Chapter Five: The Dream
(Trigger warnings: Violence and panic attack.)
Kuvira's POV
Hearing a soft mumble, she opened her eyes and smiled. A naked Su was lying asleep next to her in bed. She sat up slowly and stretched. Leaning over and planting a trail of kisses from Su's neck down to her arm.
"Time to get up, love." Kuvira whispered as she got out of bed herself. She felt chilly against her bare skin before putting on her day clothes. She usually wore a buttoned up shirt with a wind jacket and pants. Looking back at Su who was now awake and smiling.
"Like what you see?" Kuvira smirked at the professor who nodded.
"I love what I see. I want to see more." Su smirked while standing up. Kuvira would usually blush at the sight of the older woman but now she grew used to it. It still made her heart flutter seeing Su naked before her eyes. Watching the woman get dressed in her usual green robes before brushing her hair. Kuvira left her bedroom to go wake up Celeste. Seeing the door ajar, she looked inside. Her friend was not there.
"Weird." Kuvira spoke before walking into the living room to see Lin. Su was behind her.
"Did Celeste make it home last night?" She asked.
"I didn't hear her come in last night. I thought she went with Korra after the match last night." Su spoke while she went to make coffee.
"Lin? Did you see Celeste come in last night?" Kuvira was now frowning. Seeing the chief put her head in her hands. "What's going on?" She demanded.
"It's Celeste. She was kidnapped after the match last night." Lin started.
"What?! We need to go find her right now!" Kuvira snapped as she grabbed her jacket. Only to be stopped by Lin's hand on her shoulder.
"My men found her early this morning. She's in the hospital." Lin sighed as there was anger on her face. "I failed her. I should have been there!" Lin shouted. Su came in and pulled Lin into a hug.
"It's not your fault. She isn't your responsibility." Su spoke while rubbing her sister's back. Kuvira raised a brow at Lin.
"She is through Su. She is our student. A citizen of the city." Lin sighed and pinched the nose of her bridge. It then hit Kuvira. Lin cared about Celeste more than she should. Pushing the thoughts back.
"I'm going to visit her." Kuvira spoke before pulling out her phone.
Kuv: Celeste is in hospital.
Asami: What?!
Mako: Why?
Bolin: WHAT?!
Opal: Oh no!
Kor: We got attacked last night.
Kuv: I'm heading there now.
She put her jacket on and left. Closely followed by Su and Lin. Kuvira felt anger rising in her. Korra said they were attacked. There must be something Korra didn't tell her. Why were people always picking up the avatar's mess?! It was not long until they arrived. Kuvira spotted Mako and Asami already there waiting.
"Well?" Kuvira asked as Mako shook his head.
"They won't allow visitors." He said as Kuvira sighed with frustration. She started to pace as Su sat down.
"Why are our professors here?" Bolin asked as he finally arrived.
"I am the chief of police, you know. If one of the students has been attacked, I need to know." Lin scoffed and crossed her arms. Kuvira could see the pain in Lin's eyes.
"Anyone talked to her yet?" A new voice came. Kuvira spun around and pushed Korra against the wall.
"What happened?! She was with you last!" Kuvira shouted as Korra frowned.
"I'm sorry! We were attacked!" Korra began to speak.
"Stand down Kuvira!" Lin spoke.
"Kuvira, I know you are angry but please, calm down." Su's voice spoke. It was the only voice that had calmed her down. She let Korra down from the wall and stormed away from her. Sitting down between Mako and Su.
"I'm sorry. I just. I'm worried." Kuvira spoke.
"We all are dear." Su spoke as everyone went silent.
"I'm going to find out what's going on." Lin spoke as she left.
End of POV
Celeste groaned as she leaned up only to be pushed back down on her bed. The healer was talking to her and she couldn't make out the words. Then, she heard the beeping sound of a machine. She looked at her arm and groaned. She had a needle in her arm. It was an I.V.
"What happened?" Celeste spoke as she got her hearing back.
"You have stab wounds across your stomach. Officer Song found you bleeding out early this morning." The healer spoke. She lifted up the hospital shirt and frowned. There were three pink looking scars.
"Sometimes when a wound is too traumatized, it can leave scars." The healer frowned while pulling Celeste's shirt back down. "You're still in pain but you need to rest." He spoke.
"I want to go home." Celeste spoke weakly.
"I know but you need to rest here while you are under our care. One of those wounds was nasty. We are keeping an eye on it." The healer added. She felt her eyes sting with tears. What did she do to deserve this? Sniffling before rubbing her eyes with her arm and took a deep breath. 'Had anyone come to visit her?' She looked around. The room was empty. She was the only one in there. The healer had left. Now she was alone with her thoughts. 'Serves you right! You were weak! Mother should be ashamed of you!' Celeste shouted at herself in her head. Frowning at her own words. Why did she even care about what her mother thought about her? The only opinions that mattered to her were her friends and where were they? Not here. Holding her stomach again as she winced. Yep. The pain was definitely there. She looked at the clock. It felt like no time had passed. Hearing the constant beeps from the machine from her heart. It was slow and steady. She had slowly drifted off to sleep.
"Is she going to wake up?" A voice spoke. Celeste could barely open her eyes.
"Shush Bolin. She's resting. We are lucky they let us in anyways." Asami's voice spoke. Celeste groaned lightly. There was silence. She opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurry.
"Hey. You okay?" Korra's voice spoke as her arm was touched. "She's warm." Korra added. Celeste then felt a hand upon her forehead. She looked over and saw it was Lin's. Hearing the heart monitor started beeping faster.
"She has a fever." Lin spoke softly.
"Everyone out!" The healer's voice spoke.
"I'm not leaving yet." Lin spoke.
"Then help me sit her up." The healer spoke. Both of her arms were grabbed as Celeste winced and groaned out in pain. Feeling both pairs of hands on her back.
"Shit. Someone page Katara!" The healer shouted as Celeste felt her body fall back down on the bed. She was holding her stomach again.
"What's happening?" Lin asked with worry.
"She has an infection and it's spreading fast. We need to get her into surgery." The healer spoke as a few nurses came rushing in to force everyone out of the room.
"What's happening?" Celeste spoke softly. Looking around the room with fear. She saw Kuvira holding her hand.
"Please. Please don't go!" Celeste spoke as her eyes spilled tears. Seeing an older woman in water tribe clothes come in. Kuvira and Lin were both pushed out of the room as Celeste felt her bed move.
"It's going to be okay dear." The older healer spoke. She felt a mask over her face as she was frantically breathing before her eyes got heavy. Slowly losing her visions as she drifted off to sleep.
"Come on! You can do better than that! That was weak and pathetic!" A woman shouted. Young Celeste roundhouse kicked the man's hand before falling down. The sun was high in the sky. The summer heat was making it harder to concentrate. Sweat pearls were dripping down her face. Her chest moved up and down fast while trying to catch her breath. The grass under her bare feet spoke volumes to her. She could hear the very earth under her feet call out to her. Telling her how to move and what she needed to do.
"Again!" The voice shouted. Celeste stood up and moved her arms around in circles. Moving the boulder around her body. She flung her arm as it crashed into the man.
"Better. Now again! Perfect it!" She shouted again.
"I'm tired!" She whined. Celeste shielded her face from the older woman's hand. Instead she felt a whack against her leg. She screamed and hugged her knees. The woman had a metal cane in her hand she was using.
"Weak! You are weak! How will you uphold the Alstair name?!" The woman shouted.
"I'll do better! I promise!" The young Celeste was crying.
"No. You need to prove it! Prove you are better! Show it!" Celeste stood back up and wiped her tears away before taking her stance and closed her eyes, feeling all the metal around her as she raised her hands and slowly closed her hands. Causing all the metal around her to come crashing in around her and crumbled up like one giant ball. Celeste felt her eyes glow a bright green around the pupil before swinging the ball around her body and flung it at the man with such speed and accuracy the man was thrown off his feet.
"Well done." The woman was calm now. "Well?" The woman asked another shadow figure. "Better than the Beifongs?" The woman was eager for an answer.
"She's too dangerous." The man spoke.
"She's an Alstair. She'll likely not remember this." She spoke. Celeste however was on the other side of the yard. Stomping up rocks and punching them.
"Her emotions make her weak." The woman spoke.
"No. It is what will make her stronger." The man spoke."
"Then we need to numb her." The woman spoke as she pulled her can back out and stormed off, dragging the young Celeste with her.
"Stop. Get off!" Celeste shouted as she was dragged by her hair.
"Wake up!" A voice shouted.
Her eyes opened slowly. Blurry visions as the first thing she saw was the mask being pulled off of her face. Blinking a few times before taking a deep breath.
"She needs to rest." The healer from earlier spoke.
"Can she go home tonight?" The voice of Su spoke.
"No. She's healing." He added.
"People heal better in the environment they are comfortable in." Su replied back. Hearing a sigh as the healer left. Celeste looked around and could barely make anything out.
"What happened?" She spoke weakly. She felt someone grab her hand and squeezed it. It was a rough but gentle hand. She couldn't make out faces.
"One of your wounds was infected. It almost reached your heart. We almost lost you there. You are so strong Celeste." The voice of Su was barely recognizable. Her hand was squeezed harder at this. Blinking a few times before looking around. She could only see one other outline in the room other than Su.
"I want to go home." Was all Celeste could say. Hearing footsteps of the healer again.
"Sign these. It's discharge papers. If you can get her to sign." The healer spoke. Celeste sat up quickly. Too quickly as her head began to spin. She then held her head and groaned. Blinking a few times again as her vision began to come back. She reached for the pen and signed the papers.
"Stubborn. As all earth benders." The healer shook his head. "Change of clothes in the closet. I'll grab her a wheelchair and you can take her." He spoke while leaving. Celeste tossed aside the covers and stood up. Her legs gave out. A pair of strong arms caught her. They belonged to Lin. Hearing her heart monitor beat rather fast again. Celeste took the needles out of her arms. Feeling her face flush red. She caught the sight of Su smirking at her and shook her head. Standing back up with the help of Lin, Su grabbed her clothes and started untying the hospital gown. Celeste stopped her quickly. Realizing she was naked underneath.
"Celeste, let me help." Su spoke.
"Privacy please." Celeste pretty much begged for it. Lin sighed and left the room. "Su?" Celeste raised a brow at the woman.
"You need help. Let me." Su spoke softly. Celeste felt embarrassed as the older woman helped her change as the nurse came back with the wheelchair.
She sat down in the chair and sighed lightly. Feeling her face still overheat.
"I got it from here." Lin spoke as she took over. Su had turned in the discharge papers. Looking outside the windows, it was dark outside.
"Everyone was here. They were forced to go back home." Su explained. Celeste only nodded her head as she heard. Feeling Lin push the chair forward towards the exit. Seeing a sato-mobile out front as Kuvira was outside waiting. Once outside, Celeste stood up again. Her legs wobbled. Kuvira ran to her side and grabbed her arm.
"Thanks Kuvy." Celeste spoke weakly. She was out of it.
"Never call me that again." Kuvira whispered as she helped Celeste into the cruiser. She sat in the back as Kuvira went to the front. She felt her body slowly falling to the side before a strong arm pulled her back up. Lin had her arm around Celeste's waist. Holding her close. She felt too high to even say or do anything. She started mumbling nonsense.
"Is she alright?" Kuvira asked while looking over her shoulder.
"They wanted her to stay the night. However I wasn't going to allow it. She just came out of surgery." Su explained as she started the cruiser and drove away from the hospital.
"Why are you three so beautiful?" Celeste asked while being completely out of it. Humming softly as she fumbled with Lin's police cable.
"Yeah, she's high." Kuvira chuckled. She felt Lin tighten her grip around her. Celeste was mumbling again. She could see Su constantly looking in the mirror at her.
"I'm not high! You're high!" Celeste crossed her arms and huffed. Her face was red now. Hearing all three of them chuckle as Celeste laid her head upon Lin's shoulder.
"We're here." Su spoke. Everyone got out. Celeste frowned at the loss of touch from Lin before her eyes went wide as she was pulled out of the cruiser.
"I can walk!" Celeste spoke while raising an arm up. Feeling her legs give out again. "Well." Was all she could say. Feeling her feet off the ground as the next thing she knew, Lin was carrying her bridal style up the stairs. She had her arms around Lin's neck. "You're going too fast!" She spoke while hiding her face against the older woman's neck.
"I am literally walking." Lin responded while laughing.
She felt her bed under her body as she kicked off the hospital flat shoes. Taking off her outer shirt as she was in her tank top again. Keeping her pants on as she moved to the center of her bed and pulled the covers over.
"You alright?" Lin asked as Celeste nodded. She was still out of it. She hugged Lin tightly before laying down.
"Thank you." She yawned. Lin nodded. Gently touching her forehead before heading out of her room. Hearing voices in the other room.
"Just need to keep an eye on her." Su spoke.
"I guess that happens when one is let out right after surgery. We should have kept her there." Lin spoke.
"No. It's better if she's in this environment and with those who care about her." Su spoke again. Celeste could hear every word they were saying. She felt something tug at her heart. A warm fuzzy feeling deep down inside. She had never had this feeling before. It was new territory to her. She wasn't sure if she should accept it or not. She cared about these women here in the apartment with her greatly. Something she would get hurt for. Her own family would disown her so quickly if they had found out. Would it be worth it? Losing her family over people she didn't know that cared about her or not? Fighting the emotions in her head as her eyes began to sting. Mumbling softly as she turned in her bed and laid her head down on her pillow. There was a scent on her pillow she didn't recognize yet. Pushing the thoughts in the back of her head before falling asleep again.
She sat up quickly and looked around the room. The moonlight shone through the curtains as it lit up the bedroom. It was still night. How long was she out for? She got up and rubbed her head. She had a headache but she could think more clearly. Walking out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. She yawned lightly. How was she still tired? She set a kettle on the stove and lit it. Pulling out a cup from the cupboard and leaned against the counter. Not long after, the kettle whistled. She pulled it off and made her some green tea. Letting the tea bag get soaked in the hot water as she sighed. Feeling an arm wrap around her shoulder, she jumped a little.
"Just me sweetie." Su's voice was soft as Celeste had relaxed a little. She nodded as Su led the way to the living room. Taking a seat on the couch, she pulled Celeste into her arms next to her. They had a blanket wrapped around them. Celeste took a sip of her tea and sighed.
"You alright?" Su asked as Celeste nodded her head lightly.
"What do you remember?" Lin's voice came from behind her. Feeling the other side of the couch move as Lin sat down. Kuvira came into view as well. Celeste moved from Su so Kuvira could sit in the spot. She was now between Lin and Kuvira. Seeing her friend sit in Su's lap as they cuddled.
"Which part? The attack or the hospital?" Celeste spoke.
"When the attack happened, is that alright?" Su asked. She nodded.
"I remember following Korra outside after the match. She was upset about something." Celeste started.
"What was she upset about?" Kuvira asked.
"Feelings for someone." Celeste spoke as Kuvira raised a brow. "I'm not telling." She added. Taking a deep breath.
"I remember Haur being there." She started again. Hearing a soft growl from her other side coming from Lin. She felt the fire in her stomach again as her face went light pink. "Anyways, he was there with these guys in black. They had these weird goggles on. They were really good. It was two at first. Then there were five total. I remember seeing Korra on the ground as I felt the sharp pains. I assume they are the stab wounds. I was electrocuted. The next thing I knew, I woke up inside this old factory looking building. A man with a mask was speaking. I don't think he knew I was awake. He was talking about some revelation. Said I should be made an example out of. The next thing that happened was that Officer Song and other police officers had broken through the windows and what not. The next thing I knew after that, I was in the hospital. I don't remember much after going under for surgery." Celeste had told her story.
"That's some serious stuff. Especially now that the Equalists had made their first move. Can you still bend?" Su asked. Celeste frowned. She hadn't thought of that. Lin was still wearing her armor. She turned to face Lin and saw the badge. She waved her hand in a small motion and the metal badge flew into her hand. Sighing a relief as she could feel the earth in her hand. Putting the badge back and leaned back on the couch again.
"At least the chi blocking didn't last long." Lin spoke softly.
"Did I say or do anything bad while I was out of it?" Celeste frowned as they all shook their heads.
"Do you remember calling us all beautiful?" Kuvira asked with a smirk. Celeste mumbled something while taking a drink from her tea.
"What was that? Her friend leaned forward and took her cup.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Celeste blushed while looking at her hands.
"Well, you called us beautiful." Kuvira was smirking. She grabbed her cup back from her friend.
"At least that part is right." Celeste spoke softly while drinking her tea again to hide her face.
"Awe look at her blushing!" Kuvira laughed while teasing Celeste.
"Shut up! You're horrible! I just had surgery!" Celeste grumbled while grabbing a pillow to hug it.
"She's right. You need rest. We'll be here for you sweetie." Su spoke. Celeste nodded her head. She stood up quickly and left to put her cup in the sink.
"You alright?" Lin asked as she was standing next to her. Su and Kuvira were standing by the counter.
"Why do you care?" Celeste asked as she crossed her arms. Looking to the side.
"What do you mean?" Su asked as she touched Celeste's arm. She tensed and moved to the side. "We are about you Celeste. Believe it or not, we care about you." Su added.
"Why? I'm Alstair, remember?" Celeste sighed. She felt a smack on her arm as Kuvira was glaring at her. "What's it to you?"
"I don't care about some stupid rivalry anymore, Celeste. You're completely different from your family. You're carefree and caring." Kuvira added. "We care about you."
"I'm sorry. I'm not used to this."
"Used to what?" Su frowned.
"People caring." Celeste spoke as she felt the overwhelming emotions again.
"Well, we do. When you didn't come home last night, we got so worried. Even Lin did. You should have seen her." Su spoke. Celeste could feel the eyes on her now.
"Shut up Su. She needs rest." Lin spoke.
"No. I need space. I can't. This is too much. I can't handle it." Celeste spoke as her chest started to tighten.
"Give us a moment" Su spoke as she grabbed Celeste's arm gently and led her out of the kitchen and to her bedroom. Celeste was having a hard time breathing. Her vision was blurring again.
"Celeste, look at me." Su spoke as her breathing was erratic and fast. Feeling gentle hands upon her cheeks. Celeste was able to see Su's eyes.
"Breath in. Hold it. Breath out." Su spoke as she was breathing in and out slowly with her. Her breathing returned normal again.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. That's never happened before." Celeste frowned while looking to the side. She felt her cheeks nudged as she was forced to look back at Su.
"You had a panic attack. It's normal after having a traumatizing event." Su explained. Celeste frowned.
"It won't happen again right?" She asked weakly.
"Unfortunately it will happen again. If it just started, it'll happen again. You'll have to prepare yourself and remember to breathe." Su spoke so gently it made her smile weakly.
"Thank you. For everything." Celeste managed to say.
"I care about you sweetie. So does Lin and Kuvira." Su spoke as she led Celeste back to her bed. She pulled the covers up.
"Celeste honey. When you are ready, I need you to tell me about yourself and your past." Su spoke lightly. Celeste shook her head. "I am not here to judge you but I feel like something happened. You are different. You don't challenge us or belittle us. I want to get to know you. The real you. Not what your family wants." With that, Su kissed her forehead before leaving. Turning off the light but leaving the door open a little. Celeste laid down and frowned. Turning to face the wall. She had never felt cared for before. Then again, she hadn't cared for anyone like this either. For the first time in her life, she had made friends.