Celestia Rainbow. 99.8% is your final score. Congrats. You may proceed down this hall and wait till everyone else has been scored. Then, Ms. Arcadia will explain the second part of the exam."
I sighed in relief, giving the man a bow of thanks.
He gave me a gold key card with ‘Team M’ on it, and I made my way down the hall he'd pointed out.
The exam wasn't hard for me, but that was thanks to the hours spent reading and studying all the books in Magnor's sanctuary: his library. There was a large crowd that looked to be about half the size of the group from the testing hall. I made my way to the corner of the room, away from all the people.
I tried to ignore the lonely feeling from being the only one standing in the corner; everyone else was in small groups, talking amongst themselves. Get a grip, Celestia. You never had friends before, why expect to have any now?
I leaned against the white wall, gazing blankly at the gold card in my hands. The cursive writing in purple gave off a slight shimmer when the light reflected on it, reminding me of glitter. I wondered if I'd be able to even use my rainbow dust during this exam.
It was one of the many unique skills I had as a unicorn shifter. Because people either hadn’t heard of one, or didn’t believe that I was one, most of my skills were unheard of and would bring the element of surprise when it came to battle.
"She's the one with that phoenix bird."
"I heard she got nearly perfect on the exam."
"Ugh, I hate smarty pants. I barely passed."
"She's got looks and brains. I bet she can't fight."
I sighed, closing my eyes. Not even twenty-four hours and people were already talking badly about me. I guess I'm truly cursed to be alone.
"There you are, Cutie Pie."
I felt something soft pat my head; the simple gesture reminded me of Magnor. I lifted my eyes to see Finn and another male who stood beside him.
"Pixie Boy?" I replied, a little stunned by his friendly gesture.
We'd just met. How did he know about the head patting?
"I told you I'd come find you. Glad you made it," he reminded, walking over to relax next to me on the wall. The new arrival looked me up and down.
"Finn, is this your girlfriend?" he asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.
I could tell this new person was trying to make fun of Finn, who just sighed.
"Fuck you, Hunter. You wish you had my remarkable communication skills instead of that stuck up personality of yours that scares everyone away," Finn huffed.
Hunter rolled his eyes in response, walking over to stand next to Finn.
I took a second to analyze Hunter’s appearance. He was taller than Finn, standing at six-three with long brown hair that was currently in a ponytail. He had orange eyes, reminding me of Arielle's, but were a darker shade. He had an oval shaped face which was cleanly shaven like Finn's. He wore entirely black. I noticed the bow and quiver of arrows that rested on his back. His name matches his choice of weapon it seems.
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 Vincent 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.