Finally! Sorry this took so long, i had a bit of trouble writing this, but after all this time im pretty darn proud of it!
Hope you guys like it, and please, please review!
And if you have any questions, please ask!
Many years passed, and the clans were formed from the separate camps, and they traveled far and wide to find individual territories for themselves. The clans lived in peace, and their numbers grew exponentially. Resentment still lay deep in some of the clan people's hearts, but the hatred was soon fading as generations grew up oblivious of that anger and bitterness.
A group of children giggled as they ran across the thick log that had fallen across a small trickling stream, and all of them crossed without fear, their tails held out behind them for balance, their little braids bouncing around their shoulders as they tried to push each other off. One little nine year old boy hung back, and the older girl behind him scowled at his hesitation, and pushed past him impatiently.
The little boy saw something twinkling to his right, and turned to stare with wide and innocent golden orbs, and was just in time to see a small silver glowing creature melt into the brush. Another appeared a moment later, and the boy's eyes widened as the light around it pulsed enticingly.
Follow me; it seemed to whisper into the sudden silence that surrounded the trees as the other children disappeared into the brush.
A familiar voice pulled him away from it, and the creature disappeared just as a hand grabbed his forearm impatiently.
"Tompa, hurry up! Sa'nok will be angry if we stay out too long!" A taller girl whined, her golden eyes rolling at the dazed expression that filled her younger brother's face.
"But Seze...I saw–"
"Get your head out of the clouds, skxawng, and hurry up!"
"You're the skxawng!"
The two siblings bickered all the way back to Kelutral, and barely noticed the decorations being put up for the iknimaya, which would celebrate five warriors in gaining the title tsamsiyu – or warrior. Women rolled their eyes as they heard the siblings – their bickering was a common occurrence in the clan – and busied themselves with the armbands and necklaces they were fashioning as gifts for the soon-to-be-warriors.
A tall man with feathers tied in his hair frowned disapprovingly at them as they approached him, and the two of them immediately quieted once they noticed him standing there.
"Oel ngati kameie, Sempul..." Tompa muttered, and Seze mumbled a greeting under her breath, her face aflame at her father's stern expression.
"The rest of the clan can see your bickering as well, Seze."
Seze scowled, and the thirteen-year-old girl's tail lashed around in irritation before she stomped off in a huff. Tompa bit his lip nervously as he watched his sister disappear out into the yard, and stepped forward.
"It wasn't just her fault, Sempu, I was lazing behind. She was just trying to make sure we got home in time for the ceremony."
The boy's father put an arm around the boy's shoulders, smiling at the affectionate name that the boy reserved for when they were alone, hugging him gently as they watched the clan prepare for the celebration. The boy smiled as he wrapped his arms around his father for a moment before rushing off to play "Catch the Ikran" with his friends.
The man watched with amusement as the boys ran around, yelling and trying frantically to catch one of the boys who had his arms outstretched in pale imitation of an ikran, squawking in glee as he managed to avoid those chasing him for a while longer.
But eventually, he could no longer outrun them, and succumbed to being subdued by the boys, letting them tackle him and wrestle with him playfully.
Another child soon took his place, and the game continued.
The light revealed itself to many people, but none were brave enough to follow it when it disappeared. Some say that it took the shape of an ikran and others say it took the form of a pa'li. Some even dared to say that it took the form of a Na'vi, but those stories were very rare.
There was no one with these people when they saw the light, so the leaders of the clans saw their accounts as foolish and ridiculous, and soon the clan stopped mentioning the strange light at all.
Those childhood days had ended many years ago, and now that he was a warrior, he no longer had the luxury of free time, instead Tompa pulled back his bowstring, his strong shoulders flexing powerfully as his legs gripped the sides of his deep purple and green ikran, aiming at one of the small flying creatures that were a favorite food of his mother, but before he could release the arrow, something caught his eye.
It was pure silver, and it was perched on the trees uppermost branches, and he caught sight of a bow before the light took off into the trees. Tompa instinctively dove towards the light, and squinted as the wind buffeted at his face.
The light was slowing down, and he leapt off of his ikran as they approached a grassy ledge that overlooked the mountains that floated above the land, waterfalls pouring from their cliffs into empty space. The winged creature screeched and veered off to land on one of the sun-warmed rocks that were smooth and perfect for basking, content to wait for his call. Tompa tensed as he saw the silver glow pause beyond the line of trees, and then it began moving one more, slower now that he had caught up with it.
Tompa drew his bow and arrow, and quickly ran after it, feeling no fear as the soft dirt was replaced by winding roots that hung suspended over hundreds of feet, and he felt the warm sun on his skin in brief intervals as the light pierced through the dense canopy of leaves and branches.
Tompa didn't know why this light was so captivating to him, and then – as he weaved through a sea of thick and lush flowers and other plant life, pushing aside two large leaves that blocked his path – he suddenly remembered that day back when he was a child.
The light had that same captivating glow, the same whispering sound in the silence that seemed to call out to his very soul.
The leaves bent easily under his fingers, and he found himself staring at a small enclave that was ringed with densely packed trees and vines, with a deep clear pool of water that was continuously being filled by a beautiful waterfall that was gentle and soothing in the background.
A Na'vi woman was sitting next to the water's edge, and her long hair was unbraided and flowed down her back to pool on the ground behind her, a silky trail of midnight tresses that glimmered with the spray from the waterfall. The customary thick braid that held the strands necessary for tsahaylu was in her hands, and her long fingers were tracing the braid gently as she stared at the waterfall. Tompa felt his heart begin to thud, as it always did when a beautiful woman appeared before him, but this time was different.
He felt as if he had seen her before, either with his own eyes or in the depths of his dreams, where she was reaching for him with that silver glow and pulling him into the light where everything became bright and warm as the sun.
She must have heard his footsteps as he approached, for she turned and smiled at him.
His heart melted at those silver eyes that seemed so familiar…too familiar. His face was heating up as her face glowed at the sight of him, and her hair rippled behind her like a river of obsidian.
"You have come at last, my Tompa."
And Tompa felt a soft and warm spreading throughout his chest, because he knew that everything was safe, everything was good if this woman was here. Her name appeared on his lips in a moment, a small smile spreading across his face as he moved forward to sit beside her.
"At last…Eywa."
There were never songs in the clans, until one day the women went into the forest to gather weaving material, and came back singing the Weaving Song, and spoke of a tree that seemed to whisper and sing in soft tones…almost like a lover's embrace. The clans were still quite small then, and were just beginning to grow.
"Tompa, you must bring your clan here, to see me. They need me."
Tompa sighed from his position beside her, and felt her contentment as she pushed herself up onto her elbows to smile at him, their braids linked together.
His mind was unbelievably peaceful…and contained happiness unknown to him before. Instead of just proclaiming their love – as most mates did in their clan – Eywa told him of the tsahaylu that two lovers perform in order to become mated for life. The feeling was the most intimate form of pleasure that he had ever known, and it seemed that their very souls were as one.
The young man sat up, and let his lips press to her forehead. "Alright."
Eywa pulled him to his feet, and leaned up to kiss him.
"I will be waiting here, Tompa. Be careful, the road usually taken can be very dangerous in the rain." Her silver eyes flickered upward to the stormy clouds.
Tompa laughed, and Eywa's eyes saddened at the melodious sound that made her chest ache.
"I will be back soon, and don't worry so much. My name means "rain", so I've been running around in this weather since I was small!"
Tompa jogged out of the secluded area, and Eywa's eyes clouded with grief as her wise eyes saw what was to come.
"Oh, why does it have to be you, my love? My wonderful, beautiful…my doomed love."
Tompa strode into camp; humming to himself the song that Eywa had taught him many months before. Some younger children paused in their games, and ran up to him, grabbing his hands and bouncing up and down.
"Sing the song, Tompa!"
"Rutxe, Tompa!"
Tompa laughed, and tickled them playfully. "Alright, alright."
Their faces brightened, and he tugged them over to an overturned log just beside the entrance of Kelutral. The air was darkening – rainy season was upon them – as clan members quickly ran inside to be shielded by the incoming rain. Tompa smiled, and moved so they were still outside, but now under one of the overhangs used for the pa'li. The children scrambled up onto the large window-like gap with a wide sill, swinging their thin legs as they waited for him to begin.
The rain began to fall, and its musical melody filled the air as Tompa's soft voice sang. After a moment, the children began singing along with him, their clear voices making the entire clan stop to listen.
Tompayä kato, tsawkeyä kato,
The rhythm of rain and sun,
Trrä sì txonä,
Of night and day,
Sì ayzìsìtä kato,
The rhythm of the years,
Sì'ekong te'lanä,
And the beat of the hearts,
Te'lanä le-Na'vi
Hearts of the people
Oeru teya si,
Fills me,
Oeru teya si.
Fills me.
Seze, who was listening to the song by the weapons rack, felt something pounding in her chest as she watched her younger brother who she had always rebuked for being so peaceable and weak. There was strength in his stance that had not been there before, and something wise and kind that made her feel small and insignificant.
But before she could do anything, Tompa stood and spoke to her clan, telling them of a person he would like them to meet.
"She has been with you all for a long time, and now it is time for you to see her for yourselves."
Seze scowled at the smooth and persuasive tone to his voice, but to her surprise she found that the others in her clan were already caught up in his spell. They were nodding, and something otherworldly seemed to be tingling in the air as the people moved to follow him into the forest.
"Wait, Tompa–" Seze cried out, but her little brother was already gone, gliding through the rain-slicked grass, leading the clan out into the storm. Seze was left standing in the entrance to Kelutral, and her eyes filled with tears as something sad and painful pierced her heart.
"Tsmukan…"
She slowly followed the clan, her eyes glancing up at the violently gray sky that rumbled with a distant and deadly thunder.
The tree that the women discovered was in a secluded area surrounded by trees, with a large pool of water around the tree while a waterfall cascaded down behind it, along with several rivers branching out from the large pool. Many years later, the Na'vi traced these rivers, only to find that they led to every other Sacred Tree. This phenomenon could never be explained, because one day there were no Sacred Trees, and the next…they were all interconnected…as if they had been there for many generations. When one Sacred Tree was harmed in any way, it was felt by all of the trees, but there was no real damage to any of them. But when the Life-Giving Tree was injured, it affected all of them equally, and in turn affected all living things.
Tompa went a little ahead of the clan in order to find a safe route, and also to give the less fit a chance to rest.
He was running along the familiar log that led to the waterfall, and then, suddenly, thunder cracked right next to him, landing inches from his shoulder. He jumped to get out of the way, and tried to slide down the branch to enter the clearing, but something twisted around his leg, and the slippery moss under his feet made him trip.
The object tightened around his leg, jolting it violently, and something snapped jarringly. Tompa's eyes widened as a howl escaped his lips, his hip and leg going limp.
He lost his balance, and fell forward into the bushes, and something hard and sharp collided with his head, and all went fuzzy for a few moments as he lay there.
"Tompa…Tompa!" Eywa's screams came closer, and her soft hands traced his face frantically, but there was no hope in her face. His head was bleeding, and his eyes were cloudy with pain.
"Eywa…the clan…they're…" Tompa coughed, pointing weakly in the direction where his clan was waiting. Eywa's silver eyes flashed with grief, and she cradled him close to her.
"Hold on, my love. It will all be over soon…for the both of us."
"I see. As long as I'm with you…it'll be all right." Tompa's voice cracked with pain as he grimaced, and Eywa's face contorted with pain as she pressed her forehead to his. "Why are you…crying?"
"Because I…I…" Eywa's tears fell onto his face, and the thunder rumbled even louder, the rain increasing its rhythm until it was a rapid hum of falling water against the leaves of the trees. "I knew that this was going to happen. I…see everything that will occur, and I feel it even before it happens. This was meant to happen…but I was selfish. I could've chosen someone else, but I loved…I loved you too much. I wanted…"
Tompa reached up to trace her cheek gently, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"I don't care. I would rather die here than live my entire life not knowing you."
Eywa's sobs filled the air that was filled with sounds of the approaching clan. Tompa heard a familiar voice calling out encouragement, and a surprised glimmer filled his eyes.
"Seze?"
His sister was the first to appear, and their eyes met for a split second before Tompa suddenly went limp, his eyes closing. Eywa sat up, and observed the clan that was slowly approaching, and Seze rushed forward when her brother became unconscious.
"Tompa!" She stopped when she saw Eywa, and took out her knife. "Who are you?"
Eywa smiled, and reached up to touch Seze's hand. "I am Eywa, the Great Mother of All."
Small pink glowing creatures were slowly congregating around the pool, and around Eywa and Tompa. The rest of the clan held back, except for Seze, who shook Tompa furiously, tears running down her cheeks.
"Please, wake up! I'm sorry for all those mean things I said, I'm sorry for never telling you how…sorry I was for...." Seze put her face in her hands and cried.
"There is a way to save him." Eywa said sadly, and Seze's eyes lit up.
"Do it!"
"But…your brother would no longer be a person, instead he would become a part of me, a part of the entire forest."
Seze's eyes widened, and she stared down at her brother's ashen face for a moment, and looked back up at Eywa.
"Do it, please."
Eywa stared out at the silent clan, and whispered. "We will always protect the Na'vi, he and I."
Seze smiled. "I know."
Eywa smiled brokenly, and a blinding silver light suddenly surrounded the three, so bright that the clan had to cover their eyes for fear of being blinded.
There was a pulsing rhythm in the air, and when the light subsided a moment later Seze was standing beside the shore of the pool, and a large and glowing tree was in place at the center of the body of water, thrumming with energy and glowing with a gentle pink and silver light.
Seze's eyes were milky and faraway for a moment before returning to their normal golden color, and something mystical and powerful filled the woman and surrounded her with a mysterious shroud.
A small child rushed forward to grab at Seze fearfully. "Seze, what happened!"
"Eywa…has saved my brother."
"Eywa?"
"Yes…she is what guides all of us, in what we do, in what we say…"
The little girl held Seze's hand, and the clan watched as the little girl began to sing…
Tompayä kato, tsawkeyä kato,
Trrä sì txonä,
Sì ayzìsìtä kato…