Everyone flew out the holes in the ground and distracted the monster.
"Is that Allura?!" Lance called out.
Nova looked around to see Allura skydiving with a hovercraft in front of her. "Quaznack!" She hissed.
The monster turned its head and spotted Allura.
"We have to protect the Princess!" Hunk stated.
Everyone agreed and attacked the monster, causing it to look away from Allura as she dove into one of the mineshafts.
Nova exhaled. "She's safe!"
"Yeah, but we're not!" Lance replied.
"Allura?" Nova called through the intercoms.
"I'm fine."
"Please hurry, I dunno how long we can hang on!" Keith responded.
After a few minuets Coran's voice echoed throughout the intercoms. "Princess, what ever you said to them must've worked. The Balmerans are moving towards the surface now!"
Nova closed her right eye to see the map.
"Coran, we're just below the surface! Triangulate my position, this is your landing zone!" Allura said
"Okay, Allura, readying ship. Castle of Lions coming in!" Coran announced. "Nova, Paladins, how are you holding up?"
Keith swerved in front of Nova's fighter to block a laser. "I think we've gotten him pretty distracted."
Nova rolled her eyes. "I had that, Red!"
"I know..." Keith breathed.
She huffed before switching her intercom to Coran. "We're fine, Coran! Are the Balmerans in position?" She looked towards the ship.
"They're making their way to the top."
The ground kept quaking.
"Every time hit the Balmera takes weakens it!" Nova called.
"Coran, have you evacuated the Balmerans yet?" Hunk asked.
"The Balmerans are trapped. Just keep distracting the beast!" Coran replied.
"Allura? Is she alright?" Nova asked in a panicked voice.
"Nova, I'm alright. I know you're desperate to help but I'm afraid seeing you break from the group will lure it here."
"Understood." Nova gritted her teeth.
"Guys? Remember when I said that we didn't have to beat it?" Shiro called.
"Yes I remember that!" Hunk replied.
"Well, we might have to beat it." Nova concluded.
"Yep."
They flew past the Castle.
Nova looked over to see Allura standing underneath it, she could also see the Balmera's life force being replenished on the ground beneath her. What is she doing?! She looked up just in time to dodge a rock.
"Princess, keep your eyes forward!" Keith called.
Why is he so worried? She frowned. He's been shadowing me this whole time. "I'm fine!"
"I know you're not." He switched the intercom so he could speak to her alone. "I know you're worried about Allura. I know you're angry at the Galra. I know you're upset about the Balmera."
Nova's eyes widened.
"But I also know that you're smart and you know at least a little more about the Lions' abilities than we do. I'm sure you'll come up with something."
"Red..." She breathed before smiling a little. Glad that he couldn't see her. "Thanks."
Keith chuckled. "No problem, Princess."
For some reason... the pet name didn't bother her at this moment.
"Although if you have a plan, speak now!" Keith dodged more lasers before shooting the monster's head with his fire canon. He opened the intercoms again. "Guys! This isn't working! We'll never take this down in our Lions."
"But forming Voltron didn't work either." Pidge replied.
"Not without some way to shoot all those laser eyes at once."
Nova blinked. "Guys!"
"What?!" Keith snapped. I knew she'd think of something. "Princess?"
"Form Voltron now!" Nova called. Flashes of patchy memories flooded into her like electrical waves. She summoned her staff stared at it. It was sparking around her hand. So... you want to fight too? She looked ahead.
"Guys I think I have a way we can take all the eyes at once!" Hunk called.
"Well, what is it?"
"Your Lion wants to connect through the bayard?" Nova asked.
"Yes, its like when Keith formed the sword!"
"Are you sure?" Keith asked. He looked to Nova's fighter. How does she know what the Lion wants? Is she really linked with all of them? Then... why can't she pilot them? He looked to the Black Lion. Why do I care?! Jeez.
"Well, there's just one way to find out! Shiro!" Nova flew out of the way.
"You heard her, I trust Nova's instincts, Hunk get ready to listen to your Lion!" Shiro ordered.
They flew around dodging the lasers, trying to get far enough to form Voltron.
The monster turned its eye to the Castle.
"I don't think so!" Nova shot her lasers at it, flying around like an insect compared to the beast. "Guys, hurry!" She called. "I'll keep it away from Allura!"
"Be careful, Nova!" Shiro replied.
She barrel rolled to dodge the beast's arm, but didn't see the other arm come and hit her fighter, causing her to lose control.
This gave it enough time to charge up an attack onto the Castle.
"Nova!" Lance called as Voltron fired upon the creature.
"I'm fine..." She puffed. She looked up to see that Hunk had summoned the shoulder canon. "Whoa... nice!" She relocated her fighter to behind Voltron.
The monster powered up another attack and fired at Voltron, who fired it's canon back at it.
Both energies met in the middle.
The monster's energy was a little more powerful and pushed Voltron back.
"Its not enough! Nova get out of here!" Shiro called.
Nova didn't need to be told twice, she flew upwards, out of their way.
Hunk grunted. "Okay, we need to find another way!" With that, he diverted the laser upwards, barely skinning the Castle-ship.
Voltron manoeuvred through the lasers.
"What now?"
"Guys... do you see what I'm seeing?" Hunk asked.
Nova looked onto her dashboard. "This is it!"
Shiro gave a chuckle. "Okay, lets see what this thing can do. Engage!"
The shoulder shot multiple lasers, directly at the monsters laser eyes.
"Yes!" Nova cheered.
"Guys, look!" Shiro called.
Nova looked around to see Allura knelt on the ground, her healing essence spreading across the entire Balmera. "Allura..." She felt her eye sting. "She's healing the Balmera. There's still hope for it's survival."
"See, Princess... everything will be alright." Keith stated.
"Wow, Keith! I never knew you had a caring side!" Lance gasped.
"Of course I do!"
"Well, you never reassure me like that!"
"Well..." Keith felt his face heat up. "Princess needed it from someone."
Nova giggled.
"Awwh now I get it! It's because she said she likes me!"
"Shut up, Lance!"
"Um guys, can we save this until after all the danger has been demolished?" Nova said, watching the monster get up.
The monster charged it's middle laser and fired at Voltron.
Voltron and Nova dodge it, flying around.
"Guys! I'm gonna try something!" Nova called.
"What?!" Lance asked.
"Do you guys trust me?"
"Of course but... Nova what are you doing?!" Hunk exclaimed as he watched Nova's fighter heading directly towards the monster.
"Red?"
"Princess?!"
"Promise me something?"
Keith stayed silent.
"Catch me."
"What?!"
Nova turned off her intercoms. She looked to her staff. "This is what you want me to do? Alright." She gripped it, charging the electricity. "Fighter, return to Black Lion." She commanded, just before she punched the eject button. "This is a message to the Galra!" She extended her staff as the monster was charging another attack. "Eat this! Three million volts!"
The paladins stared as electrical energy totally surrounded Nova. It formed the shape of a lion.
Her fighter flew into Voltron's chest.
"What do we do?!" Pidge called.
Keith stared at her, she looked like a shooting star. "Shiro!"
"What?"
"Disband Voltron now!"
"Why?"
"I promised her something."
Shiro frowned. "Alright... but what?!"
"... just trust me!"
"Okay, Voltron, disband!"
Voltron split up.
Keith pushed his Lion forward. He watched as Nova's staff extended to about one hundred metres and slammed into the monster's middle laser. I understand now... the Red Lion is the only one fast enough to get to her in time...
Nova gritted her teeth as electricity surged from her staff into the beast.
The electricity coursed through the monster.
Nova retracted the staff, it reverted to its smaller size, electrical energy still surrounded her, she covered her face as the middle of the monster exploded, blasting her backwards.
The Red Lion opened its mouth and caught her in the nick of time.
Nova tumbled into the cockpit of the Red Lion, landing just behind Keith's seat. She gave a groan, opening her eyes to see Keith looking over his seat at her. "You caught me."
Keith's eyes were like saucers. "You... are... a bloody loonatic!" He snapped.
She chuckled. "Did it work?"
His eyes softened. "Yeah... sure did." He turned to fly the Red Lion, following the other paladins back to the Balmera's surface. "So, do you feel better now, Princess-? Ow!" He felt the back of his head and looked up to see her standing behind him. "I take that as a yes."
She gave a smile. "Stop calling me that."
He smirked. "You should sit back down, that was a lot of lightning."
"Three million volts to be precise." She looked at the staff in her hand, then held it to her chest.
"We should start calling you 'The Lightning Empress of Voltron.'"
"Has a good ring to it." She laughed. "I knew I could trust you to catch me."
His eyes widened. "Well... you didn't give me much choice. Red Lion is the fastest."
"He is also piloted by an extremely skilled paladin."
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. A compliment?!
They all landed on the Balmera and walked out of the Lions.
Nova and Keith joined the others.
"Nova! What the hell were you thinking?!" Shiro strode up to her.
"Shiro..." She looked down, feeling like a scalded child. "I..." She didn't get to finish her sentence as the black paladin pulled her into a hug.
"Don't scare me like that!" He squeezed her tightly in his arms. "Thought we were gonna lose you."
"We all did!" Lance piped up. "Now I know what Allura meant by you being so reckless that you're gonna end up dead!" It was clear in his voice that he had been worried and was just lashing out.
Keith stood on the side-lines. He suppressed a small smile.
Nova pulled away from Shiro. "Allura!" She looked around.
Allura had finished healing the Balmera. It had taken a lot of strength to do so.
Nova was at her side in a flash, just in time to catch her. "Allura?!"
Allura opened her eyes. "Nova... you're here."
"You know that I will always be here to catch you. I pledged to be your sword and shield." Nova said.
Allura wrapped her arms around her.
The paladins had caught up to them.
"Did you hear that?" Hunk sniffed. "Its like Nova is her knight." He wiped a stray tear from his eye.
Lance smiled softly.
Rax felt the Balmera's surface. "The Balmera lives, it thanks you."
"Allura, you did it... thank you." Nova pulled away to meet her cousin's gaze, her eyes welling up.
"Nova... your eye..."
Nova blinked, feeling hot tears roll down both of her cheeks. "What...?" She wiped them.
"All that lightning must've done something, causing your tear-duct to work again." Pidge said. "I'll run tests later."
"Lightning?!" Allura glared at Nova. "What did you do?!" She looked over to the monster to see sparks still coming off it. "Nova!"
Nova smirked. "Well... you did say a little recklessness was alright."
Suddenly there was a grumble.
Everyone looked around to see the monster standing back up.
Nova jumped up, summoning her staff once more. "Guys..." She charged up.
"Everyone back to your Lions! Nova, you stay here!" Shiro gave her a stern look.
Just as everyone started to run to their Lions, something amazing happened.
The Balmera groaned, and a crystal formed around the monster, encasing it.
Nova grinned and knelt down, touching the ground. "You saved us... thank you." She whispered. She put an arm around Allura and helped her to her feet.
"Nova, look at the crystals!" Allura said.
"Who's a good Balmera? You are!"
Everyone looked to see Hunk petting the Balmera's surface, using a baby voice.
"Who ate the nasty monster? You did, yes you did."
Keith stepped up beside Nova, raising a brow. "What are you doing?" He asked the yellow paladin.
Hunk glared up at him. "What? Its alive... and it loves my scratches." He continued.
Keith face-palmed.
"Let him have his moment." Nova smiled softly.
He looked at her and stared a little longer than intended.
She met his gaze. "What?"
He blinked. "Nothing!"
Allura looked between the two. "Did something happen between you?"
"Oh, nothing, just Keith seems to have finally gained Nova's approval and is super happy about it." Lance put in.
"What?! That's not it at all! I don't care if she doesn't like me..." Keith huffed.
Lance had a knowing smile on his face.
Nova looked to the ground, feeling that prang again. We're just a team, that's all... we don't have to be friends.
I'm an idiot! Why did I say that?! Keith clenched his fists. I want her to like me at least. Isn't that what I wanted? For her to trust me like she does everyone else...
