#impossible balance

Chapter one

Rift in space

rushing to the research lab, running down about 20 flights of stairs. The red flashing lights and loud blaring alarms of the “transport rift” protocol only made me run faster. I'm the one who worked with portals, but i've never worked with one of these.

It's kinda thrilling.

But even with all my training I was working on instinct. I grabbed the pack they set up for me just like in practice. Checking over items in my head, two weeks worth of food and water, fresh clothes, and a notebook with a pen. 

“Holy arceus” 

Thing has to be a least 20 feet tall

“It's a big one aint it” Nemona’s voice knocks me back to this reality

“Yeah, but, i think i'm ready to see the other side of it” shifting my weight from left to right trying to keep my feet off the ground to prevent a rainbow of foot prints from appearing below me, whilst hot potatoing my bag between hands to prevent the same issue.

“Where's penny? I wanna go nerd out with her before I leave” despite the fear this is really exciting. But that's not the only reason i need to talk to her

“Right office. The one with the colored handprints” crap- i forgot to change her door back after last time we hung out. I told her we shouldn't have played that new paintball game on hard mode.

I thank nemona as I run off down the right hall and burst through Penny's door. I pance as I try to get my breath back.

“Hey cel, you good? I know this is stressful but you're leaving prints everywhere” 

“I'm trying to get it all out before jumping into arceus knows where, potentially a place that demigods ain't welcome” my voice was louder than it should have been. Penny seemed unnerved. 

After pacing for a minute i swipe my foot over the bright spots i left everywhere, 

I need to get better at stopping those

I snap back to hear Penn calling my name “celeste, celeste, the gateway rift is destabilizing. You need to get going” 

Am I ready?

“Good luck cel” she smiled and bent down to hug me before pushing me to the door.

“See y'all in a fortnight” saluting before spinning on my heel and walking into the bright gateway was the last time i could call myself “normal” by demigod standards.

Memories replay in my mind, my seventh birthday still stands out as different. 

Sitting there with that necklace in my hands

The celestial steel was warm like it was fresh off of mom’s bench

It was so colorful

Like etherialy vibrant

“My darling boy, have i told you the story of your name?”

“I dont think so mama”

She took a deep breath, not as if she was tense but more as if she was content

“I named you after this very metal, because when i found you your eyes shone with the same vibrant light of this necklace”

I remember looking at her and giggling 

“Fun story mama, but my eyes are blue not rainbow!”

“Either way kiddo, i hope this necklace will guide you to have a life as vibrant as its colors”

I looked into the metal for hours, it felt so warm, as if it was a part of me i had lost 

And now in this gateway, this rift in the universe gives me the same feeling, and the colors are just as vivid

That sweet nostalgia quickly fades to show me things i hope to never see again

Memories of potential futures.

Standing on the edge of a shattered planet

Those vivid colors coating my own body

The core of my home slowly ripping away at me as it did to my family. 

But that was never gonna be the worst of it 

Was it?

Glowing wings rapped round my eyes.

I can hear someone talking to me, but i cant make out their words

Well, except for two words

“Thank you”

@forbidden-royal

Memories replay in my mind, my seventh birthday still stands out as different. 

Sitting there with that necklace in my hands

The celestial steel was warm like it was fresh off of mom’s bench

It was so colorful

Like ethereally vibrant

enjoy ur nugget

‘What are we supposed to do about him’

‘Just don't let him interfere’

‘we were created to uphold balance not to keep random masters from showing up in the realms’

‘Even if he interferes destiny will head on the same path, it doesn't change’

‘Solaris, you're in charge of watching the kid’

‘Damn it’ 

Weird dream. Cool dragon looking things though. meh time to get up. Vincent is taking me to the city around midday. So I gotta brush my teeth and get my Sterling City Kelpies shirt for the game in the evening when we meet up with everyone else.

“ Where in the great gods am I” opening my eyes revealed a blank ceiling, no stickers, no color spots. This isn't home, what did I do last night? 

I shake my head trying to rack it for ideas when my eyes hit a sleeping figure on a nearby couch, Lloyd. How did i forget the rift, i never forget stuff like this. Maybe it's portal lag, is that a thing?

And why didnt i panic when I noticed I wasn't home?

I remove the green quilt from my lap and see my bag on the other side of the bed. I grab a small pack of poke snacks for my team and a piece of bread for Miri. Picking up each pokeball and releasing its inhabitant.

I pat waves on her head, remembering when I adopted her. 

‘And this is the runt of the litter, and so far one of 300 world wide cases of pre birth evolution, and one of 70 fusion eeveelutions’ 

I pat the little week old vaporeon on its head and it nuzzles up to me.

‘No one wants her but scientists and we have a strict policy’

I look down at her sparkling orange eyes, I trace my finger around each of the gold rings of her webbed tail.

‘I want her’ i peep out as she sits in my lap and licks her paws

Then there was berry and cherry. The bonded pair of my ‘shiny’ hisuain zorua and my gardivoir. 

I never liked the normal battling method of catching pokemon. I prefer to set up a picnic or tent or something and let them come to me, if they want to stay they do and if not i let them go free.

‘Oh hi little ones’

They just sorta came up to me every few picnics and eventually they joined me in the elite four battle

Broccoli, my first pokemon. My starter as they call them.

“Ok guys, let's be quiet. Lloyd is sleeping '' I see everyone's version of a nod, they don't know who Lloyd is but if i don't want him up they wont wake him.

I walk out to the hall and choose to walk right looking at paintings as I go. Battles and portraits, Lloyd and other ninjas Arin told me about. They seem happy, it's sweet.

After walking throw the maze of a home i find a front door and open it to a well cared for courtyard, i run when i see Miri off to the side, she's barely awake by now but one of the ninja must have hooked her up to an outlet given the cord on her back.

“Good morning Miri” i pat her head and walk to the gate at the far end of the yard, everyone spread out and stretched their legs. I stop to admire the dragon statue centerpiece and continue to walk. The gate was light for its size and I opened it to meet the eyes of a teen with red hair in a loose bun and a pale seafoam gi.

“You come out here to watch the sunrise too?” I ask as I sit down next to her. She nods lightly. If this is Wyldfyre shouldn't she be energetic like Arin said? 

“I was told a lot about you, Arin said you were raised by a dragon '' I offer that Arin spoke about her and she sorta just looked off. So I talked about my sisters, three of which are half dragons. I saw her perk up at the mention of my eldest sister stella's dragon heritage and she began to ask questions by the time i started talking about flare, she was full on chatting with me when i got to talking about star.  

And then it happened, again, like always. My passive ability, everyone who is around me long enough will start telling me every fear or anxiety from their life. Maybe it would be nice if I were a gossip or blackmailer but I'm not. so i just listen, i hope that's enough. 

But wait, Arin and Lloyd were right next to me for a solid hour before passing out. Maybe they're just resistant, or maybe I'll finally have to earn someone's trust.

“Oh i see you've met celeste, wyldfyre” lloyd stood at the gate and held it open as wyldfyre and i walked in. wyldfyre seemed cold towards him, she was so happy a minute ago. Did Lloyd do something?

After waiting and corralling my mon’s to one side of the yard, Arin, someone I have to guess is sora given our matching hair, and a few other ninja Arin rambled about, came out to practice something they call “spinjitzu”. After watching for 10 or so minutes one of them came over and introduced themself as nya, she said that given my powers i might be able to learn this ancient technique.

So I got up, I listened, they had me do a course, then I spun. And spun. About three hours passed when something clicked, just not how it was supposed to.

‘What's the kid doing solaris?’

‘He's trying to learn spinjitzu, its kinda sad’

‘Dang, not even a spark?’ 

‘No, and given who i am i don't think he’ll ever do it’

‘Whats, that then.’

I spun, and the ground around me was no longer flat and gray, bright spikes protruded from it.

‘Not spinjitzu, go ask the high priestess’

‘You don't need to call her that’

“Well, this is interesting, know what” I looked at nya as she grabbed Arin’s hand and told him he should teach me, the face he made was so confused and mortified as he whisper-yelled to her about how he could barely do it himself. I gave him a thumbs up.

“Maybe I should figure out how to turn off the colorful death points first?” just a suggestion but nya told me to try and untense, and it worked. Kinda. I calmed down from the semi panic i didnt even notice had set in, and then the colors slithered on the ground. Nya was closer so she was first, they did just what they did to lloyds gi.

 Blues and grays of many shades swirled until a large sea serpent had formed on her gi.

A silver armored head piece depicting antlers grew from her hood, the lower half of the outfit gained a deep ombre and her belt now held a self-contained sea, the ends formed foam and everything. It's really cool. 

Then colors moved to Arin but it seemed like they couldn't touch him, so they returned to me and vanished back into the stone. Now, Cole walks out, sees the self containing confusion, spins on his heel and leaves.

Nya looks at her gi, she seems to have mixed feelings. Her face looks like the design brought back something she didn't want to remember but the glint in her eyes is hopeful not fearful. 

“I'm going in, arin you're coming with me” she grabs Arin again and drags him inside, he gives me a silent sorry as the door closes.

I notice wyldfyre, who has been watching this unfold. I didn't even see her come out here again. She asks if i can do that to her gi, i say i can try. And as if listening to me the colors shoot out to her like bullets.

The colors dont change much, nor does the pattern. The small bone of her belt shifts to a flare glass, something rare in my world. Then the belt shifts turning to have the slowly growing tails facing backwards, the flare glass is now at the tip of a tail made of fabric, what i should have prepared for was the tails movement. 

“CELESTE DID YOU JUST GIVE ME A TAIL” she didn't need to yell that loud but i wasn't in her shoes, id seen flare glass powered limbs and enhancements, heck i have one on right now, though its more discrete.

I mumble yeah whist calming her down, she fiddles with the tail as she quickly realizes her dream has come true. Shes a dragon now.

Kinda

‘Ok, this kid might be a threat to destiny.’

'call the madam?'

chapter two

colorful city

I blink the nightmares out of my head as i hit the ground on the other side of the rift

“Oh first master” is all i catch before being face to face with a young man around my age, his orange outfit matches the old photos of ninja gi’s in our history textbooks, with plate armor on his shoulder and head more similar to a kingambit’s.

“You ok? That looked like a hard fall '' I nod as I pick myself up from the ground with one hand and pull out the high range walkie talkie from my bag.

“Celeste to home base. I've made it over and” i look out to the sea of buildings not unlike levincia back home

“It looks like a mildly advanced city. Over "I spin to see the rift, its closing. Someone is shooting at it with a bright green beam.  I look to the source of said beam and see a young man in a green gi, his hood down to reveal blonde hair in a short ponytail. 

Colors pour out from my steps as I run over to him, that's my way home, and given the context I'm sure he’s why it was unstable. “Stop. please, that's my way home "I barrel into his side and the green stops pouring from his hands while we fall onto the ground.

To late

It closed 

I'm stuck

“Kid, what are you” it was then i noticed my bright trail from here to where my bag lay open on the ground. Oh gods, even my clothes looked splotched. I look down at the man as color seeps into his gi. That's odd the colors seemed purposeful, blacks golds and purples danced in the cloth.

“It's not supposed to do that” I sputtered as I climbed off the blonde. A gold shimmering symbol appeared on his right shoulder pad. I start to apologize and tell him I can fix it but he just gets up without a word.

“Are you an elemental master?” a what. Guess my face gave away that i'm not from here, if everything else didn't.  I mumble about being a demigod and blah blah small talk while I grab my bag.

“So you're a demigod of, what colors?” I nod as I pull out the delicately carved pokeball I put Miri in for the transport. I let zer out getting me some strange and amazed looks from who i now know as lloyd the skinny blonde in green, and arin the only slightly shorter black haired teen in orange.

“Miri travel mode please, im starting to think we’re gonna be here a while” the bright leds in zer neck, legs, and tail dim and fade to conserve energy. 

“So, I'm guessing you're going to need a place to stay- uhm, what's your name? '' Arin removed his horned hood to fully reveal his short black afro whilst talking to me.

“Celeste. My name is Celeste, and yes I would love to stay with you all. Especially given I'm gonna need to fix your sensei’s gi at some point” a word waterfall spilled out faster than i had hoped as i rambled about how my powers aren't normally that intricate, answering a few questions about my life and home.

“Sensei is a demigod too you know” earned poor Arin a god damn it look from said sensei, but he just kept talking and talking about lloyds family history. He ended up talking about something called an oni “a creature of destruction and darkness” he called them.

“Oni sound similar to my worlds ‘abyssal’, the soul stripped husks of an ancient race of people who worshiped the night” the look on lloyds face showed that he had thoughts he wasn't ready to say, while Arin got comfortable on the mat i had set out for us all to sit on. I ramble on about my world for a while as Arin listens intently. Asking questions every few sentences.

I get to talking about my family and bring up star. my shapeshifting older sister. And Lloyd seems more interested now, I'm starting to think he doesn't know much about his heritage. 

Arin says that he heard shapeshifting was like having a bunch of forms that are all just you in different bodies, which i explained was wrong

“Each form can have a mind of its own, but they tend to work together for the better of their main form. If you neglect one of those minds or arceus forbid try to cage it, it will start to work against you to gain control.” Arin seemed fascinated and looked like he could listen forever. But lloyd looked like he had an epiphany and an anxiety attack at the same time, he gestured for us to pack up and follow him

I gather the blanket up and stuff it back in my pack and explain it would be faster if we went on Miri while Lloyd gave directions. I received a head nod and off we went, i asked lloyd a few questions about power and if we could fashion a charge adapter so Miri could charge. He confirmed there was a good chance we could get something set up when we got to their home.

Their city was beautiful even from the outskirts we traveled on. It was bright and colorful like the flames of a flareon at the color festival, and the night sky was a dance of auroras that remind me of the night I made my first journey to town to see the stellaris lights last year. A sign of perfect harvest to them, but a sign our mother was thinking of us to me and vincent.

“Do you mind if I go to sleep?” I get some odd looks but Lloyd and Arin seem to trust Miri to listen. I shut my eyes and lay back on the seat. 

I think this is going to be a nice adventure mom.

I reach my hand up to my necklace and feel all the carvings.

 I'll tell you all about it soon mama, when you come home i'll tell you everything ive seen.

…

celeste is aro/ace

celeste is 11

celeste forms close bonds with people