Celeste Academy One Shots

Contain It

A/n: I've been gone for so long guys! I'm so sorry! I had to take a major mental break to get through the past couple years. But here's a lil something that I thought up! So enjoy :)

The smell of her sweat and anxiety filled her nostrils as she kept her two bloody fists locked into the force field that surrounded the academy. Valeriana's nerves were shot and she desperately wanted water.

A massive demon attack had nearly destroyed the barrier that had been so carefully crafted by the royal family. To protect the students and the academy, Valeriana had rushed to closest barrier line and in a desperate attempt for survival created her very own. Unlike the typically gold sparks that was normally seen, a lavender color bubble was wrapped tightly around the academy. She honestly had no idea how she had made it or if she would ever be able to again, but for now, it was doing its job well.

She had been standing with her arms locked for nearly two hours as she concentrated every bit of her strength into maintaining what she had created. Her nose was slowly dripping blood from the overexertion as her knees trembled. Her ears perked up at the sound of movement behind her and she tentatively reached out with her aura to identify who was approaching.

Her shoulders slightly relaxed when she picked up on Corvan being close by.

"How are you holding up," Headmaster Kylie questioned gently as he stood next to the fifth ranker. Her blond hair stuck to her forehead as she took slow, controlled breaths.

"Oh...you know. I'm just holding," Valeriana said with a grimace.

"The attacks have stopped and the king's uncle will be coming through the portal within the next hour to repair the damage," the headmaster intoned as he gently touched the barrier created by Valeriana.

It had a sponge like texture and appeared to be several inches thick. He wiped his hand on his rope quickly at the pulsating sensation that he somehow knew was Valeriana's own heart beat.

"How long will the repair take," Corvan asked as he stepped forward and removed the hair tie from Valeriana's ruined hair. Over the last couple hours it had slid down the back of her head and based off the strands that she kept blowing out of her face, he knew she was annoyed by its current state.

Her exhaustion became evident when she didn't even attempt to say anything sassy to the Arlandian lord touching her. Without a second thought to the sweat gathered in her hair, Corvan quickly weaved it into a braid that would last longer than the ponytail. Kylon was caught off guard by the slightly sentimental moment and did his best to cover his surprise.

"It's...hard to say, Lord Corvan. It could be several hours."

"No," Valeriana cried and let the tears on her lower lash line fall at the thought maintaining her purple bubble for hours on end. "I-I can't. I can't do it."

"Yes, you can," Corvan simply stated.

"No."

"Yes, you stupid witch."

"I SAID NO," she roared as her whole body shook harder. A ripple shot through the barrier as she tried hard not to collapse. Seeing her knees about to give out, both men quickly wrapped their hands around her to help support her weight.

"What do you need," Corvan asked quietly.

"Someone else needs to do it. I-I can't anymore," she nearly sobbed as the pain in her back felt unbearable.

"There is no one else who can do what you are doing, Valeriana. Not even the royal family," the Headmaster said sadly as he took in the state of his student. The words seemed to make her cry harder as the weight of the situation settled in. Her stupid purple bubble was the only thing keeping everyone alive. The blood running from her nose mixed with her tears as she accepted that she was probably going to die in the very spot she was standing.

"Headmaster, can you gather the Twelve? We can take turns supporting her weight. Charles and Genevieve are going to be crucial to her maintaining this barrier as well as the others support."

With a simple nod, the Headmaster gently let go of the fifth ranker's left side before running to the arena where the student body had been gathered. Without a word, Corvan ducked under her trembling arms as a sob ricocheted through her body at the lack of support. Under normal circumstances, he would've made fun of her for crying so much, but Corvan found himself wanting to silence the agony filled wails. Wrapping his arms around her, he gently pulled her towards him as he placed his back against the barrier allowing her to rest her arms on his shoulders as he literally held her up.

Her sobs hadn't stopped and her trembling was concerning. Her heartbeat felt erratic as it pounded through her chest. Corvan wasn't even sure if she was aware of what was currently happening as she continued to hold the barrier in place with pure determination. His brow furrowed as he gently placed a calloused hand against the back of her head in an attempt to offer as much comfort as possible.

"Valeriana, the only thing you need to do is breath and focus on the barrier itself. You don't even have to worry about standing anymore, but you must stop crying."

Corvan was so focused on calming the fifth ranker that he wasn't even aware of the others arrival. They simply stood back and watched while pretending to give them privacy. All except for Tamara who was watching the entire thing as if it was a reality TV show. Valeriana's sobs were brutal and Keelan found himself wincing as her cries echoed off the surrounding buildings.

"But it hurts! It hurts," the fifth ranker pushed out in between sobs as she let her head fall limply to the first ranker's shoulder.

"Maybe I can help with that," Genevieve said as she stepped forward and placed her hands on her friends shoulders. A small white glimmer soaked into the back of Valeriana's sweat-soaked top and a breath of relief escaped her mouth. Genevieve noticed her lips were cracking from lack of moisture and her face looked ashen.

It took several moments for Corvan's words to fully reach Valeriana's overwhelmed brain as she tried to pull herself together. The heat from his body soaked into her skin and eased her aching muscles. Involuntarily, she let her hands sink further into the barrier as she allowed Corvan to take on her full weight. The young man didn't make any sound as he stood firm, allowing her to essentially lay flush against him. He felt her knees give out and, while Corvan may never admit it, a wave of relief rushed through his body when her sobs turned into quiet snubbing.

"Headmaster Kylon said it's going to take at least two hours to get the barrier back in place, Lord Corvan," Rowe said lowly to the first ranker.

Obvious disapproval flashed across the young Arlandian's features resulting in a scowl. Valeriana still trembled slightly, but seemed to be much more comfortable.

"Get her some water. And some food," Corvan said bluntly as he huffed loudly.

Valeriana was going to need her strength.