? You’re not even Na’vi!”

            “Well...” Kyungsoo took a moment to think, completely shocked by the sudden hostility, but then remembered that Kai most likely had trouble fitting in. “Well, finding community and forming bonds is human nature, and I thought it would be the same for Na’vi as well.

            Kai let out a small humph, “Well, you’re not wrong, but that isn’t something I can do for you. If you plan on being one of us, you need to prove yourself on your own.”

            “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

            Kyungsoo did just that, even pilling one of Kai’s moves and doing favors or errands for anyone he could. Since there wasn’t a money system, most tasks were rewarded with trading quality goods or useful information. Kyungsoo was able to receive clothing and gear designs to make for himself, share harvests from hunts and gatherings, or even tips on where to find the best quality items to forage and hunt for himself. Since he cooked a lot, he often shared food and meals with other clan members, and with Kyungsoo around Hometree a lot more, it gave Kai the chance to interact with the clan more as well. He was nervous about it at first, but people treated him well, to his surprise.

            “Maybe you should find out what he likes, and make a special dish for him,” Relun whispered during one of their lessons. He recently realized he wanted to be more than just friends with Kai, but was struggling to find the best way—besides just saying it outright—to express that to him. He tried asking his mentor for advice without giving away who the other person was, but he older Na’vi quickly caught on.

            “I’m not sure. I’d hate to ruin his favorite food if it wasn’t made correctly.” He also wasn’t sure if the feelings were mutual or if revealing his feelings would ruin their friendship.

            “You and I both know he will like anything you make. I have even heard that he barely cooks for himself anymore, opting to wait for you to bring him whatever you have made with me.”

            “Really?” Relun nodded, and Kyungsoo looked across the common space to Kai, who was chatting with a few young hunters. It made him think about all his recent interactions with Kai, and it was true he hadn’t seen Kai cook anymore when they were together. He at least had to cook things for himself when they weren’t, but then again, they were together more often than not these days.

            Later that day, when he and Kai were alone again, he subtly asked what his favorite foods were, and he said, “I’m not very picky. You already know I love food, but I love meat and fish the most.”

            Kyungsoo had already gotten very good at hunting, especially since he felt he had more control and aim with his crossbow, but knew he would need to make sure all of his kills were of the best quality. He was told that hunting more mature animals would give him the best quality meat, so all he had to worry about was which type he needed to hunt for. Kyungsoo tried his best to keep his plan a secret, but it was tricky when Kai stuck to him like glue. He did manage to get a few days to himself when Kai was called away to deal with a larger RDA facility to the southeast of the forest. He was invited to tag along, but Kyungsoo didn’t think he was skilled enough to take on such a large mission, even if he wouldn’t be fighting alone. Maybe he could work his way up to doing that someday, but now was not the time; besides, it gave him the chance to do this really important thing.

            At the moment, Kyungsoo was trying very hard to convince himself how necessary it was to hunt a Thanator, the dreaded palulukan. Firstly, he had been told that Thanator meat was a delicacy, considering it was hard to get with this creature being the most fearsome predator in the forest. He was told only the most skilled and fearless hunters could take on, let alone defeat, the beast. Of course, Kyungsoo wanted to make a name for himself amongst the Na’vi, but not because he died to a Thanator. That hadn’t been enough to convince him against the possible suicide mission, but the thought of impressing Kai and serving him the best food he would probably have in his life sure was enough. So here he was, hovering above the closest and most well-known Thanator dens he was told about. Huchu was very uncomfortable with this area, and she could probably feel how terrified he was.

            “Alright, girl. We both know this is crazy, but I hope I make it out of this alive. If things get too rough, you have to come and get me, alright?” Huchu let out a low rumble, and Kyungsoo could feel her uncertainty through their bond. Kyungsoo just sighed, giving her a gentle pat on her neck before disconnecting their kurus. Taking his crossbow from his back, he hopped off Huchu’s back so she could fly away to safety until she was called again.

            Kyungsoo landed right on the edge of the rock and vine formation that was the den, seeing right away a few Sturmbeest corpses. He looked around for a bit, seeing no sign of the beast, but a chill soon went down his spine to the tip of his tail as he heard a roar in the distance.         

            After collecting all he could from the Thanator’s corpse, he shuffled over to the field lab he had seen while flying over the area the previous day. He knew he would sustain injuries and bet his life on the lab having a first-aid kit, but now he really hoped it did because the injuries he sustained would probably kill him if he didn’t tend to them right away.

            Kyungsoo had just finished bandaging the worst of his injuries when he heard his name being called in the distance. He waited for a moment, trying to hear who it was, and this time he recognized the voice. “Kai?” Just as Kyungsoo descended the stairs, he saw Kai running towards the lab; before he could greet him, though, Kai ensnared him in a tight hug, which made him wince as his wounds were squeezed. “I…missed you, too?”

            Letting him go for a second, Kai looked him over, assessing his injuries. Once he looked satisfied, he let out a sigh, saying, “Thank Eywa, you are alright.” Before Kyungsoo could get a word in, though, Kai’s face went from worry to anger. “You idiot! Skxawng! What were you thinking, doing something as stupid as hunting a Thanator? Do you want to die?” Kai pushed Kyungsoo away forcefully, almost knocking him over, as he blew up at him, ears back, tail flicking, teeth bared and all. Kyungsoo just stood there completely caught off guard, especially by Kai yelling at him in clear English. “Don’t just look at me! Say something! Did you get brain-damaged?”

            “No, I...” It wasn’t until Kyungsoo saw the tears running down Kai’s face, despite still looking angry, that he realized just how upset he really was. Now that he thought about it, how would he have reacted if he had seen Kai all sliced up and bleeding, acting as if nothing had happened? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just...wanted to impress you and prove that I was a worthy, uh…hunter.”

            “Well, going and almost getting yourself killed isn’t the way to my heart, idiot,” Kai growled, wiping at his face, but he paused as if realizing what he had just said.

            “What?” Kyungsoo’s eyes widened, and he stepped forward, carefully reaching for Kai’s hands, but Kai pulled away and turned so his back was facing Kyungsoo.

            “I said, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Kyungsoo hummed curiously, knowing that was not what he said and trying not to get too excited. He watched Kai feign interest in the rusty stairs to the lab, then crept forward only to see how red his ears had turned and how the tip of his tail flicked. He looked like he was going to say something, turning back to look at Kyungsoo again, only to realize he was a few inches away. He was sure Kai’s face was tinged pink as well under the paint as he widened his eyes.

            “What is a good way into your heart, then?”

“That’s not important. What’s important is why you decided to do this!”

            “Well...” Kyungsoo started walking past Kai and back up into the lab to grab his satchel. When he came back, he sat on the stairs and began emptying the contents. “I wanted to gather the perfect ingredients for my final assignment with Relun. He said a true chef cooked with the heart, so…” He collected everything with Kai in mind.

            “And do you think it was worth the risk?” Kai huffed, only sounding a little annoyed as he sat next to Kyungsoo.

            “I’m not sure yet. I was hoping you could be the judge of that.”

            Despite Kai’s recommendation for him to rest, Kyungsoo was very eager to cook his signature dish for him to try. It took a bit longer than he thought it would to cook with his injuries, and he refused to let Kai help, telling him he should just sit back and look pretty. That quickly shut him up, and it even had him muttering something Kyungsoo could barely hear as he decided to tidy up the lab. By the time Kyungsoo was finishing up, Kai had just come back from gathering herbs and pods to restock their med kits; he even made sure that Kyungsoo ate a fresh dapophet so he could heal faster.

            Kyungsoo presented to Kai what he called a ‘Surf and Turf stew.’ It combined Kai’s two favorite things, lean red meat and fish, along with some other ingredients Kyungsoo added to complement and enhance the flavors.

            “There were a few ingredients I wanted to get my hands on, but they can’t be found in this region. I was able to get some fiery spices, which I was lucky enough to trade for, but I hope to find the source of the spices on my own someday. But enough about that, do you like it?”

            Kai was silent for a while, and Kyungsoo thought he hated it until he noticed the empty bowl in his lap. “I guess...I have to teach you how to properly hunt a Thanator,” he sighed, and then pointed a stern finger, saying, “but always keep the balance in mind.”

            “Yes, sir!”

            After Kyungsoo had recovered from most of his injuries, with Kai’s close monitoring and nursing, he began his Thanator hunting lesson. He explained to Kyungsoo that there were many subspecies of Thanator all over Pandora, but there was one that was unnatural to the world.

            “The Sky People call them ‘Ferals.’ They are a result of RDA experimentation, which has left them severed from all connection to Eywa and the rest of Pandora. They hunt and kill without reason, so...it will be easier on your conscience to use them for training.”

            They already disturb the balance by existing, so killing them would restore it and give them peace. Kai showed him it was easier to hit them mounted on their ikran since they were easier to spot and follow if they escaped; however, since this was training to be able to hunt non-feral beasts, they traveled on foot. Kai took him to areas where finding groups of Ferals was more common, but for a while, they only found Feral Viperwolves. There were still many teaching moments with the Viperwolves, though, Kai telling him that, though severed from a proper connection, they were still children of Eywa and deserved prayer when passing.

            When they did manage to spot a few Feral Thanators, Kai took the lead so he could show them the proper way to hunt. They hid a few meters away as they watched a Feral tear apart the deer it just caught. “You must always aim for the weak spots, so the kill is swift and merciful,” Kai whispered, pointing to his own neck before aiming his bow right at the beast’s neck. His arrow whistled as he let it fly, and it hit home like a bullseye before the Feral Thanator fell. They quickly scurried over to it, where Kai recited the prayer, “I See you, Brother, and thank you. Your suffering ends here as your spirit goes with Eywa,” before removing the arrow.

            As Kyungsoo committed this altered prayer to memory, he examined the dead Feral’s body. It seemed oddly familiar. “This one kind of looks like the Thanator that chased me when I first got here.”

            “Yes, it was a Feral. If I hadn’t been in that area at that time, you’d surely be dead.”

            “You…were the one who saved me?”

            “Yes, and brought you to that camp. I would have just left you there to die, but...” Kai paused as he thought back.

            “But what?”

            “There was a sign from Eywa. She must have wanted you alive, so I listened to her. Why she would want you alive...I am still trying to figure out.” Kai stood up without another word and began walking back in the direction they had come from, and Kyungsoo quickly got up and followed.

            “Well, I am grateful she wanted me alive; otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten to know you.”

            Kai halted his steps for a moment, having Kyungsoo run right into him before he turned to look at him. He didn’t say anything, just staring at Kyungsoo with his unreadable expression again. Kyungsoo kept quiet, hoping he would say something, but just as Kai opened his mouth, ready to say something, he looked past Kyungsoo. His face filled his shock and horror as he surged forward to pull him out of the way. Before Kyungsoo could even have the smallest thought to question his action, another Feral Thanator leaped past them and landed only a few meters from their fallen forms. The Feral Thanator only took a few seconds to roar and charge at them again, and they both scrambled to their feet to get away.

            The beast chased them, and Kai had them running in a zigzag pattern to avoid its attacks, but one small misstep from Kyungsoo had them going in opposite directions, and the Thanator just so happened to choose to chase him. Knowing he had to think quickly, Kyungsoo reached for his bow—the one Kai gave him. Though he had more control with his crossbow, he couldn’t sit still for long enough to load the bolts properly; moreover, he had recently made a few small modifications to the bow to help with steadiness, and thought what better way to test them than in the heat of battle.

            Kyungsoo ducked around a large rock, hoping to buy himself a few seconds to slip his bow off his back and grab an arrow. Just as he pulled the string back to ready his shot, the Thanator rounded the rock, and Kyungsoo let his arrow loose. It missed the beast’s neck by a few inches, hitting its shoulder. He tried to grab another arrow while it was stunned, but it recovered quicker than he could move. Kyungsoo had to duck out of the way as the beast swiped its huge claws at him, and he released another arrow, this time hitting closer to the neck. Realizing it was critically wounded, the Feral Thanator tried to run away, but with one more shot from Kyungsoo’s bow, the beast was put down.

            “Great job.” Kai checked the Feral’s corpse before going to check on Kyungsoo. “We’ll have to work on your reflexes and timing, but your aim is good. These creatures are very tricky, thinking quickly just as you do, so always be on your toes.” Kyungsoo preened at the praise he was given but tried to stay focused as they continued.

            By dusk, they managed to find a pack of Feral Viperwolves, but no more Thanator. After a few more hours of searching with no luck, they called it a night.

            “Where do you plan on sleeping tonight?” Kai asked as he checked and adjusted Tsweseya’s harness. Kyungsoo did the same with Huchu’s.

            “Uh, maybe a nearby camp, or maybe even HQ, since it has been a while since I dropped by. Why? Did you have a place in mind?”

            “I…wanted to show you where I stay, or where I used to stay.”

            Kyungsoo was surprised and a bit curious. He thought Kai was the type of person to just sleep wherever he found comfortable, since that was what they had been doing if they weren’t at a camp. He was glad to know Kai had a place of his own to go to if needed.

            Kyungsoo followed Kai East, further East than he had ever been. They seemed to be heading to the delta, where all the rivers flowed into the sea. After passing a disabled RDA mining site, they descended toward one of the many groups of archipelagoes in the area, and right in the center was what Kyungsoo recognized as a Resistance field lab.

            “This is it. My home,” Kai said, presenting the place as they approached the lab. It had all the amenities the other field labs had, but this one looked much more lived in. Once the lights were on, Kyungsoo could see a lot more items that were more specific to Kai’s life. There were little drawings and handmade toys in various places; some of them were seemingly made by small and inexperienced hands. The other drawings seemed more professional as they were mixed with notes and descriptions.

            “This isn’t what I had in mind when you said you were from the sea, but it’s really nice. Cozy.”

            “This isn’t where I was born, silly,” Kai laughed as he flopped down onto a makeshift bed of large beanbags and began removing his gear.

            “Oh, good. I was a bit concerned,” Kyungsoo laughed nervously as he continued to look around. He saw a few Polaroid pictures clipped on a string next to the computer and took a closer look.

            “This is where I grew up as a teenager. Before I met Tsweseya, and before I started hanging out around Hometree more.”

            “Where are these pictures from?” Most of the pictures hanging looked like they were taken there at the lab, at HQ, or in the forest, but there was one that seemed strange to him. Kai came over, now in nothing but his waist clothes and jewelry, to see what he was talking about, and Kyungsoo caught himself staring. He hadn’t seen Kai with all his gear removed before, and now he could see that he had more tattoos on his chest and back. He could see more of his skin now, something he was becoming more obsessed with these days; he wanted to trace the water-like patterns with his fingers. Kyungsoo felt like he was treading on thin ice being so close to Kai now; there were some signs that his feelings were mutual, but he didn’t dare ask in case he was wrong.

            “Just a few pictures my father took. He calls them milestone photos.” Kai sounded slightly annoyed, but smiled at each one as he pointed at them from right to left. Kyungsoo smiled too, but kept his eyes on Kai as he continued to speak. “This is when I first introduced him to Tsweseya. This is my first successful bow kill, a fish. And this is when I first became friends with Sehun and Yeol.”

            “What about this one?” Kyungsoo pointed to the very first picture. It was a baby picture of Kai holding a songcord—probably his mother’s—but he seemed to be in a metal crib.

            “This?” Kai unclipped the photo from the string, looking confused, but then realization set in his eyes. “It’s me when I was a baby. …I…”

            Kyungsoo’s smile faded as he saw tears forming in his eyes and gently rubbed Kai’s shoulder to soothe him. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I understand if it’s a difficult topic.”

            “No, I…” Kai furiously rubbed his eyes before sitting in the computer chair next to him. Kyungsoo crouched in front of Kai as he took a deep breath and looked at the picture again before handing it to him. “I lived in an RDA facility for about 10 years.”

            “What?”

            Kai nodded. “There was a program called TAP, The Ambassador Program, run by John Mercer, and...” Kyungsoo’s eyes widened a bit, recognizing the acronym, and he caressed his knee as he paused to take a deep breath. “We were told we were to become a bridge between Humans and Na’vi, to form alliance and peace, and that we were there because our clans abandoned us. But that was a lie. The older students knew that, and my father knew that. He reminded me every day, as best as he could, that we were not abandoned. That didn’t stop them from brainwashing us, though.” Kai continued to explain how they were taught many things about Earth and why it was important to ally with the Na’vi, yet be cautious of their ways. He also told Kyungsoo how they were punished when even one student stepped out of line—for even speaking their mother tongue—and how he was the cause of one of his classmates' deaths. “They already hated me for getting special treatment because my father worked with the RDA at the time, but it was worse after Ahari’s death. I tried to keep my head down and be a good student, but that was hard to do when our instincts echoed Eywa’s name. They took so much from us at such a young age.”

            “I’m...so sorry this happened to you.” Kyungsoo didn’t really know what else to say after hearing something like that.

            Kai took some more time to gather himself, rubbing at the tear tracks down his face to once again smear the paint. Kyungsoo wanted to wipe them away with his own hands, but settled for grabbing a cloth as Kai continued. “I was thirteen when the war broke out, and most of the Humans left. My father was able to get me out with the help of the resistance, and we lived here together until about four years ago.”

            “What happened to the other students?”

            “Our teacher, Alma, hid them in cryo until recently. They were only woken up because of Mercer and the RDA’s return. Most didn’t make it, but four survived.”

            “I guess that’s good, but being in cryo for that long can’t have been good for their health. It’s good that you got out, you and your father.”

            “Yeah, I guess. But life after that wasn’t easy, as you can imagine,” Kai laughed sadly as Kyungsoo handed him the cloth. “I already told you what people thought of me, but feeling like an outsider and being treated like one were two different things. Not only had I been sheltered away from Eywa and all of Pandora, but I was also in an environment my body wasn’t built for.”

            “But you adapted and pushed through every obstacle in your way.”

            Kai shook his head and began furiously wiping his face with the cloth, voice muffled yet shrill as he spoke through it. He was surely crying again. “You have no idea how many times I failed and still continue to fail. Those other students who were frozen, what took me years to figure out only took them weeks. What does that say about me?”

            A wave of frustration rushed over Kyungsoo, hearing Kai say all these things about himself, but he also felt Déjà vu. He knew these feelings all too well. He hadn’t gone through such horrible things as Kai had, but his life hadn’t been sunshine and rainbows either. Living on a dying planet meant every day was a struggle, especially when it seemed like everyone around you had already given up. Kyungsoo had almost given up on many occasions.

            “Kyungsoo?” Kai’s hand on his face brought him back to the present, and as Kai sat with him on the floor, face rid of paint and eyes piercing into him, he then felt the tears running down his own face. “What’s wrong? I-I’m sorry for dumping all of this on you…I…”

            “No, it’s fine. I am glad, honored, you feel comfortable sharing this with me.” Kyungsoo laughed, finding all of this ironic. He really thought about his next words. Knowing what he wanted to say, but still being afraid of the response he would receive. If Kai was going to be vulnerable with him, he would do the same. “To answer your question, I think all that you’ve said and done tells me that you aren’t the type to give up, that you care about others around you, no matter what they say. You put others first despite needing your own support sometimes.” Kyungsoo felt like he wasn’t just talking to Kai, but himself as well. “What matters most is that you survived and continue to fight for things that matter to you. I admire that and hope…I can be a part of that. To be something you care about deeply.”

            “But Kyungsoo, I already do care about you.” The hand Kai still had on his cheek began stroking it gently.

            “No, I mean…” Kyungsoo brought his hand up to meet the other’s, holding it there for a second before bringing it down to his heart and taking a deep breath. “I See you.”

Kai gasped hearing this, looking him in the eyes for a while before looking away. Kyungsoo knew what this phrase meant in Na’vi culture. It could be a greeting, it could mean ‘I understand you,’ ‘I accept you,’ but above that, he was also trying to say, ‘I love you.’

            “Kyungsoo...” Kai started, but Kyungsoo stopped him.

            “Wait, don’t say anything yet. You’re probably thinking this is sudden and that I don’t know what I am saying, but I know what it means to say this. I mean it with every part of my being. You don’t have to say it back if you don’t want to, if you don’t feel the same, but I just wanted to let you know-”

            Kai suddenly placed his free hand over Kyungsoo's mouth to stop him from talking before leaning in closer to press their foreheads together. “You talk so much, skxawng.” He laughed lightly before taking a moment to inhale, either calming himself or taking in Kyungsoo’s scent. When he finally looked into Kyungsoo’s eyes again, he said, “I See you.”

            Kyungsoo let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and his mouth split into a huge smile behind Kai’s hand. It was revealed when Kai finally removed his hand, but he barely got a chance to see it before he was pulled into a tight embrace—he let out a small yelp, but he quickly and easily melted into the hug. Kyungsoo did as Kai did before, taking a deep breath, but definitely taking in Kai’s scent. He had been close enough to smell him before, but never this close. “I really want to say I love you in Na’vi right now, but I’m not sure how.”

            “Nga yawne lu oer,” Kai said softly. When Kyungsoo hummed in confusion, Kai pulled away slightly to look at him once more. “That’s how you say it. I love you.”

            “I…Love…You,” Kyungsoo repeated, and Kai gave a big smile, which he mimicked. “I love you.”

            “I love you, too, ma’yawne.” Kai took a moment to look into Kyungsoo’s eyes again, then the rest of his face, tracing the stripes that weren’t covered in paint with his fingers. “Come, let’s get settled for the night. I am sure you are just as tired as I am.”

            Kyungsoo only nodded in agreement as he allowed Kai to remove his gear and clothing until they were in the same state of undress. He then let him wipe away the paint from his body—Kyungsoo also returned the favor. Kai went to turn off the lights but left on a string of fairy lights before he brought Kyungsoo to lie with him on the beanbag bed. It was incredibly soft, and Kyungsoo felt he could fall asleep in an instant, but he couldn’t stop staring at the person lying in front of him. Kai seemed to be having the same problem, but he scooched closer so he could wrap his arms around Kyungsoo.

            “I…assumed, like the others, your kindness was from pity,” Kai said quietly as he continued to trace the stipes down Kyungsoo’s neck to his chest. It was clear Kyungsoo wasn’t the only one whose fingers ached to touch. “I am glad I was wrong.”

            “I am sure there are still a lot of things you have wrong about me, just like I am sure I have a lot of things wrong about you…But I think we won’t find it too hard to get things right in the future.”

            “Very wise, some would say,” Kai chuckled as he moved in closer to tuck under Kyungsoo’s chin.

Kyungsoo also chucked as he rested against the top of Kai’s head, but then soon asked, “So…what are we now?”

            Kai hummed as he thought about it for a few moments. “I have heard the Humans call each other lover or spouse. We have a word for that, though, muntxatu.”

            “So, we’re married now? I thought there would be more to it.”

            “Yes and no. There is more, but that does not need to be done right away. Na’vi only take the next steps when they are sure of their choice of a mate.” Kai hesitated for a second. “If you are unsure, then the next steps are pointless.”

            “I don’t think I will be choosing anyone else. Will you?”

            Kai thought for a moment, almost making Kyungsoo hold his breath again with how long it felt, but then he felt the other shake his head. “No. I don’t think so, either. I think...this is the reason Eywa wanted me to save you.”

            “Really?” Kai nodded. “Now that makes me want to seal the deal even more.” Kyungsoo kissed the top of Kai’s head and caressed his back, making him giggle lightly.

            “Okay. We will do it soon, then. We will have to rest well and have plenty of food. I have heard that it can be intense.”

            “Oh?”

            “Mh hm.” Kai let out a big yawn as he snuggled impossibly closer, putting his nose right into Kyungsoo’s neck. Kyungsoo continued to stroke his hair and back even after he was sure the other had fallen asleep. There were still so many things running through his mind, but he knew he would have plenty of time to express them in the waking hours. Finally shutting his eyes, he did his best to quiet his mind and let the sounds of nature and Kai’s steady breathing lull him to sleep.