The Balance of Life

Introduction

Story:

This sequel to Avatar begins at the moment the movie ends, with Jake's eyes snapping open after passing through the Eye of Eywa and returning. I am basing the events and facts used in this story on both the theatrical release of Avatar and the script titled the same by James Cameron. The script fills in several missing pieces as to why certain events unfold the way they do. I will note those events in this introduction.

A search of the web will lead you to references to 'Project 880'. This is reputed to be the original script that eventually became the movie. From what I have been able to learn, Project 880 provides much greater detail into the science and background of Pandora and conditions on Earth at the time these events take place. I will use a few of the themes from Project 880 to fill in some of the missing gaps. These themes will also be noted.

Two additional references sources cited for this story are:

An Activist Survival Guide.

Web sites that define the Na'vi language.

I plan to divide the story into the following three parts:

Discovery

Conflict

Symbiosis

Each part will be composed of from 20 to 25 chapters. Each chapter will be approximately 8,000 to 10,000 words in length. If a new chapter has expanded detail in the introduction I will so note it.

I will use mostly English, even if the dialog is actually taking place in Na'vi. This will simplify the reading process. Actual Na'vi words will be italicized.

The story has many themes:

Details the love Neytiri and Jake share for each other and their people.

Follows Jake's journey as he becomes completely Na'vi.

Chronicles the Omaticaya's struggles to rebuild and deal with the return of Sky People to Pandora.

Follows the remaining humans as the discover the true wealth and wonder that is Pandora.

More-to-come.

Author:

My first foray into writing Fan Fiction was with the world of Harry Potter, as my pen name suggests. I started writing about eight years ago, writing HP for about three years. My story was titled 'The Phoenix Prophecy' which grew to over 500,000 words. So as you can see I do like rather long stories. For several years the demands of life have left me little time to write, or at least write with the dedication that I feel compelled to put into the writing effort. Avatar has sparked my desire to resume writing. The world of Pandora and the Na'vi are as rich in material as is the story they tell.

Reviews and comments are always welcome. I will try to answer any direct questions posed in the reviews.

Events not in the theatrical release of Avatar:

Neytiri had an older sister named Sylwanin who was killed, along with several other young Na'vi warriors, by RDA Sec-Op mercenaries in the doorway of Grace's school for setting an RDA bulldozer on fire. This explains why the Na'vi and humans are no longer communicating. It also explains why Neytiri was ready to kill Jake on sight until a wood sprite 'Atokirina' landed on her arrowhead.

In the movie Jake comments that the Avatar's are insanely expensive. We also see at least eight of them in the Avatar compound. The reason for the Avatar program is glossed over in the movie, but a logical reason is put forth by Project 880. The cost of sending human's to Pandora to work is also insanely expensive. The purpose of the Avatar program is to train the local Na'vi to be workers in place of humans. Obviously, had the RDA truly understood the Na'vi they would never have begun the program. This theme will play into my store with a variation.

Neytiri did not tell Jake that mating was for 'whole-of-life' until after they had mated before Eywa. This shows that she is willing to bend the rules for something she wants. Also, in the script, Neytiri and Jake join their queues to form shahaylu (the bond) during mating, the ultimate intimacy. As long as I am on the subject of mating, I am going to assume that mating for Na'vi is very similar to that of humans. Babies gestate in their mother's womb and are born live. Because the Na'vi are fifty percent larger than humans, gestation would most likely be longer. I will assume one year pregnancies. Na'vi babies are nursed at their mother's breast. This is referenced in the script. The script has many more references to children than the movie, where they seemed conspicuously absent.

In the script Neytiri is supposedly 'obviously pregnant'. This is very unlikely as Jake's last video-log takes place after this and references day 98. They first mated somewhere around day 89, so even if Neytiri was pregnant she would not be showing. I am assuming that she is not pregnant. As the story unfolds you will know why.

The script details several scene's where the Na'vi participate in dancing and drinking intoxicating spirits. There is also a scene where Jake swallows a purple worm that causes him to hallucinate after being stung in the back of the neck by the equivalent of a scorpion. During this hallucination, Jake ultimately sees himself as a Leonopteryx flying over a decimated planet. He tells no one about his vision, but we conclude that Mo'at knows what he saw.

Tsu'tey did not die from the fall after being shot. Wainwright catches him after he falls and cuts off his queue. After Quaritch is killed Jake and Neytiri find Tsu'tey being tended by Mo'at. He is mortally wounded and asks Jake to set his spirit free. Jake finally complies and with tears in his eyes ends Tsu'tey's suffering. Jake was Tsu'tey's 'last shadow'.

More-to-come

Cast of Characters:

Jake Sully

Neytiri

Mo'at

Ralu (young Na'vi female)

Ansita (teenage Na'vi female – Ralu's cousin)

Tey'bar (teenage Na'vi male that got his Ikran with Jake)

Ell'a'u (teenage Na'vi female that got her Ikran with Jake)

Norm Spellman (Avatar Driver)

Max Cullimore (Avatar Lab Manager)

Judy McNeal (Avatar Driver – playing basketball in the movie)

Kyle Logan (Avatar Driver – playing basketball in the movie)

Andy Truman (Avatar Driver)

Abby Foster (Avatar Driver)

John (Buck) Claymore (Avatar Driver)

Susan Blyth (Avatar Med-tech)

Ron Campbell (Avatar Med-tech)

James (Rocky) Rockwell (VTOL Pilot)

Karen Ripley (Equipment Tech)

Zoe Fischer (Supply Clerk)

Gary Albright (System's Specialist)

Roger Polanski (Food Services)

More-to-come