Glances sorrowfully at inbox Look at it, there's cobwebs in it. Please be a good reviewer and do your duty, REVIEW!!!!!!!! In my bio, there's a summary of the sequel: the title's definitely going to be Guardian of Hope. Yes, it's a bit early to be thinking of a sequel when I'm in the early stages of the first one, but I had it all planned out and wanted to boast so look at it, please.

Once again, another poll is on the horizon.

Yami Bakura (Kage)/Celestia

Or

Atem (Yami)/Celestia

If you have any other ideas for pairings, please tell me. Just know that I don't do lemons. Just thinking about them makes me blush so it's just going to be the usual fluffy feel-good stuff.

Disclaimer: Never owned Yu-Gi-Oh so don't sue or else I will get Celestia to destroy your immortal soul. Just so you know. That's for all you lawyers with a restraining order tendency out there too!


Angel of Light

Chapter 8

Competition between Stars

A splash of water awoke Seth from his dreams of total power and brought him gasping for air to the real world.

"I thought girls aren't allowed in a boy's bedroom!" he shouted as soon as life-giving air flowed into his lungs.

"They aren't," Celestia replied, her voice tinged with amusement. Her voice sounded lightly muffled. "I'm not in your room, blockhead. I've been calling for you to wake up for ten minutes now!" The door to his room was closed and in semi-darkness.

"Get up now or we'll be late for lessons! I've already missed the beginning of one ritual, which is dastardly for me. Hurry up!" Seth jerked open the door, fully dressed.

"About time," she griped. Celestia was as fresh and unwrinkled as ever and Seth, surprisingly, was too.

"I usually start the day at five, so you're getting off easy. The others start at seven, but since you're probably used to this thing, you start at five also."

"Joy," Seth said.

They arrived at the dining hall and, without pausing; Celestia grabbed some fruit and ate on the go. She motioned for Seth to do the same.

"We're not stopping because I have to show you to your classrooms and they don't take place all in the same spot, which you might think," she explained. Celestia dragged him all over the temple and when Seth protested, said,

"Do you want to learn something or not? I would have thought that since you come from the city, you'd be used to this sort of thing." At last she led him back to the first room and told him to wait for the teacher.

"Slave driver," Seth muttered.

"City boy," she muttered back. He glared at her, not amused.

"We'll have a few classes together; ask anyone if you get lost. One last thing," she looked around furtively and whispered, "Good luck." Celestia went to Physical Training and he waited in silence.

Who was Celestia?

She talked too fine to be a merchant's daughter, but lacked the appearance and grace to be nobility. It seemed that she had a multi- dimensional personality, but that could be attributed to any number of causes. And if she was a tomb robber or bandit, she would have never passed the initiation test imposed on all aspiring priestesses of Mas-Ne-Ra.

At least I won't be bored, he thought as class began.
Seth had become one of the Golden Sun trainees with no problem. Of course, part of that ease came from the fact that he was a rival of Celestia's. And any rival of Celestia was a friend of Malik and the others.

Or so they thought.

The first time that Malik tried to recruit him into playing a prank on her, he was told that Seth needed to study.

The second time he attempted to do so, Seth pleaded a blot on his perfect record.

The third time he tried, he was told in no uncertain terms to clear off

The next time, Malik ended up upside-down stuck to a stone wall with a sticky substance that he wanted to put in her hair.

He left him alone after that, to the relief of both boys.

Celestia remained blissfully unaware of all this and became good enough at physical training to paralyze a trainee who was about to hex her (the girl recovered, but was never the same). She could also be found mock-dueling with Seth and winning half the time.

A year went by quickly and Seth returned to Memphis several times to visit. He always came back to the Golden Sun Temple, much to the surprise of his father and friends.

This time, Seth was gone for longer than usual and even Celestia was beginning to worry. It showed in her fighting and spell casting until she had to be put on cleaning duty to relax. She was putting too much power and force into her attacks and even Mas-Ne-Ra noticed.

Finally the caravan appeared on the horizon, much to Celestia's–and the priestess's-relief. Almost immediately she regained her sense of reason and wiped the memories of all the temple residents clean of the past few weeks. Any abnormal activity would certainly spread like wildfire to his ears and given the secrecy Celestia was surrounded in, one good fact could ensure her downfall.

But Seth wasn't the same and when Celestia greeted him with her usual sarcastic tone, he just ignored her and walked to the garden.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked the caravan merchant.

"It's what you didn't say," he confided. "The boy's been wrapped up in sadness ever since he joined us from Memphis. Something's happened to him, I'd tell one of the boys to ask him what."

Of course, since Seth was her brother, she didn't give the duty to anyone else-definitely not Malik-but instead went to the garden and resumed annoying him.

Celestia levitated an apple and threw it at him. It landed at his feet and he didn't even glance at it.

"Leave me alone, Celestia," he said but she sat down beside him.

"Any reason why you're moping about like a dog that lost his bone?" she asked.

"None that I should tell you, go away," he turned away. Celestia didn't bother trying to probe.

"You know, when I first heard that I'd have to show you around, I thought, great, another person who'll laugh at me and play tricks like the others. Only, I thought you'd be worse since I have never heard of a kind noble except our Pharaoh and maybe his son." Seth didn't move but neither did he tell her to go away. Celestia continued.

"When I finally met you, I thought that you'd just be here for a month or until you grew bored of this and moved on to a different interest, like nobles usually do. Now you've been here for a year and during that time, you have beaten me at half the mock-duels, tried to push me out of first place and generally made horrendous chaos." This time Seth faintly smirked and Celestia was encouraged.

"Every time you had a problem you would make it known to the world, particularly me, and haven't I helped you through most of them?"

"I assure you that it was unwanted help," he said stiffly.

"They worked."

Even Seth had to nod with reluctance.

"Good. Now what's your problem this time? Lost a few deben gambling? Drank too much beer? Played a prank on the Pharaoh?" Seth winced at each suggestion.

"I'm too young for gambling, too old for playing pranks, and all together too sensible to drink beer," he pointed out. Celestia just looked at him and even though his back was turned, he could feel her stare drilling into his back. He sighed and turned around.

Might as well just say it, he thought.

"My mother died last week," he said flatly. "She died of a strange disease but wanted to see me before she passed on to the next life." Then he broke down, not crying, that would ruin his image, but instead grew faintly violent. Seth got up and punched a section of the wall, regardless of the rough surface. Celestia got up uneasily.

"I made her suffer more each day," he whispered to himself. "I didn't see her right away, thinking that it was nothing serious. I casually tossed away her wellbeing for my city friends. I'm such a fool!" Seth began punching and kicking the wall until it shook at its base.

Celestia saw red staining her brother's hand and quickly got between Seth and the wall, blocking his blows with trouble. Seth increased his force and accuracy to match hers and soon they were fighting in earnest.

"You know what perplexes me?" he gasped after a while. Celestia stood back, impassive, while hiding her arms behind her back. Seth was growing stronger and his blows left noticeable bruises. If he saw them, she'd never be able to get close to him again because he'd be cautious not to hurt her.

"During her final hour, she told me about something strange. I was supposed to have a twin sister who Father abandoned deep in the desert. She wants me to find out what happened to the girl because she believes that my sister is dead. Mother doesn't remember what she named the girl either. I don't want to sound skeptical or anything, but Father is not the type of man who kills needlessly. Still, I wonder..." he trailed off and began sparring with Celestia once more.

You'd be surprised if you knew the truth about your father, she thought grimly. Still, it's better that I stop this rumor before he begins searching.

"Are you sure that your mother is right in the head?" she asked while they fought. "I don't know the woman, but you've told me all about your father, Akenadin, was it? You're right; he doesn't seem like a killer. However, your mother seems a bit strange to me. Why would she choose to tell you now instead of when you could first understand her?" A punch evaded her defense and made its way to her stomach. She doubled over, wheezing for breath as Seth stood watching her angrily.

"You don't know my mother! It seems strange, I know, but she rarely tells lies on such a believable scale."

"You're right; I don't know your mother." Celestia slowly got to her feet, ignoring the pain that still throbbed. "I never knew any mother." She came towards Seth and lifted his hands, still bleeding. Celestia sent a few silver sparks to his hands to heal them.

"I do know this: If her last wish is to find this twin sister of yours, then by all means, start searching. Don't let your father get involved because since he is the one accused of this deed, he might try to stop you." Seth glared at her but she held his gaze steadily. He looked away first and when he looked back, she was walking away, rubbing her arms surreptitiously.

She suddenly stopped and said without turning around, "I make allowance for your grief and although you used unnecessary force to try and beat me into submission, just know that I feel sorrow for your loss as well. Don't start thinking that you are the only one who feels this pain." Celestia waited until she was in the sanctuary to burst into tears.

"Stupid Seth," she said gruffly, swiping at her tears. "Of course he's always right and I'm always in the wrong. If he knew who I really was, would he welcome me with open arms? Or would he push me away with repugnance thinking that I was the cause of Mother's death? Stop crying, already!" she commanded herself.

Tears are what makes you a human and you can only grow stronger from this, Mas-Ne-Ra said in her mind.

"I hate being a human then, if my emotions can be so easily defined. I hate this life, why these circumstances? Of all the choices in the world, why do I have to be stuck with an arrogant brother, false identity and egotistical 'father?'" she said angrily.

You'll play your part in history. Fate is...whimsical when it comes to arranging the future.

"Fate can go hang itself!" Celestia snapped.

You don't want it to hear you; it has a nasty way of dealing with unbelievers. Besides, don't you want to become a powerful priestess?

"Yes, but why does it have to be so hard?"

Don't worry; life gets better in the future for you. You'll see.

Celestia looked suspicious. "Why do I have the feeling that you have something planned?" There was no answer. She rolled her eyes and looked up to the ceiling.

"Gods. Never there when you need them," she said, exasperated.


Awwww.....They had a semi-fluffy moment. Even if it ended in Celestia getting punched... What'll happen to Celestia? Will Seth ever discover her true identity? You'll have to keep reading!!!! I won't update until I have fifteen reviews!!!!!!!!