CELESTIA Page 2

  Both of my parents had easily tackled the darkness and proven their worth long before I was born, still continuing those duties after having me.

  My mother had been summoned to assist in another dimension far away, leaving me with my father when I was four years old. My father was summoned when I turned six, leaving me alone to defend myself.

  Our village was safe enough, with almost no possibility of being attacked by monsters or Forsaken, but I guessed my father hadn't thought I'd be bullied at such a young age.

  In fact, he’d assumed the village would help raise me after all he and my mother had done for them.

  There were many times I wished I had enough courage to tell him what I was going through, the emotional agony that gripped me daily and the physical beatings and bruises I suffered. But whenever he called to check on me, I couldn't say a word— the happiness I saw in his eyes when he was summoned to claim his position silenced my inner pleas. I couldn't ruin this for him.

  There was only a one percent chance to become a gatekeeper at an older age, the higher beings granting such an honor to those they thought deserved it. That's what the Council told us anyway.

  My father was in that one percentile, having awakened his gatekeeper powers during an expedition. Since then, the Council wanted him to uphold his responsibilities, regardless of little ol’ me.

  I began to walk down the stone pathway of my home, heading toward the mailbox. I'd submitted my application to Aslan Academy after I got into an argument with my Master and filled the entire thing myself. I’d probably get rejected, but if there was any chance I got in, I’d rub it in his face.

  My Master, Magnor, was one of my father's dear friends. After training him, they continued their friendship, which may have been why he took me in so early.

  That fateful day in the cold rain, when I had resented life itself. When I laid in bed at night, I sometimes wondered if he hadn't appeared that day if I'd even be alive today.

  In the back of my mind, I had made my choice— deciding that my life was not worth living, especially when everyone else agreed with the dark thoughts that haunted me every hour of the day.

  When he'd brought me home that night, he helped with all the bruises and wounds, healing every one of them before giving me a long, hot bath. Once I was clean, he fed me a hot meal and tucked me into bed, all without asking what had happened to me.

  The next morning he'd informed me I wouldn't be attending school, that he'd talked to the higher ups and informed them he'd homeschool me himself. Of course, that had been a shock around town; the rumors and whispers I listened to when I walked by his side to the market varied from astonishment to disbelief.

  Everyone knew if Magnor took someone in, it meant they had potential. Many people from across the lands and even dimensions, begged for his teachings and guidance. My father had been his last student before he took me in.

  The bullying had lessened when I began my lessons, mostly due to not having to go to school. Once I began physical training, all beatings ceased after I easily took down a group of boys who'd tried to pick a fight with me in the middle of town square during the busiest time of the day.

  Since then, no one dared touch me. Sure, they continued to talk shit, but that didn't bother me. Anyone could talk the talk, but few could walk the walk and show how powerful and mighty they were.

  Now it was my turn to walk the walk, though I doubted I'd get accepted into the prestigious Academy. It was known to be extremely hard to get into— choosing those who were from powerful families or had perfect test scores.

  I didn't struggle academically, my Master having taught me everything from general magic to combat. However, being the unicorn shifter I was— a mythological being no one believed existed, I wouldn't get my hopes up.

  When people heard unicorn, they imagined a cute little white horse with a colorful mane who could breathe out sparkles. Add a shiny gold horn in the equation and voila— a laughing stock.

  No one believed a unicorn could cause harm and since I was the only one on record in our dimension, everyone assumed I would be of no use. I hoped to prove them wrong one day, but I didn't think it would happen this year. Maybe when I'm twenty-six or twenty-seven...who knows?

  I passed by the little pond we had in our large garden, taking a moment to view the various fish that swam in the clear water. I took a second to assess my reflection— my mismatched eyes stared back at me.

  I was born with bright green eyes, but when my hair began its purple transition, my left eye began to shift in color, with purple being the end result. My Master wasn't worried about the change, mumbling something about the power shift in my body and I shouldn't be concerned if it didn't physically harm me.

  He at least showed me how to use magic to hide it— applying a glamor that wouldn't waste much of my energy to maintain for long periods of time.

  I didn't use it often since I was home the majority of the time, but if I began attending Aslan Academy, it would indeed become useful.

  I was five-eight, getting my height from my mother, as my dad was at least six-four. I wasn't complaining, my height showcased my curves perfectly. Plus, being too tall meant you were stuck wearing flats for the rest of your life, and who'd possibly want that?

  My breasts were a perfect size— not too big and not too small, excellent for when I needed to run and didn’t give me back issues. I had a small waist, which contributed to my curvy look with hips that made it a pain to fit into skinny jeans. Not that I wore jeans often, but I did have a fondness for jean shorts.

  I focused on the tattoo on my face— knowing it was blessed lines. It was a type of marking many of us gained either at birth or as we grew. I'd had mine since I was born, starting as a tiny swirl on each side of my cheek. As I grew, it spread, branching out into a few spirals. I wasn’t required to hide them, but chose to. I didn't need to add to the list of things I was bullied about.

  I sighed, looking across the beautiful garden filled with various flowers. My mom loved nature and had created this massive garden before I was born. My father had taken over in tending the plants until he was summoned. Now, I took care of their needs.

  I closed my eyes. A familiar sensation spread through me and made me grin in delight. My ears perked up at the flapping of wings, opening my eyes and lifting my head to see my familiar— a harpy-phoenix hybrid.

  Our dimension, Versa, was known to have different hybrids. It was also known that many mythological creatures crossed over from different dimensions, some due to gates being open for lengthy periods during huge population transfers or creatures accidentally going through a gate to another dimension.

  I'd discovered my familiar, weak and with multiple injuries when I was training one night. As a unicorn shifter, I had the ability to heal myself and others. However, it was incredibly draining to heal myself, let alone another shifter. I'd done my part to keep her alive long enough to bring her back to Magnor so he could heal her.

  He'd explained to me that she was a harpy phoenix, having the ability to shift between the two mythological creatures. First off, that was fucking awesome and second, both sides of her were powerful and fierce.

  She reminded me of myself. When I'd found her that fateful night, with the rain pouring hard and the ground beginning to pool with the frigid water, I remembered the day Magnor had saved me.

  She was different, injured and alone— the same way I was many years ago. Her harpy side was the complete opposite of my unicorn side; she was quiet and calculative of everything going on around her. She generally stayed in phoenix form, choosing not to shift unless I was in dire need of assistance or for training purposes.

  Shifters typically didn't have a different personality than their host. They simply changed into whatever creature they were and that was really it. Of course, I had to be different, as usual.

  I had a rare case of dual personality; the magical term was Dual-Essence-Mortality (DEM). When an individual had too much power with no outle
t, the energy began to build up within them — particularly in the mind. If not solved, the energy would begin to cause intracranial pressure, pushing against the brain which would lead to both physical and mental changes. Some people died, while others survived but with an altered personality.

  The newly created personality would consume the excess energy until the body and mind reached a level of equilibrium. The benefits of having DEM included having the ability for one side of the mind to rest while the other took over. Another more popular trait was being able to have a full backup supply of energy. If the main personality depleted their energy, the other could take over fully charged.

  Such traits were one of the reasons many shifters who had DEM kept it a secret unless they had the Council's protection. I didn't have that, meaning I was with the other one percent of DEM existing with no choice but to keep it on the down low or hide it completely.

  Keeping it secret wasn’t hard, seeing as I didn't have any friends to begin with. Plus, my unicorn side didn't show up every night. She had a mind of her own and was fine with taking over when she felt it was necessary.

  I extended my arm, allowing the phoenix to land. She flapped her flaming wings— the intense heat not doing anything to my skin. A phoenix’s flames could burn anything to ash, but only if the creature desired it. Since I was her Mistress, her flames, while still giving off heat, would cause me no harm.

  Her fire extinguished, revealing her blue and pink feathers. Did I mention her flames were a gorgeous blue? That was extremely rare.

  "Arielle. Did you want to check the mail with me? I can assure you, there won't be anything exciting, as usual," I hummed.

  "Bru-Ree," she replied, which made me grin. She lowered her head as I brought her close to me, our foreheads touching each other in a form of greeting and respect.

  I didn't see myself as higher or more powerful than her. She was my familiar, bonded to me which to my understanding, made us equals. She shared my power and I shared hers. Unfortunately, not all shifters and familiars shared our morals.

  "Let's go before Magnor thinks we got attacked. He's such a worry wart when it comes to us," I complained, allowing Arielle to perch on my shoulder.

  "Bru-REE," she sang, fluttering her wings.

  "Do you want to stay that size? Or are you going into mini version?" I questioned. With a little bit of magic, I could get her to shrink so she could stay in the house without Magnor complaining.

  She didn't respond, but her body began to glow. A white light engulfed her large frame. After it faded, there sat a smaller version of the Firebird.

  "Good. Easier to carry you too," I admitted, heading to the mailbox.

  The metal box was wrapped in multiple vines, the door sealed with magic. Only myself, Magnor and the mailman knew the spell to open it. Magnor had implemented this so we wouldn't get any threatening letters. I just wished that included junk mail.

  It took the village a long time before they accepted the fact I was Magnor’s new pupil. They eventually had to suck it up. Magnor proved his point when he almost killed a group of runts who tried to pick a fight with me on his property.

  I hadn't locked down my skills back then, leaving me at a disadvantage with five versus little ten-year-old me. But I wasn't the type to back down, fighting the best I could. Arielle was with me by then and she'd gone to retrieve Magnor before I got a life-threatening injury. Long story short, sixteen years later and no one attempted to bother us unless sent by the Council head himself.

  The Council was the government of Versa. They had mini councils in different villages, each with a president, vice president, and an advisor. They were appointed to ensure peace and order. Too bad most of them were incompetent old men who only thought they could rule a fucking kingdom.

  They were a bunch of stubborn magicians who had their moment of glory in the past and didn't like change. Another reason why a unicorn shifter was like finding a four-leaf clover. You only cherished it if you could use it for your personal benefit— in this case, none of them knew what I could do or how I'd benefit the Council or anyone for that matter, so they decided I was useless. Assholes.

  I stopped in front of the mailbox, lifting my hand as I took a deep breath.

  "Allow the shackles that hold you to fall and reveal thy precious contents to your owner and creator. Open."

  My hand began to glow a lime green, symbols forming on my hands as a magic circle appeared at my fingertips. The vines that once blocked the opening of the box began to retreat down the base of the mailbox. Once the entire door was clear, the vines stopped moving.

  "Thank you."

  I always took the time to thank nature and magic for their assistance. I doubted they could hear my little acts of appreciation, but it couldn’t hurt.

  I opened the silver door using the little handle. There were a few envelopes inside.

  "Junk mail, huh." I frowned, pulling everything out. I closed it shut, sighing.

  "I seriously need a nap. I bet Sia will be up tonight training with Magnor. Ugh, I’m going to be sore in the morning," I mumbled, holding the mail securely under my arm.

  "Bru-ree?" Arielle questioned.

  "Yes, you can nap too. Shall we?" I proposed; she nodded rapidly while fluttering her wings, which were aflame.

  "You're just as excited to go to sleep as I am. This is why we're a perfect match." I giggled. I thanked nature once more, bowing my head slightly. I raised the vines, returning them back to their original place.

  We headed back, reaching the front of my home in mere minutes. I looked up at the large cozy building.

  It was a two-story house decorated by nature itself. It was difficult to locate the small patches of cement peeking out from the mass of vines covering the surface; each vine was intricately entwined with the others. In some places, beautiful flowers bloomed, the various colors bringing life to the structure. With the amazing garden and pond down the path and forest behind, our home looked like it was one with nature.

  It was helpful to my very being to be so close to nature, giving me added strength. I hated when I didn't get enough sunlight. It made me feel groggy as if I hadn't slept for weeks. No one wanted a disorientated unicorn. We would be a drunken pain in the ass to whoever was around.

  I headed up the cement steps, opening the wooden door.

  "Back," I announced, sliding my sandals off before heading down the hall toward the library where I knew Magnor would be chilling.

  I entered the large bright room, taking a deep breath. I loved the library for multiple reasons, hosting many books I loved to read in my spare time. Books were the key to knowledge and power in our dimension. Magic wasn't just taught by instruction. You had to immerse yourself in books and learn how each spell worked. One wrong word could change everything and put you in a sticky situation if you weren't careful.

  My eyes landed on Magnor who looked up from his book to smile at my return— silver eyes met mine.

  He hadn't changed much since that fateful day. In fact, he looked younger and stronger, his magic and synchronicity with nature helped maintain his looks and health.

  His once long black hair had begun to show some grey, which only added to his knowledgeable appearance. His was six-five with an angular, oval face, and a few wrinkles showing his age. He'd never disclosed how old he truly was, but I imagined he must have been close to one hundred years old due to the amount of information in his head.

  Shifters lived for many years. We still suffered from diseases and other health issues, but we healed more quickly than other species. Sadly, we weren't immortal. If your heart was ripped out of your body, you were a goner.

  "What took you so long? Did you get distracted by your surroundings again?" Magnor questioned.

  "No," I mumbled under my breath, approaching his desk.

  He grinned, knowing he was right. "You should just admit the fact you get immersed by nature’s beauty. It is a part of you. Not your fault that you’re so drawn to it," Magnor remi
nded.

  I sighed, taking the stack of mail under my arm and presenting it to him. "Bunch of junk mail. Can't you make it so we don't get advertisements from all these dimensions? It's not like we can simply hop over there and go shopping. So annoying," I grumbled.

  He took the mail from me, beginning to scan the contents.

  "You're just upset you can't go and buy all that pretty clothing," he retorted.

  "Well, why advertise it? If it wasn't for the fact it costs an arm and leg for dimensional shipping, I would be able to get whatever I wanted." I sighed in defeat, making my way to leave.

  "Bru-ree." Arielle moved from my left shoulder over to my right.

  "I know. So disappointing. Do you think I could at least ask Dad if I can get something for my birthday? Would be nice to get a new weapon. There was a pair of swords I really wanted, but they're so far away," I explained to my familiar.

  "Celestia."

  I stopped mid-stride at the doorway, looking over my shoulder.

  "Yes, Master?"

  I didn't like his shocked tone. Magnor was rarely surprised or mad at me. If he was, either I'd done something incredible or I'd fucked up really bad. In this case, I had no idea which was the case.

  "Did you apply to Aslan Academy?" he questioned, his eyes lifted to stare at me with a puzzled look.

  "Uh...well, remember the time you got pissed off about me burning that ancient fake statue of yours?"

  He narrowed his eyes at me. "It was a replica of the great high priest of Versa!"

  "Ya, ya, the old man. No one talks about him. Anyways, Sia was minding her own business, walking in the town at night when she saw a poster about applications for Aslan. I know the entry age is twenty-five, but the entrance exams land on our birthday. As you can guess, she decided to fill out the application and hand it in, both as a joke and to prove to you that I can't get in. You know how stuck-up the Council members are in their ways. They hate change and anything different, and I am different with a capital D," I explained, shrugging.

  He stared at me, speechless; his gaze returned to the stack of mail in his hand and then back to meet my bored expression.