Desired cheetah: Kachina
Writing entry: Kachina is different from most nature spirits. Her intelligence and bravery is unquestionable; yet her compassion for humanity is what some might see as a fault. No matter what the people do, she forgives them. She blesses them when they are weak, and is understanding when they disgrace the spirits. She whispers words of comfort to those in pain, and doesn't hesitate to go to every one of their dances and cerimonies. Her connection with them runs deeper than the great oceans. But by herself, she would be weak. When left on my own, I would be weak. We need each other; for together we are a united force.
You see, we share the same soul. I am Kwa, the great Eagle spirit, as is Kachina. I am her, and she is me; in a way.
The Eagle spirit was once called Kwahu. It controlled its compassionate side and its firm, harsh side. For some reason, Kwahu split one day, the mix of emotions too much for it to handle. The forgiving side of it was forced out; leaving only me, Kwa, to occupy this body. The other emotions formed into a female cheetah; the very Kachina that I speak of now. We are, therefore, alter-spirits. Together we are the lords of the East, and together we are able to make decisions. One might say that we rely on each other too much; but shouldn't one be self-dependent? We are, after all, the same being.- - - - -
To the creature walking, her pawsteps carried her silently across the ground; her eyes, as dark as night, focused on only one ofther being.
To the small girl kneeling on the dirt ground; her deformed legs splayed uselessly under her; the spirit that walked across the noisy Kiva was nothing more than a faint red tint to the steadily blowing wind. The girl seemed to sense the ancient pressence, her dark eyes wide with both terror and excitement.
Kachina's black eyes seemed to mirror the girl's, but her's were full of only pity. This child, one of her people, did not deserve what had happened to her. Only this thought surged through the cheetah's mind as she skirted the fire and chanting dancers. For the moment, they didn't matter.
The discolored patch of air shimmered and traveled across the circular room to the girl, who could do nothing more but stare in awe; the firelight flickering across her stunned features.
Then, Kachina was there. She bent her head, brushing her muzzle across the girl's forhead, and murmured...
"Heal. You have followed me, and for that you are gifted," the wind seemed to whisper. With the words came a cool breeze across the child's forehead, and she closed her eyes in wonder.
Kachina retreated, not staying to see if the girl had arisen yet or not. She didn't need to, for the sudden joyful shouts of the people told her that she had done her duty well.
Energy. Energy all around her. The trees radiated it; their spirits humming in harmony with those of the clouds, sky, and ground. A happy purr rumbled in Kachina's throat, her tail waving behind as though it was a conductor's baton, creating music from nature. Her black paws carried her across the bright, sun-dappled grass as though it was nothing but air. Happiness flickered through Kachina's mind when she thought of the girl that she had healed; the girl she had healed when none of the spirits would.
You can't blame Kwa, he did not choose to accept Kwahu's harsher feelings. Still, a pang of sadness hit her when she thought of her soul-partner. Kwa treated her wonderfully; yet seemed to be unwilling to bestow his softer side on anyone else. As sudden cry pierced through the morning sky above her; and she turned her head upwards to see a large eagle racing towards her.
The bird of prey soared downwards, his claws colliding with the branch of an old oak tree. Kachina winced when the tree's spirit spat out a string of select curses. Ignoring her, the eagle began to preen his feathers; his greyish yellow eyes narrowed in concentration. Unamused by this common act, Kachina raced forwards and shot up a paw, almost knocking the bird from the branch and forcing him to pay attention to her.
"Honestly Kwa, you do this every morning. When are you going to be creative and come up with a new act?" There was no need for either to voice their words; for when two share the same soul; they can simply hear the other's thoughts.
Kwa ruffled his feathers; half annoyed, yet half amused.
"Well, my dear feline, if you never choose to groom yourself, then so be it. I however, wish to look my best." This playful banter was common among the two; for both knew that neither was truly annoyed with the other. Suddenly, Kwa grew serious.
"You blessed yet another person.""No, I healed her." Kachina's retort came quickly, the fur on her neck spiking up in defense.
"They need to earn these gifts, Kachina.""She did!""Was she a hunter, a warrior, a mother? No. She did not earn her healing.""She was a child; and hurt! Her faith in us was just as great as any warrior's. She dragged herself to every cerimony when others forgot about her. She knew that we would come, and I did." Kachina's black eyes pooled with sadness, wishing that Kwa would understand.
"Kachina, we are the same. This will not work if you continue to act without consulting me. We always discuss my acts before I carry them out; you need to start eturning the favor." It was no wonder that Kwahu split, mused Kwa. He would have been fighting himself over everything. When he saw that Kachina did not plan on responding, he fluttered down from his perch and stood in front of her, the white feathers on his head shining in the light.
"Kachina, we both share Kwahu's memories. I know just as much as you. It is imperitive that we work together; for if we were serperate, the great Eagle would be no more."The cheetah nodded, meeting his eyes.
"I'm not sorry for healing the girl, she needed me."Kwa gently butted his head against her leg, his eyes shining.
"I hadn't expected you to be sorry; I only wish for you to understand my own point of view." "Fine. But don't plan on me consulting you on everything. I never have, and I never will. We may share the same soul, but were are two different creatures."And how true it was.
Suddenly the eagle sprang into the air and cheetah started to run; racing each other across the briliantly painted morning. There were no secrets between the two; no hidden feelings; and there never would be. Mabey that contributed to them being so close, or mabey it was simply because they were the same soul, Kwahu. But as one dashed across the ground, and the other sped through the sky; no one could deny how powerful and sacred the bond of the great Eagle spirit was.
Link to drawing entry: I have three drawing entries; please click each title to be taken to the corresponding piece of art.
"Ancient Forest"This image is supposed to depict Kachina walking among the ancient trees of the mounatin; or as she sees them, the ancient spirits."United""United" is meant to show the sense of unity between Kachina and Kwa; her kindred and alter spirit.The brushes I used can be found here.
http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§i ... es#/dp54an"Medicine Wheel"Medicine Wheels started out as giant circles made from stones with a pinwheel-like design in the centre. When incorporated into art and clothing, different colors representing each of the Cardinal directions; North, East, South, and West, replaced the stone pinwheels. The East, painted yellow, was the embodiment of new beginnings, air, flight, intelligence, life, and light; as was the eagle. It is for this reasn that the Native saying, "The Eagle always flys to the East," came about. Answers to Q&A:1. I shall state my case simply. Kachina will not be bred. A creature must be alive to breed; and to me, Kachina is not alive. She is a spirit, as was the spirit that she is based on; the Eagle Kachina that the Native Americans prayed to and worshipped. As it is my goal to keep Kachina as close to the spirit that she is based on as possible, I refuse to have her bred.
2. To the Native Americans; the spirits they worshipped were never born, they simply were always there. It is because of this that I wish to adopt Kachina as an adult. I appreciate the offer, and she would be adorable as a cub; but I plan on sticking with the beliefs that Kachina was woven from.
3. I do not wish to change this Cheetah's name or gender. Kachina is meant to be Kwa's alter spirit and soul-partner, and because of this I believe that it makes sense for her gender to be opposite from his. In addition to this; she simply looks female; but not in a "flowers and pink" way. I rarely adopt female characters; for I have a tendency to not give them very feminine atrtibutes. I like my female characters to be harsh, intelligent, strong ones; and it can take time to find a character that is able to fit this description. Kachina matches this request perfectly. To me; she seems to have the exact aura that I look for in a female character about her. Since I wish to preserve this unique trait; Kachina shall remain a female.
Kachinas were, essentially, physical representations of the spirits. They were given to children to better help them remember the various spirits; such as the Flower Maiden, the Mud-head, or the Eagle, Kwa. This cheetah, Kachina, is the spiritual embodiment of half of Kwa's spirit, and is, in a way, his Kachina. The name also shows her deep connection with the people; her willingness to help, to bless, and to understand when others won't, and to be there when other spirits refuse to be. Overall, the title Kachina fits this cheetah well.
4. To start with; I understand this character on a much deeper level than most other people would. From the moment I could think, my parents taught me many ideals that shaped who I am.
Learn whenever you have the opportunity to. Speak your mind. Stand up for yourself. Do not associate yourself with those who will bring you down. Compete with others. Losing is not a bad thing, it only helps you grow. They taught me these and many more, and continue to teach me everyday. But let me now speak of the lesson that truly relates to Kachina and the beliefs behind her.
Learn the ways of others. Their past is our past, it is the world's past. You do not have to share in their beliefs, but respect and honor them. I live in only one of the fifty states; yet I have seen fourty-two of them. Through my travels I have gined an immense amount of knowledge about those that share this country with us. I have visited dozens of Native American ruins, and have been affected by them beyond words. It is an amazingly powerful experiance to stand in a spot where hundreds of years ago a girl my age probably stood. A girl who is now burried in the ground while I live on. I know so much about these people; and it is for this reason that I feel such an incredibly deep connection with Kachina. In fact, I own my own little Kachina. Please click
here to view him. I understand, appreciate, and know what this cheetah is meant to represent; and it is my wish to convey to others these ancient, forgotten beliefs through my writing.
Thank you for considering my form; Kachina means a lot to me.