Kaym’itan had gotten Ru back to Home Tree where the healers had instantly taken over treatment. Ru hadn’t worsen in condition, but she wasn’t getting better either. The healers would have their work cut out for them as she fought a battle she never wanted to fight--- for her life.
At first, she was told to drink the nectar from a strange plant that was different than the one her blue pelted mate had given her the day before. She would look at it, sigh and weakly lap up the liquid until just a small drop lasted. Instead of the bitter liquid burning her throat like the previous day, this one was rather sweet—almost too sweet. However, whatever this plant was seemed to be doing its job. Although Ru was weak from before, the nectar was making her weaker, sleepier. Her lids fluttered to stay open as she heard the whispering words of the healers to not fight it. A soft moan escaped her maw as her knees buckled underneath her. Luckily, the healer lion was there to catch her as they lowered her to the ground. She was sleeping within seconds; the sounds of the na’vi lions around her completely silent. Nevertheless, her mind skittered around bouncing from dream to dream, heading for the blackened cloud of a nightmare.
”Tell me the story again, Mommy!” A small white cub squealed as it ran up to the equally light pelted female.
“Rukopa… You’ve already heard it today…Four times for that matter. Aren’t you tired of it?”
“Nope! I love this story! One day, I will find these lions and be one amongst them!” Ru giggled, purring as she rested on the forelegs of her mother.
“Rukopa…honey…I have to tell you something. You will never find the Na’vi Pride. They are a story, a myth. They are nonexistent. I don’t want you chasing this crazy dream..” Her mother sighed, looking away. “You’ll only get hurt in the end. It’s best you just forget about it.”
“But…you sai..”
“Forget what I said. It’s a story.”
“…Okay …” Her purring quit as she lay pondering. A dream crushed at such an early age…
“You okay, Rukopa?” Ru’s mother asked.
“Yeah…I’m fine… Hey Mommy? Can you tell me about daddy again?”
A smile rose to her mother’s lips as she began to retell the story that she would never forget.
“You’re father was a….”
Ru shifted in her sleep, unconsciously opening an eye as if she was waking up, before closing it just as quickly as it opened.
Ru was traveling across the rogue lands. She was maybe just older than a juvenile, if that. Tears streamed down her face as she trudged on, red splotches staining her front paws. “Momma…” she cried out, gazing back to the distance. Her mother was there, lying there, dead. Sometime in the middle of the night they both were attacked, but Ru had managed to run away as her mother fought up the intruders. She didn’t catch who or what it was, just their pearly white canines gleaming in the silver moonlight.
When daylight broke, she headed back to her mother. However, her mother wasn’t her mother anymore. Wounds marred the body, vultures had already begun a little picking.
“Get away from her!” Ru shouted, gasping as she ran up to the nasty birds. “Momma?” She shook her mother, not noting the coldness and stiffness the body was. “Momma please…You gotta wake up…” Another shake, nothing. “…please…You can’t leave me…not yet…” she cried out, her paws inadvertently touching the wounds, soaking her own paws in the blood.
“Child, she be gone.” A young white bird called out as she floated down to the ground.
Ru looked up, tears were beginning to drip down her face. “Who…” sniff, “who are you?” Her eyes turned to glare at the bird. “You’re lying! She is just sleeping! She just…just needs a healer! That’s all.”
Anozira, the falcon, shook her head. “Her soul is gone, but her body remains. Child, do not harm yourself more by sitting with her. Scavengers be back soon.” Ano stated, flittering her wings.
“She..is not dead!” Ru growled, swiping a paw at the bird, causing Anozira to fly upwards. “Come back here!” She growled again, tail flickered angrily.
The falcon shook her head, but flew away. She tried to help the kid, but she didn’t want any.
“Someone help!” Ru called out. “Please! Someone help us!” Her words were unheard. No healers ever came.
Even after her dream was over (or maybe one would consider that a nightmare), tears still streamed down the female’s cheeked. She groaned unconsciously, calling out the words “please…help us…” only to be heard to the healers’ ears. How ironic she was laying sleeping by the healers when in her mind, she was still a juvenile calling for their help.
Blue eyes flashed in front of her. She had seen those blue eyes before…but where? They weren’t attached to a body, just there…floating…watching any an all movements. Ru stepped closer to the floating eyes, but they backed away. Innocence was flashing in them, then sadness, then hurt.
“What’s wrong?” Ru asked the cerulean orbs.
They shifted in place, looking left, right, forward then closed. When they reopened, the eyes formed a glare. Fire burned behind the blue, burning hate into the dream. The white landscape that surrounding the female and the floating eyes was burning. Fire was spreading from the edges, leaving just blackness as a reminder of what once was there.
“Why are you doing this?” Her voice quivered as the burning reached her. She was swallowed into the darkness, the gleaming blue eyes her last view.
Incomprehensible words were uttered as healers continued their work. One more dream plagued her mind.
Ru awoke from the healers later that night. They were all smiling at her, asking her if she was alright. She would nod in agreement, but not speak a word. She was still very drowsy. Although she wanted to go back to sleep, something stopped her. A pair of red eyes entered the den, the dark blue pelted body to follow.
‘Kaym!’ Ru tried to call out, but no words left her maw. She stared blankly. What was going on? Kaym wasn’t even talking to her. He hated her. That had to be it. She had caused him so much trouble this past day that he never wanted to see her again. She shook her head, trying to call out to the male, but it was silent.
The healers were gone, and the form of her love was slowly beginning to fade away too.
“Kaym, please! Wait!” she called out, but was finding it even harder to move. A wave of drowsiness hit her like a ton of bricks as the final image she saw was his crimson eyes.
Ru had awaken with a start. The healers were done with their ministrations, but they were still there with her, their eyes watching her.
She vaguely heard them ask if she was alright, and how she was feeling, but she just gave a little nod, sleep washing over her once more. Ru was now on the road to recovery.
[[FIN 1206 words]]
