Celty's penmanship was something to envy. It wasn't a simple scrawl, or illegible scrap, it was a beautiful manuscript full of perfect rises and effortless falls. The only problem is her notes were often in a foreign language, such as Latin or her mother's native language without a name. When she did write in English, she wrote everything in complicated recipes one would have to have brilliance and patience to read, not to mention copy. Though nonetheless, her writing was beautiful to look at, and she had pages and pages of notes, records, and theories. At the age sixteen, Celty Makuda-Castellano was one of the most brilliant minds to walk the planet Earth, and she had learned it under the close care and study of her mentor the immortal wizard that lived only what seemed a few minutes' walk from her home.
She set down her quill; Wizard glanced up from his manual. The scratching of her feathered pen taking notes was a sound he'd grown so accustomed to listening to, when it stopped he was more disturbed then had it continued on for hours.
"Gale… Am I a freak of nature"? Wizard's manual nearly slipped from his grasp at that question.
"Celty, what do… You mean by that"? He asked he was bewildered, what did he answer to the girl he mentored all her life, which his feelings were so deep for that he allowed her to call him by his own name?
"Gale, you know exactly what I mean… People around the village whisper about me when I pass, and no one associates with me other then you and my family"… She pushed back from her seat, and stood up. Her long blue braid fell down her back and her petite form was lost inside the depths of her silken green and silver cloak like his that he gave her for her previous birthday.
"Celty… You're so brilliant… I would think…that a town's gossip… would be below you". She sighed, picking up parchments, scrolls, and her quill and ink vat she set everything with extreme care in the contents of her rucksack.
"It's getting late; I'm going to head home now. Mother's probably got dinner set out, and I have to help Axel with his homework"… She slipped on the silver silk hood and placed it over her face in a way she hoped would help her go unnoticed.
Her heels of her boots clicked against the pavement as snickers were heard.
"There goes Celty, holding her head high, pretending she's too good for everyone else". Girls her own age, children of her parent's friends taunted her as she walked by. Celty picked up her pace and hurried home. She heard a deep woof and a grin broke out onto her face as she knelt to the ground. She had barely crossed the stone bridge after passing Simon's photos to see the white Pyrenees dog bounding to her.
"Shizuo, there's my big fluffy boy"! The young girl wrapped her arms around the dog's furry neck and hugged him. Each day her beloved dog would meet her outside of town and walk her home. Celty had gotten Shizuo when she turned the age of thirteen, and fed her entire lunch to him. They had quickly befriended, and eventually Shizu-chan had followed her home one day and never left.
Axel spooned mashed potatoes onto his plate as his mother set down the main course. Her crackling bread sang songs to his ears and made his mouth water. Suddenly the door opened, and his sister stepped inside, followed by Shizuo.
"Hello family… I have returned from… My studies"… She whispered, as far as Axel could remember his sister had always been quiet, except for the time she was with her teacher. Then she would speak riddles of lengthy formulas and explain them thoroughly. Anywhere but her teachers home, she was quiet, reserved within herself, she didn't speak unless spoken to.
"Good evening dear and welcome home. How were lessons"?
"They were… Fine as usual… Thanks for… Asking"… Celty slid into her usual chair and removed her hood, folding her hands in her lap and keeping her head down, her dark blue braid fell over her shoulder and the tips of her hair skimmed the pale flesh of her right wrist.
"Axel…If you'd like… I can help with… your homework"… Hikari's eldest daughter was so much like Wizard these days. She spent hours staring at the stars, or writing her formulas and studying her alchemy books. Sometimes Hikari would find her daughter at night, holding a glass tube standing in the kitchen measuring the liquids bubbling contents within and taking notes, or outside behind the barn wrapped her favorite cloak, staring at the stars. Hikari would never disturb her daughter, but only stand off to the side and watch her daughter's brilliance unfold. Ever since she had been born Celty's fascination and world had been based of Wizard.
"Luke honey, careful not to slouch too much, you might upset your stomach before dinner". The two of them were getting old, Luke, like she had put on a few pounds and their hair had scattered follicles of silver, and when she smiled her face wrinkled. She was no nineteen year old farmer anymore, she was not bathing in the spring of her youth, and neither was her husband. But she was happy, and from what she gathered so was the rest of her family. That examination Doctor Jin on her had been nothing but a checkup… But if it had, why had she kept it a secret from her family?
"Axel Castellano, you are fourteen years old! I will not have you speaking that profanity at the dinner table. Look at your behavior"! Hikari scolded halfheartedly. Her mind was, elsewhere and it would remain elsewhere.
"Sorry Ma". Sighing and setting dinner on the table she rubbed the small of her back before taking place beside her husband.
'I'm not old enough to have serious health dysfunction'. She tried not to think on how in her family's heredity, the youngest tended to get the earliest fatal diseases. She'd phone Yuuki later, and check in on it, but only when the rest of her family was asleep and couldn't hear her distress.
Celty stepped from bed, her long blue hair creating a curtain against the stark pale of her face. Her eyes flickered to her brother's snoozing form in his bed; he remained asleep as the base of her heels came in contact with the cold floor. She stepped into her boots and took her cloak from the lower bed frame. Tiptoeing to the desk she gathered her astronomy books and crept from the bedroom.
"Yuuki, it was a simple check up, I'm sure I'm fine". Her mother's voice broke through the quiet of the house. Celty sucked in her breath and sunk into the shadows.
"Doctor Jin said he'd get into touch with me tomorrow to go over the exams. They won't find anything. I'm nearly positive that my health is in mint condition". Celty's eyes widened and she listened to her uncle's faint bickering on the other line.
"Yuuki, I'm not old, and I don't have Makuda style cancer. You need to relax; you'll get me riled up". Celty's books dropped from her hand and clattered to the floor. She emerged from the shadows, her eyes wide.
"Mother, you have cancer"? Her mother dropped the telephone receiver in fright. Hikari hadn't known someone had been listening in. Celty shook her head, her eyes damp and shining.
"No it can't be true, you lie"! Celty turned on her heel and threw open the door in the front hall and ran out.
"Celty"… Hikari whispered to her fleeing daughter. Luke suddenly appeared by her side, rubbing his eyes, his blue hair stuck out at different angles.
"What's going on? Is that snowman pestering you again"? He sounded like a sleepy boy trying to play hero. Instead Hikari turned into his chest and cried.
On the other side of the line, Yuuki heard nothing but dial tone. This was the bad thing about living on the mainland, the service to the Island Hikari lived on was so delicate. His wife, Emily emerged from their bedroom, his young Xander followed suit, his nightshirt tangled with sleep.
"What's going on, Yuuki"? Asked his wife, her short blonde hair was pressed, while his sons was a bright fluff that made Yuuki think of a duckling against the side of their head's.
"My sisters in trouble, I'm going to the island to see her".
Celty's boots thundered against the silence as her heels echoed the aging stone bridge. Shizuo bounded behind his mistress, fearing for her well being. Suddenly, Celty's heel slipped against a worn rock in the ground. She lost her balance, flailing her arms at the free fall, she attempted to slow herself. Crashing into the ground, Hikari felt her palms bloody and her night dress tearing at her knees. Hot tears poured down her cheek as she stood up. Her hands and knees stinging, embedded with soil and rocks she began walking. She had one destination in mind.
Gale was just finishing stargazing on the crisp fall night when he heard the click of boots, and toe nails against the road. Shizuo the massive canine trotted over and woofed quietly. Celty appeared afterword, crying, bloody and battered. Her face was streaked with tears, and her hair normally kept and well cared for was loose matted against her damp face. Even in her state of misery, Celty looked beautiful, Wizard could count on one hand on how many times he'd seen her hair down and it was a favored occasion. Wizard held open his arms, and Celty dove into them, he wrapped her in the warmth of his cloak and body heat as she trembled against him.
"My mother is going to die"… Her voice, a hoarse whisper of pain croaked against his chest, as Celty spilled her story of overhearing the conversation between her beloved mother, and her favorite uncle.
"Drink… It will… soothe you"… Celty lay in his bed, her hands and knees bandaged, her lovely face clean, and a bed sheet draped around her nearly naked form from him as her night clothing was being sewn and washed. Now Wizard offered her a steaming cup of relaxation potion judging by its contents.
"It is… Only soup…" Wizard whispered, he smiled softly, at her suspicions and teachings she had been trained to recognize a potions formula to its most basic contents, those after all were most of the time the most lethal and strongest. Celty brought the sheet tighter around the bareness of her collar bone as Wizard brought the saucer to her lips. The warm drink dribbled slightly down her chin, and was a cream colored stain on the white sheet. As the cup drained Celty laid back and Wizard pat the blankets encasing her to make sure she was warm and comfortable.
"Gale"? She murmured sleepily.
"What…is it? Are you…uncomfortable"?
"No I was simply wondering… Have you ever peered into your own heart…? With your crystal ball"? Wizard was astounded; no one had ever asked him that, not even her mother. They just asked for their fortunes, and their fortunes alone.
"I thought not"… Celty said, her eyes shut and her breathing slowed, evened and Celty was asleep. Wizard walked to his crystal ball and stared inside; he placed his hands on the base and used his power. A world of images exploded before him.
"Her name is Celty". A vanilla smelling bundle cooed and grinned at him.
"Is this right, Wizard"? The young girl held in her hands a hovering purple orb that gave of a shaky glow. Her magical skills increased rapidly as children at the age of four shouldn't be able to manifest visibly solid magic, but here she stood grinning, awaiting his praise.
"Here, happy birthday, Wizard". Celty at the age of nine grinned holding out a yellow tissue papered box tied with pink string.
"I love it, oh Wizard thank you"! The young girl marveled at her reflection adorned in the silken cloak.
"Gale… Am I a freak of nature"?
He was swimming in the image of the warmth of her eyes, being lost in the sapphire of her hair. He looked in his heart and saw the sleeping girl just a few feet away.
"Her name is Celty"
"Celty"…
"Celty"…
"Celty"…
Wizard stood from his seat and walked over to Celty's dreaming form. He sat beside her on the feather bed mattress. Celty sighed and smiled in her sleep. He slowly reached out and touched the deep sapphire tresses that fell down the bare of her back. His heart hurt, and his throat swelled. Had he not been immortal, Wizard would be twenty years of age, only four years prior to his precious Celty. Though with her pain at her new discovery of her mother's health, he didn't dare unbalance his behavior in fear of causing her more confusion.
The icy wind lifted Celty's blue hair, but she didn't notice. She stood beside her brother and father one year later as their beloved mother and wife was lowered into the dark ground. Her uncle Yuuki stood off to the side looking grim, his head lowered and his hat held over his heart. The sea below the cliff was grey and frightening, sinister and cold. The world seemed to have felt just as heartbroken at the fact Hikari Makuda-Castellano's life was cut short.
"I can't believe she is gone"… Akari said filing out of the graveyard, her brother nodded. A chilly wind blew against their backs as a parade of black left the church ground. All except for Luke and his children, who held them close to his chest. The three of them waited till the grounds were clear of people before crying.
Luke stayed long after his son and daughter left, kneeling to his late wife's grave. It had an image of the Harvest Goddess and Hikari holding hands surrounded by flowers.
'In loving memory of Hikari Rue Makuda
1930-1965
A loving Wife, Sister, Mother, and friend,
You will forever and eternally be missed'.
"Hikari, I'll never forgive you! You've broken my heart, more than my mother did"! Luke beat his fists against the ground; his own tears fell against the petals of the flowers that had been left.
"I won't forgive you, for hurting me like this"… Sobbed Luke, the pain he felt was worse than any other pain in the world.
Celty and Axel curled together in Celty's bed. The front door opened, than shut signaling that their father was home. The bedroom door opened, and Luke looked in at his children. His face was haggard and his eyes looked broken.
"Come on Celty, Axel. You guys can sleep in my bed".
After her mother's death, Celty began to disappear further inside herself, and Axel's behavior turned for the worst. Luke lost his ability to control or have hold of his family. Celty scarcely spoke a word to her father, nor was she ever home.
Axel glared at how pathetic his father had become. According to Mayor Gill his father used to be full of life, exciting, and immensely irritating. Now he was a haggard old man who had lifeless dull eyes. There were times when Axel despised himself and his sister being near carbon cut outs of their father. Only Celty was lucky enough to have born with his mother's eyes. There was little to no trace of Luke in her eyes. Axel almost envied his sister for his mother's eyes. There was something that kept him from full on jealousy; all Celty's eyes had in common with his mom have been the color and shape. Celty's eyes were hidden, and only warmed for Wizard, while Hikari's eyes had been glittering warm pools of love for everyone. Celty was selfish keeping that love to her and Wizard only.
They sat together, the three of them stoically nibbled at their dinner. None of them had inherited the ability to cook. The meal, supposed to be a casserole was burned and tasteless. Luke set his fork onto his plate and looked at his wife's empty chair.
"I'm sending you two to live with your aunt Akari and Uncle Takeru". Forks clamored to their plates noisily as Shizuo woofed in alarm.
"You aren't healthy here, and I've realized that I'm not suitable to care for you two. The loss of your mom has been too hard".
"You coward, how dare you uproot us from our homes"! Snarled Celty completely out of character, Luke and Axel stared in shock. Celty stood up, her brown eyes blazing and her lips curled back venomously.
"If you dare take me away from Wizard and Shizuo in spite of your own selfishness and pity, you're nothing then a faceless coward! You are not the man mother married"! Celty in all her years had never raised her voice at anyone especially her mother or father.
"Dad I agree with Celty. You can't make that decision for us. Besides we hate uncle Takeru and aunt Akari's house"! Their uncle and aunt had inherited the Makuda clan's money, land, and mansion. They also refused to allow dogs on the plot; Celty had learned that the hard way on a family visit when she was fourteen.
Luke rest his face in his palm and breathed deeply. His own children thought of him as a faceless coward. Celty turned her face to her brother and moved aside her hair from her face.
"Axel, prepare an overnight bag… We are going to grandfathers"! Luke studied his daughter then. At that moment he saw only Hikari in her eyes, and he grinned.
"Dad, how can you grin at a time like this"? Axel asked standing from the dining chair. Celty shook her head and vanished through the doorway to their bedroom.
"Your sister is more like your mother then we thought"…
"Come and fetch us when you've matured into the father we thought you were". Celty said while holding both her and brother's suitcase in each hand. The siblings stood alongside each other outside the front door. Luke nodded stiffly and Shizuo bounded past him to be with his beloved owner. Axel shifted and adjusted his rucksack nervously as Celty spoke; her voice held emotion and strength for once, it made him extremely nervous.
Axel followed his sister through the dark as the final lights of their home shut off.
"Sis, this isn't the way to grandpa's house".
"I'm not going to grandfathers, I'm going to Wizards, and then I'm going to leave the island".
"What about Shizuo and me"? He was frightened now; would his sister really abandon him?
"You may come if you wish".
Axel had never been in the Wizard's home, but as he watched his sister speak quietly to the owner of the house in the kitchen, he was marveled. This man loved his older sister, and his older sister loved this man. Their eyes spoke for one another, pleading for a confession, and pleading her not to leave. She slid a vanilla envelope from her pocket and placed it in his palm.
"Goodbye, Wizard".
"I bid you… Farewell Celty Makuda"…
"Thank you, Wizard. You have been a great mentor to me… I will always be in eternal debt for that". He gently took her hand, and kissed her pale knuckles.
"Consider your debt paid". She nodded and stepped away from him, both Axel and Shizuo exited the home and Celty collected her bag from the shelf, and her luggage from the doorstep.
The siblings slept on the bench at the lighthouse, well Axel slept against the crook of his sister's shoulder until his head fell into her lap. She removed her green cloak from her shoulders and draped it over his sleeping form as she watched the stars.
"He hasn't come… His feelings for me must be only teacher and student"… She whispered to the chilly night sky, her heart hurt with that truth. He would always be to her, so much more.
Wizard watched her from a distance, as she whispered to the stars and guarded her brother. The dog slept at her feet and the wind blew their hair. It was late summer, and the final warm evenings had begun to fade into the brisk autumn weather. He wondered what secrets were held inside the envelope that lay on his table. He refused to open it until the ship had taken his pupil from him.
In the morning as the siblings set their tickets to the mainland into the hands of the boat captain Axel shivered, and Celty set her cloak onto his shoulders.
"When we arrive in the city… I will teach you everything I know"…
Wizard tore the envelope as the boats foghorn sounded, and he watched the two siblings and a dog chug away on an ocean liner, his hands shook as he removed the white paper inside. Unfolding it Celty's beautiful scrawl unveiled itself.
'"Wizard, I don't know if you will choose to discard this, or are reading this but I hope you are. You see from the time I've been little, my dreams have not to be an alchemy doctor and heal everyone, but to be a normal woman and to fall in love. One of my dreams came true, my dear Wizard, and that was to fall in love. The man that held my heart is the man reading this. I love you Wizard, I love you Gale. You are the only one who ever truly understood me… If your feelings for me are the same, meet me at the lighthouse at midnight tonight. Axel and I will be taking up residence there for the evening. If not, well at least please be at the docks to wish us goodbye from the harbor. We are headed to the mainland, and the city where my brother and I can flourish. I do not know if we will ever return to face you or our father again. If we don't, please take forgiveness into consideration.
Love Always
Celty"
Three years prior to then, Wizard still had not aged a day. Luke at the news of his children's departure from the island lost himself and will to live. Each night he was found at the Brass Bar, drinking his pain away. Children grew into adults, and married off, and had children themselves. People, who Hikari once knew as close friends, were well aged and aching. Wizard had not heard from Celty since the day she had left. Till the day the foghorn blew, signaling the boat was back from the mainland.
A young woman, who was nearly as stunning as the Harvest Goddess stepped off, her long blue hair, fell past her hips, and her rose pink lips grinned faintly. She turned her head and called out in a language the residents could not understand, her companions appeared, and stepped to the plank, and walked onto the safety of the dock. Her companion slid off a matching hooded white cloak as the beautiful female and the Islanders were stunned to see he was as beautiful as she.
The man with her had long blue hair to his elbows and a smiling face. His golden cat eyes gleamed in familiarity, and he riddled off a loud series of unrecognizable words in a foreign tongue. He towered over the woman, but she seemed to be in charge.
"Hello, Castanet Island. You may not recognize us, but it is I Celty Makuda Castellano, and my dear brother Axel Makuda Castellano. We have returned after our long voyage to our home and to our father". With that explanation the boy nodded to his elder sister and began marching toward his old home, Shizuo the dog in tow. Celty clutched the worn handle on her brown leather suitcase and fingered the cracking woodwork.
"I wonder if he'll ever forgive me, after that letter"… She began a different way, being ogled at by the males of the as she passed she neared the wooden door, grinning slightly as its lack of change and his décor over time. She rested her knuckles on the door and beat gently three times, and only three times. The door opened letting a slim light into the dim and dusty room.
"How can…I help…You"? He asked the woman before him, she grinned and touched his face.
"Gale, I'm home". And he pulled her into his arms, she squealed joyously at his recognition of herself as in adult.
"Don't…Ever leave me again…I love you…To much for that"… She turned up to him, a combination of her late mother's eyes, and her own glittering with tears of happiness she guided her hand to his face and rest her lips to his. When they parted, he set his forehead against hers and smoldered her eyes with his own.
"Do you know how much…Trouble you caused"? His voice was a failed attempt at being stern.
"I am… My mother's daughter".