QueenEtheria

Her eyes had been closed as she struggled to keep the buckets aloft. Her back, shoulders, arms, every muscle strained and trembled. She ground her teeth as she breathed deeply. She wanted to cry. It felt as if tiny knives were cutting through her body. She opened her eyes, still trying to push pass the pain. A smile of triumph spread to her lips as she spied the guidon dancing up the flagpole.

Once it reached the top, Celes cried out happily and stepped down, making sure not to spill any of the water. She placed the buckets gently on the chair, afraid of the heavy trembling in her arms. Flexing her fingers to renew circulation, she began to shakingly make her way to the gym. Streching painfully, she winced as she walked into the gym.

"Mornin' Buck, Tommy," she replied spying the two as she began to gingerly rub her shoulder.

She glanced around the gym and shrugged softly, painfully.

"Am I early?" she asked as she continued to strech her taut muscles.

She winced. Man...hand to hand will not be easy today! I am going to be sooo sore tonight!

Celes awoke to the blaring alarm with a start. She shivered under her covers, covered in a cold sweat from her sleep. She shakenly crawled out of the bed and turned off the alarm. She rubbed at her aching eyes and stared at the time. 3:15. She had at least fourty-five minutes to meet up with Punishment. Sighing deeply and trying to earse the vivid dreams from her mind, she quietly gathered her bdu's and hustled over to the showers. She rested her forehead against the cool tile as the warm water streamed around her. There was still a lingering coldness in her soul, left by the shard that was used.

After showering, she changed into the bdu's. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun. She gingerly touched her horns and sighed. They made wearing hats very difficult. Squaring her shoulders, Celes headed out to the quad. Corporal Punishment smiled happily as she walked up.

"Good Mornin' Sunshine. I think it's time to see how well you can keep the balance, don't you?" he asked, voice loud and hard-edged.

"Good Morning Sir! Sir, yes,Sir!" she replied, her melodic voice solid and strong as she stood ridged.

He smiled as he stepped aside to reveal a chair and two buckets.

"Since it is your mission to maintain the balance here, as you so believe, then my little half-breed prove it to me by balancing these buckets of water," he replied, staring intently at her.

Celes jaw muscle ticted for a moment as she looked questioningly at him. "Sir?"

He picked the buckets up and put them into her hands. "Stand on that chair, hold those buckets out at your side and maintian your arms parrel to the ground. This will hopefully prove to me and anybody else that you are capable of keeping a balance!"

Her face fell as she stepped onto the chair and turned to face him and the barracks. "You will maintain your balance until chow time in one hour. For every drop you spill will be a mile. No cadet will or should help you and you may NOT use any powers! UNDERSTOOD?" he bellowed at her as she lifted her arms.

"SIR,YES,SIR!" she shouted.

"I will not stay to babysit you, but someone will be watching at all times," he replied as he spun on his heel.

"Enjoy the sunrise, Cadet Desmonte," he smiled over his shoulder at her as he continued on his way.

Celes groaned as she stared at the still dark sky.

"God, breakfast will never come..." she sighed into the quiet pre-dawn air. Her shoulders were starting to tense.

Celes smiled softly at Radon as he opened the door. She could tell he was trying to avoid eye contact. Steeling her nerve, she stepped up to him and carefully cupped his chin so he would look at her. Her blue eyes held a warmth as she stared at him.

"What you did back there, when you helped that women, I was the only one who witnessed it. You would have done that if no one was there to see you fail or suceed. You are a hero, Radon. You saved her, plain and simple," she whispered softly.

A blush lit her cheeks as she stepped away.

"I...I...I'm sorry...," she apologized quietly, glancing away from him," I guess we should go..."

She moved quickly and quietly through the door. She glanced back at Radon before she continued down the hall.

"I'll see you at breakfast," she squeaked softly before running quietly down the hall to the stairwell at the end.

She took the stairs two at a time as she headed for the second floor. She ran to the single room all the way at the other end. She was giving private quarters due to her situation of being hunted. She was very adamant about keeping others away from her when she slept. Also she had the tendancy to dream walk sometimes. Standing at the door, she noticed a letter taped to it. Glancing at it, she paled. It was from Corporal Punishment. It more or less said that since the cadets did not return in a group as she was suppose to return them in, she was to meet him an hour before dawn for her new "special' task. Something about keeping the balance, it had mentioned.

She stepped into her room and sighed as she shut the door. She walked over and sat on her bed, removing her boots. She glanced around her room, making sure the celestial protective sigils were still in place. The oddly geometric symbols were scattered about the walls and ceiling. She leaned over and turned on the lamp that is on her nightstand. A sigil by her bed glowed gold and she sighed sadly into the room.

"Hello, Micheal," she replied into the room as he appeared.

She turned back around to stare at the man standing at the foot of her bed. His golden armor shined, reflecting the pale aura of light that ringed his head. His white wings fluttered slightly, causing his curly golden blonde hair to ripple. He stared sadly at her, patience pooling in his fathomless blue eyes.

"Good evening, Celes," he replied, his voice warm and comforting, wrapping around her like a blanket.

She shivered slightly as her heart skipped a beat. He always had this effect on her. He walked over and sat next to her, watching her.

"Your mother is worried about you. She..I...we felt the soul shard being used. You really need to stop over exerting yourself. You know the cost for accessing the greater powers when one is marked as a fallen."

She shrugged at him. "Of course I know...but I have to sometimes. You know what I face here on Earth. For the love of God, your his general on this plane!"

He winced as she took his name in vain. He narrowed his eyes knowingly at her. " I know you do that purposely sometimes."

She just smiled innocently at him. He cupped her cheek in his hand and returned the smile. "Child, you truly are the bane of all existence."

She stuck her tongue out at him. " Tell my mother I will attempt to not over exert myself, unless I must. Also, tell her I love her and miss her. He still won't return her teleport ability?" she asked, sadness on her face.

"No he won't. It's for her own good. Heaven forbid Denora gets kidnapped again," he replied, standing.

"She knows you love and miss her. She does too," he replied, smiling softly down at her.

"Since when are you a messagener angel?" Celes asked playfully staring up at him.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead lovingly. She closed her eyes and sighed sadly.

"That's from her...and me," he whispered quietly as he disappeared.

Celes wiped the tears welling in her eyes as she set the alarm clock. She turned off the light and crawled under the covers. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

A bright blush lit Celes' cheeks as she continued to walk. She bit her lip nervously as she thought about her response. She took a soft yet sad breath before speaking.

"Thank you...for the...um compliment," she said, glancing shyly at him.

Clearing her throat softly, she began again, hoping to answer his question and maybe explain a few things about herself.

"I came to Earth because I had no where else to go. I was too good for Hell and too evil for Heaven. So I came here to the world of vice and virtue, the battle ground for souls. I...hhmmm...I still do not know what to consider myself. I am humanoid and my mother was a human from Earth before she became an angel. That's what makes my situation so unique. She is the only human to ever receive the gift of a heavenly host, to become an angel," Celes glances down in thought as she shoves her hands into her pockets.

"So I came to her home world. I do not hide because they would find me, regardless of where I go. There are battles every where aside from what we see. The Guardian Angels and the Harvester Demons take fairly active parts in the salvation or temptation of human souls. They even fight each other when paths cross. I, being of both sides, feel that when the scales of good and evil shift, someone who is neutral needs to balance them. That is the roll I have decided to take when dealing with the beings of greater forces. I help because I can not just stand idly by. I've tried to just be as normal as I could, but it ate at me to watch people suffer as the threat of evil and bad guys grew. So I became a hero, hoping it would grant me some kind of human status. I am who I am Radon, human or not, I can still be a hero," she breathed softly, staring down the street.

She glanced back up at Radon as he asked her a question. She opened her mouth to reply but was cut off as he ducked into the alley. Puzzled by his actions, she peered around the entrance way and watched him leap over the fence. She smiled as he fought the Skulls and helped the woman.

The positive energy of his compassion flared around him as he returned to her side. She smiled warmly as the energy flowed off him and caressed her body. She drew a shallow breath as her aura opened to welcome the life-sustaining energy of his selfless deed.

She stood straighter as his compassion fused with her aura, recharging her.

"No need to apologize, Radon. That was a very...generous thing you did. Too many heros look for fame and lose sight of the ability to help one single person...and you did that without your powers. There needs to be more people like you," she replied, a very warm smile on her face.

She glanced away as a light blush crawled to her cheeks. She started to head back down the street, hopefully with Radon in tow.

"Paragon is an interesting place. So much good yet so much evil. I guess it's the perfect place for me," she laughed lightly, glancing back at him.

"There is also alot to do and see here, when I'm not fighting villians that is, " she replied shrugging.

She dropped her head and sighed at the street beneath her feet. Looking back at Radon, she smiled shyly.

" You do not have to be evasive. I'm sure you have alot of questions about me, as do the others. It's not every day..or..err...not ever I guess that you meet a cross-breed. I am here to live, to find a life of my own. I can not hide what I am but I can let people understand. Since we are going to be spending a lot of time together...through the Academy, I mean, you should be aware of what I am...who I am..." she trailed off, putting her hands into her pockets.

She glanced around quietly, watching humans move about their daily lives, slightly envious of their simple lives.


((OOC: Celes can eat food and enjoy it but food is not nessisary for her survival. Her sustances comes from emotions and psychic energies. She must 'feed' from good and evil to fuel her powers and stay alive. This 'ability' will start to show more as everyone spends more time together. Just thought to mention it since she did it in this post.))

After saying good-bye to the others as they still talked to Lord Raymond and some kid, she walked slowly back to the academy, head hanging as she thought to herself. She was tired and it sometimes made her cranky. She really wasn't in the mood to reintroduce herself to another hero. She'd talk to him in the morning once she was refreshed.

She was still wary of associating with the other cadets. Because of her...ah...unique backround as Corp.Punishment had put it, she is a walking bull's eye. She did not want to involve innocent people in the battle she has been facing since her exile to Earth. No where left to go, to hide, the Terra dimenson of Earth had become her only hope.

She knew the risk of going to the battle ground for souls, but she was hoping to disappear into the backround of human life. Sadly, she was a hearld and a beacon to both sides. Those who found her, either tried to turn her to their side and/or out right kill her.

Well, I must be doing something right. I'm still here and they are banished back to the realms. she thought to herself.

Having no where to go, she heard about the Academy. Hoping it to be a place of peace and rest, surrounded by heros, she still felt out of place, once again outcasted because she was still different. After today's events, she was still confused as to why a stranger...why Radon was willing to help her...save her at the risk of his life. He had said he was expendable, but to her no mortal life was. Her's was. As she pondered her new 'friends', a voice called out to her.

Celes raised her head as she stopped walking. Her blue eyes swirled with torment and confusion as she blinked at Radon.

A slow, shy smile crawled to her lips as he more or less offered to escort her home. She was once again surprised by his actions.

"Actually, Radon, I concur. I believe it would be best to travel together," she replied, staring at him.

"Also, I would prefer your company," she whispered softly as she looked sheepishly down at the sidewalk.

Celes looked up at Radon as he offered her his hand. She smiled softly and took it.

"Thank you...again," she replied quietly.

Her body still ached as the coldness still clung to her soul. She looked at Buck and then to Alan as they spoke.

"I think I will pass on the food," she replied looking at Tommy and Buck," I'm still full. I do not believe I can fit anymore food into my stomach." She smiled slightly.

Sighing softly, she turned her blue eyes to Alan.

"I also am unable to use my powers for at least an hour. I would very much like to aid you in your quest but I need rest. I think I'll head back to the academy."

She streched her back, groaning with soreness, as she recalled her wings back into her body. She glanced at all of them and shrugged lightly.

"It's been an...interesting night," she replied," If any of you do go, please becareful. I would like to see you all tomorrow."

She frowned at him, confusion still plain on her face. She sat back on her legs and stared at him.

"No...no you're not expendable. My life is not worth yo..." she stopped as he handed her the gumball.

She raised her eyebrow at him as she stared up at him. Sadness in her eyes, she smiled shyly as she took it from him.

She opened her mouth to speak but found no voice. She tried again as a low whisper came out.

"I...I don't understand you right now...you're such an enigma...you would die for me, thinking I'm deserving of such scarifice, agrue with me about it and then give me this?" She held the gumball aloft.

Staring at him briefly she looked around at the others.

"Is this what it is like to have firneds?" she breathed quietly staring down at the ground, amazement in her voice.

Celes glanced at Buck as she steadied herself with Alan's help.

"Your..concern is welcomed, Buck, but the spiritual damage is permanent. It is the cost I pay for being an exile and still accessing those powers," she replied, shrugging gently.

She found it easier to talk as her body began to recover slightly. She still felt the cold emptiness inside her that marked the loss of soul shard. She was about to answer the question of her physical state when she felt the wash of green energy from Radon. Her wings fluttered for a moment as the energy healed them. She snapped her attention towards Radon as he collapsed to the street.

Beating back the dizziness still clinging to her, Celes ran to his side and dropped to her knees. She was about to ask him if he was okay when he stuck his thumb in the air. She raised an inquizzitive eyebrow at him.

It's a signal of being okay, right? she asked herself.

"Why, Radon? Why take my blow? I do not deserve your...grace. We have only just met," she asked him, her voice a soft whisper swirling with confusion. She dipped her head down to stare at him with her icy blue eyes swimming with concern. Her wings casted a soft shadow across his kneeling form.

Celes struggled to look at Alan as he offered her his hand. She blinked slowly at him as her shaking hand took his. A wave of nausea passed through her as she stood trembling. Her knees wobbled under her as she clutched Alan for support. Her wings twitched as they still hung, slightly damaged, from her shoulders.

She breathed deeply, hoping to clear the fuzziness from her body. She exhaled slowly, watching her frosty breath float through the air. She shivered deeply as the cold still clung to her body.

She fought the urge to sleep as her eyelids began to feel heavy. She slowly and carefully rolled her head up to look at Radon. She winced somewhere through her slight shivering.

"He...he took the blow for me...Ppp..please make sure he's okay...he should've..just let me take it..why would..he..." she stammered quietly, finding it an effort to talk.

She knew she was going to be waylaid for at least an hour. Forcefully ripping and scarificing a piece of her soul took a lot out of her, literially. Her recovery time was short now though compared to when she first started using her powers. She would be helpless for a day or two. It scared her slightly at that thought.

I wonder what that means? Either I'm becoming stronger, I hope, or my soul is becoming much smaller than I thought. Less to attempt to revive.

She watched Alan tackle Reaper Man. She heard him call to her. She blinked at him for a moment. He was in the way, her blast wouldn't be as effective with him in the way. She ran up to them and placed her hands on an exposed portion of his body. The blue in her eyes bleed to white as she summoned her heavenly energy into her hands.

"And through the darkness came light, and the light was the hearld of goodness. Warmth of light chased the cold of dark away and banished it. I give you the light of my soul, Reaper Man, and banish you back to the realm of darkness. Feel the warmth of my life and fall into the cold of your death," she whispered softly yet forcefully, barely audiable to Alan's ears but ringing in Reaper Man's.

A brillant flash brust through her hands into his body as she closed her eyes. A rush of warmth and the sound of trumpets acompanied the energy burst. She felt a shard of her soul disappear as she stumbled back. She fell to her knees, breathing rapid. Her wings hung limply and heavily from her shoulders as she clutched the ground with her hands to stop her head from spinning. Her skin became cold as her breath became visiable on the air. Her body began to shake from the extertion. She gathered all the strength she could to glance up, her eyes returning to their natural blue.

Celes swooped down to stand behind Alan. She felt the weakness thrum through his body after the attack from the Reaper Man. She heard the shout from Buck and Tommy as she moved closer to heal Alan. She watched them draw weapons and she flinched. She was not a fan of guns.

Realization dawned on her as she saw what was going to happen. They were in the line of fire. Running on instinct, she stepped forward and pressed her body to Alan's back.

"It's just me, Celes," she whispered her soft angelic voice in his ear," Worry not Radon is fine...for now."

As she spoke her wings enfolded Alan into them. The etheral white bleeding to black feathers became solid as steel as she made a shield for them. She shivered against him as she willed the wings to hold against the onslaught. The metallic clang rang around them as her heart began to pound against his back. She gritted her teeth at the pain as she hissed her breath across his neck.

Hearing the silence after the chaos, Celes' wings fell back, hanging heavily from her shoulders. She staggered back slightly as she ready for the Reaper Man to continue his fight.

She still couldn't see from all the smoke in the air and it scared her slightly. She reached out with her mind to find the beacon of negitive energy that was him. If she could find him, she could heal Alan and herself. She squinted through the smoke, praying that Radon was all right.

Celes felt the tear in the fabric of the universe. Soemone was teleporting! She knew that feel all to well. Her stomach churned as she felt the rift open above her. She turned around and wrapped her wings around her body like a cloak when she saw the scythe come cutting out of mid-air. She spread her arms and prepared to take the blade, hoping her wings would still grant a slight defense. Her hands still blazed with white light. She knew her energy blast hurt him. If she could grab him as they fell, she could more directly transfer the brillant energy that coarsed through her to him.

She tensed her muscles, preparing for the hit. She could heal herself. She was not however prepared for Radon to push her out of the air. She felt his breath across her skin as he grunted when they colliaded. She winced as Radon attempted to grab the blade with his bare hands. She shuttered as it bit into his shoulder. She flung her wings out and barrelrolled to right herself. She sighed in relief as Radon appeared to heal himself.

He's going to be alright. Why would he do that? she asked herself, perplexed by the fact that he had only just met her yet he was willing to take the blow for her, no questions asked. Is this what friendship means?

She focused back on the robed being as Alan pulled aside the hood. She sneered at the grotesque cavdavorous face beneath. She once again drew blood from her tongue as she arched her hand out towards the Reaper Man. A wave of brillant light spread across the ground, searing him and knocking him back a few feet, but it passed through her comrades like a rush of comforting warmth.

She swopped down slightly closer and spat her blood at his feet. She fluttered her wings as she drew back to speak her curse. Her voice was dark and haunting.

"May you feel the weakness in your bones and muscles that your cadavorous form portrays. There is no strength in death for the body decays much like your soul. Be that what you truly are, Reaper Man."

As soon as her words crossed her lips, her blood began to sizzle on the pavement. Red fumes wafted up from the blood and quicky circled Reaper Man, pouring into his skin, bestowing the weakness and loss of accuracy her curse power held.

Celes felt the tear in the fabric of the universe. Soemone was teleporting! She knew that feel all to well. Her stomach churned as she felt the rift open above her. She turned around and wrapped her wings around her body like a cloak when she saw the scythe come cutting out of mid-air. She spread her arms and prepared to take the blade, hoping her wings would still grant a slight defense. Her hands still blazed with white light. She knew her energy blast hurt him. If she could grab him as they fell, she could more directly transfer the brillant energy that coarsed through her to him.

She tensed her muscles, preparing for the hit. She could heal herself. She was not however prepared for Radon to push her out of the air. She felt his breath across her skin as he grunted when they colliaded. She winced as Radon attempted to grab the blade with his bare hands. She shuttered as it bit into his shoulder. She flung her wings out and barrelrolled to right herself. She sighed in relief as Radon appeared to heal himself.

He's going to be alright. Why would he do that? she asked herself, perplexed by the fact that he had only just met her yet he was willing to take the blow for her, no questions asked. Is this what friendship means?

She focused back on the robed being as Alan pulled aside the hood. She sneered at the grotesque cavdavorous face beneath. She once again drew blood from her tongue as she arched her hand out towards the Reaper Man. A wave of brillant light spread across the ground, searing him and knocking him back a few feet, but it passed through her comrades like a rush of comforting warmth.

She swopped down slightly closer and spat her blodd at his feet. She fluttered her wings as she drew back to speak her curse. Her voice was dark and haunting.

"May you feel the weakness in your bones and muscles that your cadavorous form portrays. There is no strength in death for the body decays much like your soul. Be that what you truly are, Reaper Man."

As soon as her words crossed her lips, her blood began to sizzle on the pavement. Red fumes wafted up from the body and quicky circled Reaper Man, pouring into his skin, bestowing the weakness and loss of accuracy her curse power held.

Celes gaped as he cut her tendrils away.
Thats not cool. Granted it's a basic power but it's still not fair. , she thought.

She watched the Reaper Man raise his scythe to her. She watched the plae gleam on the curve flash in the night. She took a few steps back as she drew her tongue across her now exposed fangs. The metallic sweet taste of blood filled her mouth as she readied to curse him.

She watched as he staggered breifly as the radiation energy struck him. A smile twicthed a the corner of her mouth as she saw Radon. In a flash he was by her side, with Alan in tow. She felt a wash of energy coarse through her body. She could feel the light start to bend as Radon granted them invisability. Knowing that they needed to move, thanks to her father's military knowledge, a battle tactic formed in her head.

Unfurrowing her strange wings from her back, Celes silently took to the sky. No gust or wind betrayed her movement. Circling around the Reaper Man, she hovered above his scythe's range.

If darkness will not work, then light must!

Her eyes focused on his robed form as she opened up the channel that flowed inside her. Swallowing the darkness that coarse through her body, The power of the Heavenly Hosts swam up from the depths of her soul. The cool, calming energy chased her firey rage out of her.

Sighting down her arm, she gathered a bolt of energy into it. The powerful bolt of white energy struck the Reaper Man in the back. She gave a silent flap of her almost etheral wings and repositioned herself, readying for his next move.

Celes stood and followed Alan out the door. She flexed her back, causing her wings to almost instantly melt into her back, no longer visiable. She listened quietly as they walked, head staring down at the ground. She could still feel eyes upon her, following her, staring at the horns she could not hide.

She felt more than she heard the slicing of the air. The undeniable whoosh of a blade through the air. Hearing Alan grunt, Celes spun on her heel to see the robed man with the sycthe. She jumped back, heart pounding in her chest. She felt a hot, angry fire grow inside her as her eyes burned into Reaper Man.

"What in the hel..." she exclaimed her melodic voice taking on a hard edge.

Her survival instinct kicked in. From being hunted her whole life, she devloped a dark side as she called it. Her eyes became cold, jaded, and dark. She set her jaw tightly, her face becoming hard-egde and slightly frightening.

"HOW DARE YOU..." her voice now deep and intimadating, no longer the soft angelic it normally is.

Darkness slid from her shadow and rooted the Reaper Man to the ground. Wisps of darkness clinging to his legs, making him immobile.

Her blood felt as if it was on fire and a strange heat emminated from her body. Her moonlight hair began to float around her head as if a wind was circling her. She clenched her fists as her aura becomes visiable, a darkness circling her. Her clenched fists begin to radiate with a pulsating light, cutting through the pitch blackness of her aura.

"Time to play..." her cold and haunting voice whispered out into the night.

Celes glanced at each of the men as they talked, almost at once. She took a soft breath and closed her eyes, sorting out their questions. She meditated quickly before answering the questions. She opened her eyes and began quietly.

Looking at Alan, she shrugged. "I felt a small pull yes but there is so much...darkness here that it's had to focus when I am not very close."

She turned her cold blue eyes to Buck. "Curiousity is not offensive to me. At least you're not judging me before you know me like others I have met. Yes it is an...interesting combination of powers but fatal none the less....to me I mean."

She cupped her face in her hands, resting her elbows on the table. " Yes, I am also outcasted by both sides. Hated and hunted for who I am. I should not be and I am a herald of something...something I can not yet devulge to you all, quite yet."

She shrugged, sadness crawling across her angelic face. She sweeped her hair to one side over her shoulder and turned her back to the group. She exposed a strange black symbol that rested between her shoulder blades. It looked almost like a brand. It was a circular with unidentifable symbol that was slightly geometeric. She turned back to the group, sadness still plain on her face.

"Another mark I bear from my heritage. It's the mark of the fallen. A brand of exile. I am forbidden to return to Heaven, never to see my mother ever again. Hell still welcomes me...my father would not turn me away, granted his minions still more than happily hunt me as does the residents of Heaven. It's a never ending battle for me...at least until my destiny comes full circle..."she glanced down as she trailed off.

"So enough about my wrecthed exisitence...we still have some time before we need to get back...what do you guys like to do for fun...besides this? I think we've had enough of sad things tonight."

Celes blinked slowly at Tommy as his question reached her ears. She ran a hand delicatly over her horns, following their curve.

"I..well..I guess I am an alien but not in the E.T. sense. I'm not from this plane...or dimension I should say. I have a fairly good knowledge of your Earth and mortal history dating back to...," she trailed off looking at the group," nevermind how long ago, but I am kind of partially human...I just haven't experienced everything on Earth yet. I never really stopped to bother to find out what ice cream was when I was being...," she tappered off, looking shyly down.

Steeling her nerve, she stared back up at the group. Determination and defiance in her icy blue eyes.

"I'm a cross-breed if you will. I am half angel and half demon, so i was raised in a pocket dimension to protect me," she explained, voice low and soft,"but I decided i was sick of hiding and as an adult I came to Earth, to live for myself and be outcasted by both sides and hunted too. I'm just still a little nervous around others, okay? so i don't do much besides the hero thing," she slumped further in the seat, readying herself for their reactions.

Celes shyly shrank down into the booth. She held the menu over her face as she glanced around the ice cream shoppe. She saw side-long glances from the other patrons in her direction. She blushed lightly, very aware that these people were at least not obviously staring at her horns. She tried to focus on the words on the menu but she found it difficult.

The hair on the back of her neck felt prickly. She took a few deep breaths, assuring herself that no one here was hunting her.

She glanced over the edge of the menu as the others disscused what happened at the fight. The waitress came as Celes was at a loss. She didn't really look at the menu. She looked up, blinking nevously.

She pointed at a picture, ordering a Peanut Butter Cup Parfait.
She listened quietly to the group, glancing from person to person. Her sundae came and she looked at it curiously.

She shyly looked at the group, looking for a suggestion on how to tackle it. Being prompted to use a spoon she scoops a bite up carefully. She eats it, neutrality on her face as she chewed. Her face lit up as she reveled in the falvors.

She smiled and whispered," This is heavenly!!", then tore into the parfait. Polishing it off in record time, she looked timidly around at the men.

Dabbing at her mouth delicatly with a napkin, she smiled softly,"Sorry...I guess i was hungry." She hunched down in her seat meekly, glancing casually around the store.

"So is this what you guys to for fun? Defeat bad guys and celebrate with ice cream?"

Celes lips were drawn thin in a slight frown. She watched as the other woman walked away. Babysitter? Me? Hah! But alcohol does sound better than ice cream...I know what alcohol is... she thought quietly to herself.

She glanced back at Buck and Tommy. A shy smile crawled across her lips.

"Pleased to meet you," she replied quietly. She glanced back down sheepishly before looking back up.

"Umm...not that i have anything to do right now...and if we are suppose to be fellow students, I do wish to be come aquainted with you all but...uummm...what's ice cream? I'm guessing it is a food? Am i right?" she asked, blinking nervously, feeling very uncomfortable.

Celes stood slightly covered by the shadow of the building as Lord Raymond joined the other cadets. She wrapped her arms around her chest as she stared sadly at Alan. She could see the toll his power would take on his soul and it made her shiver. Her gaze quickly moved across the others, horriabily impressed by what she saw.

Her wings safely melded back into her body, she ran a nervous hand through her hair. She stopped, frowing sadly, as her finger tips brushed her horns. They traced the ram-like curl.

The stigmata of my parent's love. Burdened to bear their mistake, she thought to herself.

Taking a deep breath, Celes gathered all the strength she could. She swallowed her fear and moved silently over to the group. Head down as she quietly made her way over, she tilted her angelic face up at them.

"Sorry to intrude...but...umm...Corporal Punishment sent me...to find you guys. Umm...my name is Celestra Desmonte, please call me Celes. I'm...i'm a fellow cadet..."she trailed off, obviously nervous.

Her ice blue eyes met each of theirs, a mix of soft shyness and slight defiance. She rubbed absently at her arm.

"Well...i found you but he didn't give me any other orders...so now I'm at a loss of what to do?"she smiled lightly.

"Just have to ask..." Celes trailed off, looking back over at the battle. She mentaly sent a smokey tendril of her shadow aura out towards one of the trollkin. It slithered across the ground like a snake. The tendril slipped inside the troll's aura and latched on to his spiritual esscence. Celes could feel the life energy flow back to her. She spread her hands over Lord Raymond and transfered that life energy to him, coating him like a blanket.

She recalled her aura as she stood back from him. She extened a gloved hand and helped him to his feet.

"I'm Celes and I've been sent to help," she replied staring at him. Her voice almost sounded melodic.

She glanced back at the others. Noticing a group of the trolls slightly grouped together, she quickly judged the distance. Throwing her hand out in an arch, she lanced a wave of sparkling energy towards the trolls, knocking a few back.

She smiled at Lord Raymond." Shall we?" she asked, motioning to the other cadets.

Celes quietly watched the group of cadets as they fought the trollkin. They have to be the ones Corprol Punishiment sent me to find. Her mind flashed to the brief conversation she had with him after she returned from her assigned leave. He wanted to test her 'unique' hunting abilites and to show him that she wasn't useless. Staring down at them as she flew over she was able to piece together the 'scent' she had followed here from the base. Molten rock, gunpowder, metal, burnt air, and something very familiar to her that she couldn't place.

She was impressed by how they fought, almost as if they had done this before. She did a rollover and began to dive down towards the group to aid them in battle. As she headed in, she felt a tug on her soul. A swirling vortex began to grow in her stomach. She heard the whisper of voices in her ear. Dark voices, screaming and bellowing at her. She shook her head clear as she glanced down. She saw the all-too familiar darkness crawl into existence around one of the cadets.

Celes winced as she could feel the pull again. Great...that's what was familiar.

As she flew down from the shadows in the sky, she noticed the man encased in the earth get thrown over a building. She quickly changed corse and flew to him.Scanning him quickly, she could tell he was barly holding on to consiousiness.

"Well he said to help if needed...i guess it's needed," she sighed aloud as she swooped down on Lord Raymond.

She floated down to stand next to his prone body, hands outspread in a non-agressive manner. Her slightly etheral wings of white bleeding into black slowly collasped back into her shoulders. She knelt down by him, her long sun-kissed white hair falling over one shoulder. The shadow from the building could not hide the black and purple ram's horns that sprang from her hair. Her ice blue eyes looked at him with slight concern.

"I am here to help," she spoke softly as she held her hands over his body.

"Will you allow me to help you?" she asks him, blinking nervously at him.


(( Celestra Desmonte,23, 6'1", blonde hair blue eyes, rams' horns, Black leather corasette, black pants with purple flames rising from the legs, black boots and gloves.))