Rebirth on Pandora
Chapter One: Miracle at the Tree of Souls
A young female Na'vi ran through the forest with panic in her heart and eyes. She knew this forest well, but the creature chasing her knew it even better. The gigantic black creature thundered after her on its many legs, and its intimidating growl echoed through the night.
In the Na'vi language, the creature was called a Palulukan. But the cursed Sky People knew the creature as a Thanator.
The individual that was chasing the young Na'vi was an adult female Palulukan. The young Na'vi had wandered too close to the fierce creature's young and was now suffering the consequences. The creature was even closer than before, and the young Na'vi could feel its breath on her back. Suddenly the creature snapped its jaws and the young Na'vi darted to one side, but the mighty Palulukan's jaws clipped her arm and she screamed. The wound began bleeding, and the young Na'vi felt like she could faint at any moment, but she had to keep running. She simply had to survive. And the young Na'vi was running to the only place she knew where she would be safe, or at least die in peace…
She was running to the sacred Tree of Souls.
She could feel that she was getting closer. The young Na'vi could sense that the creature behind her was not tiring. But all of a sudden the massive female Palulukan skidded to a halt. It gave a fierce growl again, but did not follow the young Na'vi further. The young Na'vi just kept running. But she was beginning to run out of strength entirely.
Only a minute later, the Tree of Souls was in sight. The Palulukan was long gone. The young Na'vi staggered up to the tree and collapsed to her knees. Blood still trickled down her arm from the wound, and she could feel her life steadily seeping away. She only had a little time left on the world of Pandora, she could sense it.
The young Na'vi switched her attentions to the other side of the tree. A shadow descended from the sky and had landed somewhat clumsily nearby. It was an Ikran, or as the Sky People called them, a Mountain Banshee. This particular specimen had jet black skin with purple markings and golden eyes. It was reasonably large, even for an Ikran. But what was even more shocking about it was that its wing was almost ripped to shreds. Most likely it had been attacked by a Toruk, or Great Leonopteryx. Even still, both the young Na'vi and the Ikran were obviously dying…
In her last moments, the young Na'vi connected herself to the Tree of Souls, and she saw that, quite to her surprise, the Ikran had done the same. The creature then collapsed and its eyes flickered shut. The young Na'vi struggled to keep herself awake. In her last breath, she managed to send up a prayer to Eywa, and though she didn't know it, the Ikran sent up the same prayer…
Merciful Eywa, give me another chance to live…
A pair of eyes snapped back open. A head was raised from the ground.
This can't be right. I was DEAD. What's happened?
The individual disconnected themselves from the Tree of Souls and looked about. They froze when they laid eyes on the body of a young Na'vi lying dead under the tree.
But…but that's ME! How can that be me? I'm right here! I'm…
She looked down and found herself looking down upon a pair of claws, connected to black and purple wings. She realized the truth. Eywa had given her life…and given her the body of the dying Ikran she had seen.
Thank you, merciful Eywa!
Flexing her new wings, she took one last look at what had once been her body. She gave a brief sigh, and then turned her head to the sky. It was morning.
I guess it's time to start your new life, Txon.
The black Ikran took flight and gave a shriek of celebration. She was alive! And it was about time she REALLY learnt how to live…