All his daughters gathered on top of their tree. In the nest-like place, they surrounded their sleeping mother, waiting for something to happen. The pod near the large black she-hound had stopped glowing a long ago, the body inside that had once been a young woman and her unborn baby had been entirely consumed; only her clothes were floating purposelessly in the green liquid.
Gelert watched the scene from the edge of the top. Light and darkness vied in his spirit as his beloved Sarama remained unmoving. Anger rose in him, for even though the woman had the right spiritual imprint, Gelert could only save a small fraction of her energies – a fraction that might prove insufficient to reawaken such a powerful spirit like Sarama; hope calmed his bitter resentment, as he knew that returning from the Land of the Lost was a long and ponderous process.
One of the flowers around Sarama's body suddenly turned grey and started to drop its petals. Soon, the other flowers did the same thing, slowly covering Sarama's body with a cloak of greyness.
He couldn't stand to watch this anymore. At this point, their failure was just growing more evident with each passing moment. Gelert turned away, and prepared to leave.
"My love! I have returned!"
The beautiful voice stopped him immediately. His body stiffened as his mind finally comprehended what had happened.
"Sarama!" he whispered, and turned back to the top.
There she was now, standing up from the remains of the flowers. She shook herself, then stepped out from the cavity that held her sleeping body. Her steps were wavering, as though invisible phantoms buffeted her with blows. Gelert didn't hesitate to finally reunite with his love. Only when their heads met did he give a relieved sigh.
"Gelert, my dearest love…" Sarama whispered in return, and Gelert could feel a great turmoil in her voice. "I was dreaming…"
They started to circle around each other, their black and white bodies blending together.
"In my dream, you were standing over my still body for time uncounted. Shadows played around you, and filled your heart with rage. When you unleashed your wrath on the mortals, a man wielding the power of Raava defeated you and punished you with the curse of the Lost."
"Darkness, stemming from my desperation, claimed me," explained Gelert. "Raava is no more. The Bright Lady merged with a human, and now concerns herself only with the mortals' salvation."
"In my dream, the Arrow People forgot who I was," continued Sarama. "They grew dull and rigid. Even though they cleaned my statue and gave small offerings, they no longer danced and loved around it under the full moon. It saddened me greatly."
There was a brief moment of silence. As they swirled in perfect unison, Gelert couldn't miss the grief in Sarama's blue eyes.
"In my dream, I saw one of our daughters as she became a human's companion. A great hero was this woman was, yet she fell, and our daughter with her. I cried over their dead bodies, and from my tears, a terrible war grew."
"She died honorably, struck down by another woman carrying a spirit-killer sword. I bear my loss with pride."
They stopped, and Sarama walked to the edge of the treetop, staring into the Spirit World.
"In my dream, the Arrow People died, incinerated by the fires of Agni. Their screams tore my heart into a thousand pieces."
From her voice, it was clear that she was approaching a much heavier subject. Gelert knew too well what it was.
"In my dream, I stood beside my brother again." A teardrop rolled down her face and disappeared between her jaws. "I relived his duel with Vaatu, as the Dark Master cowardly tricked him and snatched his victory. The sinister darkness oozed into my brother's metal body in the front of my eyes, and killed him outright. The grief struck me helpless, and Vaatu banished me to the Land of the Lost."
"A human girl destroyed the Dark Master not long ago," noted Gelert.
This made Sarama snarl.
"Then I must kill her for stealing my revenge!"
Gelert could barely believe his ears. This would be surely a problem in the future. As far as he knew, this girl was Raava's vessel now, so her death would have… consequences.
"What else did you dream my love?"
"In my dream, an Ancient One woke up from his sleep to reclaim what was rightfully his. He freed you from your prison and made you his servant."
"I can't deny this. I'm obliged to serve him."
"Yes, we are," nodded Sarama. "In my dream…"
Suddenly, her eyes opened wide, and her ears perked up, like she had just remembered something very important. Before Gelert could intrigue, she hurried back to her sleeping place and leant into it.
A sharp yelp could be heard from the cavity.
When Sarama's head reappeared, she held a small, black pup. The poor thing was still blind, and she yelped helplessly while hanging from her mother's mouth.
"In my dream," Sarama said softly, "I bore a daughter, for the one we have lost. This gave me hope…. and strength to come back."
As Sarama walked back to him, Gelert checked the newcomer, carefully sniffing through the pup. Sensing her father's touch, she stopped yelping and sniffed back. Her short, flustered breathing was the sweetest song to Gelert's ears, calming the dark storm in his heart once and for all.
Their daughters welcomed their new sister with fervent howling, and their choir was soon joined by their newly awakening brothers below. The voice of the pack was carried far and wide in the Spirit World as they celebrated the return of their mother and the birth of the pup.
With its purpose done, the spirit pod between the branches began to discreetly melt away, leaving only the clothes of a young woman behind.
THE END
Author's Note: Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed the story! Comment and review, all opinions are welcomed!