Celestia POV

"I know." That simple statement had me looking up at him. He didn't seem angry, he was just looking at the rain. I decided to wait for him to make a move first and continued watching the storm. The longer I watched, the calmer I became. Hearing the sound of thunder, seeing the flash of lightning in the distance, and smelling the rainwater calmed me down. 

"Sooner or later we are going to find your other family. I promise you they won't get away with it. I know we don't know all the facts but, I can assure you that the Cesari and King family, your family, is going to be by your side and do what is necessary to protect you. Even if that means doing things most people consider bad."

Again the Earthly people were confusing me. I know they are corrupt, well most of them anyway, and they sin, but Alessandro just admitted they will do whatever they need to to fulfill their goal. To protect me from my aunts and uncles. I had the urge to laugh. Did they actually mean to fight them? I looked higher in the sky and saw another lightning strike in the distance and a second later thunder cracked in the air. That is how easy it will be for any of my aunts or uncles in Heaven to kill all of them. A smiting so big it could very well destroy this house too.

Something humans did that never failed to amaze was their capacity for love. It's why they are God's most precious creation. Angels are warriors, keepers of peace, the light in the darkness, but humans...they could endure so much and still love. It's that love that fuels their actions and words. Is murder still a sin when you did it to protect someone you love? Is stealing considered one if you are only trying to help a loved one survive? Things are so black and white in Heaven. The lines are clear as day.

Down here though... everything was gray and blurry. Feelings and emotions distorted the image and it was harder to see the lines. They have a saying here that applies perfectly, so without a thought, I spoke it out loud. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I felt his eyes on me but I kept staring at the sky.

I stood up and walked to where the rain would hit my skin. I really did feel alive under the rain. For the first time since my Mom brought me down here, I was feeling truly alive and human. I spread my arms wide, closed my eyes, and looked up. I loved standing here, it was like I was communicating with nature itself. For me, the most beautiful and precious creation of God is nature and the balance that comes with it. I had the urge to smile and laugh for no reason at all. I was happy.

I don't know how long I stood under the rain, but when I looked up to the house I saw everyone outside staring at me. I guess they think I am crazy. Weston smiled widely and ran to me. He took my hand and pulled me after him. We ran the opposite way and turned right. I saw a giant kidney-shaped pool. Soft lights surrounded it and as the rain hit the pool water with such intensity that it created swirls and mini waves all around. It was like the water was alive.

My brother didn't waste any time and jumped off the edge of the pool. He splashed some of the pool water on me and I ended up choking on it. I forgot they put chemicals in their pools. I felt someone pat my back and ask if I was okay. Asher was looking concerned at me. I smiled at him and nodded. I wanted to follow Weston, but I couldn't swim. Asher sat on the edge of the pool and put his legs inside and I mirrored his actions.

We heard our father calling us back inside "That's enough, you'll get sick!" Weston did a couple of more laps, while I closed my eyes for a second. I can do this again once it rains some other time. It wasn't the last... I hope. We got out and saw that Gianna, Isa, and Leonardo were waiting on the porch with towels. I was last, so Gianna engulfed me in the large towel and patted my back to go inside. I was really bummed it had to end so soon. I looked one final time out to the sky and went back in.

Isabella was already instructing the boys "Go upstairs and take a hot shower. No! On second thought take scorching showers, get dressed, and come by the fire. Aurora I am gonna leave your dress on the bed - it's dry cleaned, but we will have to buy some more clothes for you tomorrow. We can do it online too, if you don't want to go out. It's your choice." Since I didn't understand why I needed more clothes I didn't speak up. 

Upstairs I showered and put on my dress, but the bandages were already falling off on their own, so I didn't bother putting new ones. The sigils looked better and they weren't as red as before. I headed downstairs but before I got out of the room I changed my mind. I can mingle tomorrow. I went back to my room and opened the window. Looking outside I enjoyed the sounds of the storm, so I just closed my eyes, sat on the ground, leaned on the window edge, and fell asleep.

When I woke up I was tucked in bed with the covers almost going over my head. I stretched and got up. When I washed my face in the bathroom I went downstairs. I had no idea what time it was. My brothers were on the dining table covered in blankets, while Isabella and Gianna were serving breakfast. My Dad or the rest of the adults weren't there though. "Good morning little miss. How did you sleep?" It was Gia, who asked me first. I told her I slept well. Come to think of it, I didn't have a nightmare for the first time since I was down here.

Isa served me a plate of what looked like eggs and bacon with orange juice. She touched my forehead with the back of her hand. "You don't feel feverish. We should take your temperature just in case." Gianna continued right after "Yes, why would you fall asleep with the window open lying on the floor next to it? If you aren't sick it will be a miracle. Your hair was probably still wet from the shower, you could have caught a nasty cold, if you haven't already." She was looking at me expectantly and I just shrugged.

I ate the breakfast quietly with only the sounds of Asher and Weston sniffing. Finally, the youngest King brother complained "Why aren't you sick Rory? I feel like a bus hit me, I can't breathe properly and I am weak. It's not fair, it was your idea to frolic under the rain, and only we get sick." What was I supposed to tell them? That they were human and I wasn't, so that's why I didn't get sick? I mumbled, "I'm just lucky, I guess." Asher spoke next "We should take you to Las Vegas then, we could make a lot of money with that kind of luck." Weston tried to laugh but ended up coughing.

After breakfast, the boys went back to their rooms to rest, while Isa came to me and told me "I don't think we should risk going out right now, you can still get sick. How about we sit next to the fire and browse online for a couple of outfits to order? Later, we can go out shopping at the mall if you want. Have you ever been?" I looked down and shook my head. I hadn't been on Earth that many times in my life. Mostly my uncles or aunts took me to see beautiful sights, like the Iguazu Falls, which became my favorite place on Earth.

Isabella smiled and said, "Well, we will decide when we make sure you won't get sick, too." We spent three to four hours browsing what she called "the web" after she took my sizes. I really didn't have an opinion, they seemed normal clothes, so I just nodded and shrugged whenever she asked about my opinion on something. I think she was disappointed at the end because she expected me to like this "shopping" as much as she did. Gianna was sitting with us half of the time, but she seemed focused on something else and didn't participate. 

When it was time for lunch we went to the kitchen and I helped them serve the table. I was sent to get my dad and the rest of the men from the office he had on the second floor. I ran to the door and knocked three times. At first, I didn't hear anything, but the door opened and I saw my oldest brother. He smiled at me and waited for me to speak. "Lunch is ready, I was sent to get you guys." He said "We will be right down, why don't you check on Wes and Ash. I nodded and went to get them. I looked for them in Weston's room, but I found them sleeping in the farthest room in the hallway, which was Asher's. I tried waking them up, but they continued snoring. I felt guilty because if it wasn't for my idea to go outside in the storm last night, they wouldn't have gotten sick. I would bring them food after lunch and take care of them.

Lunch was mostly quiet because everyone was staring at my hands. I had forgotten to ask for new bandages and while they thought they were subtly glancing, it looked more like blatant staring to me. I felt particularly uncomfortable during the whole time. That killed my appetite and I was mostly playing with my food rather than eating it. The adults tried to talk about something else and ended up switching from one boring topic to another, like the weather or something called the stock market. I couldn't take the awkwardness anymore, so I volunteered to take food up to my brothers. My Dad smiled at me and gave me a tray of soup to take with me. I was really glad they weren't making me stay down there until the end. 

I slowly went upstairs, so I didn't spill the hot bowls on the tray. I thought about knocking but if they were sleeping I could wake them up. I put the tray down on the ground and opened the door quietly. They were watching TV, so I smiled timidly at them and brought in their lunch. At first, they protested that they weren't hungry, but I told them it would make me feel better if they ate it because I felt guilty for getting them sick yesterday. They slowly ate their soups and we talked about mostly random things. We also got to know each other through the whole afternoon. I am glad no one interrupted us because I liked talking to my brothers.  

"Enough about us. We are all talked out. Why don't you share something about your childhood or friends? What's the scariest experience you had from your childhood?" I didn't know what to tell them. I racked my brain looking for something I could reveal that wouldn't make me look like a crazy person. I can't tell them all was well and I was never scared about anything...Now that I think about it, I remember something. 

"We lived in a very beautiful place up high on a mountain. I grew up in a community that helped each other always. I was always loved but as the youngest...resident I was always left alone when they needed to discuss something. None of my aunts or uncles had children, I was the only one. I remember once I was bored and  I was exploring the area around the village. I wasn't supposed to. I ended up getting lost in the forest. It was the first time I cried actually. I was scared that I wouldn't find my way back. There was this fog and I didn't know where I was going. I almost fell off a cliff but my Mom pulled me back at the last moment. That was the scariest experience of my childhood. I was content, happy, healthy, and blissful every day before and after after that. There is nothing interesting to tell."

I realized that I started to talk nonsense, so I decided to shut up and get out before I blurted out something I couldn't take back. "I'm going to go now. See you later!" I ran to my room and locked myself in the bathroom. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I reveal anything? It won't make any sense to them. They probably think I am crazy. I should have made something up. But that would be lying.

There was something I didn't tell them though. I felt compelled that day to walk into the forest. I didn't know that was where the Grand Descent was back then. I learned about it later on and by the time I did, I never made the connection...until now. More memories flooded my mind from that day. It was like a waking dream.

I was walking up to the cliff edge. I stopped at the edge and looked down. The fog was starting to clear. The world below was getting bigger, it was like a magnifying glass was being cast on Earth from up in Heaven. I was looking at a crowded street. People were gathered and watching something. It was a car wreck. A blue sedan seemed to have hit a Jeep Wrangler with the most exotic color I have ever seen. Who would paint a car bright orange? It looks like a grapefruit mated with a peach and created this exact shade. Inside were two boys not older than nine or ten. In the front of the car was a man, but I couldn't see his face. I felt something take over and I started walking forward. I felt someone taking my arm and pulling me back. I looked over and saw Mom's panicked face. "You can't come here Celestia, you almost fell to Earth! You can't survive the fall on your own, you would have DIED!" I looked back down and saw the man get up from the vehicle. It was my Dad! "Promise me to never come here alone again sweetheart, please!" I looked back at my Mom and said "Don't be silly Mommy, angels can't die!" 

Huh! Now I know why she was so persistent in me making me promise her. I would have died if I fell alone. I heard a knock on my door. "Rory! It's us. We wanted to talk to you. Can we come in?" I looked at the mirror once before exiting the bathroom and opening the door for my brothers. I waited for them to explain why they were there. They looked at each other and Asher rolled his eyes at Weston before speaking first. "We just wanted to say that we appreciate you sharing something with us. We also wanted to return the favor. Our scariest experience was when we were little, we were in a car wreck. I almost died. I spent almost a month in the hospital and was in a coma for two and a half weeks." 

Weston continued "That was my scariest experience too. Almost losing my brother." I didn't know what to say to them. I am glad they didn't die. I guess the situation was too serious for Weston because he shook himself and smirked. "We also lost our dream car in that wreck. We were obsessed with orange and our parents painted their jeep that color for one of our birthdays." It slowly started sinking in and it became very clear why I remembered that day. I didn't realize I was speaking "Orange?"

Why did Aurora witness that exact moment in time all those years ago?

Who is she going to bond with next?

Question of the day: Have you ever frolicked in the rain?