I'll Put My Red Dress on Again

Chapter 19

We all go out into the night to show Jake more around. To be honest it's more for Neytiri and I than Jake. We entered a clearing with ferns that were chest high. Neytiri signals for Jake to walk slowly, he follows the order.

A lizard-like creature is perched on one of the ferns. Jake approaches the lizard in awe, but he steps on a stick snap! The lizard flies away, unfurling its wings, a disc like a rainbow resembling the wings. More of a living frisbee, it flew around the clearing.

Neytiri giggles slightly before diving into the clearing. A rupture of rainbow colors fills the sky. The lizards fly everywhere. Neytiri grins and hops around the clearing. Until all the lizards are flying about.

Neytiri dances around the clearing, laughing, and for once being unguarded with Jake. He smiles brightly as he sees Neytiri open up. I walk behind him and push Jake into the dance. He laughs and one of the lizards even lands on his head. Neytiri grabs my hands and pulls me over.

We dance using the sound of the lizards flapping wings as music. Even Jake dances with us, he spins me around and dips me. I laughed at how much fun we were having. I didn't feel like everything was ending. I felt like we were kids again.

After our time together in the clearing we climbed up a tree. We laid on top of the tree and watched the stars. "Which one did you two come from?" Neytiri asked. It's been so long I honestly wasn't sure. "That one." Jack says while pointing to a speck in the sky. I'm so glad I got away from
there.

Jake and I name the other planets that we could identify. "That one's Saturn" I say to Neytiri. "Saturn." She repeats. "You got it!" Jake says enthusiastically. Neytiri smiled. "Your planet, Pandora, is a moon for Jupiter." Jake adds on.

"A moon?" Neytiri repeats. "Your planet spins around Jupiter." Jake says while holding up his fingers to demonstrate. Neytiri shrugs, not really getting the concept, but I don't think she even cared to learn it.

—-

Today Neytiri and I both agreed that Jake was ready. Neytiri said "Eywa has given him permission." So we walked out. We all hid in the bushes. Jake got his bow and arrow ready. He pulled back the arrow tightly and with precision. I look and see pure concentration in his eyes.

Almost on beat he lets the arrow fly. It lands directly in a hexapede's throat. Jake quickly hurries over and finishes off the hexapede with a knife. Jake then spoke with emotion, I knew he actually meant it, "I See you Brother, and thank you. Your spirit goes with Eywa, your body stays behind to become part of the People." I felt like a proud mom seeing Jake become one of us.

I glance over at Neytiri, she nods in approval. "A clean kill. You are ready." Jake looks over at me with a small smile. I give him a thumbs up in return. I could tell Jake was finally ready to become a man.

—

I wrap my arms around Neytiri's waist as we fly on Seze. Today is the day for Jake to learn to ride an ikran. Or the first step of Iknimaya. We both were heading over to see how he did. Neytiri quickly showed him how to bond with an ikran, but it's harder than expected.

Seze swoops in on a perch near the edge of the floating island. We both dismount and Neytiri calms down and takes care of her ikran. Almost like a falconer back on Earth. Then we both join the hunter party. Tsu'tey leads us through the cave until we finally emerge onto a cliff.

We're met with the hundreds of ikran living all over the area for as far as I could see. "Jakesully will go first." Tsu'tey says with a cocky smirk. Jake could sense the challenge, and he gladly accepted. Neytiri leads Jake to the ledge. "Now you choose your ikran. This you must feel, inside. If he also chooses you, move quickly, like I showed you. You will have one chance." I hear Neytiri whisper to Jake.

"How will I know if he chooses me?" Jake asks back. "He will try to kill you." Neytiri answers. "Outstanding." Jake answers with a scoff. I didn't even have to see his face, I already knew he was smirking. Neytiri squeezes his shoulder reassuringly before leaving the ledge.

Jake walks past the ledge onto the ikran's habitat. Many shriek and leave Jake. Some hiss and show their teeth in a threatening way. Jake unrolls the muzzle. A large male ikran spreads his wings challenging Jake. Jake doesn't shy away and walks toward the ikran. I move and hop on a rock so I can get a better view of the action.

Jake tilts his head to the side, "Let's dance." He says before hissing. The ikran lunges at Jake, he dodges to the side and the jaw barely misses his head. Jake swings the muzzle around the ikran's mouth twice. The muzzle whips around and Jake secured the muzzle. The ikran screeches in return trying to slash at Jake.

Jake easily dodges the talons. He tackles the ikran's neck. The ikran falls to the side. Jake grabs one of the ikran's queues. He was about to get it, until the ikran slams his head Jake gets hit right in the head. He was definitely struggling with trying to stay conscious. Jake slides on the rock and almost falls off the side.

Neytiri and I gasp while Tsu'tey laughs. The muzzle starts to come loose as the ikran shakes his head. Jake quickly climbs back up on the ledge and leaps right into the ikran. Jake wrestles with the ikran and pins him down eventually.

"Make the bond!" Neytiri shouts. She really doesn't want Jake to embarrass her. Jake grabs the ikran's queue and his own, quickly attaching them together.

The ikran stops scrambling. They both just sit there heavily breathing. "That's right. You're mine." Jake says, I would be lying if I said that didn't get me goosebumps. Jake after a second or two relaxes his grip on the ikran. He tiredly swings his leg over the ikran's body. Neytiri quickly runs over "First flight seals the bond. You cannot wait!" Neytiri says while pushing the pair off the side.

Jake grabs the beast main and shouts, "Heeeeeyyahhhh!" I laugh that was about the most American thing he could have ever done. I cringe as the pair both fall down from the cliff.

Even from up here you can hear the ikran screeching. We watch as Jake eventually levels out. Neytiri grabs my hand and leads me to Seze. We fly towards Jake and the ikran fall in-line with each other. I signal for Jake to follow us, before we dove down.

As we both dive down, I look back and see Jake clumsily flying after us. We fly around the mountains, skimming past the waterfalls and vines. We emerge from the clouds into the bright sun. I look back and see pure joy on Jake's face.

He's already cocky, but I can't blame him. Jake was reckless and fearless with his flying, but that was Jake for you. Neytiri dives next to him and he lets out a shout of joy.

"Watch this!" I shout to Jake. I call for my ikran, before jumping off Neytiri's ikran. "Myra!" Jake shouts as I fall, but my ikran catches me. I swoop back up and fly next to Jake. "What's up?" I ask with a smirk. "You're crazy." He responds with a laugh. "Says you." I say while nudging my ikran to his.

That's how we spent most of the day, flying.

—
a longer chapter since i've been awful at updating recently