Page 50 of Celestia, Year Four

It felt weird to take it in, but as I absorbed each negative strand, a warmer part inside me would conquer it with light.

By the time all the negative thoughts and energy were removed from both of them, there was none left in me to hold onto. I moved back.

Moving back from both of them I stretched out my wings and let them retract back to my sides. I turned away and began to walk but Orion called out to me.

"Celestia, hold on."

I paused and turned my head toward him, watching him walk towards me with Odion not far behind.

"Neigh?"

"She's asking what you want, she's tired."

"Is that really how she said it?" Orion asked.

"Dark Riders have a different attitude than unicorns or alicorns. We don't like wasting time," Odion explained with a shrug.

Orion nodded and stopped in front of me.

He gently pressed his hands against the side of my face, and I looked at him and saw the gratitude in his eyes.

"Thank you, my Blessed Love," Orion whispered, pressing a kiss to my nose.

I remained still, liking the warmth that entered my body through the simple kiss. It made the warm part inside me brighten a little more, while the dark energy wrapped around it protectively. I understood why, not wanting our alibi to fade away and risking anyone with evil intentions to locate us and put my men in danger.

He pressed his forehead against mine and I pressed slightly back so he knew I missed him, even though I couldn't be as affectionate.

"Be safe for me. We're making a plan. It's just going to take us a bit, but not long. Make sure you rest and restore as much energy as you can from today forward. I love you, Blessed Love," he whispered.

"Neigh neigh." I nudged his face and licked his cheek, causing him to chuckle.

"She said she loves you too, and make sure the others get along and don't break anything. Also, make sure Arielle doesn't burn any of her sweatpants," Odion translated.

"I still don't get how two neighs equivalent to all of that."

"You're an alicorn."

"We don't talk like that."

"You're not in your form long enough." Odion shook his head.

I left them to their bickering, moved away from Orion, and began to walk away. I was sleepy and didn't care about alicorn language.

"And there she goes," Orion pointed out.

"She's gonna shift back soon. I don't think she meant to shift into a Dark Rider." I heard Odion admit. "I'll… um… see you around," he mumbled.

I stopped for a second to turn my head and stare at the two; Orion moved forward to give Odion a tight hug. Odion was a bit tense at first, but he relaxed and hugged him back.

"I forgave you Orion, whatever hatred I had left is gone and without me even realizing it. Don't apologize anymore. We'll just start over."

"That sounds good to me," Orion replied. "Thank you for everything you've done to protect my friends and the woman we love."

"We?"

"Are you going to act like I didn't notice what's on her left thigh?"

"I hid it."

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