The Foster Child of Kal'dorei

It was a peaceful night in Kalimdor, when all Night Elves were startled by that powerful bolt of magic that struck in the middle of their glades.

They all came out to investigate, and saw a little child in the middle of the crater, unconscious.

They were horrified.

'It's a child!'

'A human child!'

'What sick manner of arcane has done this to a mere infant?!'

'To their own young, how appalling...'

'Human Mages go as far as this? Despicable.'

One of the females picked up the unconscious, weakened child, revealed to be a female when she was turned over to be held in the arms properly.

'We may not welcome any race, for they desecrate nature itself with their folly...but not even we would turn a child who has yet to know wrong away.' spoke the woman who held the little girl. 'We shall teach her what is correct, before she goes back to her own kin, perilous journey it may be. Perhaps through her, we can influence her kin to know what is right as we live with nature, the skies and the stars. We shall see her identity, here and now.' she summoned a lot of Wisps to converge upon the child, and show them the visions they desire, the truth about the girl.

For Sakura Tohsaka, she once had a happy childhood. Living with a good mother and a caring sister. Her father was distant, and only cares for her older sister.

Her family were mages, specializing in Jewelcraft and Conversion of Power through Jewels.

But in Magic Families, there can only be one heir. Especially for families who use jewels as weapons. Traditionally, only one child will be taught magecraft as magecraft costs an exorbitant amount of money. Its thus impossible for the Tohsaka Family to raise two Mages out of their daughters. Only the truly-wealthy families gets to raise all their children as mages thus.

That was what the girls were taught by their father, who chose Rin as his heir. Rin was 'an average one', a rare genius whose magical potential enables her to master all five elements of fire, earth, wind, water and ether. Sakura was the opposite of her sister who has no element, but has the ability to use magic to affect the spiritual planes, if her sister affects the physical plane. Both girls were born powerful miracles, as a result of their father who married their mother whose clan has the ability to maximize their partner's pedigree through children. That ability remains in their very bodies, even if the Zenjou Clan's ability to use magic finally faded away. That unlike his daughters, their father was a mediocre magus.

Sakura accepted her fate that she can never study magic. She and her sister were made aware how much jewels costs at a young age and the costs were horrifyingly high. A cost of even a small gemstone the size of an adult thumb, was enough to maintain upkeep of a mansion for three years! And yet when using Jewelcraft, using jewels in spells turns the jewels to ashes when their purpose is done which was basically, throwing money away. That, and her father has no idea how to make a jewel mage out of her anyway.

Her misfortune came, when the Matou Family's downfall finally came, for their heir was born with no ability to use magic. Their Clan Head Zouken Matou appealed to Sakura's father, Tokiomi Tohsaka that he be given his spare daughter so that the Matou may have an heir to continue their arts. Tokiomi agreed to his family's dismay but can do nothing...for the family, the father and husband's word was LAW. At least, Tokiomi gave his wife and eldest one more year with Sakura, before she goes to her new home where she can finally learn magic and inherit another house's arts and resources for herself, to have a future.

However, in the Matou Household...life was hell for a wee four years old girl.

She was subjected to a pit of worms. Invaded and violated, she cried in anguish and in pain as they all entered her orifices. It was a sight that sickened the immortal elves, and could only grieve at the suffering of a child that just learned how to walk. They listened to her cries, begging for her mother and sister to save her. But no one came. She was in that pit for five days, no food and no water, even denied of sleep.

On the sixth day after screaming herself hoarse, her mind broke from despair.

She later learned that the reason she was in the pit, was for her to undergo constant torture for the sake of acclimatization in the basement of the Matou household. The way they pass on their magecraft is not a study, but constant, lifelong torture due to Zouken's preference. Taught to the body rather than the mind through study, she is forced through immense pain and stress constantly for her 'education'. The changes are so extensive as to change her hair color, eye color, and every cell in her body so that they no longer reflect her Tohsaka heritage. Her Element was changed to the water alignment with her acclimation to the Matou magecraft, so she cannot display her true talent.

Her Crest Worms will feed on any excess magical energy she circulates before she can use a spell, leaving her unable to even cast any in most cases.

She's educated and that, was it. She endured hell for nothing, in other words. She grew depressed and had nothing to look forward to in life, that she made wishes no four year old should make.

She wished she was never born. She wished she was never a Tohsaka. She even cursed her father and Zouken for her suffering...and many more wishes.

A year later, her body was fully changed. Her hair and eyes have turned purple to reflect Matou Bloodline. Kariya whom she addressed as uncle, was worse off than last she saw him. He looked horrible!

He found out what happened to her and ran back home to fight for her, giving her hope for the first time since the day she started suffering.

Kariya would fight in an event called 'Holy Grail War' for her freedom. He subjected himself to the same worms to gain power at his own expense. Through the use of these worms and an intensive training, it is possible for someone with no prior experience in Magecraft to become a magus eligible to participate in the War in roughly a year, as was the case with Kariya Matou. However, doing so not only will greatly shorten his remaining lifespan but also the process is in itself incredibly painful. A part of his spine was shattered, and his brain partially-eaten! It was...sickening. He would be insane and unstable soon!

'Alas, such is the folly of pursuing sorcery...' Tyrande Whisperwind felt ill at what she witnessed with fellow night elves who watched, dumbstruck.

Thus little Sakura waited, hope becoming a small spark in her heart, unaware of how worms affect males as she was only ever taught how it affects females. Her many nights were tormented with things only adult women should have experienced just to feed the worms in her body. She prayed hard for Kariya's victory.

But one day, three weeks into the war...she found herself in a vision.

A vision of herself back with her mother and sister in the park they used to play in together. A happy, joyful reunion in tears, as her mother and sister welcomed her back home. She was given back to them by Kariya. Her hair back to being a dark brown and her eyes back to the beautiful color of sea water she used to have.

'Is this your desire?' the voice spoke to her.

Sakura choked.

'This...used to be my wish...if you're showing me this, Kariya-ojisan died didn't he?' her heart broke at the bitter, painful implication.

'Indeed. He succumbed to death as sustaining Berserker who devoured even his life force when he had no more mana to give to continue fighting led to his demise.' came the blunt answer. 'Even if its the Holy Grail War, if desires are not powerful enough, I do not show myself to even winners.'

'I...see...' Sakura deflated. 'I wish for this, but this is impossible. Father will just sell me off again...and who knows what suffering I'm in for next. I'm not stupid.' she said bitterly, shaking in grief. 'I have a wish. Grant all my wishes, that is my wish!' Sakura cried as the visions changed to reflect her wishes.

For her body to be clean of the crest worms and regain her true body and magic back. To learn only good magic the world knows that will be good against all she deems evil mages who practice evil magic to save people like herself who suffered under bad magic users. To have a body and magic capable of wielding all those arts. And to live in a world where she can live freely that's not the world she knew. All to get away from her biological father and the Matou Clan!

Well, she's now in Azeroth...as a result of her wishes. She knows many fields of good magic that is a perfect counter against evil magic she has yet to master, and her body clean of worms. Knowledge, but no skill. She must practice to mastery.

'So that is her truth.' Tyrande whispered. 'Knowledge of sorcery that is a perfect counter against evil, is it? Put her in a room in the temple to heal...while we talk about this matter.'

Sakura was a vessel. A living vessel of magical knowledge from her old world of Earth. A seemingly peaceful place full of just humans!

To Night Elves who abhor magic considering what happened to their civilization for tens of thousands of years, they knew they cannot condone her stay here even if she was innocent. For her knowledge will tempt them into learning sorcery again! They CAN tolerate learning magic that heals and does not harm nature. Other things? Nope!

xxx

Sakura grew up in Night Elf Society.

At first, their appearances made her nervous, because they were all veeeery tall with strong bodies, but they showed her kindness and gentleness.

She learned their language, culture, faith and way of life which she found AMAZING. She liked their simple, free way of life, and the fact that they were wise people, so she respects them. As a child, she lived in a temple where she was educated and trained while learning sorcery. She was told to prioritize healing spells, protection spells, purification spells and spells that served nature well, so she did out of respect. Once she has done her research, she keeps her notes and written books under lock and key.

She learned that in Azeroth, Magic is corruptive and addictive, like a drug. Even more reason for her to stay away from the sorcery of Azeroth, and she was better off sticking to what sorcery she knows. The Night Elves were also on the fence about Sakura, wondering if her world's magic will cause addiction over time. So they watch her as she trains and grows strong. But she never got addicted, even when she consumed Moonwell waters and practiced her world's sorcery.

She also could not befriend her fellow children nor play with anyone because Night Elves age veeeeeery slowly. It takes 4000 years for a night elf child to become a teenager, and 3000 years to adulthood before immortality sets in! She was sad about that, thus took to befriending and playing with animals instead on her spare time...and studied the life-prolonging magic in order to stop her aging to physical 13 years old, for the sake of mastering all arts in allowed to her among the elves. She lived in her own house then, and crafted her Workshop underground her home and walled it with stone. She also wrote books detailing her life and experience with the Night Elves after her past, and wrote magic books. When the elves found out she suddenly stopped aging, she revealed her world has such knowledge, sorcery to stop aging, just so she has time to master everything. It was a form of immortality, sorcery from the Age of Gods in Earth. Well, the elves gained Immortality through the World Tree, not like they can comment on it...

Due to a rather lonely life of isolation even with her caretaker, she never mentally-matured, her behavior remaining that of a little girl, even after knowing how to do chores and how to cook, making her finally independent. She was glad that in regards to food, the night elves have rice. However, they turn it to flour for rice cakes, instead of boiling it which she does in her home, and eats it as rice bowls. She also eats Spice Bread and Pine Nut bread, and local produce. Night Elves never ate meat as they don't like to slay forest creatures unless it's spiders, but fine and dandy with seafood. But their dishes are...bland...unlike what she was used to.

Because she thought of different ways to exploit spells for good use, she got creative, and became a formidable chef, writing cookbooks and recipes for delicious dishes. The night elves were thus, stunned by what they called 'flavor assault' and found pleasure in delicious food and learned how to use flavorings in such a manner. And as some foods have health benefits as Sakura found out, they cultivated and ate more of it, and got stronger. This was her sole contribution to their society she was praised for it to her delight.

By then, she was also a very skilled warrior skilled in the bow, stealth and tracking. She can even meld in the shadows like they could, and had the ability to create Moonwells.

When Sakura mastered the first few arts she was allowed to study within Night Elf society, she allowed her body to age again, before stopping it again. As an adult, she wore face paint instead of having it tattooed on her face like most elves.

'Sakura.' Tyrande spoke to Sakura who now has the age of a college graduate, despite her age of 655 years, and never showed magical addiction much to their relief as if she even showed slight signs, she would have to be killed. A minor sign alone, is using magic for every single thing, and living the life of a lazy layabout, when Night Elves believed in hard work and effort.

A life with the elves and everything and anything mystical about them, made her six feet tall, with a strong body capable of both war and female allure though she is still shorter than most female elves who are seven feet tall and she, 6'3, as far as her human genes can afford her even with their magical food blessed by the Moonwells, when her mother and father were quite, shorter than that. She wore a typical white dress civilian elves wear and is barefoot, when not in armor, and her hair worn long and parted in the middle like everyone does. 'You are now of age.' she said. 'You are now a young maiden who must rejoin her kin. It is time for you to go.'

'Yes, Priestess.' Sakura kneeled respectfully. 'Thank you and everyone for everything you've all done for me.' she said in genuine gratefulness, before raising her head in genuine curiosity. 'But...what are humans here like?'

'...they are a rather obnoxious lot with disregard for nature and life.' said Tyrande in distaste. 'They even wage wars as if, if they don't, war will go out of style.' she said. 'Their Kings and Queens war over even pettiest matters. They know not serenity like we do. They know not what it means to live like we do. They hunger and crave for power and gold when its often best to be content with what we have. A constantly-hungry race. Perhaps, you may teach them when you go there. Change come in small things and that small thing will grow big over time. Hopefully they learn peace like we do.'

'S-seriously? They're savage?' Sakura stammered nervously, wide-eyed and shaken at the idea given her life, she couldn't accept savagery herself.

'At least we think so.' Tyrande said, 'Yet in irony, they think WE'RE savage because we don't own nor use their machines. I suppose cultures truly differ, young Sakura.' the high priestess can only shake her head.

Thus on her final day at her home...

Sakura packed up her books and magical items she created, seeds of food she saved up, and materials needed to create a Moonwell and tools to craft and maintain her weapons as it will be all she needed, and the traditional night elf armor she wore. She has no idea what humans here wear, not like she can wear her white dresses there!

She borrowed a Hippogryph from the nearby Ancient of Wind, so she could go to a Shipyard quicker, and get a ship to sail for Lordaeron, a continent the goblins said, has humans.

'You're one strange lass!' the Captain Goblin said. 'You say you lived with the Kal'dorei and never seen a fellow human?'

'Yes...due to bizarre magical circumstances, I fell in Kalimdor as a child and grew up among them.' said Sakura. 'But I can't stay for long, and I should be with my kin now that I'm an adult.'

'Well, you should be...half-breeds get the short end of the stick.' said the Captain. She got a ship for 200 gold, and she set off for Lordaeron, a trip that took her a month to get to, and upon disembarking, she took a deep breath, as her ship left her, sailing back to the shipyard it came from.

'This is it...' she thought nervously. 'My journey begins. But...I better observe humanity here first, then I'll make my decision.'

She traveled for many days and nights, living off of fruit and river waters. She was thus responsible for sudden appearances of fruit trees around the countryside, fruits the residents of this continent knew nothing about...until she came to a small village...and observed through kingdoms, before observing the common folk.

As a child, her mother reads her fairy tales and stories of heroes...

...thus everything starts with kingdoms and royal families. Always.

Humans have a relatively short lifespan, less than the majority of the other races on Azeroth. Around the age 12, they reach the Age of Ascension, often accompanied by a celebration. OK, that's weird...isn't maturity age at 20? The humans here like adulthood young? They are considered old at about 55 years of age, and at 70 years they are venerable, with a maximum age between 72–110 years. Because of this, humanity strives to make the most out of what it has and to build legacies. This has led to the formation of different nations and orders across many lands and to the forging of alliances not only between each other, but with other races, and seeking to do whatever is necessary to protect and secure their nations so future generations can live peacefully and safely.

If she and Night Elves follow Elune, these humans have their own religion too, and humans follow the Holy Light. Cathedrals and churches stand in their cities, and their priests preside over followers, heal the wounded, soothe the weary, and crusade against what they consider evil. Humans have an order of holy warriors, paladins, who follow the Holy Light and crush evil and chaotic beings in its name.

They are also adaptable, with Sakura herself being an example. Humans can be some of the most highly skilled and adaptable magic-users. Any list of the most powerful mages in history will be dominated by humans. Their mastery of these arts are rivaled on Azeroth perhaps only by the high elves and gnomes. Humans are most known for their arcane magic and divine magic. These magics are used to heal and create in times of peace, and to harm and destroy in times of war.

Humans have a relatively good understanding of machinery. However, this understanding does not come close to that of their dwarven and gnomish allies. The efforts of human engineers are laughable when compared to those of the dwarves' and gnomes'. These races have provided their advanced artillery, metalworking, and engineering skills to the Alliance during times of war. Even so, humans are a young race, and thus highly versatile, mastering the arts of combat, craftsmanship, and magic with stunning efficiency. Humans have a great deal of respect for both the dwarves and gnomes for these accomplishments and are eternally grateful for their contributions to the Alliance. Humans, for the most part, do not seem to be particularly aware of nor concerned about the harms the advancement of civilization and technology as well as the use of arcane magic may bring upon nature and the world. They were like magi in her old world...in that regard.

As for warfare, Human bases are very difficult to penetrate. Their warfare horrified Sakura and sees this as a threat to her adoptive community.

She also came upon elves called Quel'dorei. She had heard they were once Night Elves who were exiled. When the night elves adopted druidism, they outlawed the practice of arcane magic. The use of its dangerous powers was punishable by death. However, many Highborne loyalists of Queen Azshara survived the Sundering and grew restless. They suffered from magical withdrawal, and 7,300 years before the invasion of the Horde through the Dark Portal, they spoke against Malfurion Stormrage and the Druids.

Dath'Remar Sunstrider, the leader of this movement, declared the druids cowards for refusing to wield the arcane. Malfurion and the druids warned the Highborne that any use of magic would be punishable by death. Yet, in an attempt to protest the druid's law, Dath'Remar and his followers unleashed a terrible magical storm upon Ashenvale. The druids could not bring themselves to put so many of their kin to death, so they decided to exile the reckless Highborne from their lands. Thus Sakura studied this new culture to send home to Priestess Tyrande. She snuck into Quel'Thalas and unknown to them, she lived among them wearing a glamour to pretend she was one of them.

These Quel'dorei under Sunstrider led the high elven fleets across the world for many long years. Their goal was to find places of considerable ley power for them to build their new homeland. After landing on the Lordaeron continent, they moved inland and formed a settlement in the Tirisfal Glades. After a few years, however, many were driven insane. The belief at the time was that something evil slept beneath the Glades, so the high elves abandoned the region and moved northwards. They wandered the land for years. Around this time, they had become completely severed from the life-giving energy of the Well of Eternity. This meant that they were vulnerable to the elements and had not received immortality from Nozdormu and the World Tree. They had shrunk in height and their skin had become a peach hue similar to most dwarves and humans.

The high elves soon discovered primitive humans, but associated little with them. The forest trolls of Zul'Aman, under the Amani Empire, posed a greater threat to their society. The elves soon grew to hate the forest trolls and they fought each other whenever they met. When the high elves went to war with the Amani trolls, the elves could not understand how the trolls' weapon enchantments were more powerful than their own. The elves then stole ancient knowledge from troll spellcasters, including the famous Zanza, and used stolen idols to craft their own versions of the troll enchantments.

After many more years, the high elves discovered a land in the northern forests which suited them, and founded the kingdom of Quel'Thalas. Unfortunately, they would learn that Quel'Thalas was founded on a sacred and ancient troll city. The trolls began to attack the elven settlements en masse in retaliation. Although the Amani outnumbered them ten to one, the elves utilized magic to its fullest effect and defeated the trolls.

Some elves, wary of the kaldorei's warnings, created a protective barrier around Quel'Thalas which allowed them to continue their magic without attracting the Burning Legion's attention. To do this, they employed a series of monolithic Runestones. Soon, Quel'Thalas became a shining monument to high elven prowess. It was crafted in the same style as the halls of Kalimdor,[17] with the addition of integrated magic and a brighter color scheme. Although they did not worship it, a great respect was maintained for nature. The high elves were careful to interweave their cities and architecture with their natural surroundings, creating a truly beautiful and tranquil land.

To sate their hunger for great magical power, the high elves created the Sunwell. It became the source of their power as the Well of Eternity had been in Kalimdor, although the Sunwell was much weaker, and the elves were forewarned of the dangers. As the high elves became more powerful, they cast an enchantment on the forests that bathed Quel'Thalas in eternal springtime, in defiance of the kingdom's location on the extreme north of the continent. From that point on, all high elves had access to the Sunwell's powers from anywhere on Azeroth. Over time, the high elves came to regard the Sunwell's waters as holy. Magic became part of their genes centuries before, but the Sunwell's unique energies became part of them acutely. For nearly four thousand years, the high elves remained relatively at peace. But while the elves established their nation, the Amani plotted their next assault. 2,800 years before the First War, they unleashed it upon the high elves. The Troll Wars ignited. Suffering loss after loss, the high elves turned to the humans of Arathor for support. The two formed a military alliance in exchange for the instruction of 100 humans in arcane magic. Together, they crushed the Amani; an empire that had endured for more than twenty thousand years. Humans and high elves have cultivated this alliance ever since.

And when the book arrived in Kalimdor, in Night Elven territory...

The Night Elves saw a mercenary in their territory with glowing eyes and carrying a package.

'Halt, state your business here!' the Huntresses demanded coldly. Glowing eyes is a sign of a magic user! How dare he come here?!

'Elune-adore.' the huntresses paused at that. 'I bring information from the continent of Lordaeron where I, Sakura Tohsaka have ventured to, to seek my human kin. Please give High Priestess Tyrande this book I wrote.' the mercenary, clearly under mind-control gave them the book. 'This man will not remember anything about Kalimdor nor any Sentinel when he returns home to Lordaeron. Farewell.' and the Mercenary went off. But as a precaution, the elves killed him anyway and brought the book to Tyrande.

Tyrande saw two chapters within the book, about humans and quel'dorei.

'...hmmph, so this is what happened to those exiles.' she read about the Quel'dorei first. Upon reading about humans, it was clear Sakura feared their warfare and by sending information home, she hoped her adoptive society would find ways to be stronger.

For now, she thought about the matter, studying the book thoroughly before she holds a meeting. Sent off to her kin she may be, but Sakura remained loyal to them that she feared her own kin and sees them as a threat to kal'dorei and becoming one of them would be quite the experience as the young girl wrote. That, Tyrande appreciated.