CELESTIA (Unicorn Blessed Chronicles Book 1) by Yumoyori Wilson (26)

~CELESTIA~

Cold...

That was the first thing I felt when I woke up. I could feel something wrapped around my wrists and ankles, holding me still. I debated whether to wake up or not.

Return to my dream and the comfort of Orion's arms? No. I want the real Orion. And the others. Yes. Finn, Hunter, Theo, Caio, and Cairus. I want to hear them laugh and bicker with one another. And with me. I want my team of misfits back.

I pulled at whatever was keeping hold of me, calling for my light magic. I barely had any left, but I didn't care. I would win this battle. Magnor didn't train me to just give up. My parents didn't believe in me for nothing. Arielle didn't stay as my familiar because I was weak. The guys all believed in my strength. It was now my turn to have faith in myself.

"LIGHTANDO RELEASHA!" I screamed, allowing the pooled light magic to burst around me.

I heard loud hissing noises, but I didn't stop, letting the magic flow and flow until I dropped to the ground. I opened my eyes, noticing the light bubble was still around me and the holes that the tendrils had created to pin me began to close. I shuffled back until my back was pressed against a wall. I curled up into a ball, taking calm breaths as I tried to ignore my shivering body.

It was freezing to the point I could see puffs of cold air from my labored exhales. I would only last a few more minutes with what little magic I had left.

"Guys!" I called out. The sound echoed in the hollow bubble, but I knew it didn't reach the dark surface.

"FINN! HUNTER! THEO! CAIO! CAIRUS!" I screamed, tears pooling in my eyes that desperately tried to see past the pitch black beyond my thin barrier of light. I thought of the dream and Orion's words.

"I'll be there. I promise and the others will too. We'll save you and we’ll escape the darkness together. I just need you to trust me. Do you love me enough to do so?"

"ORION! I need you! Come out! I love you! Don't leave me," I cried. The light bubble was growing smaller and smaller. Within minutes, the bubble had shrunk so it was barely large enough to surround my curled-up body. I sobbed quietly, trying to summon enough energy to try again or even shift. But I was drained and didn't know what else to do.

I sat in silence, waiting for the final strings of magic I had left to run out. I thought of all the memories I had, the friendships I'd made, my time with Mother and Father and my years with Magnor and Arielle. I love you all. Thank you for not giving up on me.

I heard a sound, like a soft call. I shook my head, trying to retreat into myself, but I heard the noise again, louder this time. I glanced up, staring into the darkness.

"Huh?" I whispered, seeing a flicker of light.

A bright white light shot through the darkness, followed by another. Again and again, white light began to cut through the black liquid sludge. The dazzling beams were too harsh for my eyes, after having been used to the darkness for so long; I forced them closed.

A wave of warmth brushed against my skin and I sighed in relief.

I was afraid to open my eyes, thinking I must have died and my soul was ascending to the other side. I felt something soft nudge my head. I tried to ignore it, but it nudged again.

"I'm dead, leave me alone," I mumbled.

"Neigh!"

Wait...Neigh? My eyes snapped open as I lifted my head. A smile formed on my lips while tears began to pool in my eyes.

A majestic white creature stood before me. His coat was pure white and glowed softly. The horn on his head was a light purple with gold specks that matched his purple eyes that had little twinkles of gold and silver. His long mane was a silky white.

The most eye-catching part of the creature were his wings. Large white wings spread out. They curled around me like a shield as I stared up into his eyes. Love and kindness showed in them as they stared into my mismatched ones.

"You...came," I whispered, reaching out to brush my hand against Orion's cheek.

He huffed, stomping his hooves before he nuzzled his nose against my cheek. I giggled through sobs, wrapping my arms around his neck. He lowered to his knees, letting me cry against him.

"Neigh," he soothed.

I nodded in his fur. "I know. I knew you said you'd come...but I was scared. So afraid you wouldn't," I whimpered.

He huffed, pulling back to shake his head.

I grinned. "You were held back?" I asked.

He nodded. "The guys?" I asked

"NEIGH!" he grumbled, rising up to stomp his foot.

I laughed. "Hunter didn't want you going in alone?" I asked.

He nodded, pleased I understood.

"Ah," I replied. I bet Hunter was afraid Orion would be touched by the darkness too. I frowned at the thought, looking at my wrists that had black marks on them.

"But...Orion? Am I tainted now? Won't I turn into a Forsaken?" I asked. I remembered the dream I'd had. It was more of a memory that I’d forgotten from my childhood, during one of the times Magnor visited me.

He stared at me, looking at my wrist that I held out. He took a step forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. I blinked, confused by his action, but my wrists began to glow, feeling hot in seconds. I bit my lip and tried to mask the pain I felt from the burning sensation that was also coming from my ankles that was just as hot.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to dull. When it did, I reopened them, noticing new tattoos on my wrist where the dark bruises had once been. The centerpiece was a pink heart with wings that rested right on top of my pulse. Gold vines came out from the pink heart and wrapped around my wrists. The glowing artwork dimmed, and only the pink color of the heart remained, the rest of the tattoo now a solid black.

"It's beautiful. Orion...what does this do?" I asked. He moved away, recalling his wings and looking behind him to where the door once stood. The darkness had dimmed and lingered on the other side of the wall, staying far away from Orion.

"We have to go?" I asked.

He nodded.

I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't budge. I felt weak and the relief of being rescued by Orion had dimmed the exhaustion my body felt. Orion looked back at me, tilting his head.

"Neigh?"

"I can't," I confessed.

He nodded, ruffling his wings. His body glowed and was engulfed in a golden light. When it faded, Orion's naked body appeared, his wings still out on display. I blushed, lowering my gaze down his body.

"I think we should figure something out about the naked thing. Not like I'm complaining," I mumbled.

Orion chuckled, snapping his fingers. In seconds his body was cloaked in simple black pants and a white t-shirt.

I frowned, making him laugh.

"We should get to safety," he encouraged, walking to me. He knelt down, brushing my flushed cheeks stained with tears.

I bit my lip, slipping my arm around him and pulling him into an embrace.

"In a minute," I whispered.

He hugged me back; his wings closed around me. I knew we didn't have much time, and I was worried about the others, but I wanted to enjoy this embrace. A real, warm hug from one of the men I loved and cherished.

"So...Alicorns are real, huh?" I hummed.

"Definitely real. Just like unicorns." He chuckled.

I kissed his neck, pulling back to look into his eyes. "I love you too, Orion Meadow. Thank you for saving me," I praised.

He blushed, opening his mouth to say something, but I pressed my lips against his. He smiled against my lips and kissed me back.

"HEY, ORION! You better not be kissing Celestia up!" Hunter called.

"Maybe if you stopped talking and did more darkness killing we'd break this stupid wall of darkness!" Finn shouted.

"Would you two just work together on this and stop bickering?" Theo yelled.

"Dearest! I'm coming!" Cairus called out.

"Orion’s already on the other side and you're still trying to act like a hero," Caio huffed.

"Hey! I tried! Not my fault I don't have pretty light magic like Orion!" Cairus argued.

"Bru! Bru-REE!" Arielle sang.

"Ah! Arielle, no fire! No, hot! Ow!" Finn whined.

We pulled apart, sharing a look before we both laughed.

"The rescue team has arrived," Orion announced.

I glanced at his wings, reaching out to touch them. They were so soft and I could sense their magic. "Aren't you going to hide these? They don't know, do they?" I asked.

"Finn knows. The others, no. I guess I can leave them in the dark for a little longer," Orion replied. He closed his eyes; his wings spread out before tucking into his back and faded away. "There," he confirmed, opening his eyes.

I smiled, blinking as my vision blurred. "I don't think I can...stay up for long," I confessed.

Orion nodded, pulling me into his arms and lifting me up with ease.

"Leave it to us to find a way out. Just rest," Orion encouraged.

I nodded, letting my head settle against his chest. I tried to keep one eye open, wanting to see how we would get out of here.

Orion took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

"LIGHTA DESTROYANA!" he shouted.

Loud hiss noises came from the door and a wide white magic circle appeared. In a flash, the darkness was gone, the bathroom returning to its original appearance.

"Got it!" Cairus announced, opening the door. He tripped, falling over with Caio while Theo, Hunter, and Finn tried to squeeze in the space behind the twins.

"CELESTIA!" they all called out.

I gave them a weak smile. "Hey, guys. I think you missed the party," I announced.

"Dammit, Orion. You stole the show!" Cairus huffed.

Caio rolled his eyes. "Who was the one that took their sweet time trying to figure out a logical way to kill all those Forsaken in the hall?" Caio sighed.

"Maybe we should get out of here before more come," Orion suggested.

I glanced up, noticing he looked tired and his face was paler than normal.

"Good point. Orion looks exhausted and we're all reaching our limits," Theo confirmed.

Caio and Cairus stood up, walking over to get my dual swords that were in the corner of the room.

"BRU-REE!" Arielle flew into the room, fluttering around me and Orion.

"I'm fine, Arielle," I grinned.

She landed on my chest, hopping over to snuggle herself between my cheek and Orion's chest. She began chirping over and over again.

"Yes. I missed you," I giggled weakly.

"Let's get a move on. I remember my brother showed me an emergency exit. He said a council member had shown it to him and said if there was no way out from the school, it would lead to somewhere safe. Like a gate or portal," Hunter revealed.

"Let's go!" Finn ordered, moving out of the doorway and ushering us to follow. Orion tightened his hold on me, speed walking out with the others.

I noticed the chaos and destruction in the hall. The lockers were dented and papers and bags littered the ground. We rushed down the hall, my eyes catching a glimpse of students fighting off Forsaken down another hall.

"Left!" Hunter called out, leading the way before he stopped and lifted his bow. He summoned multiple arrows, shooting them in quick succession into the hall ahead. Loud hisses and screams could be heard, but we didn't linger.

The others added to the ongoing assault ahead of us, shooting magic balls of their strongest element as we moved ahead toward a hall I'd never seen before. It didn't look like it was a part of the school, appearing more ancient with numerous magic circles on the walls.

We turned another corner, this hall even more narrow than the last. Hunter went first, Orion and I were behind him and the others followed in single file. As we approached, I noticed a familiar person at the end of the hall.

"Magnor!" I called out with all my strength. His eyes widened and his face filled with relief at seeing us.

"Hurry. Through the portal," He waved for us to enter. The open door began to glow a bright green and gold as magic began to swirl in a circular pattern.

Hunter didn't hesitate, going right in. I looked up to Orion who tightened his hold around me. I glanced back at Magnor when we reached the entrance of the portal.

He gave me a proud smile, nodding his head.

"Trust me. I'll see you in a moment," he promised. I nodded and Arielle chirped before Orion walked through the portal.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the way my stomach dropped at the dizzying movement of the portal. Ten seconds later, I felt a warm breeze and there was the fresh smell of flowers.

"Wow," Orion whispered, making me wonder at his astonishment.

I opened my eyes and turned my head, "What?" I questioned in a hushed tone, unable to find the right words for the beautiful land before us. I heard the others walking out of the portal and within seconds they too exclaimed their shock at the scenery.

Hunter came to our side while the others gathered around; we turned to see Magnor walk out of the portal.

"Magnor? Where...what is this place?" I asked.

He gave me a soft smile, glancing at each of us before nodding his head. "I think someone else can answer that better than I," he announced, taking a step to the side and ushering for us to look back at the portal that still glowed a gold-green mixture.

A tall man emerged from the portal; my eyes grew wide as I gawked at him.

He was six-four with long blond hair. He wore a gold cape decorated with green magic circles that rested effortlessly on his broad shoulder. He had a bigger build, but a slim waist and wore clothing similar to our uniform at Aslan, but looked richer and hosted magic within the delicate fabric.

He had a swirling tattoo on his right cheek and held a large golden staff that arched at the top, hosting an emerald crystal that floated in the middle of a purple orb. The familiar mismatched eyes met mine, his purple and green ones were identical to mine.

"Father?" I whispered.

The guys all gasped, turning their attention to me before returning their gazes to the man who smiled at my acknowledgment.

"Hello, my dear. It's been a long time," he greeted. He looked beyond proud to see me, an expression I hadn't seen in almost twenty years.

"What...but...why?" I asked, feeling even more confused.

He shook his head. "There's a lot to explain, but I think I need to state this first," he began. He tapped his wand on the ground; the portal we'd ventured out of closed within seconds. When it did, we could see what was beyond it which left us even more stunned.

Before any of us could say anything, Father raised his hand, signaling us to stop.

"I know this is very confusing, but I will answer all your questions once you are well rested and recovered from your depletion of magic," he announced. He stalled for a moment, looking over to Magnor who nodded.

Father turned his attention back to us; his eyes locked on mine as he opened his mouth to speak.

"My name is Orlando Rainbow. There is a lot of explaining that needs to be done, but let's start with this. Congratulations. As Headmaster, I'd like to be the first to welcome you to the REAL Aslan Academy for Hunters and Huntresses. You have passed."