CELESTIA

by Yumoyori Wilson

  "Bru!" Arielle chirped, flying back toward us. Othello and Ms. Arcadia were rushing behind her looking confused as they approached the barrier.

  "Where are they?" Ms. Arcadia asked.

  "Finn?" I asked.

  "I'm not lowering the barrier. They have to walk through it," Finn pointed out.

  "But they can't sense or hear us," I asked.

  "Arielle heard you because she's your familiar. No one else can hear us unless I lower the barrier," Finn explained.

  "Lowering the barrier can put the school at risk. I have a hold of the snakes, but I don't want to risk it," Orion spoke in a calm voice. He still looked upset, but his tone had leveled out.

  "If Arielle could speak, she could direct them to walk through," I pondered out loud.

  "Yes," Orion replied.

  I nodded, closing my eyes.

  "Cutie Pie?" Finn asked, but I didn't reply, allowing the magic within me to build.

  I tuned everything out, going through my memories and remembering what Sia did to transform Arielle into her human form.

  I raised my arm up, spreading my hand out.

  "CHANGEANDO ROSOLO FREE!" I chanted, allowing the magic to flow out. I bit my lip, feeling dizzy, but felt Finn's body press against my back, his arm around my waist to support me.

  I continued to let my energy flow till I heard two gasps. I opened my eyes to see Arielle in human form who walked straight toward us.

  "Jeez. Humans and their inability to speak phoenix OR harpy! Celestia, I brought them. You okay in there?" Arielle asked, reaching the edge of the barrier.

  I grinned. "Fine. A little dizzy," I replied, lowering my arm.

  Orion gave me a worried look, but I shook my head.

  "I'm okay," I reassured him, trying to catch my breath. Damn. This spell causes some serious magic drain.

  "How did you shift?" Ms. Arcadia asked Arielle, looking astonished unlike Othello who was still looking around.

  Arielle rolled her eyes, turning to face them. "Can we ask questions later? My Mistress is on the verge of death with her lovers because some idiot put darkness in her locker!" Arielle screeched.

  I snickered; Orion smiled while Finn chuckled softly.

  "Your familiar has character," Finn whispered in my ear, still holding me.

  "Agreed," I replied.

  Othello walked through the barrier, his eyes went wide at the sight of the frozen snakes.

  "Are you okay, Ms. Rainbow?" Othello asked immediately, his concerned eyes scanned me up and down.

  Arielle walked through with Ms. Arcadia who gasped upon seeing the darkness-tainted snakes.

  "Of course she's not okay! She had to summon me just to get you guys to pass through a barrier. Someone better have an explanation as to why there are snakes in my Mistress' locker." Arielle huffed.

  I could imagine steam coming out of her ears.

  "Forsaken. How...impossible!" Ms. Arcadia stated, her voice barely audible.

  "Can we get rid of them quickly? I can't keep this spell up for long," Orion admitted.

  I noticed the beads of sweat that began to form on his forehead, one rolling down his pale face.

  "Gladly," Ms. Arcadia announced. She knelt down, pulling out a dagger from her high knee boot.

  "VANQUISHA LAVORA!" she commanded; anger laced her words as she sliced the frozen snakes in half. The top half of the five snakes didn't even reach the ground, fading into a dark cloud.

  Othello raised his hand. "PURIFILLA," he chanted.

  A burst of light blinded my vision; Finn pulled me into an embrace, my head cradled against his chest to shield my eyes. I waited till I couldn't feel the light magic anymore, then opened my eyes to see the darkness was gone.

  I glanced around, surveying the barrier to make sure there wasn't even a speck of darkness in the area.

  "When did this occur?" Othello asked.

  "A few minutes ago. I was about to open my locker when Orion stopped me. Finn arrived and created the barrier to hide and seal the hall off from whatever was inside and Orion froze them in place after opening it," I explained. I felt rather weak and was thankful Finn was supporting me.

  "I'm switching back," Arielle announced. She didn't wait for a reply, immediately shifting to her smaller bird form. She flew to my side, landing on my shoulder and began rubbing her head against my cheek.

  "I'm fine, Arielle. Stop worrying," I reassured weakly.

  Othello frowned.

  "Mr. Charm, carry Ms. Rainbow to the nurse's office. Mr. Meadow, are you okay to walk?" Othello asked.

  "I'm fine, sir," Orion replied.

  Othello nodded, turning to Ms. Arcadia.

  "Take them to the private nurse's office. I'll be there shortly. I'm going to call the other Council members to inspect the area and go over the surveillance footage," Othello ordered.

  Ms. Arcadia nodded.

  The barrier around us lowered, fading into the ground. Finn lifted me up with ease while Arielle hopped off my shoulder and went to rest on Orion's. He came to Finn's side, pressing his hand to my forehead.

  "Celestia, you’re burning up," he commented.

  "I'm fine. Just need a moment," I whispered. I knew that the spell had taken a toll on Sia from watching her memories, but I didn't think it would make me feel this exhausted.

  Finn began to move, Orion right next to us as Finn followed behind Ms. Arcadia. A few students passed by, whispering among themselves, but I began to drift off; the swaying motion of being in Finn's arms reminded me of the times Magnor would have to carry me after our afternoon training sessions.

  "Cutie Pie?"

  "Did she fall asleep?" Orion asked.

  "Changing a familiar into human form is very tasking on a shifter. I'm shocked she was capable of casting that spell so smoothly. It takes most individuals years to master it and they have to be very close to their familiar," Ms. Arcadia explained.

  "Bru-ree." I felt something soft brush against my cheek. I figured it was Arielle from how close the sound of her reply was, but my mind felt fuzzy and I continued fading in and out.

  When I finally opened my eyes, I was laying down in a dim room. My vision was blurry, but I could see someone peering down at me; concerned green eyes met my half-open ones. I blinked a few times, narrowing my eyes to help clear my vision.

  "Cutie Pie?" Finn asked.

  My vision finally cleared enough to see his ruffled pink hair and bright green eyes. "Finn? Where are we?" I asked.

  "Nurse’s office. You fell unconscious before we got here and the nurse told us we should let you rest. Orion's asleep right now," Finn explained.

  I realized I was in Finn’s arms and he sat on a medical bed. I noticed the IV in my arm that was connected to a clear fluid. I looked to my right to see Orion asleep in his designated bed, his arms around a pillow and Arielle slept on the rail of the bed.

  "IV?" I asked.

  "You were dehydrated. The nurse didn't know how long you'd be unconscious and wanted to ensure you didn't go into an electrolyte imbalance," Finn explained.

  "Makes sense," I whispered. I tried to sit up, but Finn shook his head and kept me from moving.

  "Rest. The others came back to the lockers looking for us and ran into Othello. He explained what happened and they're helping him search the premises. Hunter was really pissed and the twins are scouting the area in their shifter forms," Finn explained.

  "And Theo?" I asked.

  "He's doing a little snooping. He has a hunch a certain vampire is involved," Finn suggested.

  "Vincent?" I asked.

  "A possibility. Or someone working with him or his coven. Who knows? Theo doesn't trust the vamps and wants to make sure they're off our radar. We can't afford for you to get hurt," Finn whispered the last sentence.

  "Overprotective," I mumbled with a smile.

  "With you," he replied.

  I blushed, meeting his serious gaze.

  He lowered his head slowly, his lips pressed softly to my forehea
d. I remained still, my heart beat rapidly within my chest at the tender kiss. He leaned back to look into my eyes.

  "I don't like when you’re hurt or in pain. We're protective because we don't want to lose you. Someone is targeting you and we won't allow them to have you." Finn’s soothing voice helped me to relax.

  "But you're not required to. I know we're a team, but why go above and beyond for me?" I whispered.

  "Because it's you, Cutie Pie. From the moment I saw you, I knew I'd like you. Those beautiful green eyes and those lovely purple ones you hide," Finn admitted.

  "When..." I trailed off.

  "Your eyes are purple right now," he pointed out.

  "Are they? They're usually mismatched," I confessed.

  "The nurse said it may be due to your exhaustion. She's never treated a unicorn shifter and isn't too sure, but the twins have mismatched eyes and they usually switch to one color or the other when they use a certain type of magic or are magic deprived," Finn admitted.

  "Hmm. Maybe," I replied, thinking about what he'd said.

  "Celestia," Finn whispered.

  I met his serious gaze.

  "Just be careful. Make sure one of us is always with you. I'm aware of how strong you are and this could possibly be just a test, but I’d rather you play weak and let us handle things until we know who's pushing the buttons," Finn stated.

  "What if you get hurt?" I frowned.

  "Why are you so selfless?" he asked.

  "I don't know," I replied.

  "Just rely on us a little more. We're a team, remember?"

  "Okay...I'll make sure one of you guys is always with me," I confirmed.

  He exhaled, using his free hand to pat my head.

  "Finn. Your ability. Does it work on everyone?" I asked.

  He lifted an eyebrow at me. "How did you find out about that?" he asked, sounding more amused than offended.

  "Theo," I revealed.

  He grinned, shaking his head and brushing a strand of my hair back behind my ear. "Yes. It works for everyone. Harder to use on those who have magic barriers around themselves to hide their aura or strength, but if I work hard enough, I can tell. It's easier when they're distressed, upset, or saddened by something because they have a harder time hiding it," he revealed.

  "Do you find it helpful?" I asked.

  "Yes," he replied.

  "Why? How does knowing how to comfort someone help you?" I asked.

  "It doesn't always benefit me, but I feel it helps me learn more about an individual and get closer to them," Finn replied. He looked down to see my curious expression. He chuckled.

  "When I patted your head when I found you after the written exam, didn't you feel relieved?" he asked.

  "Yes," I admitted. It made me happy that he'd kept his word and found me and calmed my nerves.

  "I felt more comfortable being around you after knowing I helped comfort you. I've done the same with the other guys. Sometimes it's accidental, while other times I know in that moment, they need a little comfort to help them think clearly,” Finn explained.

  "How about you? Is there something that helps you calm down?" I asked.

  "Mine’s silly," he replied.

  "I wanna know," I urged.

  "You know how for some people, if something is troubling them, they like to be alone?" he suggested.

  "Yes. Magnor's like that," I replied.

  "I'm the opposite. I...don't like being alone. If I'm with someone, I feel like I exist and I'm not just a small fragment in this huge universe we live in. When my family moved during my teens, I was an outcast. No one wanted to be near the pink-haired boy with green eyes in a dimension filled with blessed fae, and that resulted in me always being alone. It didn't matter what task or event I participated in. I was always picked last and always sat alone at lunch. I kinda was invisible to the people around me and soon, I didn't want people near me," Finn explained.

  "Is that why you're able to make people kind of move away from you? Like as if you're in a bubble and people just step out of your way without realizing it?" I questioned.

  "Yes. That’s how that skill came to life. I didn't mean it to, but once I passed puberty, hit a growth spurt and suddenly got attractive, everyone wanted to know me. I had left school for summer break as the least liked person and returned to have people suddenly acknowledge my existence, and even try to get close to me. But when it happened, I knew it was all fake and it didn't make me any happier. They weren't my real friends or people who'd risk their life for me. They just wanted me for their personal benefit and my ability to see what comforted them the most helped," Finn explained. He went on.

  "The only person who never left me was Hunter. After some family issues, he came to our dimension and was staying at our home because his parents were working and wanted him to interact with other shifters. When school was over, there he was, rain or shine, standing at the entrance waiting for me. I thought for sure he was doing it to fit into our family dynamic, but day after day he was there. He knew I hated walking alone and waited for me so I didn’t have to. Even when he was sick, he'd stand there with a stupid mask on his face until I showed up. We didn't even need to exchange words when we walked home. It was his simple presence that made me feel alive. I guess that's how we became the friends we are today," Finn confirmed.

  "True friendship," I whispered. I closed my eyes, imagining a teenage Finn and Hunter, walking side by side every day. "I'm glad you guys are friends," I praised.

  "Me too. I'm also glad we met a certain unicorn shifter."

  I opened my tired eyes to see his grin. "Funny," I replied, fighting to keep my eyes open.

  "I think that's enough storytelling, Cutie Pie. Back to sleep," Finn instructed.

  "You'll wake me up if you find anything out?" I asked.

  "Yes, I promise. I'll let the others know as well. Now, get some snooze," Finn encouraged.

  I wiggled in his embrace, sitting up slightly and resting my head against his chest. He wrapped an arm around me, rubbing my right shoulder soothingly while I got comfortable.

  "Thank you, Finn, for sharing," I smiled, feeling a little closer to Finn after that deep conversation.

  "It was nice to share it with someone and if it's our Cutie Pie, I don't mind," Finn complimented.

  "Our," I copied, using an amused tone.

  "Yup, we have a sharing contract," Finn revealed.

  "Liar."

  "I'm dead serious."

  "I want evidence," I mumbled, slowly falling asleep.

  "The proof of signed papers will be on your desk, Ms. Rainbow," Finn joked.

  "Okay...I'll be watching," I whispered.

  I let the darkness take me. As I drifted off, I thought about the plot to hurt me. I hoped we were able to find the guilty person and show them the power of Team Misfit.

  Orion?" I asked softly.

  He stirred, loosening his hold around my waist.

  I grinned, slipping quietly out of his embrace. I grabbed my pillow, slowly sliding it in place where I had been. Orion mumbled something, tightening his hold on the pillow and turning over. I smiled, reaching out to move a strand of his long white hair out from his face.

  Two weeks had passed since the snake locker incident. We still had no clues as to who was behind it, but we knew for certain someone wanted me hurt or dead. Since then, our schedules had been switched around thanks to Othello keeping his end of the bargain and now we shared all the same classes.

  I stopped keeping my stuff in my locker, and started sharing with Orion who'd put a special spell on his, making it impossible for anyone to penetrate it. He could have done the same thing to mine, but I didn't feel comfortable having the same locker that once had Forsaken snakes in it. Not to mention, if this person or people wanted to hurt me again, they knew which locker was mine.

  Theo had heard a few rumors about Finn carrying my unconscious self to the nurse's office with Ms. Arcadia. As much as I didn't like being talked about, especially behind my ba
ck, it would benefit us in finding out who was behind it all. Maybe if they heard I was seriously hurt, they would be confident enough to try and finish the deed, giving us an opportunity to catch them red-handed.

  Today was Sunday and was going to be a chill day. We'd had a tough two weeks between the snake incident and loads of homework and assignments we had to complete, some of them with 24-hour turnaround. If you didn't finish them on time, you were kicked out.

  The lectures were long and the assignments a pain in the butt, but with the guys, everything seemed to be a lot easier. All of us were really knowledgeable and none of us hesitated to help another when one of us didn't understand a problem or spell.

  I glanced at the clock, covering my mouth to yawn. 3:25 A.M. Still early.

  I looked back at Orion who was quietly sleeping the night away. Since we’d moved into the same room, he'd ended up in my bed almost every night. I didn't mind and after the third night, I told him to stop apologizing. I couldn't deny the fact I was curious as to why he always ended up in my bed, but I personally liked the closeness. I'd always been used to sleeping alone, but waking up in the arms of someone who acknowledged and cared for me made me happy. I didn't know where we stood in terms of a relationship, but I could still feel the growing connection between us.

  Our closeness made me wonder what would happen if I did fall in love with Orion. What would happen with the other guys? Would they be mad? I liked all of them, but I hadn't personally categorized anyone past the friend stage. I was interested, but I was hesitant because I didn't want to break them apart if I did fall in love with one of them. Or, if I loved more than one, how would they react?

  I sighed, letting my hand go through my purple and pink locks. I'd given up on dying it black and thanks to my excessive magic usage, my entire hair was now a bundle of lavender purple and baby pink mixture. The gold streaks had also increased and my hair reminded me of a swirling unicorn lollipop.

  It caught a bunch of attention since Orion insisted I leave it down and embrace my multicolored hair. It wasn’t like I had much of a choice since he'd hid all my hair ties. I even tried to use a vine to tie it back, but Finn used magic to make it alive; it untied itself and ran away into the wild during training. So much hate.