I didn't even delay, my body moving before my brain could catch up. I tried to fly up with one wing, but it was too much of a strain and I crashed back down to the ground.
The wolf let out a loud sound that seemed to be echoed through the forest. My ears picked up the sound of other wolves approaching. Help! Help!
"Bru! BRU!!" I cried out loudly, wishing someone would come and save me from this beast that was on my tail. Before I knew it, my body was thrown into the air, and I smashed into a tree branch which made the world spin.
My body fell down but crashed into another branch. I felt the button that was on my back drop, both vines holding it on snapping apart. I fought to open my eyes and saw the button drop into the pile of mud.
The wolf was closest to it, walking towards my precious belonging. NO! Pushing off the branch, I dropped to the ground, smacking into the pile of mud just centimeters from my button.
The wolf growled, but I glared at it with everything I had, ignoring the pain that rattled through me and using it as fuel for the flame building inside me. LEAVE ME ALONE!
I blew out a stream of fire and the wolf yelped, scrambling backward to avoid the blaze. I stopped before it could reach my button, not wanting my flames to burn the sacred feathers of my family and Mary.
The wolf stared at me with rage-filled eyes. Lifting its head to the sky, it made a longer and louder sound before its eyes lowered to glare at me with such intensity my stomach dropped.
It growled louder and chomped its teeth at me, preparing itself to jump straight at me. I closed my eyes, unable to move as I readied for the attack that would be followed by the wolf eating my flesh, but my ears picked up the sound of a snapping branch.
"HEY! You silly wolf! GET!"
I opened my eyes and saw a shot of light hit the wolf, sending it flying into another tree. It quickly recovered, shaking its body and snarling. I looked to my right to see a person. They had a pink hood over their head and looked really short for an adult like the one Mother had shown me once during one of our adventures outside of our nest.
"WOLF! Don't make me hurt you! You’re always ruining our garden. GET OUT OF HERE!" the person snapped. A bigger ball of pink light formed in her hand and was aimed for the wolf, who stalled in his movement.
It glanced my way, narrowing its eyes at me. "I said, GET!" the girl shouted. The second ball hit the wolf, who yelped and ran off.
My eyes returned to the person as they walked up to where my button laid, the feathers upright. I stared in bewilderment as the person lowered their hood, long black locks releasing from its hold and down their shoulders.
"Bru?" I chirped. A little girl?
She turned her head in my direction, and I stared in amazement at her immense beauty.
The 4'5” girl had long silky black hair that held a bit of a wave to it. Even with rain beginning to drench the dark locks, it didn't dim how pretty she was. Her skin looked smooth with no imperfections, and her pink lips were plump with an interesting glow to them, like she had something on her lips to make them look extra pretty.
There was a nice design on her cheeks that peaked my interest; the swirling lines reminded me of what Father had explained was a blessed line that some shifters had.
I didn't recollect much about the lesson, which was more directed to Aaron and Alec when they asked about humans and shifter anatomy, but I remembered the simple topic because the lines were so mesmerizing to me.
What caught and drew my attention the most, however, were her large mismatched eyes. Her left side was a bright purple that was darker than Mother's versus her right eye, which was a green color that reminded me of Father's.
She blinked a few times, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Peering down to where my button was, she reached out to pick it up.
"BRU!" I shouted. Without thinking, I blew out another stream of fire at her hand.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, taking a few steps back as she waved her left hand over and over. I paused in my fire blowing and followed her gaze to look at the back of her left hand that was bright red.
I lifted my gaze to see her sad expression as tears began to pool in those mismatched orbs. She bit her lip and glared at me before she turned around and walked away.
"Bru..." I whispered. No...don't go.
I scurried to hop to follow her, reaching where my button was and turned my head in the direction she was walking. Her cape flew behind her as she continued walking away, and she disappeared from my sight as she turned down the path, leaving me alone once more.
"Bru...Bru!" I called out, my heart sinking in sadness. Come back...please?
I didn't bother to move, staring at my button and watching the rain drench the feathers I cared dearly about. The remnants of my loved ones were getting rained on, and there was nothing I could do.
I didn't have any energy to keep going. The little girl saved me from the wolf and instead of me asking for help, I pushed her away.
I began to cry, my sobs like soft chirps as I stared at the ground. I just wanted to find somewhere warm. I missed eating with my family and being tucked in by Mother. My body was so tired, yet I didn't want to sleep, afraid at any moment the wolf wound return and eat me. Or worse, take my button away from me.
I didn't care if the rain beat my body, or if I died at this point. All I wanted, was to do what I promised my family and Mary. To become stronger and make them proud. Yet, at this very moment, I felt like a loser and wondered if everyone was ashamed of my efforts.
I tried to save my family and failed. I tried to help Mary and she died, because of me. Maybe I was meant to be alone and die in the forest. I guess I was never meant to reach the hybrid nest.
With my head hung low, I sat there crying quietly as I stared at my button in the rain. I didn't know how long I sat there, but I noticed the raindrops that were hitting my precious treasure had stopped. Did it stop raining?
I lifted my gaze slightly but was left confused as the raindrops continued to hit the ground. I saw a pair of pink boots that made me think of the little doll boots Alec had once found me; he called them rain boots.
Raising my head up even more, my eyes locked onto the purple-green jewels that stared at me with hesitation. She held some type of object and slowly placed it on the ground next to me.
It was the reason the rain had stopped, and it continued to shelter me and my button from the cold droplets.
She flinched at my gaze, shuffling far enough that I could see her whole frame. She crouched down to stare at me in wonder, her eyes locked on mine.
She didn't seem to mind the rain that continued to fall, and she pulled out a can of something from her a pink bag that reminded me of those magical creatures with four legs and a golden horn.
I lowered my gaze to watch her open the silver can, and my nose picked up an appetizing scent, bringing my hunger to the forefront of my mind.
The girl slowly approached me, taking little steps in her crouched position until she was close enough to put the open can in front of my button. The moment it was placed properly she backed away and stared at me.
I didn't want to move, but my stomach begged to be filled to the point it added to the pain I was feeling throughout my body. I took a cautious hop forward, looking between the can and the girl who didn't move. Another hop around my button and the can would be just at my talons, the scent so inviting I could eat it all at once.
I glanced back up at the girl who continued to remain in place, needing another second to ensure she wouldn't hurt me before I hesitantly took a bite.
With three chews I beamed at the food, the taste something I'd never had before, but it tasted delicious and resulted in me chowing down as I dug in.
The addictive food was done before I knew it, and my eyes lingered on the empty can with sadness. I looked up to the girl who appeared happy I'd eaten.
"More?" she asked.
"Bru," I replied, intrigued that I understood her. Yes.
"I have more at home.
Magnor won't be home till later tonight, but I can feed you. Do you want to come home with me?" she asked with excitement. I didn't know why she looked so happy to take me with her.
"Bru...bru," I replied. But, you'll get hurt.
She tilted her head at me. "Why would I get hurt?"
I was shocked and a little thankful she understood my words. I decided to tell her a bit about what I meant.
"Everyone gets hurt when they help me," I explained.
"I didn't get hurt," she replied as she stood up. My eyes lowered to the large red mark on the back of her left hand. Her mismatched eyes followed my gaze, and she quickly hid her hand from my sight.
"Don't worry about that. Magnor told me it's mean if I don't introduce myself, so that's why you were afraid, right?" She walked over to where I was and crouched down.
"My name is Celestia Rainbow. What's your name?"
"A...Arielle, Bru," I replied hesitantly. What if she helped me and got hurt after. I don't want her to go away because of me.
"Ar-i-elle. Arielle. I LIKE IT! Arielle Rainbow! You'll be my new friend, and maybe Magnor will let me keep you," she rejoiced, which left me even more bewildered. Why would she be so happy to keep me? Wait, she wants to keep...me?
"Keep me, Bru?" I asked. Celestia stared at me for a moment before she frowned.
"Oh. Do you already have a family? Hmm. You probably do. For now, you can stay with me and be my friend! Let's go home now before it starts pouring...ACHOO!"
She sniffed a few times before she noticed my worried stare. She lifted her hands and gave me a broad smile. "I'm fine! Just a sneeze. Can I pick you up?"
"Yes, Bru," I replied.
Celestia grinned, removing the item that shielded me from the rain that had recently stopped. Her eyes immediately landed on my left wing and she gasped.
"You're hurt?!" she exclaimed, reaching out to touch my wing but I flinched, hopping back in fear of the shot of pain I anticipated would run through me from her touch.
"Pain, Bru," I replied.
"I know. I can try and heal it. I'm not that strong like Magnor, but it will hurt less. I promise," she proposed.
I could tell she wouldn't hurt me, but it didn't ease my fear of this innocent girl getting hurt. "Bru," I whispered. You'll get hurt.
"I won't get hurt, Arielle. You aren't going to hurt me, right? We're friends now." Celestia beamed.
"Friends. Bru," I replied. Celestia nodded and closed her eyes, deep in concentration. My eyes grew wide as her hair glowed a pastel pink and purple and her hand that was outstretched glowed a glamorous gold.
The light intrigued me, and I hopped closer to it, feeling its warmth from where I stood. Celestia opened her eyes, both glowing a bright pink as she concentrated on my wing.
Her hand moved to stay just above my wing, and I relaxed as the pain started to lessen. She was still for a full minute before she pulled away, taking a few breaths as her eyes returned to their normal appearance.
"There. It's not perfect, but it should be okay till Magnor arrives. No flying," Celestia huffed, sounding out of breath. She slowly rose to her feet, wobbling for a bit before she took a deep breath and smiled like nothing was wrong.
"Let's get you home, Arielle," she announced. I was ready to hop to her, but I looked at my button that was wet and dirty. I moved to where it laid in the mud and began to cry, outstretching my wings to hug my precious item. How am I going to take it with me?
"Is that button special to you?"
I lifted my head up to peer at Celestia, who had crouched down in front of me and was staring at my button. I quickly nodded my head as I made quiet chirp sounds.
She studied me for a moment and nodded. "Can you trust me to give it back to you? I think I can clean it, but you have to trust me," Celestia explained.
After I thought about it, I looked back into her vibrant eyes. She's good. She'll help me and protect my family.
"I trust you, Bru," I responded with confidence.
"Yeah! It will be perfect, I promise," Celestia hummed. She carefully took the button and placed it in the front pocket of her pink t-shirt that had been hidden by her cloak. She then lowered her hand to the ground before me.
"Hop on. You look tired. I'll carry you home, and you can eat. We'll clean you up after Magnor fixes you. It's warm in our house too, and you can sleep cuddled next to me. It'll be like a sleepover! I've never had one of those before." Celestia’s face was so bright with joy, and it helped me feel less sad.
"Okay. Bru," I replied. With a final glance at her hand, I hopped on, and Celestia lifted me up slowly. She held me to her chest and used her free hand to move one side of her cloak over me.
"There. At least if it starts raining again, you won't get wet." She looked up at the sky that was even darker than before. There was a bright flash in the sky before a loud boom of thunder rang through the air.
"Bru?!" I exclaimed. "The rain. How about you?"
She lowered her head to meet my worried gaze and giggled. "I'm a unicorn shifter, Arielle. I'm strong and powerful! That's what Magnor tells me. That means the rain won't do anything to me." Her tone held a note of pride.
She gently stroked my head before she lowered her lips to press lightly on my forehead, leaving me speechless.
"Don't worry, Arielle. I'll keep you safe. I promise," Celestia vowed.
Her sweet smile made tears form in my eyes, and I nodded my head. She ran the way she'd come just as the first drops of rain hit the ground.
Mother, Father, Aaron, Alec, and Mary. I found someone to help me. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but she's kind and wants to heal me. Please, if you can, don't let anyone hurt her.
Don't let her go away and leave me alone.
"ACHOO!"
I tilted my head at Celestia who sat up, her eyes barely open. Last night had been a blur, from hot food to warm baths and the sound of Celestia's melodic singing that soothed me to sleep were just a few things that had happened.
I'd gotten to meet the person she called Magnor. He was tall and, aside from his long black locks, his silver eyes were interesting to look at.
He was very kind and healed me when Celestia showed him my wing. It still felt numb at times, but Magnor said it would feel as good as new in a few days and I'd still be able to fly without much problem.
He was upset that Celestia walked in the rain without something called a coat, but Celestia proudly confirmed she was just fine and the rain wouldn't phase her.
I didn't know if she was still as confident now that she was sneezing and coughing, but her tired expression, flushed cheeks, and weak appearance made me worry for her.
"Magnor, Bru?" I asked hesitantly.
"I don't...need Magnor," Celestia replied, her head slowly leaning to one side before she corrected herself and lifted it back up.
I wasn't going to argue with her, my stomach already doing flips of worry. I couldn't lose her too. She'd been kind to me just like Mary. I didn't want her to die.
Spreading my wings, I hopped off the end of the bed and flew to the hall, thankful the door was left half open by Magnor. I didn't know where to go, but his scent reminded me of a meadow, and that aroma directed me to the larger room Celestia had called a living room.
She'd shown me around the whole house after she'd bathed me, carrying me in this fluffy material called a towel that kept me warm as we looked around.
Magnor was sitting down, his eyes glued to a red book with weird gold symbols on it. He lifted his eyes to see me hovering in the living room, and he raised an eyebrow at me.
"Arielle was it? What's the matter?" he asked.
"Bru!" I replied, unsure if he would understand me as Celestia did. Celestia hurt.
He frowned, closing the book and placing it on the table next to his chair before he rose up. "Celestia?" he asked for clarification.
"BRU!" I replied, nodding my head for extra emphasis. Yes. Hurt.
Magnor walked to where I was attempting to sta
y up in the air, but I was beginning to struggle, my wings already tired and achy. He outstretched his arm and used his free hand to pat the bottom half of his arm.
"You can sit here and rest. Let's go check on Celestia," Magnor suggested. I landed on his arm as he instructed and flapped my wings eagerly.
"Bru, bru, bru," I chirped urgently and shot Magnor a worried look. He stared into my eyes for a moment before he lifted his hand and stroked my head gently.
"Nothing bad is going to happen to Celestia. She most likely caught a cold because of the rain. That can be fixed," Magnor reassured me.
I calmed down, just noticing my flames had come out, and my body was helping illuminate the dim lit room.
"Bru," I replied, looking down at his arm. Okay.
Magnor continued to stroke my head as he headed to Celestia's room. Once we reached the door, he used his free hand to open it. I moved off his arm to fly back to where Celestia was.
She was still sitting up, but her head was resting against the wall right next to the windowsill that I landed on in order to be as close as I could to my new friend.
Magnor approached her bed and raised his hand to press lightly on Celestia's forehead. "Hmm, fever huh. You always overwork yourself, Celestia," Magnor mumbled.
Celestia opened her eyes, the simple action taking longer than usual. She turned her head slightly to see Magnor before she frowned and raised her hands up.
"Hug?" she asked.
"You always want a hug when you're not feeling well," Magnor sighed, but he pulled her into his arms and lifted her up.
"No," Celestia argued, resting her head on Magnor's shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was a bit loud compared to when we'd first met.
"If you say so. Let's get you some medicine and then back to bed," Magnor suggested. He moved to the doorway, and I felt a bit disappointed, wishing to go with them. It was my fault that she got sick, but I liked to be near her.
Even though she was sick, she had a comforting feeling about her. Just the energy around her helped me stay calm and not worry about what would happen once morning came.
My eyes drifted up to see Magnor about to leave the room, but Celestia lifted her head up, her tired eyes slightly opening as she looked in my direction.
Arielle Rainbow (Familiar Blessed Chronicles Book 1) Page 6
