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"Can we pleeease form Voltron now?"
The small group turned to the Red Lion on the other side of the barrier. Allura and Coran shook their heads but went into the Blue Lion, Allura leading the way. Shiro stayed where he was for a couple of ticks as he felt stinging along the remains of his right arm. The bayard in his hand pulsed. He looked down at the bayard for a moment before dematerializing it back into his suit.
"Princess," Romelle smiled widely as they entered, "you are unharmed."
"It was very fortunate." Allura took her place at the pilot's chair. "Keith, we're all ready."
"Is Sh-ro w-th you?"
Allura glanced behind to see him standing in the back behind Coran and Romelle.
"Yes."
"Th-n let-s do th-s."
"I have something to tell you once we transform."
The storm lightened enough to improve the comms but Pidge was still wondering if she heard right.
"You wanna what now?"
"-eed the creatures. Th-s planet is merely th-ir rest-ng stop. Th-y cannot transform completely until th-y are fed."
"Didn't Krolia say this planet's plant life died ages ago?"
"Th-y've been stuck that long," came Shiro's voice over the Blue Lion's comms. "Th-y were in hibernation for years before hat-ching."
"...Geez," came Lance's comment. "Th-t sucks."
"I kn-w," Hunk sadly murmured, "No prop-r food for years is a cr-me."
"I'm sure he meant be-ng stuck on th-s planet," Keith dryly corrected.
"Oh, well that -oo."
"I don't think this planet can sustain life anymore," Pidge looked over her readings on the holo-screens, "even if Allura revives the planet the atmosphere's changed too much."
"I d-dn't think so," Shiro somberly murmured, "but we can -elp th-m leave. M-ve on."
Pidge stared at the remains of the vegetation cover she had zapped for Allura. There were a couple of creatures finishing it off. "My plant ray can give them something to munch on," she sighed as she looked at the mass of creatures. "But there's no way I can give them enough to transform. Plus, I only have one ray. They might attack us before I can generate more."
"M-ybe if you combine it w-th Hunk's bayard," Keith offered.
Pidge rubbed her chin. Then Green's bayard slot appeared.
"Hey Hunk -"
"Your Lion -oo?"
"Let's do this," Pidge waited as she felt Voltron's combined energy building up. "Now!"
Together, Green and Yellow focused their energies into the shoulder cannon. Hunk waited until several locations were locked before thrusting his arm forward. Multiple green lasers burst out, flying out in the winds to strike the black earth. Pidge watched on her screen as vegetation grew in multiple locations only to be quickly eaten up by the creatures.
"We'll need to do this several times. We have to feed the Mother-pede too."
In the Black Lion Krolia watched Keith with keen eyes.
The kick back of the shoulder cannon was stronger with the added power of the Green Lion. She assessed Keith's condition. He had a tighter grip on controls and the clenched jawline didn't escape her. When he came back from getting Shiro they were both injured, her son the worse of the two. As the Black Lion's pilot it was up to Keith to maintain their position and hold the direction of the shots. The winds were not helping the situation.
"The force of the cannon is agitating your wounds."
Keith breathed out long through his nose.
"I can take a couple more shots."
She said no more.
Shiro's eyes were closed as he braced himself in the Blue Lion.
"They're still not transforming," Coran muttered aloud.
"They need something else perhaps?" Romelle voiced out.
"...The White Lion," Allura murmured in realization, "if I combine with Pidge and Hunk I can give them the quintessence needed to..."
Shiro was aware Allura was talking but something else had his attention. He lifted his hand up to his right shoulder. The stinging was much worse. My whole body actually...He leaned against the wall and then breathed in slowly then back out. He was exhausted. His body was hot. He hadn't noticed his condition earlier due to being in the Astral Plane. But now he was fully aware of his precarious situation.
Just a while longer.
The team needed to focus on the creatures and then they would need to worry about getting out of the storm. Once all of that was taken care of he could bring up his condition. His eyes opened as he felt himself slide down to sit.
So hot...
He pushed off his helmet for air but it barely did anything. The clatter of his helmet brought Coran and Romelle's eyes on him. Shiro forced his eyes open upon feeling Black's rumbling and the slight tug -
"Don't," he quietly murmured.
"Shiro?" came Coran's voice. "Are you alright?"
The paladin moved his hand to the side, making the bayard come out. He fisted it and focused. You need to stop. The Lion was taking measures she didn't need to. He focused harder as Black continued to tug on his soul. He couldn't be in contact with Black in this state. He slowly lifted the bayard up to his face.
"Back to Keith," he sluggishly murmured directly to it.
The bayard disappeared from his hand. As soon as it left Shiro slumped to the side.
"Shiro!"
Coran and Romelle ran to him.
Keith made Voltron dodge another creature when he felt it.
Black purred in his mind, urging him to raise a hand. He did so without question. Krolia curiously stared as the black and white bayard appeared in his hand.
"It came this time."
Keith stared at it with narrowed eyes. "I didn't call it."
"-omelle, wh-t's happening?"
Keith strained to hear her reply to Allura over the comms. The commotion from the Blue Lion's line was a mash of voices and motion but he most definitely heard the former Black Paladin's name in the mix.
"What's wrong with Shiro?"
"Keith!"
Krolia's sharp warning alerted him in time to move Voltron out of the way of the Mother-pede's wide swing.
"Allura I need you to keep working with Pidge and Hunk!"
"As long as you focus on steering," quipped Pidge with heavy criticism.
"Just focus on your own tasks," Keith half growled out.
He muted his comm to let out a low hiss. His ribs didn't like that quick maneuvering. All that sword fighting earlier awoken the bruising. He was sorely missing the castle with its healing pods.
"You cannot afford to be distracted."
Keith clenched his teeth as the cannon shot out again. It was a jarring motion now that Allura was added to the force of the cannon.
"I know Krolia."
"Even if Shiro were to perish."
"..."
Krolia's eyes were hard upon seeing the hesitation on his face. The two years alone on that space whale allowed for bonding with a mother he never knew. At the same time it also allowed for one on one training. While the Blades were not formally part of the empire they were still Galra.
"I told you, outward favoritism-"
"-betrays weakness," he quietly finished.
It had made sense to him on the whale. He had seen it happen when the damned witch sent Shiro's clone out for him to follow. By coming through the wormhole alone he had revealed partiality to Shiro and the witch caught on. He had the feeling he was going into a trap. He knew for certain the moment he stepped out of that elevator and saw Shiro standing there in front of the tanks.
'Hello Keith.'
The Quantum Abyss had given him that slice of the future. Even knowing that, however...
"I can't do that," he rumbled out.
"That's a choice."
"I won't abandon Shiro." He gave his mother a cold stare. "Don't question me again."
The tense silence was soon broken by Pidge.
"It's workin-! Look in the sky!"
"Th-y're like butterflies!" Hunk exclaimed.
"Mega -uge butterflies," came Lance's two cents. "Think th-y eat people?"
"Keep going," Keith calmly replied.
The Green, Yellow, and Blue paladins continued to focus into one.
There was a sharp pain in Shiro's shoulder.
It made his eyes momentarily open. Faintly he saw that Coran had half removed the top part of his paladin armor. The Altean was tugging at the remaining metal on his shoulder. He let out a cry at that. Coran halted immediately.
"Sorry."
"Do we need to remove it?" Romelle asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid. See here? It's infected and most likely the cause of his fever. All that flying around in the storm irritated the skin underneath."
"...But it is connected to flesh."
"We have some medical supplies in here to help. A couple of salves to somewhat numb the pain..."
But not completely. Dazed as he was, Shiro read through Coran's unfinished sentence. He closed his eyes as Coran rubbed something on his shoulder as far under as he could. His fingers fisted in order to brace himself.
"Give me something to bite," he murmured.
A cloth was put between his teeth. Almost soon after Shiro let out a muffled cry as Coran got to work.
"Hold him down!"
Romelle's hands went along his torso and good shoulder. He could feel her trembling even as he tried to control himself. Stay down. The less he moved the quicker Coran could work. Staydownstaydown...
His teeth dug into the cloth.
"Coran, please!" came Allura's plea from the front.
"Almost there!"
Shiro blacked out as his right bicep was released from metal.
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AN: Poor Space Dad. But really, you've been overdoing it.