4 years later

I gave a stretch as light filtered through my window. Today marked the day I would leave this forest. I’d spent my entire life up to now underneath its canopy. I couldn’t quite picture just what the outside world would look like.

 I’d heard stories from my parents, of buildings so tall you couldn’t see the top of them, of massive crowds of people and bright lights no matter where you look. I found it nearly impossible to picture.

 Swinging my legs out of my bed I rubbed my eyes and glanced toward the mirror in the corner of my room. The early morning light reflected one half asleep/wrinkly clothed/barely ready to even stand, girl that I was. 

My blue hair had darkened to an evening-sky blue with navy streaks running through it, my skin that had always been pale, (largely due to the amount of time i’d spent beneath the canopy of trees blocking the sun) had grown even paler, not quite white, but not far off either. 

My eyes had grown a sharp and yet weary gaze, one earned from years of fighting an opponent who did nothing but play with me, despite all the spells I'd learned and the techniques I'd made myself. Father was truly harsh. 

The fur of my tail had grown both longer and smoother while the originally blue color had dulled to an odd gray, like a stormy sky. In the years before, I had been taught to hide both my wings and tail. They simply took up too much space. 

Unfurling my wings, I looked into the mirror. their deep red had shot through with veins of luminescent blue. I seemed to be quite the odd mix of traits from both my father and my mother. It's hard to believe that it had been four years since they first showed up at the door.

 The years had been… tiring I would say. Day by day I was stretched to my limits. Despite the “progress” they claimed I had made, I still couldn’t land a single blow. My father still dodged or parried every attack I directed his way, while my mother still occasionally laughed at my failures in spell creation.

 But I suppose I had made some steps from where I had been. Perhaps I hadn't grown stronger necessarily, but I had grown more skilled. Shaking myself from my thoughts, I got out of bed, and grabbed a traveling outfit from my dresser.

 My excitement grew as I thought about it. It was a bittersweet feeling, and I would miss this house. Likewise I would miss my favorite spots surrounding it, like the nearby brook. The caves I had yet to fully explore, I would even miss my Paren-
“Celeste dear~, it's time to goo~oo!”

My mothers signature singsong tone hit my ears like a gong. 

Perhaps I wouldn’t miss my parents after all. 

“I’ll be out in a minute!” I called back.

Quickly throwing on the rest of my apparel, I looked toward the mirror with an appraising eye. A black flattop on the left foot and a white flattop on the right foot, while the kneesocks were a reverse of that with a white left and a black right.

 A black frilled skirt that came down past my knees and a long sleeved black shirt with a jean jacket on top. To top it off, I put on a black sequined hat and a pair of white sunglasses.

 With my (impractical) but classy outfit done I strapped an ordinary steel blade to my waist. My father had said that, “along the way, a warrior will always find that their weapon will come to them, not the other way around.”

 He found a spear of sorts during his travels and it became his main weapon of choice, so he always claimed that I would get a great weapon fit for me when the time came. 

I looked around my room one last time before smiling and leaving the house. It wasn’t a large room, only big enough for me, myself, and I, but it had memories. Mostly memories of simply lying around and doing absolutely nothing for days at a time, but memories nonetheless.

 As I stepped out the door, I was greeted with the usual; A sword swing from the left. To train me against surprise attacks, my father would often attack randomly during any time of the day, from right when I woke up, to during mealtimes. Dodging forward under the slash, I thrust my palm against his stomach. 

It did nothing at all. as usual. Didn’t so much as push him back, but he smiled and said, “I’d say she’s ready wouldn’t you?”

 my mother sighed before giving a reluctant nod. “She countered you dear. Not many could do that.” “I don’t like it, but she should be fine. Against us she can’t do much, but when it comes to any ordinary person… she should prove a formidable foe” 

“Well, Celestine Angelique… we ah… weren’t around much at the start. At all, but I hope you can forgive us for that. We didn’t have much of a choice in the matter after all.”

 “I ask that when you leave these woods, you take with you a few things. Your morals and standards, your blade, and an open mind.” “Your life will change from here on, and you won’t have our support all the time.”

 “You’ll meet many people, with many different ways of living, to adapt and grow will require that you change your own way of thinking.” “Don’t let the way we’ve raised you change the women you will one day become.”

 “Your mother does have something for you though. A way to contact us if you should need anything. Don’t be afraid to use it.” 

my father scratches his cheek for a moment before blushing and turning away. For all his faults, he truly does care. I walked toward my mother who drew me into a tearful hug as I got close. 

“The skills we’ve given you are very powerful. Your strength could place you in a position where some may target you. You should hide your strength to some degree; Now I'm not asking that you be a pushover, when you find something to protect, don’t be afraid to unsheath your blade to your greatest extent. 

You cannot afford to hold back when it truly matters.” My mother was much more strict than my father was, but she was also softer on the inside. She lifted my arm and placed something in my hand before closing my fingers around it. 

In my hand was a circular brass case. Opening it I found a mirror on the top and a few brushes and colors in the bottom.

 “This here is a makeup case, the mirror in it is a two way connection that will allow me to contact you and vice versa.” “and yes, the makeup in here is still usable~”

 “where did you get something like this?” the practicality of it despite the vanity made me think that it wasn’t something my mother had made herself. My mother was practical, yes, but she wasn’t vain. She valued her appearance, but she didn’t go overboard enough to make something like this.

 “A gift from a friend of mine; oh, and he’s a blacksmith and artisan.” “his name’s Julias Martin, and If you should need anything made, you ought to give him a visit.” “Tell him we sent you, and he’ll give you a discount.”

 making a mental record to keep that in mind, I thanked her before turning and making my way toward the trees that surrounded the property. Just as I passed the boundary of our property, I stopped as the loud and uncouth cries of my parents reached my ears.

 I face palmed for a minute before shaking my head slowly and continuing on my way. If I worked quickly, I should make it out of here before sunset. I also had a map, so there was little worry of losing my way.

 Looking up at the canopy I had spent so much time under, I wondered where my journey would take me. Avalon Academy didn’t open for a month or so yet, I would have time to explore a bit before then, so what would I find to occupy my time? 

A smile rose to my lips as I thought of the fun I would have~