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02

Waking up from her dream the next day felt like a chore. Aponi's eyes opened lethargically, and she turned on her side, checking the time that blinked on her alarm clock. 4:30 AM. The woman sighed, setting herself up before slipping on a comfortable outfit, taking the time to weave her hair into a singular braid and pushing it behind her. 

She didn't want to be here. 

She missed her grandmother, and her sisters Kiona and Lakota. She wondered how the youngest looked now, six years into the future. She felt an uneasy pain in her chest and stood up, heading to her bathroom to splash her face with water. 

Valentine knocked on her door an hour later, and the two of them went to eat breakfast. It was obvious to the woman that Valentine was not an early riser, and she snorted as she watched him practically fall into his bowl of oatmeal. After they ate, Valentine lead them to the science wing and they busied themselves with small talk as they waited for Grace to give them instructions on what they'd be doing for the day. 

"Alright, newbies. Today I'm going to be introducing you to the Omatikaya, they're the Na'vi we have contact with in this part of Pandora." Grace explained, a fondness in her words that made Aponi's lips lift into a small smile. The scientist booted up their pods, and soon enough Aponi was back in her Avatar, just as awestruck with the surroundings as she was the day before. Valentine lead her over to a mirror as he fixed her hair, braiding it back with gentle and experienced hands. 

Aponi took a moment to just stare at herself in the mirror, lips parted in slight amazement. Her skin was a light blue with rich blue markings decorating her face and body. White dots splattered along the flat bridge of her nose and trailed down her collar bones and stomach, like constellations in a cloudless sky. She looked away once Valentine stood back, smiling happily and nodding her head in thanks. 

Grace took them both to a supply shack next to where the Avatar bodies slept, giving them backpacks. Aponi was given a gun, which she slung over her shoulder with a practiced ease that left Valentine staring at her with a confused expression. Aponi stared back at him blankly, ears twitching as he spoke, "Since when did you know how to use a gun? You're like, twelve. What the hell." Grace let out a chuckle, patting Aponi on the back and motioning them towards a helicopter. The other woman never responded, instead wearing a smug look on her face. 

Aponi was grateful that she grabbed the digital camera her sister had gotten her for her 13th birthday, carefully taking pictures with it despite the size difference between her large hands and the tiny machine. Grace watched her and Valentine with soft eyes, smiling as the latter showed Valentine the photos she had already taken with a bright smile. 

Soon enough, the three landed at the school that Grace taught at. Aponi stepped off the helicopter and felt the stares of the Na'vi around her, squaring her shoulders back and looking back at them with a blank expression. She watched Grace greet the beings warmly, speaking their native tongue confidently. After a few moments of Grace and an older looking Na'vi conversing, the Na'vi turned to Aponi and Valentine and nodded his head, doing a sign where his hand went from between his eyes to the two Avatars, and Valentine reciprocated the gesture. Aponi simply nodded her head, scratching behind her ear and looking to the side where she saw a tall woman staring at her with calculating eyes. 

Aponi turned towards the Na'vi, head tilted with a blank expression on her face. She watched the woman get closer to her, noticing that she was taller than Aponi. Grace appeared next to her, clasping her shoulder with a large hand. "That's Neytiri. She's the daughter of the Tsahìk and Olo'eyktan, sister of Sylwanin." She muttered quietly, and Aponi let out a hum in acknowledgement. Neytiri stared back at the other as Grace walked off, circling around her as though she was a predator stalking her prey. 

Neither made a move to speak to the other, instead observing each other with concealed interest. Aponi thought the Na'vi was the prettiest thing she'd ever seen, and Neytiri was determining whether or not she would attack the other. The latter turned away from the taller woman at the sound of her name being called by Valentine, walking over to him with a smile. The male Avatar was pointing towards the forest around them, motioning for Aponi to take her camera out and capture the scenery around them. 

After an hour or so of messing around and enjoying the environment, Grace lead everyone inside, dividing the Na'vi and Avatars into groups before grabbing Aponi and setting her to the side. As Grace gave her instructions, she could feel the burning stare of someone on the side of her head, not bothering to turn and look at who it was. As she studied the intricate language of the natives, she barely noticed other Na'vi showing up until Valentine plucked her from the chair and stated that they were taking a break. 

Everything about the planet was so beautiful. Aponi couldn't stop herself from wandering into the underbrush of the forest, taking pictures of things that peaked her interest. She hadn't realized how far out she had wandered until she abruptly stopped, feeling somebody following her. She turned around and spotted Neytiri, the woman not bothering on trying to conceal herself. "...Can I help you?" She asked, tilting her head at the Na'vi, who mirrored the action.

"You are far away from the school, uniltìrantokx. It is dangerous out here." Neytiri spoke softly, and Aponi felt her breath catch in her throat at the sound of her voice, her expression blank. She walked up to Neytiri, motioning back the way they came with her hands.

"I suppose we should get back, then. I can't have Grace getting onto my ass because she lost me on the first day." Aponi stated, running her hands over the plants and trees as the two women passed them. She felt Neytiri stare at her once again, and this time she turned to look at the other. "Have I done something to offend you, princess?" Aponi said softly, titling her head again. Neytiri furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding what the other had called her. "Princess? What is that?" She asked, and Aponi smiled softly, not saying anything as they walked through the forest. 

They made it back to the school, and before Neytiri was pulled away by her sister and Tsu'tey, Aponi finally spoke, "It's a woman born of great power, not yet a leader. She is beautiful, and kind. That is what a princess is." She explained, before smiling and walking off with the gesture that the older Na'vi had showed her. She felt Neytiri's stare on her back the entire way back into the school, but Aponi never once looked back. 

As the afternoon continued, Grace tested Aponi on the things she had learned from her first day by having a simple conversation with her. The native woman found the language to be easier than she thought, reminding her of her own native tongue. Grace praised her, stating that in no time she'd be speaking like a true Na'vi. Aponi preened at the compliment, smiling as Valentine congratulated her. 

When they arrived back at the RDA base, Aponi tried to not let the frown on her face form. She wanted to be out in the wild, examining all that Pandora had to offer, instead of being stuck in a base surrounded by people who wanted to colonize the planet. She'd rather talk to Neytiri again. The Na'vi had been on her mind since their first encounter. Aponi ignored the way her heart fluttered, laying down on her bed and falling asleep. 

She dreamed of Neytiri and Pandora, hearing her grandmother's voice in her head. It was the best dream she'd had in a long time. The thought made her stomach flutter, and she passed it off as being hungry.