Fragile | Tsu'tey

ten

"How will they know we're here?" Norm asked, his long tail flicking nervously. I laughed and shoved him playfully, trying to help him relax. 

"I'm sure they already know," Grace observed, holding out a silver and black device, trying to scan the root of a tall and leafy tree. A simple leaf fell and Rachel caught it, holding it delicately in her hand, observing every one of its details. "Botany fan?" Grace walked up next to her, observing the leaf in her hands.

"Yes. Ever since I discovered it, it's been one of my passions, but I didn't even consider it to be an option when I first applied. I didn't think I was smart enough." Rachel said, looking down at her hands, when she realized she only had four fingers, more like the Na'vi. How many new things would she discover about her Avatar? 

Grace turned around, urging everyone to move on. Rachel knelt down and quickly dug a small hole, then replanted the leaf. She covered it back up with dirt and stood up, praising herself at her handiwork, even though it was such a minor thing.

"What was that supposed to accomplish?" Asked Jake, looking down at the spot where she'd planted the leaf. 

"I'm giving it back to the earth. I guess I didn't think about it." Rachel shrugged, then ran ahead to catch up with Grace and Norm. Running - something she could definitely get used to. Grace came to a full halt in front of what looked like an old, small school. She knew what this was. It was the old school Grace used to teach at before the RDA came and shot several of the kids. From what she knew of it, Grace was still traumatized. 

"Let's move on," She said abruptly, turning and stalking out of the ruins. Rachel followed after her, avoiding a few stray prickly plants. 

"Are you alright?" She asked softly. 

Grace sighed a little and nodded her head slightly. "Let's just get this shit done." 

***

Grace and Norm finally stopped in a small and dark clearing. Grace crossed to the other side and knelt down, gently brushing away the soil to take a look at the roots. Rachel and Norm came up behind her, peering down at the roots as she said, "See, right here, where the roots of the two trees interact?" 

Rachel looked up to call Jake over and saw that he was following a trail of helicordians, spiral-like plants that shrunk when you touched them. She gently nudged Norm and Grace and followed after Jake, not wanting him to get in trouble.

When she, Grace, and Norm got to the clearing, Jake stretched out his arms and spun around, trying to shrink all of them. "Wait, don't-" Norm warned, but they had already shrunk, and in front of Jake, roaring loudly, stood a Hammerhead Titanothere.