Reborn Lain
VirtualPain was his first experience of consciousness, though he had no words to explain what he was feeling-feelings were as foreign of a concept to him as words where. If he knew the word, it would be burning... he was burning. As the flames licked around his body he felt them begin to cool him. Ashes fell all around him, as did the bricks and mortar of the building, not that he understood what was transpiring. In the back of his mind he had small thoughts-like he had been something else. His skin cooled, the flames died and were gone-then blackness.
He woke later, surrounded by nothing but rubble and ash. He felt strangled by emotions he was not used to. He stretched his wings, which felt stiff and unfamiliar as if they had never been used. In his bed of ashes, he saw a small gold bracelet. Drawn to the bracelet by an inexplicable feeling of sorrow and love, he gathered it up and fled. His wings grew stronger with each movement.
The strong wind pulled at him, throwing him towards the ground. His stiff wings battled the wind in a desperate attempt to stay aloft. The strange pounding in his chest was the only thing he could hear aside from the wind meeting his wings. Finally he found a rhythm. "Smush, Smush" was the sound in his ears. "Smush, Smush."
-
"Whee, Smushy, fly!" said a voice. The walls twirled as he soared, one wing clasped in the girl's firm hand as she spun. The walls blurred as she spun and spun, 'til the pair collapsed on the soft bed.
-
A cold wet bead of rain splashed on his face, waking him from his reverie. He felt a chill race down his spine; a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. Catching a glimpse of the gold bracelet on his leg, he lost his concentration and spiraled towards the wet earth.
-
"Young one, fly to the lake and look for a cavern; I will be there waiting for you."
The voice in his dream was calm and friendly sounding. Inexplicably, he knew where to go, as if the images were implanted in his head. Feeling that there was nothing to lose and everything to gain, he got up from the cold, wet earth he was laying on and began to fly towards his destiny.
As he flew he began to feel himself getting stronger, more confident in his wings. He also felt sad and that something was missing from his life. This feeling was particularly strong whenever he glimpsed the small gold bracelet around his leg.
The area surrounding the lake was gorgeous; the grass was green and vibrant. The trees were tall and the branches swayed in the wind, as if greeting him to this marvelous location. But it all paled in comparison to the shining waters which were a cerulean blue with white as the waves breached the air. Everything about this place made him feel so alive, so free. He did a spiral in the air and began to sing for the first time. It felt wonderful. His song echoed off the walls of the cavern as he closed in. Unable to stop himself, he dived into the crisp water. The cool water felt invigorating, as did catching his first fish and eating it.
He flew around the water's edge as he dried off. The cattails all seemed to point towards the cavern, beckoning him onward. At last he flew towards the dark entrance.
It was damp and smelled musty inside the cavern. He heard bats shifting above him. However overwhelming the trepidation was, he was not willing to turn back. Whatever that voice-whoever that voice was certainly seemed to be able to help him and he could not let that pass. Inching forward he was able to see a light getting larger and brighter as he approached. Sitting in front of a fire was a man wearing an emerald green travelling cloak. The man removed the hood of the cloak to show a weathered but friendly face-with whiskers of hair around his chin. "Hello," the man said, "you have many questions I see."
He stared at the man and the fire for several minutes-unsure of what to think. One thing was sure: he didn't want to get closer to the fire. His eyes refused to leave the sight of the dancing flames. It flicked and burned and sent shivers down his spine.
"Do not fear the fire, young one, for you are a master of the flame," the man said. "You see I am no stranger to the creatures of the woods. Please come sit beside me and allow me to explain your remarkable existence, Lively."
His eyes snapped away from the flames instantly. He tilted his head at the ranger, "Is that my name?" he thought.
"Yes, young one, you have already decided your name before you set wings into this cavern. As you flew around the lake and felt the energy of a thousand suns bursting through your veins, your name called to you-you are Lively."
"How do you understand what I am thinking?"
"My dear bird, I am a ranger and am well versed in all manners of woodland life. You've felt it, haven't you?" he said pointing to the gold bracelet on Lively's leg. "You've felt the call of her. You're afraid of fire, at the moment, because that is both how you died and how you were born."
A flash flickered in the room, and Lively suddenly was viewing a small cottage in the middle of the forest. Then he was inside and saw the ground flare up like a firework; the light zig-zagging around the small pile of ashes that remained from a little stuffed bird. As the light seemed to liquify, two small wings appeared. Followed by a flowing tail and two sharp talons. The color changed from the bright flare to deep scarlet reflecting flecks of gold: the colors of a Phoenix.
"Do you know why you became a phoenix, Lively?" the ranger asked, pointing again to the gold bracelet. "It's because of her. That child loved you so much that I could feel you gaining awareness, even as a doll. When she put you above her own safety, she invoked an ancient magic. Her love and sacrifice granted you life."
Lively felt tears rolling down his face and dampening his feathers. The girl from his dream, she was real. She called him Smushy...and she was gone...
"Young One, please do not despair, I have happy tidings to bring you. You see, that bracelet, it is tied to you and to the girl. You have the power to bring her back."
-
Lively stood in front of the ruined cottage feeling his entire body shake. The ranger beside him nodded encouragement. "You have the power to bring her back, Lively." Lively shook his head but the motion was not acknowledged by the ranger.
Deciding he should get a move on, Lively walked through the partially collapsed door frame and before long stood on his bed of ashes. According to what the ranger had said, his power to be reborn had been imbued into the bracelet. However, he would have to create the very thing he did not want to be around: a fire.
Closing his eyes, he thought of the girl who had loved him. He couldn't picture her, but he felt her kindness and love. As he thought of her, the bracelet glowed. The ruined room shook. Ashes began to dance around him, like they were alive. The ashes vibrated-cinders flared. The dancing became more intense. Spinning and spinning in a circle, moving closer and closer together. The fire began suddenly. The flames tickled Lively, who no longer cared about the fire-only the girl. A head of ashes became visible, then an arched back and four paws. Molten-lava-like, the animal started to breathe. It gasped and then fell down. The fire cooled and turned bluish-white and then was no more.
-
Lively awoke in the midst of a forest on a bed of ash. It took him a few moments before he realized that his power had given life to the forest that had burned. New growth of grass was all around him. It had worked, just like the ranger had said. He looked around for the girl but did not see her. Then he thought of the glowing of the bracelet and looked down at his leg and gasped. "It's gone! My bracelet is gone!"
Panic set in as he began to search the new woods. He had not gotten very far before a very large amount of grass ran at him and pounced on him.
"Birdy! Birdy's awake! Hello birdy!" called a female voice.
Lively looked at what he thought was a clump of grass. Then he realized it was a green kora. This was not what he expected. Where was the girl he was supposed to have revived? He felt a pull on his wing. "Birdy! You're being boring!" the kora said. "The nice man gave me my pretty bracelet. Wanna see?" She lifted her paw and showed Lively the gold bracelet. "The man said it was mine. Look," she said showing Lively markings on the bracelet, "this says Profit. That's my name. Are we going yet? I'm bored!"
-
Several months passed. The ranger taught Profit how to use a bow and eventually departed. Lively was thrilled to see how the kora flourished but remained innocent. She chattered on about one thing or another for hours on end. He surprised himself on how much he didn't mind. It was true her exuberance was a little hard for him to deal with at times, but he found himself greatly attached to her. It is amazing how, with her last breath, she protected him when he was a toy, and now he was protecting the remarkable girl. Both were alive and well and happy, how could a phoenix ask for anything more?
Ravens
