Searing pain arched through him like lightning, claws striking out at whatever they could find, dancing through his veins, his body shuddering at the assault of agony. Tears rolled over his caramel tanned skin, mixing with the crimson that seeped through his armor, leaving trails peppered with blood along his face. His face contorted in pain as a new wound pulsed with fiery anger, ripples cascading from the stump where his left arm once took residence. He shut his eyes as he forced himself to try to sit up. Another explosion of pain rocketed through him, and he fell back, screaming and sobbing in pure agony. He had glimpsed the twisted and mangled wreck of his legs, bile rising in his throat from the sight. His left leg was badly broken, with several sharp shards of what he knew to be his bone, protruding from cavernous lacerations that traveled down the length of the limb, blood oozing from the wounds. His right leg, what little remained of the mangled limb, appeared like it had gone through a woodchipper, flesh hanging lazily from tissue that resembled swissed cheese, which surrounded a gaping hole where his leg once connected at the knee.
"Mami, duele tanto, hazlo parar, por favor! ¡Hazlo parar! No quiero morir de esta manera, ¡no solo, por favor!" He pleaded. He shook as sobs wracked his body, the pain flaring from the sudden movement.
He shut his eyes, the sobs coming harder as the pain continued to tear through him. "Somebody please for the love of god help me!" He mumbled.
A distant crack startled him, and his heart sank further, the Red Lion, fell from the heavens, an inferno engulfing the poor mechanical beast.
He watched helplessly as she rocketed passed him, the deafening roar of the lion colliding with the planet echoing up into the void. "No, no, no, please no." He begged, his sobs becoming more aggressive. "Not him. Please be okay!"
He tried to turn himself over, but the pain, the pure white hot agony of his wounds prevented him from moving even an inch.
He shut his eyes and wept, not from the pain of his wounds, or the fear, but the agony that he had lost the man he loved. That's when the inferno of pain, was slowly replaced by a chilling cold.
His vision swam as he slowly awoke. Half of his already damaged sight had a deep crimson tint. He'd popped something in there, that was obvious, nothing some time in a pod couldn't handle. He took in his surroundings as best he could, his vision mostly clearing. Fear berated him as he realized half the cockpit was missing, his seat barely holding onto the Lion's mangled corpse. The pain of loss crept in as he realized, his lion, the only one to ever match his intensity, one of the only people who really knew him, had passed. He slid from the seat and fell to the ground beneath. Pain exploded through him. A violent coughing fit wracked his body, leaving him doubled over on his knees, wiping blood from his lips. He grimaced at a pool of black sludge like blood that had escaped him moments ago. My lungs were punctured. My ribs are definitely broken. He told himself.
He sighed and leaned against the lions steel paw. He gently stroked the limb, smiling fondly to his friend. "I'm sorry Red. I've failed as your Paladin." He whispered.
You never failed me young one. A somber, yet familiar voice answered.
"Red?"
Yes my Paladin. You have served me well, and I am proud to have had you as my last.
"You're proud of me?" He mumbled.
I always have been young one. Through all our adventures, whether your aggression has clouded your mind, or sorrow wracked your heart, I have always been proud of you.
Tears welled in his eyes as he looked up at the Lion. "You make this sound like you're dying." He half joked.
We both know my physical form cannot live on young one.
He began to say something, but his sobs choked it back. "Please don't go."
I will never leave you my Paladin, though my body expires here, I will always be with you.
His sobs came harder as he gripped her foot. "Pidge could fix you." He sniffled.
Keith.
His eyes shot up at her form. She'd never called him by his name, not once.
Don't make an old woman a promise you can't keep.
"Then what do I do?"
In life, I have served you, I have always done what's best for you. Promise me young one, you will go on. Survive. Raise your own cubs. Live.
His sobs returned with a vengeance as he nodded, whispering, "I promise."
Good. My sister and her cub are close by. To the east. He needs you, now more than he'd care to admit.
"Lance?"
Without you, he will pass as I soon will. Go now, and live my little one. Never be cruel, never be cowardly. Remember, hate is always foolish…and love, is always wise. Laugh hard, run fast, and be kind. My Paladin….I let you go.
Keith's heart ached as the familiar feel of the red lion faded. "I love you." He whispered solemnly to the lion.
He forced himself to his feet and gave her one last smile before he turned and jogged off.
The emptiness had taken him, hadn't it? Then why could feel the pain again? Where had the cold gone? What was this new warmth that held him tight? Who were the voices that surrounded him? He forced his eyes to open, slowly at first, his vision momentarily fuzzy, before focusing on familiar faces. Coran, Shiro, Allura, Hunk, Pidge, and...and Keith, whose arms were tightly wrapped around him.
"K-Keith?" He forced out.
"I'm so sorry. For everything. For pretending I didn't know you, for being such an ass to you all these years, for treating you like the way I have. I'm so sorry." Keith mumbled into Lance's shoulder.
A smile slowly crept along his lips, and he wrapped his arm around Keith.
"Yeah, so we got you this cool prosthetic, kinda like Shiro's for your foot, but the one we got for your arm kind of didn't fit so y'know, gotta find you one big enough so you don't look like a weird potato." Hunk called over.
Pidge elbowed the man in the stomach.
"Ow, what the heck Pidge?!"
"You're interrupting the gay. I'm getting blackmail, I can't have this ruined." She sneered.
"Pidge." Lance called over.
"Yeah?" She turned and went pale.
"Blackmail this." Lance smirked as he and Keith embraced, their lips locked tightly together.
"Oh fuck yeah, dat's da good shit." Pidge mumbled.
The others laughed at her remark, before Shiro spoke up. "Alright Paladins, that's enough kidding around. Coran's located another comet like the one used to build Voltron deep in Galra territory. We're down a lion, and that means we can't form Voltron."
"Shiro. I told you, Red's gone." Keith interrupted.
"That's what you think shit boy." Pidge smirked.
Hoped you guys enjoyed this, it's my second Voltron fic, here's hoping it interests all of you, or it lives up to your hopes. Feedback would be amazing, and any sort of other comments are just as welcomed. If you want more stuff like this, let me know, I'll try my best, but for now, I take my leave, see you later.