CELESTIA

by Yumoyori Wilson

"Oh...that's not bad." I sighed, feeling relieved.

  Finn grinned, continuing. "Then you started preaching about world peace and how the dimensions need to think about Mother Nature and the usage of recycling to rid the world of useless junk. Then you went on about how rainbows came to be and how unique and different your name was. Then you called Orion a hot magic magnet and that you'd love to ride his pon—"

  "STOP!" I raised my hand as if to prevent his next words.

  Finn chuckled but continued. "Aside from your multiple attempts at getting in the sheets with Orion, you began telling the twins how interesting it would be if they dated the same girl and the magical positions they—"

  "I did not!"

  "You certainly did and then you said that two was better than one," he revealed.

  I covered my face that I was certain was bright red. "Please no more."

  "Oh, Cutie Pie, I'm not done. You wouldn't leave Hunter alone until you stripped off his shirt and felt his abs. Then, you went to Theo and told him his hair was an abomination for having black in the mix and he needed to add orange or any other color from the rainbow to be worthy," Finn continued.

  "..."

  "And you called me Papi and told me I could use my vines on you any day."

  "..."

  "And all this occurred when Magnor was in the room; he eventually knocked you out after you pinned Orion and began kissing him," Finn concluded.

  "Kill...me...now. I should have let the Forsaken get rid of me," I cried, falling back into the sheets.

  Arielle flew to my side, sitting on my pillow. "Bru-Ree?"

  "Yes, Arielle. If I die, I'll take you along with me," I confessed, lifting the blanket to hide us both. Maybe if I hid, I could forget I ever heard any of that.

  "It was cute," Finn pointed out.

  I lowered the sheet to glare at him. "You’re gonna cast me away because of my weirdness," I grumbled.

  He frowned. "I wouldn't."

  "But—"

  "Celestia. We aren't gonna ditch you or make fun of you. Unless you don't want us as teammates or as friends, you're stuck with us," he declared.

  I sat up, letting go of the blanket and turning to stare straight into his eyes. I knew he was serious by the gravity in his tone, but I couldn't believe it. It felt like I was in a dream and would wake any minute. "Finn..." I whispered.

  "Just say yes, so we can go back to sleep," a muffled voice encouraged.

  I turned to my left to see Hunter staring at us, a pillow snuggled in his arms. He looked like he could barely keep his eyes open.

  "I agree. But I still want to switch beds," Orion mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

  "Are we planning a sleepover?" Caio called out.

  "Cause if you are, we're attending," Cairus finished.

  "Or we can just agree to be a team and get our dorm secured so we don't need to sleep here. These beds suck ass," Theo complained.

  Finn snickered. Arielle hopped off my lap, flying over to perch on Hunter's bicep.

  "Hunter, Orion...Caio, Cairus...Theo…you guys want me on your team?" I asked.

  They all nodded.

  "Totally," Caio and Cairus said together.

  "Sure. Bonus points for ticking Vincent off," Theo grinned.

  "Yes," Orion confirmed, a serene smile on his face.

  "I'm saying yes so I can go back to sleep," Hunter mumbled.

  "Bru-Ree." Arielle poked his cheek.

  "OW. Okay fine. Yes," he grumbled.

  Finn leaned his chair back. "You see? If you were more honest, life would go much smooth—" he began, but was cut off by his chair falling back and crashing to the ground.

  I covered my mouth to muffle my giggles, but the others all laughed.

  "Hunter!" Finn growled.

  "Wasn't me," Hunter mumbled.

  "Orion," Caio and Cairus said together.

  I glanced at Orion who had a sly smile on his pink lips.

  He shrugged. "Too tempting to pass up. Now, Celestia are we friends already? I wouldn't mind another nap before we have to listen to story time," Orion confessed, yawning.

  I smiled. "I'd be honored to have all of you as friends and I think Team M would be a perfect fit," I announced.

  "Team Misfit," Theo pondered.

  "I kinda like it," the twins said in unison, nodding to one another.

  "Hmm. Everyone thought they were bringing us down, but we'll prove to them what we got," Orion replied.

  "Fine by me. Better than a stupid name like Team Magic," Hunter replied.

  "That's because Magic was my idea, you jerk. Move the fuck over," Finn muttered.

  "You have your own bed," he countered.

  "So? Move it or I'll tell Celestia about that time when we were younger and you—"

  Hunter groaned, shuffling over.

  Arielle flew to sit on Orion's shoulder.

  "Team Misfits of Aslan Academy. Perfect," I finalized.

  The others nodded in agreement.

  Finn settled in on one half of Hunter's bed, both of them falling asleep within a minute. The twins both settled and Theo walked over and sat between them, the three of them having some conversation about some dimension I never heard of. Orion got out of bed, walking over to my side.

  "Can I sit with you for a bit, Celestia?" he asked.

  I grinned, shuffling over to give him space. "Sure," I said, patting the free half of the bed.

  He sat down, tucking his legs underneath the oversized white blanket. We relaxed, watching Arielle who had begun hopping back and forth on the blanket.

  I didn't know what to say; I tried to come up with something to think about, when Finn's words came to my head.

  "And all this occurred when Magnor was in the room; he eventually knocked you out after you pinned Orion and began kissing him."

  I groaned, slapping my hand over my face. I can't believe I did that.

  "Celestia? Are you okay?" Orion asked.

  I peeked through my fingers to see his concerned face; those light purple eyes looked even more alluring up close. I bit my lip, lowering my hand to stare up at him. "I'm sorry for earlier. Like the whole pinning you down and kissing you senseless situation," I apologized and glanced down.

  "I didn't mind," Orion replied. His hand brushed against my cheek, trailing down to my chin, before tilting my head upward to look at him. He gave me a little smile. "For my first kiss, I didn't expect that. You're a good kisser, Celestia." He winked.

  I groaned, "I'm so sorry!" I bowed my head again and again. Great! Not only did I make a fool of myself and kiss him, I took away his first kiss. Wait, FIRST kiss!

  I looked back up at him with a shocked expression, his admission sinking in. He nodded in understanding.

  "Yes. First kiss. And don't apologize. It was fun," he admitted. He leaned in, whispering in my ear. "But next time, I want to be the one to kiss you," he teased.

  "Bru. Bru. Bru," Arielle began singing happily, hopping onto my leg and then back onto Orion's.

  I blushed. "...Okay," I replied, shyly.

  I never imagined meeting someone like Orion. He was confident in what he liked without giving off a cocky attitude. Plus, our unique connection made me interested in learning more about him.

  It sucked that I couldn't recall kissing him, and I did want to enjoy my first real kiss with him. A proper kiss without a dose of magically drunk unicorn shifter.

  "Good." He gave me a wide smile, making my heart flutter with happiness.

  I loved when he smiled at me, giving me all his attention like I was the only shifter in this dimension. It made me feel important and even somewhat loved.

  "Why don't we get a bit more sleep? I feel the discussion ahead is going to be a long one," Orion suggested quietly, glancing off to the side at Hunter and Finn.

  I leaned forward to check on them, seeing they were still fast asleep. We glanced over to the twins and Theo; all three of them were sleeping, with Theo laying where Caio had been and Cairus and Caio sharing
a bed.

  "Yes. I think a little more sleep would do some good," I admitted, still feeling rather tired.

  Orion slipped his arm around me, allowing my head to rest on his shoulder.

  "I'll stay awake until you’re asleep," he reassured me.

  I nodded. "Thank you, Orion," I whispered. I was grateful to all of them, and hopefully I'd be able to show my gratitude to all of them during our stay here.

  "More than welcome, Celestia. Get some rest," he encouraged.

  Arielle flew over to perch on the table next to the bed. She fluffed her wings and relaxed, closing her eyes.

  I let my eyes close and the tension left my body as I relaxed in Orion's hold. It was a weird thing to experience. It felt like I was meant to be in Orion's arms and I loved the way his arm wrapped around me protectively.

  After all the years of being neglected and ignored, it felt nice to finally be noticed and for someone to share that they were interested in me.

  I knew Sia and I felt the same. We wanted someone who loved us for who we were. It didn't matter what kind of shifter they were. We just wanted to be accepted and enjoy life with a companion.

  Being lonely was the hardest part of life and one of our biggest fears. I just hoped this group of friends would stay by my side. I knew it wouldn't be permanent. Eventually, they would all leave me. Maybe even Orion would lose interest too. But just for this moment, even if it was only for a short time, I wanted to learn and enjoy the feeling of having friends and maybe...with time, a companion to love.

  Maybe if I was lucky I'd have more than one option?

  ~CELESTIA~

  Team M. You look much better than when you arrived with Master Rune. My name is Othello Alaska; as you may know, I'm the Headmaster of Aslan and High Council Leader," Othello greeted.

  We all exchanged looks, the guys looking at me to answer. I nodded, standing to address him.

  "Yes. We feel a lot better after some much-needed rest. My team and I thank you for allowing the best healers of Aslan Academy to aid us in our speedy recovery. We'd like to contribute in any way we can and it's an honor to be in your presence, sir," I stated, using a professional voice as I continued to stand at attention.

  We'd ended up spending the remainder of the day in the Academy medical clinic. Our section was made private thanks to Magnor's suggestion and he and a few of the best-known healers from across the dimension had come to assist us. I didn't see what the big deal was, but apparently everyone had taken a special interest in our team of unique shifters, especially with a unicorn in the mix.

  We'd been taken to different rooms to receive treatment, so I'd yet to find out what everyone was. I did know that Hunter was a phoenix, Caio and Cairus were tiger shifters, Finn was a pixie and Theo was a bat shifter. I was still left out of the loop as to what Orion was. As much as my curiosity was killing me to find out, I personally wanted to hear it from him and not the others. I also wanted to respect his privacy. Revealing your shifter identity to some was a big risk and could be a weakness in many cases. I knew that all too well.

  Being a unicorn shifter, no one knew about my strength or my enhanced abilities. That left me at an advantage. But not everyone had that same luxury and I never wanted to put someone in a position of worry, that included Orion.

  The headmaster seemed pleased, exchanging a look with Magnor who wore a proud expression. He stood on the right side of the room, viewing some paperwork.

  Othello had arrived at the clinic and told us we needed to discuss what occurred during the exam and that the discussion needed to be private. We had to sign documents to ensure our secrecy, adding a spell for extra assurance.

  We sat in the front row of the small meeting room, Orion, Hunter, and Finn were on my left and Cairus, Caio, and Theo on my right.

  Othello sighed. "Please, call me Othello. It's easier and your group has earned the right to do so," he began.

  I gave him a confused look, glancing to my left. Finn and Hunter both gave me reassuring nods. Orion held my hand in his, giving it a small squeeze for comfort. I guessed they must have seen how nervous I was.

  I looked over to the twins and Theo. Cairus and Caio nodded, both of them giving me wide grins of encouragement. Theo had a confident expression on his face, a small smile on his lips.

  I can totally do this.

  "Thank you, Othello. We are still unsure why we're getting special treatment, but we understand if you are unable to share the details for confidentiality reasons," I replied.

  He grinned, walking over to the desk behind him. He sat on top of it, crossing his legs before looking toward us. Magnor came to stand next to the desk and crossed his arms across his chest.

  I glanced between the two of them; their expressions grew serious.

  "Your exam was held at Omako Forest. It's one of the top examination sites that we use almost every school session for entrance exams and training purposes," Othello began. He glanced at each of us, ensuring we were paying attention before he continued.

  "During your examination, you came in contact with a Forsaken, something I feel certain none of you have seen before, correct?” he inquired.

  I nodded, looking at the others. The only person who didn't nod was Hunter who had a blank expression on his face. I noticed Othello’s gaze linger on Hunter, but he didn't say anything about it, continuing where he left off.

  "Forsaken are beings of darkness and take some hunters and huntresses years of training both physically and magically to be able to defeat. Not to mention the mental aspect that can be tampered with and manipulated due to the pull of the darkness and its ability to pollute a shifter's mind," Othello explained.

  Magnor took a step forward. "Your team’s mission was to survive the remainder of the afternoon and all night in Omako Forest. The only thing you were supposed to face was the Rhinroys. The Forsakens were not a part of your exam," Magnor revealed.

  "Wait. If that wasn't a test, you're saying they just somehow snuck in?" Finn questioned.

  "They didn't sneak in. They must have been there for a long time in hibernation," Hunter replied.

  We all turned to look at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" I wondered.

  Othello cleared his throat.

  We turned our attention back to him, but I glanced sideways at Orion who was still focused on Hunter. He gave me another reassuring squeeze before returning his gaze to Othello.

  "As some of you may have heard, there has been an increase in Forsaken appearances in multiple dimensions. We, as Council members, as well as the Hunters and Huntresses of Aslan, have been doing everything in our power to stop the spread of Forsaken. That is, of course, the reason why this school was founded," Othello explained.

  Magnor nodded, continuing. "It's also the duty of skilled people like myself to help rid the world of the darkness growing and spreading throughout the different dimensions, Versa being one of them. When you hear about wars or political arguments between two dimensions that were very close prior, we can automatically assume Forsaken are involved and influencing one or multiple people into creating chaos," Magnor revealed.

  "We've had a few incidents of Forsaken appearing in Omako Forest, and have had our own graduate students work to defeat and remove their remnants," Othello pointed out.

  "Remnants?" Cairus and Ciao asked together.

  "I don't understand. There were no remains when we fought it," Theo pointed out.

  Orion nodded. "It faded away," he confirmed.

  "And when Sia fought it, there weren’t any left behind either," Hunter stated.

  "The same was true when she turned into her unicorn form and annihilated that huge Forsaken," Theo added.

  "Exactly. How would we know if there were remnants left behind?" I asked.

  Magnor nodded. "For your first attempts at killing Forsaken, you did what others have taken years or decades to accomplish. You destroyed its core and rid the world of its essence or being. However, this doesn't always occur. If even a shard o
r piece of the core is left, it can grow and manifest into a bigger and stronger Forsaken," Magnor explained.

  "Are you trying to say that the large Forsaken Celestia destroyed was born from a remnant of a previously killed Forsaken?" Finn went straight to the point.

  I could hear the hardness in his tone.

  "Yes. That's exactly what we're trying to point out, Mr. Charm," Othello replied.

  "That makes no sense," Theo complained.

  Caio and Cairus nodded.

  "So you're trying to tell us," Caio began.

  "That this Forsaken just hid before our exam," Cairus continued.

  "And no one noticed," they said in unison.

  "We do a triple check of all examination maps before allowing anyone entry," Othello admitted.

  "So what happened?" Hunter questioned, his tone cold as ice.

  "Mr. McGinty, watch your tone," Magnor warned.

  Hunter crossed his arms, looking away.

  I sighed, standing up. "What my team is trying to determine is how a Forsaken, a being of darkness of that caliber, was somehow missed entirely? I've been taught by Magnor over the years and I understand the general aspects of Forsaken," I began, glancing at the guys; my eyes lingered on Hunter who met my gaze. I noticed a hint of pain flash in his eyes, but just as fast as it appeared it vanished. He knows something, but I'll have to ask him later when we're alone.

  "The Forsaken that we fought first was what you'd classify a level A, the smallest of its kind and weakest in its category. However, the one we fought later on, was certainly a Level B or even C. I doubt anyone knows much about unicorn shifters, but our main element is light magic and it took an immense amount of it to defeat that Forsaken. You can't tell me that was grown from just a remnant," I proposed.

  "Celestia? Are you saying..." Finn started to ask, but trailed off.

  I turned to my team; Orion's eyes met mine in understanding.

  "Someone planted it," Orion announced.

  I turned to Othello and Magnor, waiting for their answers. They exchanged looks; Magnor shook his head at Othello who sighed.

  "You're correct. We believe someone from one of the opposing teams of students brought something that could have triggered the rapid growth of a Forsaken," Othello revealed.