A/N warning for injury

Shiro loved working at the garrison. It was a special branch of the military that works on designing the aircraft of tomorrow. Engineers like Matt and his father would build incredible inventions that only geniuses like them could create, whilst pilots like Shiro would test them to see if they worked. Even though he had only just graduated from the training course and was one if the youngest there he was still one of the greatest pilots the Garrison had ever had.

"Have you got everything?" Matt asked as Shiro climbed into the cockpit of his latest creation.

"Yes." he replied rolling his eyes as he got himself comfortable in the chair and checked the positions of all the dials and safety precautions.

"Well don't worry. Me and Dad will be talking to you the whole time through the radio."

"I'll be fine Matt. Now you'd better get to the control tower or Iverson will have both our heads."

His friend laughed before running off after giving him a final wave as the cockpit closed.

"Officer Takashi this is Commander Iverson we are ready for launch." the commander said sounding as gruff as ever.

"This is Officer Takashi launch is ready sir."

He could hear the bustling of the control room through his ear piece as he started up the engine. At the familiar jolt his veins started to flow with adrenalin in anticipation.

"5...4...3...2...

By the end of the countdown Shiro had reached the end of the runway and the plane gently took off into the sky. It was defiantly Matts best creation yet. He could feel no drag as though the craft was gliding through the sky. They practised a few manoeuvres with ease and celebratory he started to head back to the Garrison.

Suddenly a loud bang a loud bang sent rivets along the hull and alarms started blaring from the cockpit.

"Officer Takashi report!" Iverson screamed down his ear.

"There appears to be some sort of malfunction sir." Shiro shouted as the engine started to stall.

"Are you able to perform an emergency landing?"

"Negative sir." he called as the engine kept stuttering and starting giving him limited stirring. He tried to keep his panic under control despite blaring dials and wailing sounds shouting all around him.

"Are you ok?" Matt asked apparently having stolen the microphone from Iverson.

"I'm fine Matt. Performing emergency eject-"

But before he had time to press the release the right hand side of his cockpit exploded and everything went black.

He next opened his eyes to a room full of white. He was momentarily confused until he realised that he was lying in a hospital bed with Allura asleep in the chair beside him, her hands wrapped around his left arm.

"A...A-Allura?" he croaked, his voice sounding nasally and rough as though it hadn't been used in years.

Her eyes fluttered open and started to well with tears in happiness.

"Shiro? Oh my gosh Shiro!" she cried flinging her arms around his neck. Her whole body felt warm compared to his as though he was cold without her. He suddenly understood how much he'd missed her as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

Finally she let go and as she leant back he tried to sit himself up. He was confused when he was unable to. He looked down at at his right arm and immediately saw why. He heard the monitors start to beep as he wound into a panic as he stared at the stump that was once his arm.

"Shiro! Shiro it's ok, look at me!" Allura said at his side her voice grounding him. He felt his heart slow down as she gentle stroked his hand until it was on the verge of normal.

"I...wha-how?" he said struggling to fund the words.

"I don't know how much you remember but you were in a plane crash. You were working at the Garrison when part of your plane exploded. Matt said it was something to do with the engine but he can explain it to you when he gets here." She couldn't meet his eyes.

"He feels so guilty Shiro. He blames himself for what happened-"

"No." Shiro said cutting her off. "Not... his ...fault."

He could never blame Matt what happened. It was an accident.

"How...long...?"

"Two months.' Allura said, her voice cracking with emotion. "You were gone for two months."

She wiped her eyes. "I don't know how to tell you this but there was a lot of scaring from the explosion. The metal-"

"Mir..or?" he stuttered. She nodded and pulled out a small one from her hand bag. She carefully removed the top half of his gown so he could see his body. Using the mirror he could tell that his chest was heavily scarred. Jagged cuts spread from the right side of his body, no doubt caused when he side of his plane exploded. He took a shaky breath as he lofted the mirror up so he could see his face. A long scar ran across the bridge of his nose and his chin was covered in stubble. It was then that he realised his hair was now shoulder length with a long white streak down the front if it. He looked at Allura questioningly.

"The doctors said it was stress." she explained. He nodded but tears started to well inside him. Suddenly the doors burst open and his family came rushing in.

"Mum?" he whispered before he broke down. They all enveloped him in a hug as he cried himself to exhaustion.