CELESTIA

by Yumoyori Wilson

  He had a scowl on his face, but even while looking upset, he was still quite attractive.

  "Uh...Hi Grumpy," I said to the guy named Hunter, who frowned at my greeting.

  "I'm not grumpy. It's Hunter, Miss Cutie Pie," he grumbled.

  "It's Celestia," I corrected.

  He shrugged. "Whatever. I just want to get this stupid exam over with," he replied, closing his eyes.

  Finn leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Hunter's like a stick that rubs your ass the wrong way, but is really just trying to get a piece of tissue off of your ass. He has a good heart. Just is a dick most of the time," Finn explained.

  "Ah. Makes sense," I replied.

  "How does that make sense? I don't get how you understand his jokes when you just met him. Are you sure you two aren't dating? Just say it now. What shifter are you anyways, Celestia?" Hunter asked.

  "If I told you, I'd have to kill you," I said blankly.

  The people standing nearby all turned to stare at me, looking confused and a few even seemed afraid after hearing my cold tone.

  Hunter met my blank stare. He huffed, crossing his arms.

  "So, you'll tell us if we survive this exam. Got you," he replied.

  I grinned, impressed that he was able to understand my underlying motive and change of tone. Maybe he was like me, just one of those individuals people misunderstood.

  "You just said you didn't understand our lingo, but you got that? You're just confusing," Finn huffed.

  "Hunter's always been like that," a new voice announced.

  We looked up to see two other males. My eyes immediately locked on a pair of light purple ones. I could swear my heart skipped a beat and a weird sensation flowed through me when our eyes met. I had no idea what it meant, but the man who stood to my right was absolutely breathtaking.

  He had long white hair that looked so soft he could be a model for a shampoo commercial. His pale skin, soft pink lips, and his lilac colored eyes gave him a delicate appearance. I could only imagine what he'd look like if he was a girl.

  He was six-two and carried no weapons, wearing white jeans, a purple shirt and a silver necklace in the shape of a crescent moon. He had a slimmer build than Hunter and Finn, but he didn't give off the impression that he was fragile.

  It was an internal fight to pull my eyes away from his, and from the way his eyebrows furrowed and eyes remained on mine, it looked like he was dealing with the same issue.

  "Do they know one another?" I heard Finn ask.

  "I doubt it. Earth to Celestia and Orion. Are you guys enchanted by one another's beauty or something?" Hunter questioned.

  Finn had to wave a hand in front of my face for me to snap out of it.

  I slowly turned to give him a confused look. "What?" I asked.

  "Do you know Orion?" he asked.

  "Who's that?" I inquired.

  "Me."

  I returned my gaze to the mysterious and enchanting looking male, trying not to zone out again.

  "Unless you're from my dreams, no," I replied, shaking my head.

  Get a grip, Celestia. Making it seem like I haven't seen a man in my life. Well...a gorgeous man...who I'd love to do magical things with...O.M.G. What kind of magic does this shifter possess?

  I narrowed my eyes at him. "What shifter are you?" I asked.

  "If I told you, I'd have to kill you," he replied, a small smile formed on his lips.

  I returned his grin. This smart piece of sexiness. Ugh. This is why Magnor warned me about men.

  "Oh shit, Orion's smiling. Did the exam fuck up your brain cells, man?" Hunter asked.

  "They look like a good match. Hey Orion, you need a girlfriend, she'd be perfect," the other male announced.

  Orion glanced at the ginger male. "I don't need a girlfriend. All of you need to get laid. Leave me out of it," he mumbled, shuffling over to stand next to me.

  My body tingled, excitement thrumming through me at our closeness. I noticed the slight smile on his lips, making me wonder if he could feel the connection too.

  "We don't need to get laid. And wait, where's your bro, Caio?" Hunter asked the red haired man.

  "Who knows? He got an invite I think, but he's still with Mother on the dimension expedition," Caio explained.

  I finally had a chance to analyze his appearance. He was six-one with ginger hair that was styled back. He had mismatched eyes; his left was a vibrant gold while his right was an amber color. He didn't hide the tattoos on the right side of his neck: a series of black swirls, reminding me of my tattoo markings I concealed with magic.

  "So Orion's future girlfriend’s name is Celestia?" Caio asked.

  "Cutie Pie is her nickname," Finn emphasized.

  "You gave her that nickname didn't you?" Hunter huffed.

  "You have a problem? She's cute and reminds me of pie," Finn countered.

  "How does she remind you of pie?" Caio groaned.

  I looked up at Orion who peered down at me at the exact same moment. We stared at each other curiously before he spoke.

  "Is your nickname actually Cutie Pie?" he asked, his voice full of wonder.

  "Nah. Pixie Boy gave it to me," I replied with a soft tone.

  "Pixie Boy. Intriguing." He smirked, continuing to gaze at me.

  I bit my lip, unsure if I'd be able to pull my eyes away again.

  "Theo, you should be on our team!" a voiced roared.

  I blinked out of my daze at the familiar sound that sent a wave of dread through me. Why, why, why?

  Orion noticed my change in expression while the others turned to the conversation that occurred a few inches away from us.

  "I'm not on Team F, Vincent. Let's follow rules for once," a boy with red hair huffed, crossing his arms.

  I narrowed my eyes and noticed the ends of his shoulder-length hair were dyed black. He was six-three and wore black jeans, a white top, and a black leather jacket. I didn't need to see his face to know he had the appearance of a bad boy, but compared to the other guys surrounding him, he looked the least lethal, that was only from his backside though.

  I shuddered at the sight of Vincent, panic beginning to seep through me. I didn't want to deal with him right now, especially when I'd just met a group of people I actually got along with for a change.

  "Then which team are you with then?" he huffed.

  "Team M. Stop making a damn scene. Your ass is strong enough with your boys. Leave me out of it," the boy named Theo walked over toward our group, Vincent following him.

  Orion immediately stepped in front of me, hiding me from sight. Hunter moved to stand next to Orion while Caio moved to my left. Finn placed a hand on my back, rubbing it gently. He leaned forward.

  "I don't know why you’re anxious, but relax. We got this," he reassured me.

  I was completely confused how he knew how nervous I currently felt, but nodded. Maybe it was my tense shoulders and rigid posture that gave me away?

  I was glad I was the shortest one in the group, the guys’ height shielding me from Vincent's sight.

  "Vincent, leave me alone. I'm not in the fucking mood today," Theo snarled, reaching our group. His eyes locked on mine. He blinked, glancing at the others.

  I don't know if he understood what was going on, but he turned around, stopping Vincent in his tracks.

  "This is all of Team M. Why the hell are you following me, Vincent?" Theo questioned, his voice hard and laced with anger. I wondered if he knew that we were all Team M by hunch or just assumed to get rid of Vincent.

  "Switch teams."

  "You’re seriously acting like this right now?" Theo countered.

  "Hey, Theo. Who's this vamp?" Hunter questioned, cracking his neck.

  I could feel the heat rising around us, making me curious as to which male was turning up the temperature.

  "Watch it," Vincent growled, showing his fangs.

  I noticed his group of teammates were all vamps, reminding me of my younger years when I'd get beaten up and teased for hours by Vinc
ent and his crew.

  Orion tilted his head.

  "If you don't have any business here, get the fuck away from my team," he whispered. His voice was so low, yet everyone in the room turned to face our group.

  The room temperature seemed to drop and for a split second, I could feel just how powerful Orion was. Holy unicorn! He's close to Magnor's magic level.

  Vincent looked scared, taking a step back with his team.

  "Let’s leave this group of misfits to their little corner. I thought I saw that Celestia chick, but I guess I was seeing things. Hah. There's no way Miss Unicorn could be here. Fake shifters don't deserve a spot at Aslan," Vincent criticized. He laughed, signaling for his group of vamps to leave.

  He turned around, looking over his shoulder.

  "Don't worry, Theo. We’ll give you another shot. That is, if you even pass this exam." Vincent grinned and walked away.

  I sighed in relief, resting my head against Orion's back. I just couldn't grasp why I was suddenly comfortable with this group of men I barely knew. But for a group of strangers, they immediately protected me like I was one of their own and for that, I was grateful.

  "I'm sorry," I whispered. I felt someone rub my back, knowing immediately it was Finn.

  "Hey, don't worry about it. We'll discuss this later," Finn comforted.

  Orion turned around to face me, Hunter and Caio coming over to either side to shield me.

  "Can't believe that jackass is here. Pride-filled piece-of-shit. He has no respect, no matter where he goes," Hunter growled.

  "You know him?" I asked, lifting my eyes to meet his gaze.

  "Yup. He loves pestering Theo," Hunter replied.

  Theo came to stand next to Hunter, closing off the little circle they had created to shield me from anyone's view.

  I glanced at Theo who was eyeing me.

  "You don't like him?" Theo questioned.

  "I hate vampires," I replied.

  Theo had a complicated look on his face, the others appeared either confused or curious.

  "Why, Cutie Pie?" Finn asked.

  "Every vampire I've ever met treated me like garbage. They're self-centered and think of themselves as the highest race in all the dimensions. Vincent is a perfect example. Maybe it’s stupid or even conceited of me to think that way, but no vampire has shown themselves to be good to me," I explained.

  The boys were silent, my words sinking in. I sighed.

  "Anyways, thank you for protecting me. I just met you guys and I'm assuming this is all of Team M, but you guys didn't need to defend me. No one ever has...but I'm grateful that you did." I whispered the last sentence.

  "Celestia," Caio stated.

  I lifted my head, noticing they were all looking at me.

  "I don't know what you've been through, but whether we're a team or not, no one's allowed to pick a fight with you unless they want to deal with all of us," Caio said confidently.

  I glanced at each of them; all of them nodded in approval, including Theo.

  "But...you just met me. You don't know who I am. Why would you defend me?" I asked.

  Theo shrugged. "Feels right to me," he stated, appearing like he didn't have a care in the world.

  "You are cute, so I guess that's a bonus," Caio pointed out.

  "See. Cutie Pie fits her perfectly," Finn confirmed.

  "You seriously have an obsession with pie and anyone would say she's cute. Stop trying to take credit." Hunter rolled his eyes.

  "As Caio said, Celestia, as long as you’re in this school, whether you’re on our team or not, we won't let anyone pick fights with you. You have my word," Orion declared; the others all gave a verbal agreement.

  I smiled, taking a deep breath and straightened my back to face them.

  "Thanks, everyone. I guess I should formally introduce myself. Celestia Rainbow, and yes. My last name is rainbow like the bridge leprechauns cross to get gold," I introduced, looking over to Finn who chuckled.

  "The rest of us know each other, but for the sake of introductions, Finn Charm," Finn began.

  "Hunter McGinty."

  "Orion Meadow."

  "Caio Sun."

  "Theo Kristopher."

  "It's nice to meet you all," I stated.

  We had a few more minutes for casual chit-chat. I was between Orion and Finn, leaning against the wall while Hunter, Theo, and Caio stood in front of us in a deep discussion about Finn's apparent addiction to pie.

  "ATTENTION! Teams will be called up to proceed to their designated areas for the second part of the examination. Can Teams A, F, and O, come forward?" a male announced in a megaphone.

  The room grew silent while the teams that were called moved up to the front. The man directed them to proceed down the first hall. Three more sets of teams were called to the front, followed by another; each team going down a different path. Eventually, our group was called forward.

  I felt more confident now that Vincent wasn't in the room. We made our way down the directed hall which was numbered ten.

  Once we reached the exit, we walked right outdoors, but instead of being the afternoon it looked to be the middle of the night.

  "Huh? Is this a simulation?" I asked, glancing at the starry sky. It felt too real to be fake.

  "Looks like it, but I can feel nature's presence. Maybe we were teleported to a section of the school," Finn suggested.

  We exchanged nods.

  "BRU-REEE!"

  I grinned, turning to my left to see my familiar in all her flaming glory. I lifted my arm, allowing her to land.

  "Welcome back, Arielle. How did you know I needed you?" I asked.

  "Bru-ree?" she replied, lowering her head so I'd pet her.

  I gave her an extra long rub, having missed her presence.

  "A phoenix familiar. Don't see many of those anymore," Caio pointed out.

  I nodded in agreement.

  Hunter opened his mouth to speak, but a loud beep sounded, followed by a voice coming in on some type of intercom.

  "The second part of your entrance exam is about to begin. You will need to survive the rest of the afternoon and night within your designed maps. Feel free to hunt, and use nature, personal resources, and magic to aid you. There are various monsters that can and will attack you. If you are injured and unable to continue, you will fail. Be advised, your teamwork, ability to defeat any monsters, and survive the living conditions for the night will determine your score. If you die during this exam, we’ll ensure your remains are returned to your loved ones."

  "Die?" I asked in shock. I glanced at the others who looked just as astonished as I.

  "That's a first," Orion said quietly.

  "They never give out all the details regarding Aslan and regardless if you win or lose, you're sworn with magic to withhold any information learned during the exam," Theo explained.

  "Good luck to all of you and see you in the morning," the announcer finished.

  Guess it's time to pass this test.

  You're a UNICORN shifter?"

  "Bruuuu-ree." Arielle kept chirping away in the branch above us.

  It'd been five hours since the beginning of the second exam and it was now six in the evening. With no map to guide us, Hunter volunteered to create his own map and make markings in the ground and trees to help us find the entrance of the forest if a situation arose and we had to scurry back.

  We'd made camp in the middle of the forest, Hunter helping us create a fire using a spell while Finn and Caio went off to hunt for dinner. Orion, Theo, and I sat in wait for them, thinking of game plans in event of an attack. My dual swords were still strapped to my back as we sat around the fire. Arielle had taken a nap during our expedition, so she was now ready to defend me if necessary.

  I sat on one of the four logs that circled the campfire; Hunter and Finn were on the log to my left, Theo was laying down on the middle log and Caio sat quietly on the right log. Orion sat right next to me, our hands only inches apart. He hadn't left my side the entire ti
me, asking if I was okay at least every hour. I didn't mind his closeness. In fact, I was enjoying this new group of friends. Now that we had some downtime, it was nice to learn more about them. I didn't mind if we didn't share what we were, but thanks to Vincent's earlier statement, the guys were curious and asked anyway.

  "Yes. Unicorns are real. We're not some made up shifter race. But because there are none in my dimension...everyone assumes I'm a liar," I replied, staring at the fire that flickered in the middle of our circle.

  "Guess it makes sense. Depending on the dimension, many mythological shifters aren't included in the shifter directory. In some dimensions, they think phoenix shifters aren't real," Hunter explained.

  Finn nodded.

  "Pixies too. In one dimension, we take up seventy percent of the population versus another dimension that never believed in our existence," Finn elaborated.

  "Have all of you dealt with this? Being bullied or cast aside just because you were different?" I asked, looking around our circle.

  "I haven't...but I’d personally rather be something else," Theo mumbled, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the sky.

  "I hadn't until my family moved dimensions. Let's just say my teen years sucked ass," Finn complained.

  "Still dealing with it from time to time. But no one can pick a fight with me or I'll kick their ass and make them beg for mercy," Hunter stated while he sharpened the tip of his arrow.

  "My brother and I were the only ones of our kind where we lived. We had each other, and if one of us was being bullied, the other would step in. They couldn't fight us together so..." Caio explained, nibbling on the remaining meat sticks Hunter had made.

  "I get how it feels. I just ignore them," Orion said calmly. He placed his hand on mine, giving me a soft smile.

  I grinned back, loving the simple yet comforting touch. "Nice to know I'm not alone," I said softly, lifting my free hand to muffle a yawn.

  "I wonder if we get to stay on this team when we pass?" Finn wondered.