Her hair was left down, and she a gold crown rested on her head, making her look like a princess in the picture books she'd shown me about unicorns and fairy tales.
I glanced over to where Magnor stood, a small round table next to him that held a few bottles of magic for the ceremony and on the left side laid my pink button.
I wanted to have it on my back, but with the special jewelry on, it would be impossible to add it, so Celestia placed it in visible view; the feathers facing forward as the button leaned against Celestia's favorite stuffed unicorn who was attending the ceremony.
At least my family and Mary would get to witness the moment I became a true familiar, even if they weren't physically here to see it.
"Arielle, you ready?" Celestia hummed. Her soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned to look at her proud expression.
"Why do you look so proud, Bru?" I asked her.
"Because I'm proud of you," Celestia replied.
"I didn't do anything, Bru."
"You went through a lot and you could have given up, but you didn't. You kept going even though you must have been scared and lonely. If you didn't keep going after everything that happened, we wouldn't get to do the oath right now. So, I'm proud of my Arielle for...hmmm, what's the phrase...Magnor?" Celestia explained before looking to Magnor who had a grin on his face.
"Fighting against odds, Celestia," he replied.
"YES! Fighting against odds. I'm proud of you! Oh, and so is Magnor." Celestia pointed to Magnor, who sighed.
"Still don't get how you have so much energy this early in the morning. Yes, Arielle. I'm also proud of your effort to fight the odds that were against you. Your family would be very proud of you." Magnor turned to look at me as he spoke his encouraging words.
"Thank you, Bru." I struggled to contain my tears. I still missed my family and wished they could be with me for the ceremony, but I had to remind myself they were with me in spirit, and at least I was about to be fully accepted into a new family with my Mistress and Magnor.
Celestia walked up to my stand and stroked my head. "Don't cry, Arielle. You'll see them again one day. We'll be your new family. Once this is done later today, we'll make a nice stone with all their names. Magnor brought the stuff for it. We'll put it in the garden so they're always around nature."
"Even Mary, Bru?' I asked.
Celestia nodded excitedly. "Even Mary."
"Can...there be rosemary, Bru?" I tentatively peered at Celestia.
I hadn't told Celestia or Magnor, but Mother loved rosemary. Celestia had a few in the garden, but I knew it would make Mother and the others happy to be surrounded by them.
"Sure! Rosemary is nice," Celestia cheered.
"We'll work on that later today. Now, back in position, Celestia. The sun is almost up," Magnor instructed.
"Oh right!" Celestia exclaimed. She stroked my head one more time and gave me a quick kiss to the forehead before she ran back to her spot, turning to face me.
"Ready!" Celestia confirmed.
Magnor looked at me, and I nodded my head. "Ready, Bru!"
"Let us begin the Familiar Oath Ceremony," he announced.
He picked up two mini glass bottles, both with clear water. "We gather here today to unite Celestia Rainbow and Arielle Rainbow as Mistress and Familiar."
I glanced back to Celestia, who had a focused expression on her face, her eyes locked onto me.
"Celestia, please step forward." Magnor motioned for her to do as he instructed.
She did as he asked, taking a step forward from her spot. He walked over to her and gave her the mini glass bottle.
"Drink the contents in this bottle. It will provide you enough power to finalize the oath." Magnor explained. Celestia nodded and, without hesitation, drank the clear content.
She smiled and handed the bottle back to Magnor, who appeared pleased. He then gave her the second bottle. "This bottle will be blessed by you, Celestia. Close your eyes and envision what you'd like Arielle to be able to achieve as your familiar. Take as much time as you like, and input whatever amount of magic you feel is fair, but remember that power is not only in the magic you provide," Magnor explained.
Celestia nodded. "Okay."
She took the second glass bottle, her eyes lifting to stare into my mine for a long moment before she looked back to the bottle and closed her eyes.
Minutes passed, and I was curious as to what she was envisioning. She seemed to be in deep concentration, looking more focused than when she did Yoga or training.
I kept count of the minutes that passed, and when it reached fifteen minutes the water in the glass began to glow. I watched in amazement at what happened next.
Celestia's hair lit up with a luminescent light, changing from blonde to bright pink with purple and gold stands. Her blessed marks shone brightly against her skin while her hair began to float with energy.
She slowly opened her eyes, and glowing pink eyes with little gold, silver, and purple dots twinkled in her irises. The aura around her was like a rainbow of colors, from red to orange, yellow to green, and blue to purple.
She walked towards me, and I was hit with immense power, the energy being something that I'd never felt, even from Magnor. I took a side glance at Magnor who looked just as surprised, but he said nothing, allowing Celestia to do her own thing as she stood before me.
She lifted the glass up and spoke. "I, Celestia Rainbow of Versa, offer this potion of magic to seal the familiar oath I am creating with Arielle Rainbow."
Her eyes closed for a moment and she took a deep inhale, letting the breath out slowly before she continued.
"As a soon to be Mistress, I gather my power as a unicorn shifter to bless my familiar, Arielle. She will be strong not from the power within this potion, but with her own magic that resides inside her. This blessed potion will bring out the best qualities of her and will lower her weakness. She won't be like other familiars, because she is unique, just like me. She'll be strong, compassionate, and have her own independence. She won't be just a familiar, but she'll be my friend and my partner when we fight together. I'll never leave her behind, and I know she'll never abandon me. My power is hers to use, and together as Mistress and familiar, we will work towards a brighter future."
She lowered the drink and looked to me for confirmation. "Bru!" I declared. YES!
Celestia nodded, moving the drink to my beak. She poured the now pink liquid, and I was pleased with the cherry taste. Overall it was sweet, and a breeze to swallow. When I finished, Celestia took a step back, still appearing to be in a dazed state.
"I hereby confirm Arielle as my familiar. No one can separate such a bond from now till the end of our days," she confirmed, and a large pink magic circle appeared beneath where we stood.
I closed my eyes, feeling like a power had taken over me, and I let the words run through my head.
I, Arielle Rainbow, take Celestia Rainbow as my Mistress. I swear to guide her, protect her, and ensure she has a supporter in all areas of life. Give me strength and confidence to grow, and use the powers that reside in me to do as I've sworn to achieve, from today onward, until my very last breath.
My body felt hot, and I opened my eyes to look down and see a large amber magic circle that surrounded Celestia's pink one.
Magnor walked forward until he stood before us, raising his hands to press his right palm on Celestia's forehead and his left on mine.
"With nature as our witness, I hereby declare the oath to be complete. Celestia is now the Mistress of Arielle and so shall it always be until they leave this earth," he affirmed, and a larger magic circle appeared on the ground, the silver energy surrounding both of ours.
The three sets of magic lifted from the ground and swirled around us, the pink magic forming an outlined unicorn that began to run around us. The amber magic turned into a phoenix, flying next to the unicorn that ran higher and higher as it continued to swirl around us.
Finally, the silver magic formed
into an owl that hovered above us. It spread its wings as the unicorn and phoenix reached just below it and, just like that, the three outlined images burst into little sparkles of dust that rained down on us.
I felt the controlling power leave me, giving me the ability to move and think clearly. I lowered my gaze to Celestia, who was also recovering from the trance state she'd been in.
Her eyes met mine, and a big smile formed on her lips. "Did it work?!" She peered up excitedly at Magnor. He had a wide smile on his face that showed his gleaming white teeth.
"Yes, it did. Congratulations, Celestia and Arielle. You two are officially bonded as Mistress and Familiar."
"YEAH!" Celestia exclaimed
"BRU-REE!" I cheered, lifting off the stand and flying to Celestia's outstretched arms. She held me to her chest and hugged me tightly as she twirled around and laughed.
"We're together forever, Arielle. I heard your oath too!" Celestia declared.
"You did, Bru?" I asked.
Celestia pulled me back and nodded. "Yes!"
Magnor chuckled. "You'll be able to hear one another's thoughts and can communicate. It's an ability acquired after the oath has been applied by the Mistress and, once confirmed by the familiar, it remains. It's hard to complete the further away you are, but it's not impossible. If Celestia ever needs you, Arielle, she can call to you with her mind and you'll be able to hear it. You can call to her for aid as well, but it requires more of her energy to do so," Magnor explained.
"That's awesome!" Celestia ran over to the table and placed me in front of my pink button. I looked up to her in confusion, but she smiled as her now purple-green mismatched eyes locked onto the button with the five sets of feathers.
"Thank you, Arielle’s family and friend, for joining us for the ceremony. I'll be sure to protect her and love her as you would love her. I hope we obtain your approval and blessings," Celestia whispered.
I didn't know what to say, speechless at her thoughtful words and appreciation towards my family.
We noticed something begin to sprinkle down on us, tiny orbs that reminded me of fireflies that we saw at night, yet they were bright and clear enough for us to see even with the sun now up in the sky.
"I guess they approve," Magnor murmured. Celestia looked over at Magnor, which gave me the ability to see him peering up at the sky. We followed his gaze and noticed the five outlined phoenixes and harpy in the sky.
They were in different colors: red, gold, green, blue, and purple. The orbs continued to rain down on us, but I knew right away who they represented.
"Thank you, Bru," I said softly, a tear rolling down my cheek as I watched my family and Mary fly upward until they faded away, their remnants falling down on us.
"I'm so happy! Your family approved, Arielle. Was the purple harpy the one who helped you? Mary?" Celestia asked.
I nodded. "Yes, Bru."
"I think they're in a happy place, Arielle. I'm glad they came to witness the oath." Celestia returned her gaze to the sky as she spoke quietly.
"Me too, Bru," I replied, confidently.
"I think it's time for a nap," Magnor announced.
"I don't need a nap. See? I'm not...even..." Celestia crossed her arms over her chest, but her words trailed off as she began to sway.
"Bru!" I replied. Celestia?!
Magnor caught her with ease, and I flew over to check if she was okay. "Bru?!" I asked in a panic. Is she okay?!
"She's fine, Arielle. Celestia's just asleep, see?" Magnor reassured me as he lifted Celestia up in his arms.
I flew next to her face and noticed her steady breathing. She looked deep in sleep, and it made me exhale the breath I hadn't realized I was holding in.
"Bru." I'm glad she's okay.
"It's a normal occurrence. She used a lot more energy than I expected her to," Magnor commented.
"What does that mean, Bru?" I asked.
"It means Celestia cares dearly for you. The time she input during the ceremony showed she really thought out what she wanted you to become and accomplish. The power she put forth conveyed her outpouring of love for you, and I bet if there wasn't a limit to how much power the glass container could hold, she would have given even more of her power."
I gently landed on her chest and leaned in to brush my head against her cheek. "I love Celestia very much, Bru."
"I'm glad you do, Arielle, and I can vouch she loves you just as much," Magnor whispered. "And I'm proud of you as well. Do you feel more energized now?"
"Oh, Bru," I replied, not evening realizing I didn't feel super exhausted like before. "Better, Bru!"
Magnor nodded. "That's good, but you should take a nap too. Especially now that Celestia's asleep. I can guarantee when she wakes up she'll want to train and do fun exercises with her familiar."
"Okay, Bru," I replied and outstretched my wings before I snuggled in between Celestia's neck and Magnor's chest.
"Magnor, Bru?" I chirped.
"Yes, Arielle?"
"I love you. Thank you for being a part of my new family too."
Magnor chuckled. "I love you too, Arielle. I'm honored to be a part of your family and will support you and Celestia in the coming years. I may not always be around, but I'm leaving Celestia in your protection when I'm not here."
"I'll protect her," I vowed.
"I know you will. Let's head back inside and off to bed you will go."
I nodded and closed my eyes, enjoying the swaying motion of Magnor walking back into the house with Celestia in his arms.
Today was a blessed day, and I couldn't wait to spend the first day as Celestia's familiar training for the future.
"Arielle! Come inside, it's dinner time!" Celestia exclaimed. I looked down from where Celestia was waving from the kitchen window and nodded.
"COMING, BRU!" I replied, glancing back to the sunset that was happening over the horizon.
Today had been fun, doing different warm-ups and exercises with Celestia the moment we woke up from our five hour nap. Celestia had done an afternoon run. and once we'd returned and done Yoga, Magnor did a bit of exercise with us.
After lunch, which consisted of tuna sandwiches and milkshakes, we headed to the garden and created the grave for my family and Mary.
Celestia wrote each name on an individual tombstone and, with my approval, removed one feather from each set on my button, burying each in their designated spots.
All three of us knelt there in silence as we paid our respects to their loss, and Magnor used a spell to bless the area to ensure no elements would ruin the sacred place and no animals would feel the need to come near that sectioned area.
By the time we were done, the sun was already beginning to set, so Magnor said he'd get dinner ready, and Celestia asked me to start working on my flying exercises.
I'd been using the sunset as a good distraction while I hovered in the air, flapping my wings to keep me up. The exercises would help me build up more endurance and stamina for the instances I would be required to fly for longer periods of time.
With one final look at the sunset, I dipped down to head back to our house. I entered through the open window of the kitchen and was greeted by a really sweet scent that reminded me of how hungry I was.
"Bru?" I pondered to myself. What's that delicious smell?
"Arielle, we're in the living room," Celestia called out. I flew into the room but came to a stop in the darkness.
"Bru?" I commented. Huh?
I heard a soft giggle before a flicker of fire lit up. I looked at the single flame and another one lit up next to it, making it two flames. Two went to three then four, and finally five, the amber fire illuminating Celestia's wide smile.
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you! Happy BIRTHDAY dear Arielle. Happy birthday to you!!!!!" Celestia and Magnor sang together.
* * *
The lights slowly went on revealing the living room was different than before. It was filled with round things that floated in the air wit
hout wings, the different colors making the room colorful.
There were rainbow strings hanging from the ceiling and around the chairs and floor, and I noticed a mini tower of boxes wrapped in pink and gold, the shiny paper almost drawing my attention.
"Bru...?" I asked, forgetting they could understand me. What's this for?
"Your birthday silly!" Celestia giggled and my gaze lowered to the large cake she held. The top half was orange and yellow, reminding me of fire, while the second half had different shades of purples and pink, the design looking like roses.
Celestia wore a pink dress, and Magnor was in black dress pants and a white buttoned shirt. His hair was left down and his silver eyes glistened with happiness.
"If my memory favors me, your day of birth is today," he announced. "Celestia thought it would be nice if we threw you a birthday party and a celebration of being a part of our family."
"YES! We even made a cake that is PHOENIX PROOF!" Celestia beamed.
"For me, Bru? All this..." I trailed off, looking around the decorated room. Celestia smiled and Magnor grinned.
"All for you, Arielle," Celestia said with a softened expression.
"Come blow your candles out, Arielle," Magnor encouraged.
I blinked back my tears as I flew to where Celestia stood holding the decorated cake made for me. Upon closer inspection, I noticed my name was in the same orange-yellow color in nice cursive which made my attempt to hold my tears go to waste as they finally pooled in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks.
"Thank you, Bru," I chirped. Magnor outstretched his hand, giving me a platform to land on before the cake.
I took a deep breath and blew out the candles. Celestia cheered, "CAKE TIME!"
Magnor sighed. "Please don't eat all the cake like last time."
"I didn't eat all the cake on my birthday?" Celestia huffed.
"Yes you did, and you ate 95% of my cake on my birthday. The one you baked for me," Magnor reminded. Celestia blushed and let out a nervous giggle.
"I regret nothing," she stated proudly.
Arielle Rainbow (Familiar Blessed Chronicles Book 1) Page 9
