Just let it be free
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Alielle was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, in front of the
four elements - Fire, Water, Earth and Air - she had come to
call friends. They never left her alone, and they had helped
her out countless times... she knew that she could trust them
and that they'd never ask her to do something that would hurt
her or endanger her life... but still, she couldn't help it...
she was scared. "Are you sure it won't hurt me?" she asked,
trying to keep her voice from shaking.
Fire smiled warmly. "I know you are afraid, Alielle... you've
been hurt by your power too many times not to be scared of it.
But I swear to you... nothing will happen this time. Your power
won't hurt you again."
"We'd never ask you to do something that could hurt you" Earth
added, gently. "Just trust us."
"I do" Alielle murmured, lowering her eyes. "I do. It's just
that..." she hugged her sides, shaking "it hurts so much..."
she finished in a whisper.
"Don't worry" Water consoled her. "If this works, you will gain
control of your power, and it'll never hurt you again... ever."
"It's what will happen if it doesn't work that scares me"
Alielle murmured, more to herself than to her friends.
Air smiled gently, its voice warm. "Don't worry, it will work.
You are too strong to fail. Just remember, your power is part
of you. You mustn't fear it. And keeping it buried will do no
good... whatever happens, don't block it. Just let it be free."
Alielle looked at her friends. Four large felines that nobody
else could see... Fire, the first she had met, with its warm
red eyes and glowing golden fur... the kind Earth, soft brown
fur and emerald eyes, who had come to her help when she had
wandered into the nearby forest and gotten lost... Water, dark
blue eyes and fur of the same color, always moist, who had
grudgingly helped her when she had lost control of a fire
spell, and then chose to remain with her when it learned of her
situation... and finally Air, white fur and sky blue eyes, who
had become her best friend since the windy day in which they
had first met, by chance... "Alright, I'll do it" she finally
said. She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes, focusing on
her power. She slowly whispered the words of the spell her
friends had told her - it was a simple light spell, from what
she could determine, but there was also something else she
couldn't figure out... what was it?
Her power suddenly awakened, with a strength that surprised
her. Panicking, she desperately tried to push it down, to block
it like she always had... but then she remembered Air's words.
Let her power free... could she really do it? She hesitated for
a moment, then, slowly, released her hold on her power.
She gasped in surprise when she felt her power filling her. She
felt warm... warm and surprisingly safe. A swirl of sensations
invaded her... she could see - no, feel - the whole room around
her even with her eyes closed... her senses heightened, she
could hear the wind rustling among the trees outside, and in
the corridor the steps of a late student hurrying to class,
carrying a bouquet of - which flowers? Roses, judging from the
smell - a gift for the teacher, probably...
She finally focused her attention on her friends. They were
standing in front of her, in a row, as if waiting for
something. She tentatively extended her mind, reaching out to
them, and - oh, it was wonderful - she could feel the world,
she was all the world - with Air she was wind and sky and
clouds, and the breeze that gently stirred the tree leaves,
outside - and she could fly, fly! - then with Fire she was in
every flame, large and small, from the small candle on her desk
to the large fire that kept her room warm, blazing in the
hearth, to the burning sun, to the molten core of the earth -
and with Earth she was life itself, the warm soil that nurtured
and protected - and yet she was destruction too, raging
earthquakes that shook the land - she was still and yet
everchanging, she was mountain and she was pebble - and with
Water, the murmuring stream, the gently flowing river, the deep
ocean, the eternal glacier, the giggling spring...
She slowly, almost unwillingly opened her eyes, and discovered
that the spell had been cast - there was a bright sphere of
light in her hands - with no side effects... her power was
still awake within her, she could feel its warm presence... the
wounds on her arms had healed, leaving light scars in their
place... for the first time in her life, she felt warm, safe,
at ease with her power...
Allowing the sphere of light to dissolve, she closed her eyes
again, crying silently in relief. Her friends snuggled close to
her, and she hugged them tightly. "Thank you" she whispered,
smiling.
Air laughed softly. "As always, Alielle... you're welcome."
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