Elemental - Stories of Legend

Story 1 - Part 3 [A New Life]

By the time Sakura woke up, something had changed. The air was warmer, and so was she. The ground was softer than she remembered. The first thing she saw was a ceiling. Was she trapped in the Evil Coven again? No, there was something different about this place. Its atmosphere felt more... welcoming. Vines and leaves grew on the walls, all of them a fresh shade of green, like they've only just grown. She sat up, looking around. She was lying on a bed, a soft mattress cushioning her back. The thick blanket was made of grass. The soft grass that you lie down on. It felt so good as a blanket. Sakura couldn't help but smile.
But it wasn't long before the smile faded.
Soft footsteps echoed into the room, or rather the cave. A woman wearing a green dress walked in. Sakura soon felt a sense of deja vu. Like she remembered this woman from somewhere. She couldn't remember where from, though.
"It's good to see you're awake," the woman finally spoke. Just like with her appearance, her voice sounded familiar. It really annoyed Sakura that she couldn't remember where she had seen this woman, or heard her voice before. She did remember falling on her head, however. Could that be why she can't remember much? It would explain why felt unexplainable deja vu.
But for some reason, Sakura felt afraid of this woman, like she was going to kidnap her. If that was the case, would she be anything like Maura? Or would she be worse? Sakura mostly saw the worst case scenarios of situations. She felt her body backing up against the wall.
The woman only smiled. "Don't be afraid of me," she spoke again. "I will not hurt you, Sakura."
"Who are you?" Sakura replied. "How do you know my name?"
The woman began to walk closer to the bed, where Sakura sat. "I am the Mistress of the Earth Coven," she replies. "Adamina is my name. Do you not remember me from yesterday?"
Yesterday? Sakura was unconscious for the rest of the night? And this Adamina woman, she was the one who saved her life from Dari?
Now that it was mentioned, the memories began to return to Sakura. The woman in the green dress from last night, Adamina wore the exact same dress, with the exact same hair, in both style and colour.
"Last night... that was you?"
Adamina nodded. "Yes, it was."
A small smile emerged from Sakura's face. "I can't thank you enough for that."
"Don't worry about it.
She felt better about herself now. She could trust Adamina a little more, but still not completely.
Adamina's eyes noticed Sakura's wounds, and her cuts. But most of all, the burnt mark of the Evil Coven, which Maura herself had forced on her skin. It was the mark of a slave to that Coven. Gently grabbing Sakura's hand, Adamina closed her eyes. A green aura began to surround her, then around Sakura's wounds. Sakura closed her eyes. Normally, she expects pain and torture when a Mistress approaches her. But she felt no pain from this. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Adamina was healing her. Her cuts and blisters began to close, and her wounds were disappearing. It was as if there was never a single trace that could link her to punishment and torture. Soon, only the mark remained. Adamina took one look at the mark that was burnt into her skin. She focused her aura on that mark, making it disappear.
"Does that feel better?" Adamina finally said.
Sakura looks at her arms. There's nothing there, now. Just her skin, in the healthy dream fluff shade her face was.
"So.. you won't hurt me?"
"I will make a promise to you, that I won't hurt you at all, Sakura. If anything, I should be promising to protect you. Do you believe me?"
Sakura's smile widened. Her trust was confirmed in full now. "I believe you... Mistress."

+++

The day soon passed by quicker than Sakura thought. Adamina had shown her around the Earth Coven. The last destination now was her own home. It felt strange that Sakura would have to live on her own at eleven. She wished she could stay with Adamina, but she knew it wasn't possible. Adamina was a Mistress, and Sakura was just a nobody. Scratch that, a weak nobody who had to rely on a powerful Mistress to save her from her former kidnappers.
"Do you feel okay now?" Adamina asked.
Sakura, who now felt confident, nodded. "I'm fine now."
The Mistress revealed another smile, crouching to Sakura's height. "If you need anything, just ask. Okay?"
Again, another nod. "Okay."
"Good. You should get some rest, dear." Adamina stood back up, but she still kept her sweet, reassuring tone. "You'll need it for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. You'll start training tomorrow."
Training? While Sakura liked the idea, she didn't know what for. To fight? To defend herself?
"Alright then."
As Adamina began to walk off, she soon stopped, looking back over at Sakura. "Oh, and one more thing."
"What is it?"
"I'll be sending someone else to see you when you wake up. Don't fear them. Everyone here is friendly to everyone."
Finally, she walked off, and Sakura entered her home.
Her quarters were really comfortable, and just as inviting as Adamina's quarters were. She changed into a set of pyjamas, slipping into bed. It was late at night, after all. She drifted to sleep, for tomorrow was the start of a new her.
A new Sakura Hayashi.