Chapter Text
The school was finished and it seemed peace was achieved between the sky people and the Omatikaya.
One of Grace's students came to ask her something.
“Can you tell me about your mother?”
Grace, at first had thought she was asking about her mom, a strong willed woman from whom she had inherited the sharp ‘i take no bs’ stare.
However such a question was asked in Na’vi, where the word for mom, and the word used to refer to Eywa as mother were different.
She was asking about their Eywa.
Grace decided to tell her a story, she folded her long Avatar legs and invited the young alien girl to sit for the story.
“Our mother's most known name, is Earth, but she is known by many others as well”
The young Na’vi got comfortable and listened
“I will call her Nature for the duration of this story”
She cleared her throat and began
“A sky person, a long time ago, decided to put in written words what he saw of the relationship between Nature and, her least favored children”
The young girl sat transfixed, waiting for more, her well practiced pose from the elders stories, falling into position.
“He decided to explain his findings, by telling a story, a story that I will now tell you”
Some students stayed to listen, flickering their ears forward.
“There was a person, on the home of the sky people, that realized his kin were of vain interests and mindlessly pursued their happiness.
Pursuit, that caused others to be hurt and hurt in kind.
Such lack of wit disturbed him, so he decided to leave company and flee to an inhibited place, to not disturb and to not be disturbed.”
The young Na'vi tail moved with interest, Grace smiled and continued the story.
“With the lack of company, he focused on what usually went unnoticed about the world, about nature around him. He lived far from his kin cruelty, but peace he did not find”
The Tshaik, interested, came closer.
“The land he lived in, was icy, If it was not the cold that bit at his hands, it was the terror of liquid flame, and fire to his home, of the earth that moved and could swallow him and his home”
The Tshaik came closer
“If he couldn't live there, why not leave?”
Grace smiled, a human smile, that spoke of forged courtesy
“He did indeed leave, he thought, just like you, that such was not the place for his species.
So he began to wander, to find the place that fitted humans like water fitted the fishes and sky fitted the birds”
Other young Na’vi had scooted closer to hear better.
“He walked and in many places he lived-”
Her voice raised, creating eager curiosity in the young eyes that followed her.
“In his travels, he found himself in a deserted place, in front of what appeared to be a mountain, only a mountain it was not.
It was a living being, The living being”
Grace took a deep breath
“He recognised her for who she was, Mother Nature”
She watched her growing crowd, this was the first time they heard about the Human’s mother, their Eywa.
“The man began to talk to Nature: ‘I have lived in as many places as I could, and never have I found a place where the people lived without having to worry about your ire’
he accused her
‘Worried if they’d survive your cold embrace for the forever winter, wondering if the heat would suck them dry of any liquid. And where the weather was more calm, the same shan’t be said about the land, opened by cracks or melted by raging water’
he continued to speak to Nature, who looked at him, but didn't regard him”
Not a sound could be heard as Grace continued to narrate, tails swished in excitement.
“He raised his stare to Nature, ‘places where storms rage so violent it feels like a personal vengeance’ he took a breath and calmed himself, and with a voice heavy of the many he saw be taken so violently, he asked: ‘What offense have we done, for what crime does the weather gives us battle, if not the weather, the land, if not the land the animals, why do you so despise us?’ “
Grace's voice was heavy with an unspoken feeling.
Mo’at, the Tshaìk, recognised the grief in her voice, the feelings this story brought forth, what had she called them? ‘the least favored children’
“ Nature answered to man's turmoil: ‘You thought the world was made to be your home?
Know now that in my orders, in my plans and in my work, never my intentions swayed in your misery or in your favor.
If I save or if I doom you that I do not know nor care, I do not wage the weather to do you damage or to cuddle you. And finally, if so happens I end your species, nor would i notice nor would it sway me, in one or other direction’
The man stared at his mother, who had just deemed him and his kin of no importance of her interest be it favor or hatred, as he stood away from his siblings, alone in front of Mother Nature, as he took too long to ponder her words. Lions came and ate him whole”
Grace breathed in a gulp of air, she could have told the story without being swayed by it…
But after spending so much time on Pandora, she could feel this story had some level of truth.
And it hurt, she didn't notice as the Na’vi left, until a four fingered hand rested on her shoulder, making her lift her gaze to meet the Tshaík’s
“You are children of your mother”
The words were of offense, but Grace could not help herself and laughed.
“We are children of our mother”
Grace agreed in a sickly pride.