[See Skyland and the Jewel Rangers for disclaimer]

Visions
By Sarah-Lynn Brown

2115. After a battle with a Dark Army fleet, the Jewel Rangers return home to relax and visit for a while. Evin knows of some ceremonies about to be enacted back home in Oklahoma and asks Skyland if she would like to come and watch. Curious and eager to meet Evin's relatives, Sky jumps at the chance and goes down to Earth with Evin, who has recently become sort of her boyfriend. Normal dating for the two is mostly out of the question because of the circumstances of the war with the Dark Army. Constantly fighting and surprise attacks make intimacy rare for the two teens.

[Skyland walks in behind Evin as he steps through the kitchen door of his parents home. His father has been cooking the dinner while his mother and grandfather cut up vegetables and set the table. Their faces light up as they see Evin enter and they also delight in seeing the face of the young lady they presume their son to have been off visiting on so many occasions. Skyland smiles, and quietly whispers hello to Evin's family, Evin introduces everyone. The grandfather stares at Sky in a way that makes her terribly unsure of herself. Evin whispers to her that his grandfather is blind, the old man hears the whisper and comes up to Sky and introduces himself further to her.]

Grandfather-Hello, Skyland….I am Anoki Whitecloud, of the Cheyenne people….You are a very unusual young lady, are you not?

Sky-- (shocked by his assertion) Well, I suppose….I am from the Lunar Colony of New Angel Grove…I am visiting Earth.

Evin's Mother-That is quit a distance to come to visit!

Evin's Father- How long have you two known one another?

Evin- About two years.

Father- You have been visiting for that long, Sky?

Sky- No, no…I travel back and forth a lot.

[This information seems to satisfy Evin's family, who has wondered about his whereabouts when he vanishes for days and sometimes a week or more at a time, only to come home as mysteriously as he had left.

Evin's family invites Sky to stay and his father continues to cook. Evin tells his family that he wishes to show Sky the Ranch before supper. They all nod and continue to work. Evin walks outside holding Sky's hand tenderly and shows her the area, pointing out things.]

Evin- That is the barn, it has stood there for over two hundred years. It is older than the house….On the nine square miles of land we have a herd of about three hundred wild horses….The largest herd still roaming the plains on private land. To the North end of the property a small herd of twelve buffalo live…..Some of the last of their kind as well……They are protected here, but they do not thrive as they did hundreds of years ago.

Sky- How I would love to see a buffalo. I have only seen them on old nature reels…..They are so rare….(Skyland bows her head)…There is a lot that I have never seen…growing up on the moon, the only animals are pets there. (Turns to Evin) How wonderful it must be for you to grow up seeing birds fly above you in the sky and to see fish swim in streams and a horse run across a prairie at full gallop…My world is nothing but computers, meteor showers seen through the dome, and artificially grown plants….There is a wholesomeness and naturalness to this land you've grown up on. It isn't polluted by technology.

Evin- You simply grew up differently than I did. There is nothing wrong with computers and artificially grown food….

Sky- It is all artificial….I don't think any living creature was meant to grow up in a artificial and sterile environment….

Evin- Do you really mean that, Sky?(looking down at her)

Sky- Yes!….Air cleansed by trees is so much better than air filters and recycling treatments. So what if I catch a cold occasionally or cough from the smoke of a brush fire? I would rather feel the warm rays of the sun upon my skin than the dry heat put out by dome filters….A constant temperature of seventy degrees has a way of becoming annoying. I have never seen it snow or felt a rain shower over my skin.

Evin- I think I see what you mean….The predictability of a constant and unchanging environment could be…….unnerving.

Sky- It is simply limited and confining.

[A call comes from the house that supper is ready, and Evin calls back.]

Evin- Well, it is time for dinner. It is about time you ate a real home grown cooked meal.

Sky- Sounds great! ( She quietly whispers and squeezes Evin's hand)

[They walk back to the house.]

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[The next day Skyland wakes up from the bed in the guest room and washes up. After getting dressed she meets Evin's mother and helps her prepare breakfast before Evin, his father and grandfather wake up. Skyland prepares pancakes and orange juice while Evin's mother cooks sausage links and grits. Skyland also slices bananas and strawberries for topping the pancakes. The men come out at the brilliant smell of the cooked food and drink some of the fresh made coffee while the food finishes cooking. Evin offers to set the table and smiles at Skyland while she removes the last of twelve pancakes from the grittle. Evin's mother sets the lavish amount of food on the table and has Skyland sit while Evin and his father finish setting out the food. Evin's Grand father deeply breathes in the aroma of the meal.]

Grandfather- Pancakes?….They don't smell like those you normally cook, Franny (to Evin's mother). Who cooked these? I also smell fresh bananas and strawberries?

Mother- Skyland did, Dad. Apparently her parents taught her well how to make fruit, pancakes, and juice.

Evin's Father- Smells delicious, Sky!

Skyland- Well, sit down and try them before they get cold!

Evin- I think you'll like them!

[They all sit down and eat up all the savory food. They clean up and prepare to go on the hour long drive to the Pow-Wow.

During the ride, Evin's parents sit up in the front of the four-wheel drive, Skyland next to Evin, and his grandfather in the back. Evin's grandfather speaks to Skyland in a friendly voice, asking her about herself. She talks with him the whole way, trying not to ignore Evin. Evin's parents are distracted by the road and do not hear the conversation in the back.]

Grandfather- There will be sweat houses at the pow-wow. Might I suggest that you two participate in the vision quest ceremony.

Evin- But that is only for tribal members, grandfather.

Grandfather- Yes, I know, but I think that your friend is unique and should also participate if she wishes to. Our family will have it's own sweat house set up by your older brother and uncles there……As the elder of our family, I reserve the right to invite whomever I choose to participate in the ceremony in our sweat house.

Sky- This sounds to be too sacred a ceremony for me to sit in on.

Evin's grandfather- I would not ask you to simply sit in on it, I asked you to participate. I think you to have a unique spirit about you and wish for you to find that spirit and tap into it…….Don't be afraid, this would be Evin's first time on a vision quest as well as yours.

Evin- I have never been invited into the sweat house before, because of my age….I guess that now that I am eighteen I am man enough to have the experience with my elders.

Sky- Sounds like a great experience. I would love to do it but I am only seventeen…I don't think..

Grandfather-You are not old enough?…Sure, the experience of the vision quest isn't based on age but on maturity of spirit and soul and a need for answers….I'm not as traditional as some of my peers who believe that only Indians should have this experience. I think the Vision Quest should be experienced by all those who have the respect and honor of those ancient spirits within them. Perhaps some part of you is "Indian", Skyland Parks.

[The car comes up to the Pow-wow site on the reservation and pulls through a colony of tepees that are set up and booths and fires rising up into the sky. Skyland is hypnotized by the sight of dancers in full traditional clothing leaping and chanting to the beat of a drum as they move in a circle around a gathering area. The car pulls up and stops in front of a house nearby the pow-wow and next to dozens of other vehicles that line up in rows on the outer perimeter of the festival. The family get out of the car and walk to the gathering area, where they meet Evin's older brother and uncles. They all politely greet Sky and mingle with the other people. Evin takes Skyland's hand and pulls her through the crowd to see a man who crafts head dresses, necklaces and other Native American objects. Skyland wonders at the beauty of the multicolored bead necklaces and rings made of turquoise and silver that set in a display case.]

Skyland- Your jewelry is so lovely!

Evin- The beads and all the other jewelry are used in the dancing….some of it is worn everyday until the end of the festival. My mother, father, and grandfather buy almost all their jewelry from here. The crafters here on the reservation and other places locally are trained in the traditional styles of creating jewelry.

Sky- (noticing a large quilt hanging nearby) That quilt illustrates the removal of the tribes from their native lands to the reservations! (Pointing to the quilt)

Evin- (looking at the quilt)….Yes, I think it does….You know of the use of symbols on story quilts?

Skyland- Yes. I'm not totally ignorant to other cultures. I studied Native Americans in school, with all other subjects…..Many cultures arts and crafts I found to be very interesting and did more in depth study into…….After meeting you and the other Jewel Rangers, I wanted to know a lot more about your cultural backgrounds, especially yours….

[They come close to one another, then suddenly Evin's grandfather, lead by Evin's brother come and call to them]

Grandfather- It is time to start the Vision Quest ceremony, the sweat house is ready.

[Evin gets a look of disappointment on his face and looks away from Sky]

Evin- Okay….(turns back to Sky)..Do you want to do this?

Sky- Of course!

Evin- Then let's go!

[They turn and follow Evin's grandfather and brother to the sweat house, and, before entering, take a symbolic bath and then enter for the up to two day long ceremony. The grandfather gives each of them a garment to wear made of cotton, in the fashion of buckskin robes and places a strand of beads over each of their heads. Then Skyland, Evin and Evin's brother, two uncles and grandfather enter the sweat house. The door out is sealed and the fire within immediately raises the temperature of the room. The only exhaust is a small hole at the top of the structure.

They all sit around the fire in a circle and the grandfather leads the group in prayer. They all pray for hours on end while sweating profusely, with no stop for rest. After hours that seemed like days one of the uncles has a vision. Hours later the grand father has a vision, later added to by the other uncle and Evin's brother. Evin's brother speaks out off a silent meditation]

Brother- I doubt that Evin will be able to have a vision with his girlfriend here with us.

Evin's grandfather- Hush, Eric; you are supposed to be meditating.

Eric- I already had my vision, I saw…

Grandfather- Hush!

[The sweat house is silent for a several more hours and then the chants are started again. During these chants, Evin has a vision of a Blue Eagle soaring above the land and up through the clouds and into space. The eagle is faster than sound and able to soar through space as well as through air. Evin wakes to see Skyland smiling to him and she softly welcomes him back. After a few more hours, the group grows impatient and tired and desire to leave after only a single day in the sweat house. Skyland hasn't had a vision, but the grandfather, also extremely tired, breaks up the ceremony and consoles Skyland.]

Grandfather- Don't worry child, not everyone has a vision on their first attempt. Perhaps if you try again at next years Pow-wow, you will achieve one. (He pats Sky on the shoulder and leaves)

[Skyland smiles to him but remains in her seat and silently refocuses her mind. Evin gets up and whispers to her ear]

Evin- 'You can try again next year,' you were given an invitation to come back, Skyland.

Sky- I will have a vision. Next year may not ever come…..What if the Dark Army wins, Evin? Do you think any of this will be here a year from now?

Evin- I don't know. I hope that doesn't happen, but you are so tired, shouldn't you rest?

Sky- I'm fine, I'll be okay for a while longer…..(opening her eyes and looking up to Evin)..It would be nice if you stayed here with me until I had my vision.

Evin- Sure! (He closes the door and sits back down beside Sky)

[After only another half hour in the sweat house, Skyland has her vision.

She sees a Orange fox standing out on a lush grassland, then the land changes and the skies turn black and thunder crashes all about the fox. The fox is struck dead by a bolt of lightning and from its body arises a powerful white buffalo.

When Skyland awakens, she sees Evin staring at her contentedly.]

Evin- So how was your Vision Quest? What animal appeared to you?

Skyland- I saw an Orange fox which became a white buffalo.

Evin- A white buffalo? Are you sure it was white?

Sky- Yes! Why?

Evin- Just that a white buffalo is the most sacred of animals to the people of the plains tribes!

Sky-I didn't know!

Evin's Grandfather- (standing at the doorway) The white buffalo means you hold a very special destiny in the future.

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