Vio was on her deathbed as all her loved ones and worshippers surrounded her. She announces her plans and her last words in her ancient tongue.
"My people, I shall depart soon from this physical world into the afterlife. With the blood I gave all of you, you will know when I choose the next alpha. Many many years from now the ground will split and you will all be separated to lead yourselves. When that happens, I will choose one alpha per each land to lead. Watch for my sign, for the blood moon will rise high above the chosen ones."
Vio, who had lived for more than 200 years, took her last breath in this physical world. Most of her worshippers could see her soul levitate out of her body, smiling down onto them as she transitioned into the afterlife.
The many worshippers who weren't given the gift of Sight, did not see her soul leave her physical body. Their opinions about the spirituality of mankind became skewed and assumed Sighted people faked their gifts to rule over everyone.
The ancient people raged war against each other, splitting away from each other. For hundreds of years, the climate changed and so did the pigmentation of the ancient people. Some became darker in colors and some more transparent and light. In their animal forms, their fur would also change in colors.
Then came the shift of the land and many died from all sorts of natural disasters of the Earth. Very few survived and rebuilt based on their stories of Vio and her worshippers.
For thousands and thousands of years, the gifted worshippers of Vio transitioned from one form to another until they concluded that they should name themselves, henceforth, the Ma'iingan were born.
Each time the blood moon rises upon the next alpha, some respectfully follow Vio's words and let them lead, but in other regions the blood moon was considered a bad omen and the whole tribe will search and kill the one it beamed down on.
Vio could not intervene mankind from the spiritual realm, but she could only reach out to her new alphas to lead their way. Her connection with Niiganii's tribe worked for hundreds and hundreds of years before Niiganii's time, but now a new tribe is intervening and Vio must interject the bad fate and turn it into good, before it gets worse.
*
Wawiya was finally going to be a big sister. The little six year old leapt up and down in excitement as she heard the news that her mother was finally in labor. Wawiya was staying with Niiganii and the great Shaman Aawenaw to learn how to be a shaman. Aawenaw had sought Wawiya out the year prior when Wawiya became possessed by an Earthbound spirit. Aawenaw was able to exorcized that spirit, but Wawiya was permanently affected by that possession, making her more sensitive and vulnerable to possessions.
"The next time this happens, maybe her last." Wawiya remembers Aawenaw saying to her father.
In response to Aawenaw, her father replied, "Take her and teach her, so this will never again happen to my little girl."
About six months after she left home, Wawiya lost her father to a bear attack. With her mother pregnant and husbandless, Wawiya began her apprenticeship as a Shaman, traveling from one tribe to another to help heal others spiritually, in exchange for food and clothing for her mother.
Wawiya ran as fast as her little feet could carry her towards her mother's teepee. It was almost a half mile walk from Niiganii's hut to her mother's teepee.
Once she arrived outside, she could hear her mother's moans and groans of labor.
"The baby is breached. We must do something quick." The voices whispered back and forth until finally one of the voices announced to Wawiya's mother, "We will have to push it in place. You will have to bear with us."
Wawiya's mother's voice screeched loudly and she covered her ears in freight.
"It is complete, now push!" the ladies demanded.
Wawiya's mother pushed loudly, at times holding her breath.
This went on and on until finally one of the ladies yelled out. "The head is almost out. Just one more big push."
Wawiya's mother gave one more loud and excruciating push and everyone roared in relief. The pitter pattering of footsteps and joyous laughter filled the teepee and Wawiya snuck her way inside to see her mother. She notices that the ladies had rushed her new sibling away, their thrills now quieting into whispers.
"Mama? Nimaamaa?" Wawiya called to her mother as she touched her mothers sweaty face. Her mother turns to look at her.
"Wawa, I missed you so much."
"Nimaamaa, I missed you too. You know, I have a little brother now? I'm so happy! Are you okay, nimaamaa?"
"I'm okay, Wawa. Look behind you, my lovely, do you see what I see?" Wawa turns around to look. At first she couldn't see anything, but then a shadowy outline of her father started to form.
"Imbaabaa…father…" her breathing quickens knowing that this could only mean one thing. Wawiya turned to look at her mother. Her nimaamaa's legs still spread apart, blood pooling around her bottom. Her chest is no longer expanding to intake air, her mouth slightly opened, her eyes no longer blinking.
Tears fill her eyes as she turns back to look at her imbaabaa.
They were holding hands with peace and happiness all over their faces. In her imbaabaa's right arm, was a baby.
It dawned on her that there were never any cries heard throughout nimaamaa's whole delivery.
"He's dead!" Wawiya yelled at the ladies trying hard to get the baby to cry. "He is dead and so is nimaamaa. They are all with imbaabaa!" She let out a loud wailing scream, Aawenaw barges in and grabs a hold of Wawiya.
"Wawa! Get a hold of yourself!" she scolded the little girl. "You must not attract those that can see you. Come with me." Aawenaw carried Wawiya out palms, over her mouth as she kicked, screamed and cried.
When they arrived at Niiganii's hut, Aawenaw set her down gently. Wawiya has calmed down from her grief, but was still silently sobbing to herself.
"Wawa, I am so very sorry for your loss. I hope you understand why I took you away. Did you see the faces of those ladies in the teepee? Words will get out and you will be a walking omen for the tribe. Mourn now, for Wawiya has died with her family."
Wawiya gazed up towards Aawenaw in confusion.
"You are now Wawa. Wawiya has died with her family. I will take you with me to travel and to learn what it takes to heal others, so that you may heal. We will go after the ritual to send off your loved ones. For now, mourn and grieve. Their spirits will depart soon and it will be the last time you will ever see them.
Wawa sits up onto her knees, places her palms together and starts a prayer as her tears streamed down her face. Its saltiness burned the dry skin of her eyes and cheeks caused from the residue of her previous tears. Her new sense of loneliness is overtaking her heart and it feels like it is about to explode. She closes her eyes to focus on her chant.
"Follow the wind as it blows. Follow the rivers towards the sea. Clear your thoughts of all your sorrows. Rid the pain that is killing me."
*
Little Wawa is crouched on the ground while poking the dirt with a broken twig. A little girl approaches Wawa, her shadow looming around Wawa, blocking away the burning sun.
"What are you doing?" she asked. Wawa looks up at her blinks. No one has dared talk to Wawa for months except Aawenaw.
"I'm drawing a picture." Wawa replied.
"What are you drawing?" she asked again.
Wawa's face lights up into a big smile, showing off her missing buck teeth, and her big googling eyes squint into a thin line.
"It's my family!" Wawa exclaimed. "See here?" She points at the funny looking characters in the dirt. "That is imbaabaa. That, here, is nimaamaa. That, right there is me and I'm holding my baby's brother's hand, because I don't want him to get lost. If he gets lost, nimaamaa will get mad at me and yell at me. But that's alright, because imbaabaa always comes to my rescue." Wawa rambled on and on.
"What's your baby brother's name?" she asked Wawa.
Wawa's face changes from happy to sad. "I don't know. We never named him." Wawa looks down at her drawing.
"What? That's silly. Your parents never named your baby brother? Did they not name you too?"
"They did. But I died. They died and my baby brother died too." Wawa said, glancing back up at the little girl.
The girl's face is mortified by what she just heard. "They were right." she said, "you ARE a freak! I thought they were lying, but it's all true!" she backs up away from Wawa then yells back to her friends waiting for her. "Oi, wait for me. I'm coming back."
They responded to her, "Why? Do you not like your new best friend?"
"No, I don't. You guys are right, she's a freak!" The girl quickly runs to join her friends and they all stare at Wawa from afar. Wawa can tell that they were whispering amongst themselves, most likely about Wawa.
Wawa throws her twig away and stands up. She looks at her drawing as little tears trickle down her chubby cheeks. "All I want is my family." she whispers. Her yearning for her mother and father's love and grief strickening. She could only imagine how different life would have been if they had never died; how happy she would have been.
"This is NOT FAIR!" she yelled and kicked the dirt, swiping away her drawing of her family. "This is wrong. I'm not supposed to be alone." Wawa wanted to run away from the group of girl's view. She searches around quickly and then dashes into the woods, transforming into a pup, pacing deep into a heavily tree covered area.
There, she sat on the ground, back in her human form, cradling her knees into her face as she cried away her pain and sorrow.
"Why me? I'm just a kid and I still need my family." Suddenly, she hears the ruffling of leaves nearby. "Who's there?" She called out, but there was no response. "I am Ma'iingan and I will hurt you if your intentions are to harm me." she yelled out again, this time wiping away her tears and snot.
The tall grass in front of her tumbled back and forth until out came a gray and black brindle kitten. Its right paw has been injured. There are blood stains around its face, ears and scruffle. The little kitten hopped its way to Wawa and she lifted it up to examine it.
"Oh, are you hurt little kitten? Don't worry, you will survive. I don't see any soul reapers nearby, so I will help you."
Meow.
"Yes, that is a wonderful name for you. From now on, you are Meeyo, my new best friend!"