I obviously couldn't vouch for them to be taken in by Celestia's men, but I sincerely hoped they were considered.
"They're different from all the students I've dealt with. I think the others feel the same. Like for Orion, he's a very calm individual, which suits my nature. I don't like having to fight unless it's necessary and I'm not very dependent on my Master which Orion understands. If he needs me, I'll be there, and he gives me enough trust and respect to know I'll support him when it's needed. That's something I'd yet to see in anyone else, which is why I don't want to get my hopes up because it'll hurt a lot more than the rest of the let downs from the past."
I squeezed his hand and paused in my movement, tugging him to stop.
"Gabriel," I whispered, choking up as I gazed into his eyes.
Gabriel’s lips quirked up in a sad smile. "Whatever Orion and the others decide… you'll still come to visit and, well, date us, right? I know it will be a tad harder because you'll be busy supporting Celestia, but you won't forget us?" he asked.
I couldn't stand looking into his sad eyes. Gabriel always appeared calm and confident, and in this very moment, he showed such vulnerability; something I bet he wouldn't show around the others. My body moved without a second thought and I hugged him tightly. He hugged me back and nestled his head into my shoulder.
"You're next up in line of having a date with me, Gabriel, and no matter what happens, I'm still interested in being with all of you guys. I'll always make time," I whispered.
He gave me a small smile and his eyes glanced down to my lips. He then moved to check behind us, and I followed his gaze, noticing we were still ahead of the others. It was hard to see Finn's pink hair from where we were in the air.
He turned his head back to me and his smile widened. "I'd really like to kiss you, but I did promise to be patient until it was my turn."
I giggle and smiled. "We can keep it a secret between the two of us."
Gabriel leaned in and softly pressed his lips against mine. It took me a second to respond, my mind and body still getting used to the feeling of being kissed. It was an amazing experience, to feel tingles of excitement run through you while being held by a person who shared feelings for you.
Gabriel's kiss felt a lot different than Noah's, almost as if he had more experience than him, which surprisingly made me even more excited.
Kissing him back, we let our wings hold us up as we concentrated on the simple press of our lips that was growing in intensity. If it weren’t for my concern for Celestia that was still a priority in my mind, I wouldn't want to stop.
Gabriel must have thought the same thing because with one final kiss he pulled back and grinned. "I think we'll continue this when we finally have our date."
"I approve," I replied with a grin. "Guess after our group break you'll be next."
Gabriel laughed. "I can see my brother sneaking in another opportunity, but I'll hold onto such hope."
"Noah wouldn't butt in."
"He sure would, but we made a little promise between ourselves, so I'll let it slide," Gabriel whispered and leaned to give me a quick peck on the cheek. "Let's keep going."
"Wait, promise? What promise, Bru?"
"It's a secret, Bre." Gabriel’s phoenix accent came out as he replied and he winked.
"Wah! Don't tease me. Wait. Use your accent again; it's kinda hot." I admitted that thought aloud without thinking, and he laughed.
"Let's go Arielle, Bre," he purred, and I blushed.
I wonder what that sounds like in bed… AH! I shouldn't be thinking like that! Nope! There's no way any of us will go that far… I think… though… it would be nice.
I shook my head and allowed Gabriel to tug me along as we began to fly forward once more. We kept our steady pace until I felt something weird pass through us, and my senses skyrocketed.
Gabriel came to a stop and so did I. My first instinct was to try to contact Celestia immediately.
"CELESTIA!"
I could feel Celestia's shock through our bond and pure joy fluttered through me. I looked at Gabriel, whose face was bright with happiness and he turned to me.
"I got through to Orion!"
"I was able to get through to Celestia! I feel her!" I exclaimed.
We raced forward, flapping our flaming wings faster to increase our speed, while we continued to hold hands.
A large golden gate appeared a few feet away and my eyes widened at the sight of Celestia and Orion speed walking towards us.
Celestia let go of Orion's hand and began to race towards us, and I let go of Gabriel's and dipped lower until my body was closer to the green grass.
Feelings of joy and contentment ran through me and tears began to form in my eyes as I smiled. “CELESTIA!" I cried out.
"ARIELLE!" Celestia called out, her face full of fulfillment as she opened her arms out.
I strategically landed a few feet away and, without a skipped beat, broke into a sprint to meet my Mistress. I was seconds from hugging her when my foot got caught in a patch of grass, making me trip forward
"BRU-REE!"
"AH!" Celestia exclaimed as she tried to skid to stop, but it was no use.
I crashed right into her, the both of us landing in the green grass. I began to laugh and so did Celestia as she wrapped her arms around me.
"My clumsy familiar!"
"I'm not clumsy!!!" I countered but was laughing hysterically and held her tightly. "Mistress! I missed you to pieces."
We rolled in the grass as we held each other firmly, and I couldn't be happier. All my worries and hidden stress seemed to dissolve the moment I was in Celestia's arms. She was the reason I breathed and had a purpose in this world, and not being able to feel that connection between us would have driven me crazy if our time apart was lengthened.
I could feel her relief, and her soft sobs hit me in my heart, making my tears escape my eyes as I hugged her as tightly as I could.
"I missed you more, Arielle. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you, but I couldn't contact you," she admitted.
“Magnor told me there's a barrier thing that blocks communication from outsiders telepathically! I was so worried, Mistress. I knew you were alive, but I was still scared something bad had happened, Bru!" I explained, hoping it would help her calm down and not feel guilty for something that was out of her control.
I wasn't the least bit mad at her for the sudden distance. As long as she was safe, that was what mattered to me, and I didn't want her worrying about unnecessary things.
We broke apart and sat up, and I giggled when Celestia reached out to ruffle my long dark purple locks that had hints of amber and pink. I stared at her with love and gratefulness as more tears formed in my amber eyes. Even though she was safe, I was concerned about whether she was really okay.
She must have sensed it and she opened her mouth to speak. “I'm okay. A few things happened, but I'm almost healed. I had a little injury during the exam, but it's not painful, though I maybe shouldn't have been rolling in the grass," she confessed, and even though she tried to hide it, there was a hint of pain that flickered in her facial expression.
"What happened? Can't we heal it?" I asked and immediately began to scan her body for wounds.
My gaze landed on her left thigh, and I could tell right away that there was a problem there. I could feel my eyes begin to concentrate on the injury and just focusing on the lingering wound made me frown. I returned my gaze to my Mistress.
"Why hasn't it healed yet?" I asked with a stern tone.
Celestia was a strong healer, a good chunk of that power coming from her being a unicorn shifter. If a wound was still present and not healed after the time it took us to get here, which was longer than three days, there must have been a lingering problem. One that I did not like whatsoever.
Celestia blinked a few times, looking a bit thrown off by my switch in moods, but she answered. "Um… to be honest, I don't know. Harrison’s going to look at it."
"Who's Ha
rrison?" I asked.
I tilted my head and furrowed my eyebrows. Hearing the name again after its first appearance with Magnor, I could swear I'd heard it before when we were younger, and even with Magnor's brief explanation, I wished to put a face to the name.
"Um… that's gonna take a while to explain," she admitted.
"Celestia!"
We both looked to our right, and then I swiftly glanced back at Celestia. Her green and purple mismatched eyes grew wide at the sight of Finn as he ran towards us.
As much as I wanted to focus on her wound, I decided to hold off until after. I helped Celestia up and she took off straight into Finn's arms.
"Finn!" she squealed, and I watched Finn lift her up.
Celestia leaned back to stare into Finn's vibrant eyes. She didn't hesitate to kiss him nice and hard and he responded immediately, kissing her back as he slowly lowered her to the ground.
He kept his arms tightly around her waist and they continued to kiss, which was hard not to stare at. I blinked and tried not to blush while watching them, but I did wonder how it felt to be kissed with such passion.
It was amazing to watch Celestia fall in love with her teammates, and it just showed that time wasn't really important when it came to love. Just in this moment of time, Finn kissed Celestia like they were lost lovers, and she kissed him with just as much love.
Gabriel leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I think this is getting into the PG 18 lane."
"Hmm. We should leave them alone and tell Magnor they're going to have sex in the grass," I whispered back.
Celestia snickered, and Finn groaned. They broke their heated kiss, and Finn rolled his eyes and huffed out, "You two are ruining our moment."
It was my turn to giggle, and Gabriel grinned, his purple-pink hair glittering in the sunlight. Celestia glanced around, clearly looking for someone.
"Wait. Where are the other familiars?" she asked.
"Oh, they're near the forest entrance. Axel's too big to fit through the gate," I replied with a sheepish smile
"Too big?" Celestia asked, confusion apparent on her face.
"He's in dragon form," Gabriel revealed.
"Axel's a Dragon?! You mean Axel aka Theo's familiar?" she asked in shock.
"I didn't know there were Dragon familiars," Celestia said to me through our bond.
Me neither until recently.
Gabriel smiled and nodded. "The others are in their familiar forms. Noah's there to make sure Axel doesn't burn everything, and Asher stayed behind because he was asleep."
I noticed Celestia was glancing at my arm and I smiled, appreciating her obvious concern.
"Faelia healed it for me."
"Ah. Thank goodness." I could see the relief sweep through Celestia's facial expression and felt it within our bond.
"Hellsin and Magnor are coming," I announced, and slipped my hand into Gabriel’s. He understood my announcement as we turned to head towards Magnor and Hellsin, knowing Celestia would need a few more minutes with Finn.
Orion followed our lead, and once we had a bit of distance, Gabriel turned back to face Orion who had a relieved smile on his face.
"Did I make you worry?" Orion asked.
"Yes," Gabriel shyly replied, his cheeks turning slightly red. I let go of his hand and took a step back.
Orion gave me a pleased smile before he stepped forward and reached out to ruffle Gabriel's purple pink locks.
"I'm back, Gabe. I missed you," Orion said softly.
"I missed you too, Orion Bre," Gabriel replied.
Orion gave him a hug. "I'll explain everything that happened once we get back inside."
"Okay. Thanks, Master." Gabriel nodded his head in acknowledgment.
Orion appeared super happy and nodded his head in return before looking back at Celestia and Finn, who were clearly making out.
"I think I should go break those two up before things get a little steamy," Orion announced.
I felt my cheeks blush and Gabriel returned to my side with a knowing grin. "I approve."
"Doesn't even realize we're here," Magnor mused aloud but still had a broad smile on his lips.
"It's good to be young." Hellsin chuckled. "Why don't you two go get the others? We'll wait for you here."
"Alright, Bru!" I replied, and Gabriel nodded in agreement. We both turned, and after Gabriel slipped his hand in mine, we pushed off the ground, summoning our flaming wings once more to head back to the first entrance.
"I'm so happy, Bru," I whispered and looked at Gabriel whose eyes were a bit glossy. "Hey? What's wrong?"
I pulled him to a stop and he chuckled, letting his tears fall. Those pink eyes met my amber ones as he whispered his reply.
"Orion said… through our bond that he'll keep me. No matter what happens when we return… he'll be my Master." Gabriel choked on his tears as he lifted his free hand to rub his eyes.
I beamed at the news, my own set of tears beginning to form in my eyes, and I threw my arms around him. "That's amazing news, Bru-Ree!!! Don't cry." I exclaimed and hugged him tightly. We spun in the air as we continued to float, both of us crying tears of joy at the news.
I never thought it would be this amazing to be reunited with my Mistress, and I was so glad to know Gabriel would have a permanent Master.
It gave me hope that the others would receive similar futures.
"Bru-Ree, Bru-Ree!"
I continued to sing and hum away as I began putting on the new pink pajamas Celestia had given me to wear.
After Gabriel and I had gone back to get the others, we'd once more ventured to the entrance of Alpha Pure where we were introduced to the truth of the place.
It was a magnificent sight, from the beautiful colored flowers that were all around to the pure air that surrounded us the moment we entered through the gate. It gave off the perfect sanctuary vibe, and the level of peace that it instilled in me and the other familiars made me question the rumors we'd heard all about.
After more introductions and a quick tour of the place, Celestia and I opted to have some Mistress familiar time by heading to the hot springs. Yes, exclusive hot springs that had healing properties to make all my aches and pains go away.
I wondered if it had helped Celestia with the pain in her left thigh, but I'd yet to ask her. I didn't want to bring anything up that could be stressful, especially when I wished to enjoy our relaxing time together.
We hadn't had time with just the two of us in a while, so this was a moment I was going to cherish as much as possible. It kind of made me miss our days on Versa where every day was another adventure with Celestia, whether it was training or other shenanigans.
Even Sia would train with me during the nights, but to be honest, I hadn't seen her as of late either, which was a bit worrisome. I decided to make a mental note to remember to ask about Sia later on and hoped I wouldn't forget.
It was the first of many times I'd thought about it, but it always seemed to slip my mind. I had a good memory too, but I just had to keep reminding myself until the perfect opportunity for my question came up.
The guys were spending time in the hot springs, but I knew Noah and Gabriel were napping. Rainer was "familiar sitting" knowing quite well if Gabriel wasn't present, the others would wreak havoc and most likely get us all banned from the hot springs.
Either way, they were all content and resting, and I was already happy with the secret news that Gabriel would officially be Orion's familiar. He hadn't told anyone else, simply because he didn't want to make them feel bad, but we both hoped some of them would be chosen as permanent familiars, if not all of them.
Now that I was having some time with Celestia, I decided to enjoy the evening and maybe experience another hot spring dip later in the night. I finished up the last set of buttons on my pajamas and turned around to pose for Celestia where she sat cross-legged on the bed.
“Celestia, LOOK! They have phoenix birds on them!"
She gave me a sweet grin and nodded. "T
hey fit you perfectly too. Mom did a good job for just one glance."
I nodded happily, gazing at the beautiful soft material of the pajamas Celestia's mother had made me. She was here with the Harrison guy, and even Orlando was here too. Though he'd been an ass, he had apologized to Celestia for what he'd done to her during the night of the storm.
My Mistress was so forgiving, and as much as I didn't like her being easy on her parents, I decided they deserved another chance. Everyone deserves another shot.
“Arielle."
I paused in my current pose with my hands up in my hair and hip to one side.
"Bru?"
"You wanna talk for a bit?" Celestia suggested as she moved further onto the bed. She crossed her legs again and leaned forward to pat where I should sit.
I gave her a look of curiosity and couldn't hide my nervousness. I didn't know what we were going to talk about, but there was something about the tone of her soft voice that told me it was important.
With a nod, I moved to sit on the bed, climbing onto the soft sheets before I crossed my legs and adjusted my position so that I faced Celestia who smiled.
"Thank you for coming all the way to find me with Finn and the others."
“You're my Mistress! Of course, I'd come and find you! Doesn't matter where you could be or what side you are on in this weird, confusing problem that's happening. I'll always be loyal to you, Celestia. Always!" I vowed, sitting a little taller as I wore a confident expression on my face.
Celestia's smile widened, and she nodded. "But there's something I want you to do as well,"
I gave her an intrigued look, and she continued.
"I want you to spend some time with your familiar friends. Or well… boyfriends, right?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
I stared at her in shock, the seconds going by before I felt my face grow hotter and hotter in embarrassment. I'VE BEEN CAUGHT!
"Ho-How did… How did you know, Bru?" I stuttered.
It wasn't like I had no intentions of telling her. The problem was finding the right moment to sit down and let her know that I was dating Noah and basically interested in the others.
Arielle Rainbow (Familiar Blessed Chronicles Book 2) Page 3