Wacignuni Tanka
(Wandering Spirit)

A Lone Ranger fan-fiction

oOo

"Wacignuni Tanka" ©timexgone23
"The Lone Ranger" ©Disney

Summary: Tonto goes through great lengths to right the wrong he made as a child when the White Men came to his village and allowed their greed to power their judgments as well as his own. When he joins forces with John Reid, they do not expect much help in finding the murder of the people they both hold dear and certainly not from another Native woman. Sugila is a woman of the Sioux tribe and a Lakota by birth and guide to Dan Reid and the Texas Rangers, but when Butch Cavendish kills the very men she's come to trust, she promises that she will not rest until she sees him dead.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lone Ranger, as much as I wish I did, it belongs to ©Disney and it's wonderful writers, directors and screenwriters. I am a poor college student; I wouldn't be poor or a college student if I had made The Lone Ranger…trust me on that one. I do, however, own Sugila and Little Creek as well as any other unrecognizable characters that will be found throughout the plot.

Paring: Tonto/OC

Other Pairings: N/A

Rating: E-T

Warnings: Heavy spoilers, violence, ect.

Author's Note:Hey all! So I went to go see the Lone Ranger recently - I'm pretty sure a lot of people did - and while looking through the fandom I was surprised to see no one had really written anything for it. BTW go check out the one shots - they're really good so far and I'm in love with all of them. One thing I've noticed in a lot of movies Johnny Depp stars in...he never has a romantic pairing (he does, but it's rare: I mean look at when he played Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean!?). Anyway...I digress. So, while watching the movie my brain began twisting things and I decided to write a fic for the newest movie out there - I warn you all now, if you haven't seen the movie and want to there are HEAVY SPOILERS in this story as I tried to paraphrase the script as much as I could (I looked all over the internet and couldn't find a transcription of the movie yet so I had to wing it a little bit so forgive me in advance if it's not word for word with what you've seen in the movie). In other news, this will be a slow updating fiction because I'm swinging it between two other stories so updates may be slower :P I'm sorry for that in advance. But this chapter doesn't have a lot of the characters in it, it's mostly to introduce my character to you and as it mentions above, this is a Tonto/OC pairing so bear with me for a bit :)

Anyway, enough of my ramblings! Let's get on with the fic shall we?

WASICU (English)

The Lone Ranger
Chapter 1: The Beginning

~O~

Long ago, our Clan Mother used to tell us stories about how the White Men used to barter and trade with us for our horses and our livestock; stories about how the earth was our mother and the Great Spirit was our loving father. Everything that I have ever known was circled around this belief – the belief that one day I would be able to look down on my people and my children and know that, like our Mother and Father, I could watch over them like the moon breaks through the dark of night. But that all changed when the White Man's government began to encroach upon our lands. They built roadways made of metal that carried loud and powerful machines – a means of transportation we were told, a business that would unite our people with theirs in peace.

They failed to tell us that their metal roadways would push us from our sacred lands and we would be demanded to move or be moved by force whether by the sharp tongue of the White Man or by their weapons – both were as lethal as the other. At first we resisted, the Chief stood strong in the face of these Pale-skinned devils, but even then they proved too much and too powerful. They forced my people to leave our lands upon something my people called the Cahnku un Istanmihapu, the Trail of Tears, though this name did not just belong to us – it was a name that was shared among thousands of people all hailing from other tribes…people like me, tribes like my people. Many of our people perished. Stray but a little from this perilous trail and you were killed by the hands of the White Man. This dark time was so embedded into our history that our grandparents told our parents who told us of the horrors that our people faced all those years ago. We saw peace in the new land granted us, but it did not quell the growing anger between the tribes and the White Men. Long after my people traveled along the Trail of Tears, we faced hardships. Our crops could not be harvested well in the new area and people died…many people. Within all of this darkness, I had feared that there would never be light; for how can the darkness, thick like the black bear's pelt and just as smothering, be tamed by what I considered light? I feared that I would never again experience hope as the weight of struggle set upon my shoulders from the cries of my ancestors and the reality setting in that we may never live in peace.

But despite this never ending struggle and strife, the stories did not end.

No; Clan Mother continued to tell us stories to ease the darkness of the nights along the prairie ( for we called ourselves the Tituwan, or People of the Prairie), and the familiarity kept the growing darkness at bay and the world seemed just a bit more bright. Clan Mother used to tell us wondrous stories about a man, a single man that has crossed and seen the other side and was brought back to our world to protect us from the sins of humanity. The elders call him the Wicasa tuwe mani opeya ki Tanka, the Man who walks amongst the Spirits, but we've begun to call him Wicasa Tanka, or Spirit Man. Years passed and on my eleventh year of life, five years after my people had settled after traversing along the Trail of Tears, the White Men came back to our small settlement with dark hearts. They had taken my brother, Little Creek, captive and he had escaped with one of their prized horses – a beautiful Mustang that was of the land and wild like us. They burned our village to the ground and my brother and I fled.

We were the only survivors.

"Come, Sugila," Little Creek rasped as he walked besides the beautiful stallion that carried his younger sister. "We must cross this canyon. Hopefully the Sitehla Wicasawill allow us to stay with them."

Sugila frowned wearily from above her brother and on their great steed's back, "But, brother, we were never close with the Comanche –"

"Do not disrespect their name."

The twelve year old blinked slowly before relinquishing her argument slightly. "I only say this because they have not welcomed us before," She murmured softly. "What would the Sitehla Wicasa do for two children of the prairie?"

"They will hopefully clothe us or give us supplies…hopefully both," Little Creek answered without looking back at his sibling as he continued on through the hot deserts.

Little Creek was tall for the age of twenty and was once a kind and kindred spirit, but he had changed much since the raid of their village. His face was sculpted with high and prominent cheek bones and the smooth nose of their people; his raven colored hair fell neatly down his back in two ponytails secured at the very ends with red cloth, the tresses adorned with feathers that fell from the back of his head. He wore buckskin trousers and matching moccasins, his chest bare and his arms holding only a few trinkets, however, it was his necklace that he took much pride in for it was a symbol of their people. The twine was woven with blue and red dyed leather with beads resting along the strands and ending with the arrowhead that had slain their father during a battle with another tribe, the arrowhead resting just under the hollow of his throat.

Sugila sighed softly from her place atop of their horse, Wakapa-si, a beautiful golden mustang with black socks, nose, mane and tail and with intelligent brown eyes. He was a young horse, but the very same that Little Creek had stolen from the White Men. Trust was something that she did not see in their race and she knew her bias was shared with her brother, though she knew that survival was just and she would not care who she could take help from so long as she and her brother were safe. With a small sigh she adjusted her long braid and pulled her shirt closer to her neck in an attempt to hide her already darkened skin from the sun that beat down on the two siblings mercilessly. Little Creek had shed of his tunic and jacket, items that belonged to them as well as a few dead men they had come across, in order to keep his sister's skin from burning under the cruel heat of the bright star.

"Ciye," The younger girl called down to her brother, "How much farther?"

Little Creek paused in his trek, bringing the horse to a stop next to him as he surveyed the land that lay just passed the dune they had climbed before frowning deeply. "I do not know…"

For the first time since she was young, Sugila felt anger course through her veins at her brother's half whispered statement. The normally timid girl was not quick to anger or even annoyance, but wandering about in the desert for over a year since their escape from the White Men had brought about all of her anger and resentment. "We are lost!"

Wincing he nodded, "Yes."

"When did you plan on telling me this!?"

"I did not know until just now, Sugila."

The twelve year old harrumphed loudly as she crossed her arms over her chest as her cheeks, though already reddened by the sun, tinted darker with her anger, "Well what good is this going to do us then!? We are lost with little supplies and with barely any water left! There's not a dot of civilization about and there is no one looking for us!"

"Sugila!" The girl, who had been ignoring her brother's pleas for silence, paused when he snapped at her; the anger she felt whooshing from her all at once. "Did you hear that?"

The young girl turned her ear to where her brother's was faced outwards down the hill. It was clear that while she had been ranting the older Lakota had caught something in the wind that she had not and she suddenly understood the desperation of her brother's disposition. Suddenly, she heard the sounds of horses; their hooves beating heavily into the sandy earth and creating an earthquake of movement. The air seemed to be stolen from her lungs as she caught sight of what appeared to be a flock of horses, their movements quick; however, her brown eyes widened in fear as she noticed that the horses were coming towards her and her brother and they were being rode by men.

Her voice passed her lips in a small whimper, "Little Creek?"

"Sugila, when I tell you to, you are to spur the horse and get out of here as quickly as you can."

She turned wide eyes to her brother, her lips parting in shock as he turned to face her. His eyes, darker than her own, held a knowing there that disturbed her to her very core. The look in his eyes was one of complete defiance and haunting that it made her stomach churn and her heart beat faster and she suddenly felt like she had to retch. She searched his eyes with her own, her innocent echoed deeply in her haunting tawny eyes, "You're coming with me…right, Ciye?"

"Take this with you," He said as he removed the twine from his neck with an angry jerk of his hand. Taking her shaking ones, he laid the arrowhead in her hands before curling his overtop of hers. "It will bring you peace and will protect you. I will always be with you, watching you from beside the Great Father."

Sugila's eyes widened further and she shook her head slowly, "No."

"Go now, Little Fox."

"No, Ciye, I can't!" She cried as tears began to leak passed her eyes. "I can't leave without you!"

"Go, now!"

"No!" She wailed as she made to throw herself off of the horse, "You can't leave me again!"

Little Creek, seeing her motion quicker than she could dismount grabbed her leg before pushing it back into place before taking the rope he always carried and tying her to the saddle despite her struggles. He fastened the last knot before glancing at the coming riders and frowning deeply, his eyes turning to meet the tear filled ones of his younger sister and offering her a small, comforting smile. "We will meet again, Little Fox…on the other side and besides the hand of the Great Spirit." Before she could attempt to remove herself from her brother's knot work, the older Lakota looked into the eyes of the stallion and frowned, "Econsni wayaka hektakiya mitawa kola. [Do not look back my friend]." He whispered before circling the animal and slapping its gulte and urging it into a fast gallop.

"NO! BROTHER!"

He watched as his sister was taken away from him quickly, safely upon the back of his most trusted steed. With a small smile on his face he raised his hand to say goodbye before turning away from his sister's fleeing form and ignoring her cries and wails for the horse to go back, and focusing his eyes on the coming men.

Sugila watched from between the tears blurring her vision as the men circled her brother. Finally she managed to bring the horse to a stop upon a ridge, her body trembling with her restrained sobs as tears leaked freely from her eyes. She knew it was too late to go back and save her brother, especially as the dust kicked up by the horses obscured her vision. She knew, deep in her heart, that there was little chance she would ever see her brother again and it solidified when she heard gun shots. A sob finally broke passed her lips as she leaned forward in the saddle, her hands clutching at the horse's strong neck. She raised her eyes once more to rest upon what she assumed was her brother's final resting place before turning the horse away and beginning to make her way back through the desert.

Days had passed in a blur to the young Native as she rode weakly atop of the stallion's back, her sorrow at having lost her brother and lack of supplies haven brought her to a state of semi-awareness and barely registering what was happening around her from her state of depression. She rested when she could and gave what she could to the horse to keep it moving and able to support her and she prayed to the Spirits to keep her alive if only to allow her justice. After a week had passed she had become completely numb to everything around her; the biting winds that carried sand in torrents and slicing her skin, the blistering heat that beat down upon her from the sun above, the merciless surroundings of rock and sand with little shade and less areas to collect wood to keep her warm during the cold desert nights and water to keep herself and Wakapa-si healthy and hydrated.

It was as the sun peeked at its highest and signifying midday that she heard them: the sounds of heavy hooves beating into the sandy earth and forcing her senses to become more alert.

She turned her eyes to the west, where she recognized the sound to be coming from, before her eyes widened at the sight of men on horses. Without thinking she dug her heels into the stallion's sides and pushing him into a gallop that she hoped would save them. "Come on, Wakapa-si," She encouraged as she rubbed his sweat-soaked neck, "we need to do this to survive. If we make it out I'll give you food and won't make you run any more!" She called over the wind, smiling as the horse seemed to respond to her pleading words before pushing itself faster with an indifferent snort. She turned her head briefly behind her to see that they were most certainly White Men, but judging from their weapons and the way they rode she had a feeling that they weren't friendly. She turned her wide eyes forward once more as she pushed the stallion below her into a faster gallop.

The crows and jeers of the men behind her began to get louder and she blinked tears out of her eyes as they fell. She did not know what to do and she did not know where to go as she directed the stallion into a small crevice in the canyon that only she and the horse could fit through. Turning back briefly she saw the men crowding around the small tunnel she had fit through before what she assumed was the leader began pushing himself and his horse through the crevice after her. His face was obscured by his dark hat, but she could clearly make out his long, scraggly and unwashed, unkempt hair as it fell like curled wires to his shoulders as well as the few guns underneath his jacket, but her eyes were immediately drawn to the knife set just at his knee for what she knew to be quick access upon a horse's back and she gasped loudly. Eyes widening further, the young girl pushed her horse forward, murmuring in her language under her breath as fear began to grip at her insides and clenching her heart in her chest. She did not wait to see if the men had made it out of the crevice she and Wakapa-si had fit through and took off through the canyon. Her heart stopped as a gun went off with a deafening boom, and she felt a scream tear from her lips as pain blossomed across her arm.

In alarm, her horse reared back as another horse appeared in front of him and knocking her backwards and off of his saddle. Oxygen flew out of her lungs as her back connected roughly with the sandy earth below her and another strangled cry passed her lips. Hearing the horses pull to a stop she looked up in fear as a man dismounted his steed and walked to her slowly. In trepidation, she backed away from him awkwardly as she covered her wound with one hand and dragging her body backwards with the use of her other and her feet with the sand only fighting against her movements and making it harder for her to move. Her tawny eyes were wide and unblinking as the man continued to move forward, condescension heavy in his presence and she could just make out the twisted smirk upon his scarred lip that showed his teeth, including a vivid silver filling that replaced his lateral incisor completely and rested besides an oddly pointed canine tooth.

"Lookie what we got here boys," He cooed with a deep drawl as he drew closer to the young Native. Sugila pushed herself into the canyon wall behind her, her wide eyes straying from him only a moment in search of an escape only to find none. With hope dwindling and absolute fear settling into her system she returned her eyes to the man, though his eyes remained shadowed by the brim of his hat, the sun shadowing most of his features. "A little Indi'n girl…she looks a bit lost, don't she boys?"

The men, still mounted upon their horses, chuckled in reply and though they made comments about her situation Sugila was paying little attention to them her eyes widening in horror as he stepped closer to her trembling form.

Yeah, I like Sugila, do you? She's a little "meh" right now, but I promise you it's all done for a reason ;) Any how, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and as always in ALL of my stories, Reviews are lovely and appreciated, but not mandatory for an update! Though, I'd really like to know what y'all think so far :)

Thanks for reading~

Much Love,
timexgone23

xoxo