Recently I decided to hell with it, I was going to rewrite it, try to clean it up a bit, and if it sounded like a Mary Sue I'd just deal. It isn't meant to be, I assure you. All in all, I'm pleased with the way it turned out.]
The cave was crumbling fast around them as Pidge and Ji, the girl he'd known for only two days, contemplated their escape.
Pidge sat on the ground with his laptop open in front of him, trying hard to ignore the chunks of ruble falling from the ceiling. Meanwhile, Ji the wild and unpredictable pilot who had probably escaped from some mental facility, paced restlessly.
The two met by chance when while testing out Hunk's modifications to his dirt bike, Lance came across a small wrecked aircraft. Typically he was more interested in the strange vehicle than who had been piloting it, until he saw a woman's jacket nearly burnt to nothing in the debris. That's when he found Ji.
It hadn't been easy hauling the petite beauty back though, Lance had more than a few cuts and bruises to show for it. Eventually he prevailed however, and the girl was carried kicking and screaming to the others. From then on it was Keith who handled the interrogation.
"What's your name?"
"Why's it any of your business?" She spat.
And it went on like that for three and a half hours until they were finally able to discern that her name was Ji, she was a pilot, and her planet had been destroyed. She had been seeking refuge when her aircraft suddenly went down. She refused to elaborate on the craft, but it really didn't matter since Hunk was already working on bringing it back and examining it.
"This girl is a menace!" Keith declared when the pilots met later that night to discuss the situation. "Just look at Lance."
"What, these?" Lance said nonchalantly. "Cat scratches, that's all."
The four eyed the gash on Lance's forearm that had been stitched up hours ago.
"Cat scratches, huh?" Hunk chuckled. "Man you sure have some pride."
"What about you Hunk?" Pidge asked. "What did you find out about her ship?"
"Oh, it's like nothing I've ever seen before. I'm still working on it of course, but I can't find anything that's actually powering it, no fuel, no battery, nothing."
"That's because there isn't anything powering it," a feminine voice said, startling them all.
"But… I locked you up!" Lance demanded. "How did you…?"
"Oh please, you think that cell can hold me?"
"You put her in a cell?" Allura yelled. "Lance! This woman is our guest!"
"Guest?!"
"Now, now Princess, calm yourself. I wasn't offended by his behavior I can understand it perfectly. I am after all an alien being that is quite possibly far more advanced than you, and I know that can be daunting for a man."
Allura wasn't feeling quite as hospitable all of a sudden, but she still refused to condone Lance's behavior. "I see, well I apologize for his behavior and ask that you please not refer to me as Princess. I have-"
"Renounced the title, I am aware. However I am also aware that one cannot simply give up being who they are. You were after all, born a princess."
Allura remained silent, biting her tongue to stop herself from saying something she might regret.
"So where do you come from?" Pidge asked.
For a second Ji's eyes grew sad. "A dead planet, it doesn't matter now. Millions of years of history and beauty have been destroyed and I am the only thing left."
The room fell into a tense silence, as Ji seemed momentarily weakened. Finally Keith broke the silence.
"So why are you here exactly?"
"There is something I need a couple miles from here in one of the caves."
"Caves?" Hunk asked. "What caves?"
Ji snorted. "How is it that I seem to know more about your terrain than you do? It just so happens that-"
"There are some caves located five point three miles from here, though they are mostly closed off due to past attacks and explosions," Pidge interrupted in an annoyed tone.
"I'm impressed," Ji said with a slight smile. "And in one of these caves there is a large amount of a type of crystal that I had previously believed only existed on my planet."
"And why exactly do you need this for?" Keith asked.
"Why exactly do you ask so many questions?"
Before the two could start an argument Allura interjected. "Perhaps our guest is tired and would like to rest. Come this way, I'll have a room prepared for you."
"Thank you," Ji said. "I'd like that."
"Perhaps she'll be more agreeable in the morning," Lance grumbled.
"I doubt it," Pidge and Hunk said in unison, causing each other to chuckle.
Ji only glared at them as she followed Allura out the door.
"I don't like this," Keith said after the two women were gone.
"You mean the fact that she's a psychotic bitch, or that she seems to know more about us than we do and she knows it?" Lance asked.
"Any of it."
The next morning Ji found Pidge outside, his laptop with him as always.
"What crystals are you talking about? I'm not picking up any extraordinary substance for miles. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"I am positive," Ji said indignantly. "Chances are, your technology can't locate them that's all. They're in those caves and I intend on getting them."
"Not without any of us you won't, and don't forget your ship isn't exactly in great shape. Hunk may be the best mechanic I've ever met, but he isn't a miracle worker."
Ji didn't respond she just started at nothing, a far off and almost sad look in her eyes.
Despite himself, Pidge felt sorry for this strange woman. Yes she was cocky and rude, but she was the first person he'd met who could match his intelligence, which automatically made her a little more endearing. More importantly there was a sense of urgency underlying everything she said. He didn't know what these crystals she needed were for, but it was as if her life depended on them.
"Pidge, there you are!" Lance said, jogging towards the two. "Oh and you've found her highness as well, good."
Ji sneered in Lance's direction, which only made his cocky smile broaden. "Sorry lady but you are not to be let out of our sight under any circumstances."
"Lance, I think she's fine with me," Pidge said.
Lance switched his focus to his team member, but his expression didn't change. "Uh oh, looks like someone has a crush!"
"What?! I do not! I was only-"
"Wow Pidge, I never knew you were into older women."
"Lance!"
The thus far stone-faced Ji smiled as Lance taunted the younger boy.
"What's this?" Lance said, noticing Ji's change of demeanor. "She can smile?"
"When I have reason to, yes I can."
"I'm shocked. Who knows, maybe there's hope for you yet."
That evening Ji left seeming unnoticed and made her way to the caves she so desperately needed to find. She was almost there when she realized she was being followed.
"Who's there?" She called out.
Pidge stepped out from the shadows. "I told you that you weren't going into those caves alone."
"You are a persistent child aren't you?"
"I'm not a child, but yes I am rather persistent. I am also your only ticket into those caves, so why not telling me why you want in there so badly."
"I told you already, I need the crystals."
"What about them? What are they for?" Pidge asked. "Are they for your ship?"
Ji hesitated, and then reluctantly answered him. "Yes. Those crystals are what powers my ship, that's why your mechanic hasn't been able to fix it."
"Then why didn't you say so? Look, this should be an easy task right? Tomorrow we'll go in there with the others and-"
"No! It can't wait, we have to go now."
"Why? It's not like you can leave or anything."
Ji stared at him pleadingly, but it only lasted a second. Before he knew what was happening she had run off in the direction of the caves.
Ten minutes later the two were trapped inside, their small entrance blocking itself off with the first slight disturbance.
"This isn't good," Pidge said, his laptop screen reflecting off his glasses."
"What isn't? I mean, what else, obviously I know our situation isn't good."
"Well you were correct about the crystals, and the reason they're in this particular cave is because it's pressure is far greater than technically should be possible. So when we opened an entry way we basically caused the cave to begin to collapse in on itself." He paused, a puzzles look crossing his face. "What I don't understand though, is if the pressure here is so great then why weren't we crushed the moment we came in?"
"The crystals," Ji mumbled.
"Huh?"
"It's the crystals, they're protecting us." She bent down and picked up a small handful of the sparkling rocks. "That means they work."
"Ji, what the heck are you talking about?"
Ji's eyes filled with tears as their surroundings started to crumble more rapidly. "You were never meant to come here," she said quietly.
Pidge was about to respond when out of nowhere Ji attacked him. He tumbled backward, his laptop flying out of his hands. When he realized what was going on he found himself pinned beneath the woman whose sanity he was beginning to question. However, she didn't hurt him. In fact, she didn't move at all.
Pidge wiggled his way far enough out from under her to see that her lower half was pinned under a very large rock, one that would have more than likely hit him in the head. Instead however it had landed on her.
"Ji!" He cried out. "Ji, wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open as she half smiled. "You know for a kid as smart as you are, you sure have no sense."
"Ji hold on, we'll get you out soon. I'll think of a way."
"I'm gone anyway," she mumbled before closing her eyes again.
Oblivious to all around him, Pidge too was soon hit by the falling debris, seemingly making Ji's sacrifice all for not.
"Hey, he's waking up!"
Pidge opened his eyes, unaware of his surroundings but very aware of his pain.
"Pidge, you're okay!" Allura cried, tears forming in her eyes. "Thank goodness, we thought… well we thought you might not make it."
"Yeah, so did I," Pidge mumbled. He attempted to rub his forehead but it hurt too much to move. Then suddenly a thought hit him. "Where's Ji? Is she…?"
"She's alive," Allura said hesitantly. "But…"
"But what?"
"I won't be for too long," said a familiar voice from the doorway. Ji walked into the room and towards his bed, with only a few scratches on her body.
"What happened? You were pinned by that rock, I saw you!"
"The crystals healed me Pidge, just as I thought they would. But they couldn't heal me completely."
"What do you mean?"
Ji stood at the side of his bed, all traces of her cocky attitude gone. "I lied to you Pidge. When I said I needed the crystals for my ship it was all a lie to get you to help me. The truth is, my planet wasn't destroyed it was wiped out."
"Wiped out?"
"Yes, by a disease… a plague I guess."
"But why did you lie? We would have helped you either way."
Ji laughed bitterly. "How many people would want to help someone they knew was sick? I had to lie."
"I hate to ask you this, but are we in any danger?" Allura interjected.
"No, by the time you know you have it you're already as good as dead, and it's only contagious in the first twenty four hours or so. Our scientists figured out that these crystals would more than likely cure us, but of course they died before the theory could be tested. Before I knew it, I was the last one alive." She stopped speaking so she could wipe away the tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. "It's a slow moving disease however, so you don't actually die right away. It's more like you deteriorate slowly until there's simply nothing left."
"Well than you can still be cured, right?" Hunk asked, making his presence known.
"I'm afraid not. Once it's taken over your body you're as good as dead. If I had been able to get here sooner I might have had a chance, but I guess I was too late."
The three pilots looked at each other, guilt plastered across their faces.
"There's nothing you guys could have done, don't worry," Ji assured them. "Hell, I'm amazed you even took in a brat like me."
Pidge wanted to cry but didn't allow it. "Do you have any idea how much longer you have?"
"A couple weeks maybe, though I don't know how much of that time would really be considered living. I can already feel myself getting weaker."
Despite the incredible pain that was coursing through his body, Pidge pushed himself to a sitting position and took Ji's hand. "I hope you'll stay here with us, until the end."
She nodded. "Of course I will. I mean, who else would take me?" It was dark humor, but at least she was smiling.
Pidge and Ji sat on a blanket staring out into a scene that was once a barren wasteland, but was no lush with greenery. It was obvious she didn't have much time left, but Ji insisted on being outside, saying that there was no sense in spending her last moments in some stuffy bedroom.
"Thank you," she said, resting her head on Pidge's shoulder.
"For what?"
"For all of this. For not letting me die alone."
"Ji, I –"
"I know you don't like thinking about it, but you have to come to terms with the fact that I am dying." She rested her hand on Pidge's and he quickly accepted it. Even at his small stature she now seemed tiny compared to him, and her entire body looked emaciated.
"But it isn't fair!" He protested. "You're the first real friend I've had, why do you have to die?"
"What about your friends here? They aren't real friends?"
Pidge sighed. "Well yes, but we found each other because of Voltron. If it wasn't for Voltron I never would have met any of them, and I'd still be alone and miserable. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't make them any less important to me, but you were the first person to really accept me for who I was. Everyone else was always freaked out because I was smarter than they are, or younger than they are." He glanced towards the castle where he new the rest of the team was. "I think even they were a little bothered at first, but we bonded fast."
Ji said nothing, she just gave a little sigh and closed her eyes. After sitting in silence for a few moments Pidge struggled to his feet, and ignoring the traces of injuries that had not yet healed, he carried Ji back to her room.
"Goodnight," Pidge whispered, tucking Ji into bed and kissing her forehead.
He pulled a chair close to the bed and crosses his arms, resting them on the mattress. Within minutes his head had drooped down and he was asleep. When he woke up, it was all over.