I hadn't realized I'd arrived back home till I passed the mailbox. I came to a stop, hunching over to rest my hands on my knees, catching my breath. I pulled out my music player, checking the time.
"Yes! Beat my previous record," I cheered, rising up and walking back to the open yard. I began to wrap the long cord of my headphones around my music player. When I reached the bench that stood near the entrance, I sat down, giving myself a moment to relax. I still needed to complete a few sets of stretches before I could head inside, but it wouldn't hurt to calm my racing heart first.
I was eager to go inside; the thought of Magnor's gift came to mind. I couldn't figure out what he wanted to give me as my birthday was still a few days away.
I stood up, inhaling deeply while I raised my hands up. As I began to exhale, I lowered them till my hands reached my toes. After holding the pose for ten seconds, I repeated the stretch three more times.
Once finished, I stood up, bending my leg so my heel touched my butt; I grabbed my ankle and held the position for thirty seconds before switching legs.
What could Magnor give me? Maybe it’s a gift for getting into the Academy. Books? He would totally get me books and tell me to fill my brain with knowledge instead of song lyrics. But he always gets me something unique. Books from another dimension? That wouldn't be too bad.
I moved onto a series of kickboxing movements. Left punch -right punch - guarded position and fighting stance. I continued to rotate between moves, alternating from time to time before adding a few kicks in between. Once I finished, I did a final set of breathing techniques and stretches, going from standing to downward dog, then moving one arm upward to stretch out my back while the other remained on the soft ground beneath me.
I rose up and took one last inhale, smiling at finishing my morning routine. I closed my eyes and exhaled, allowing my body to relax.
"Bru-reee?"
My grin widened as I opened my eyes, turning to my left to see Arielle flying toward me. A white glow engulfed her yet again, revealing her smaller form when it dimmed. She landed on my shoulder, brushing her head against my cheek. I laughed.
"Where did you go off to during my run, Ari? Hmm." I brought my hand up to stroke the feathers on her head. She cooed in appreciation, an indication she wanted me to continue.
"I'm assuming you wanted to have a little workout of your own. You need to train in your other form once in a while or you’re gonna get lazy," I pointed out, pulling my hand away.
She shook her head in disapproval, fluffing her feathers.
"Uh huh. Well, I'm done with my stretches so let's go see what Master wants to give me. I'm dying to know," I stressed.
"Bru," she replied.
I raised an eyebrow at her sitting on my shoulder. "You're staying there I take it?"
Arielle nodded, making me roll my eyes.
"Lazy bird." I laughed when she glared at me, butting her head against my cheek.
"Alright, alright. I won't call you lazy. You just don't like to overexert yourself," I reworded. I snickered when she continued to glare at me, but I stopped teasing her, giving her another rub on the head. I walked over to get my music player from the bench and headed into the house.
I reached my room, dropping the music player on the dresser and grabbed a pair of sweats and a crop top.
Might as well take a quick shower before seeing Magnor.
"Ari, stay here. I'm gonna shower," I announced.
"Bru." She stayed on my shoulder.
I sighed. "Okay, guess we're going to the washroom together. You know you're going with me to the Academy. It's not like I'm leaving you behind," I reminded.
She wasn't normally this clingy. "Bru?"
"Yes, I won't leave you," I reassured her.
"Bru-REE," she cheered, leaving my shoulder and flying around the room, coming to land on the window sill.
I shook my head in amusement, heading out of the room and into the washroom to take a quick shower. Fifteen minutes later I was heading toward Master's study, still working on drying my hair while trying not to knock Arielle off my shoulder.
I reached his study, knocking on the hardwood door twice. I heard a “come in,” before entering, closing the door behind me. I was greeted by Magnor at his desk with many papers scattered around him, his hand midway through his hair and an annoyed expression on his face. His silver eyes locked onto mine.
"I'm done with my run and stretches. Added some kickboxing into the mix this time," I added. I loved martial arts, normally doing Kata movements instead, but diversity was a good way to confuse your muscles.
Arielle flew from my shoulder and landed on Magnor's; giving him a quick rub with her head to his cheek before gliding over to sit on the top of the chair next to the open window by Magnor's desk.
"Can I have my gift now? Pretty please?"
Magnor laughed, his eyes lighting up with mirth. He pushed the papers he had been working on to the side and stood up from his desk. "Has not knowing been eating at you this entire time?" he asked.
I gave him a sheepish nod. "I don't receive gifts often so I'm excited to see what it could be!" I replied gleefully. I moved forward, stopping only inches from his desk. I rocked back and forth on my heels, a wide grin on my face. "Soooo, what is it? Can I get it now? Like, right now?"
He shook his head, chuckling again, but motioned to the small table by the tall bookshelves on the other side of the room.
"Sit," he ordered.
I turned around and sat at the table, glancing at him while he lifted a large black case from its hiding spot. He walked out from behind his desk and over to the table, setting the expensive looking box in front of me.
"Here you go."
I looked at Magnor who gave me an encouraging smile and motioned for me to open it. I flashed him a grin and slowly lifted the lid of the box.
I gasped, my eyes grew wide as they scanned the set of dual swords. The hilts were black and designed with a mixture of golds, purples, and pinks; a thick, pink ribbon hung from each, holding a gold medallion with my name— CELESTIA RAINBOW on one sword and SIA RAINBOW on the other.
The blades were silver with magic inscriptions written from the hilt all the way to the tip on each. I couldn't ignore the tugging feeling that thrummed from them; my hand reached out to slide slowly along the magic symbols of my sword.
I watched as the symbols glowed the moment my fingers stroked them; lighting up first in red, then transitioning through each color of the rainbow, finally ending in pink. It took me a moment to pull my hand away, ignoring the swords’ call to be held and used. I noticed the goosebumps down my arm, a result of the swords’ magical pull.
"Master..." I trailed off, giving him a questioning look.
He smiled. "Those are a gift from your father. He heard you got accepted into Aslan from the Head of the Council himself. He sent those to express his congratulations.”
Magnor pulled out another box from his desk drawer, walking over and presenting it to me. I blinked, analyzing the box that was a bit bigger than the size of his palm. He gestured for me to take it.
"This one is part of the gift. Your Mother made it and sent it to your father to bless and input some of his magic into it. This will not only help you become stronger, but should also be beneficial to you and Sia," he explained.
I took the box, ignoring the slight tremble in my hands and set it down on the table. What could help me with Sia?
I removed the lid, smiling at the jewelry that lay inside the pink velvet interior.
Two bracelets with rune markings; one was white and pink with black rune symbols on the white beads while the other was black and pink, the runes on the black beads were in white. They were both stunningly beautiful, but my hand automatically reached out for the white and pink set. I picked it up, assessing the weight while taking a closer look at the detailing, enjoying the little shimmer that came from the pink beads.
"How many enhancements are on these?" I questioned, my hu
shed voice revealing my astonishment. I let my fingers run over the beads, understanding how exhausting it was to make this type of jewelry. Not only did it take a lot of energy and time, the magic infused in each rune bead could take some spell crafters days to finalize and cost a fortune.
"Quite a few. Your mother gathered the beads from her dimension, stating they were from a well-known spell crafter. They already had magic in them and your mother added a small dose of her own before sending them to your father. I had informed your father about your imbalance with Sia when it first happened. He must have decided this would be the best solution to help you. He finally finished three days ago and once he heard about your acceptance thought it would be the perfect time to present it to you," he explained.
I smiled, my eyes watering as I stroked the pink bead with my thumb. I knew my parents loved me and had to do what they needed to make ends meet. The constant rumors regarding my birth and shifter race would have torn them apart if they remained, thanks to village people, but it was hard to grow up without either of them.
I didn't want to seem ungrateful for the little gifts he would send over when my birthday approached, but deep down, I wished to see him. Material things were nice, but the greatest gift I could ask for would be a visit from him and Mother. It wouldn't matter if it was for five minutes. Just to be able to show them that after all the torture I'd been through, I had survived and was not giving up on my goals and dreams. And I'd tell them that I loved them, regardless of my childhood.
It was even harder to get a hold of Mother. The dimension she was in had the highest levels of security. There were many important individuals there from across the dimensions, so it was ideal and safer to make outside communication a lengthy process. I was surprised she was able to get these sent out.
The simple gesture of gathering and sending over these gifts in time for my departure for Aslan and for my birthday made my heart clench with happiness.
"Father...Mother...thank you," I whispered, wishing they could hear my words of gratitude.
Magnor walked over to me, giving me a head pat. He always did that when I was getting emotional, showing his support and reassurance.
"Now, are you ready for my gift?" he asked.
My eyes widened, lifting my gaze to meet his. "You didn't get me anything. Please tell me you didn't. The privilege to train under you is more than worth it. I don't need anything."
There was no way I could accept anything else from him. He'd taken me in as his own, trained me for years and cared for me like I was family. I couldn't ask for more.
He shook his head, moved behind me and grabbed two items. He walked back around the table, sitting opposite of me and presenting the gifts.
"Here you go. I hope they're beneficial on this new path and you enjoy them."
I grinned at the presentation of two thick books; the black one read ADVANCE MAGIC FOR SPELLCASTERS and the maroon book looked like it explained how to intertwine your magic to fight alongside your familiar.
They looked brand new and from their sleek appearance, I knew they were not from our dimension; my grin widened as excitement bubbled within me.
"Thank you!" I'd been wanting to learn more about both topics, especially when it came to using Arielle for more than just a magic booster.
"Now, off you go. Make sure you have everything packed. I won't send anything to you if you forget," Magnor instructed, moving back to sit at his desk.
I stood up, ready to gather my things when I noticed Magnor's stare; those silver orbs filled with kindness and a hint of pride.
"I'm proud of you, Celestia," he whispered.
I blinked back tears, sucking in a deep breath. I stood straight, turning to face him. "Thank you for everything, Master Magnor," I whispered, bowing deeply in thanks.
I rose up and saw him give me a nod of approval. I gathered my things, making my way out of his office. The sounds of Arielle’s chirps and fluttering wings followed as I made my way back to my room.
Just you wait, Vincent. I'll prove my worth. Not just to you, but to everyone in the village and all those who never had faith. I won't let my parents and Magnor down. I will show them that unicorns can be badass too.
~SIA~
Bru-ree?
"I'm working on it," I replied, scanning the remaining set of instructions. I nodded to myself, closing the maroon book and rising to my feet. I cracked my neck, shaking out the nerves in my system.
We'd been trying to complete this method for years, but had been unsuccessful. Now with the new books that Magnor gave Celestia and me, I had a good feeling I'd be able to achieve it. At least if I accomplished this, Celestia wouldn't have any problems doing the same.
I looked up to Arielle who was perched on a branch. She flapped her wings, hopping off and settling on the ground before me.
"You ready? This could potentially go horribly wrong like the other attempts, but I'll try to spare a little magic and get Magnor to change you back if it doesn't work. Deal?" I asked.
"BRU-REE!" she replied happily, hopping left and right.
I grinned, kneeling down to pet her head. "You know, you've been more than just a familiar to Celestia and me. We love you as our family. You’re the best friend we always wished to have. Even if this thing works, you won't stay in your human familiar form for long, but I know Celestia and I will work twice as hard to get stronger. Then maybe one day, you can stay in that form and mingle with us whenever you want," I explained.
She eyed me carefully, hopping over to rub her head against my outstretched hand.
"Bru," she chirped softly.
"I love you more. Never leave us, okay?" I whispered.
She fluttered her wings, puffing her body as if she was mad at me for even thinking such a thing.
I laughed. "Yes, I know you'll never leave me. C'mon, let’s get this over with." I rose back up, moving a few steps back to give Arielle space. Last time, I'd accidentally changed her into an elephant because I'd gotten distracted and was wondering if we had any in this dimension after having read about them.
I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and letting my magic begin to pool around me. The wind picked up immediately, beginning to circle around me. I squeezed my eyes shut, scrunching my face in concentration.
I imagined Arielle in a human form. She'd have curly, strawberry pink locks, with the bottom half a teal color. Her eyes would be amber, reflecting her phoenix nature. She'd be taller than me, standing at six-two and would be able to summon her blazing wings on command. She'd have a small waist, medium breasts and curvy hips. She'd be powerful and with my help could cast magic just like me. Most important, she'd be true to herself and have a confident personality, preventing anyone from taking advantage of her when she was in this form. She'd only listen to my command, but have her own mind to make her own decisions.
I gritted my teeth at the flow of magic that drained out of me, aiming it into Arielle. I could hear her chirps, but I ignored them. I knew if I got distracted for even five seconds, I wouldn't be able to achieve this.
"CHANGEANDO ROSOLO FREE!" I chanted, spreading my fingers out and allowing the remainder of magic to surge out of me to finalize the spell.
I fought to stay standing, feeling the world spin even with my eyes closed. I bit my lip, ignoring the way my legs trembled. I wouldn't pass out until I knew it worked.
The forest was silent, making me wonder if I'd failed. I opened my eyes, but was greeted with a blurry scene, the world still spinning. Shit...
I fell forward, but the ground didn't cushion my fall. Instead, something warm caught me. I took a deep inhale, the scent of rosemary greeted me; the scent reminded me of Arielle and her obsession with gathering the herb.
"You said you'd save some energy, idiot."
I grinned. A weak giggle escaped me at the harsh, but gentle high-pitched voice. I opened my eyes; stunning amber eyes looked down to meet my gaze. I hadn't realized I was resting on the ground; the female from my imagination crad
led me in an embrace.
"Admit it. I'm awesome," I voiced.
Arielle rolled her eyes, but looked worried as she continued to stare down at me.
"I should get you to Magnor. You’re pale as a sheet. We have school tomorrow," she reminded.
I gave a slight shrug. "Don't care. It worked. Celestia will be proud," I pointed out, closing my eyes.
"Yup. Total idiot," she replied.
"I figured you'd be the type to say the opposite of what you felt," I mumbled, smiling. I opened my eyes to see her rosy cheeks flush as she blinked, looking confused.
"You're...ugh. Just be quiet and stay here," she instructed.
I closed my eyes again. "Not like I can walk anyways. I'll be good," I replied, my voice barely audible. Even though I felt like shit, I was beyond happy. I'd finally accomplished this after years of training.
Even if Arielle was trying to hide it, I somehow knew she was currently feeling overjoyed. It was like a section of my heart could feel exactly how she felt. Maybe it was because we were sharing a stronger connection now that she was in human form versus in her phoenix or harpy form.
I felt my body being lifted up; my head rested against their chest while my legs and arms dangled. I took another sniff, wondering if Magnor had arrived and was the one carrying me, but I still smelled rosemary.
"Arielle?" I mumbled.
"It makes no sense for me to fly and get him if I can just take you home. I'll try not to use any more magic, just rest up, Sia," Arielle explained.
I relaxed, proud that my request for Arielle to make her own decisions was included in the package. "Cool."
A warm sensation flowed around me and the sound of wings flapping twice alerted me that Arielle was prepared to take flight.
Within seconds we were in the air, the cool night breeze brushing against my face. It was rather soothing, allowing me to doze off.
"Sia?"
I stirred, fighting to stay awake long enough to reply. I felt her hesitation before a wave of pride took over.
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