See Chapter one for disclaimer. And thanks again to Kestrel for helping me write this one. On with the show!!
Blue Lion hit the ground with an earth shaking boom. Clouds of dust rose from the dry ground. Sparks shot out of exposed wiring. Black smoke billowed out of the cockpit as it slowly creaked open.
Allura stumbled out coughing and choking on the noxious fumes. As soon as she got a good distance from the heavily damaged Lion, she collapsed to her knees and retched.
Keith sighed with relief. He landed his Lion next to Allura, and quickly hopped out of his own Lion. He made his way over to his weak princess and knelt down next to her, placing a reassuring hand on her trembling back.
"Are you alright," Keith asked, worry lacing his words. "That was some swan dive your Lion did."
Allura laughed sarcastically, a feat for her in her current condition. "Good thing I was wearing a helmet. My head is in better condition than my consul."
"Well nice to see you still have your sense of humor." Keith said dryly. "Can you stand?"
"I ... think so. But my head hurts really bad." Allura said, pushing her fingers up under her helmet to touch the lump on her temple. Her gloved fingers touched something warm and sticky, and when she pulled her hand back, her glove was stained a deep scarlet: her own blood. "That can't be good ..."
Keith gently pulled off Allura's helmet and set it down on the ground beside them. He looked down as he felt it collapse in his hands. Allura's helmet disintegrated into tiny pieces as he watched.
Keith's eyes widened at the jigsaw puzzle that was once Allura's helmet. "Now that's not good," he whispered. Allura looked at what was left of her helmet and winced.
"Boy, am I glad that I was wearing a helmet," she laughed sarcastically, "or that could have been my head."
Keith's head shot up from the fragments as realization hit him. If she wasn't wearing this helmet, then she would've been killed indefinitely. He looked back at Allura, eyes full of worry and utter fear. "Are you sure you're alright," he asked desperately. "It takes a lot to do anything to these helmets, and now yours is a fallen house of cards."
Allura looked up at her captain, but quickly looked away, and regretted that movement.
"Allura?" Keith asked trying to hold back the emotions threatening to bring him to tears. "What's wrong?"
He noticed Allura's smile and wince. "You're nice to look at and I like doing so, but one of you is enough and I don't need to see your identical twin and triplet."
"What?"
"There are three of you there, that's way too many for anyone to handle."
"Is there anything else wrong?"
"Besides seeing multiples, the pounding headache that hurts worse when I move, if that's even possible, and my stomach threatening to turn itself inside out every time I move, I'm fine."
Keith went over his knowledge of medicine, worried at her symptoms. "Do you feel tired?" She nodded slightly, not risking the pain. He put his hand under her chin and gently turned her gaze to meet his. "I want you to look at me." He studied her eyes, seeing them both dilated, but unequally.
"Keith?"
"Whatever you feel like doing," he explained, "I don't want you to fall asleep. I want you to stay awake for me. Do you think you can do that for me?"
Allura nodded. Whatever response she was going to make was cut short as the remaining Lions roared over head.
Keith glanced up. "Lance, Hunk, Pidge...I hate to say this, but your on your own for this one. The princess is in pretty bad shape."
"Understood, Captain." Hunk's thick voice returned.
"So that's it huh? Your just going to abandon us?" Lance prodded.
Keith glared at Red Lion as if he could see th e pilot. "Do you want to try your luck, mister?"
"Not really." Lance replied meekly.
"Good, now destroy that Robeast already!" Keith's command rang in Lance's ears.
The three Lions turned towards the Robeast and engaged.
Blue Lion hit the ground with an earth shaking boom. Clouds of dust rose from the dry ground. Sparks shot out of exposed wiring. Black smoke billowed out of the cockpit as it slowly creaked open.
Allura stumbled out coughing and choking on the noxious fumes. As soon as she got a good distance from the heavily damaged Lion, she collapsed to her knees and retched.
Keith sighed with relief. He landed his Lion next to Allura, and quickly hopped out of his own Lion. He made his way over to his weak princess and knelt down next to her, placing a reassuring hand on her trembling back.
"Are you alright," Keith asked, worry lacing his words. "That was some swan dive your Lion did."
Allura laughed sarcastically, a feat for her in her current condition. "Good thing I was wearing a helmet. My head is in better condition than my consul."
"Well nice to see you still have your sense of humor." Keith said dryly. "Can you stand?"
"I ... think so. But my head hurts really bad." Allura said, pushing her fingers up under her helmet to touch the lump on her temple. Her gloved fingers touched something warm and sticky, and when she pulled her hand back, her glove was stained a deep scarlet: her own blood. "That can't be good ..."
Keith gently pulled off Allura's helmet and set it down on the ground beside them. He looked down as he felt it collapse in his hands. Allura's helmet disintegrated into tiny pieces as he watched.
Keith's eyes widened at the jigsaw puzzle that was once Allura's helmet. "Now that's not good," he whispered. Allura looked at what was left of her helmet and winced.
"Boy, am I glad that I was wearing a helmet," she laughed sarcastically, "or that could have been my head."
Keith's head shot up from the fragments as realization hit him. If she wasn't wearing this helmet, then she would've been killed indefinitely. He looked back at Allura, eyes full of worry and utter fear. "Are you sure you're alright," he asked desperately. "It takes a lot to do anything to these helmets, and now yours is a fallen house of cards."
Allura looked up at her captain, but quickly looked away, and regretted that movement.
"Allura?" Keith asked trying to hold back the emotions threatening to bring him to tears. "What's wrong?"
He noticed Allura's smile and wince. "You're nice to look at and I like doing so, but one of you is enough and I don't need to see your identical twin and triplet."
"What?"
"There are three of you there, that's way too many for anyone to handle."
"Is there anything else wrong?"
"Besides seeing multiples, the pounding headache that hurts worse when I move, if that's even possible, and my stomach threatening to turn itself inside out every time I move, I'm fine."
Keith went over his knowledge of medicine, worried at her symptoms. "Do you feel tired?" She nodded slightly, not risking the pain. He put his hand under her chin and gently turned her gaze to meet his. "I want you to look at me." He studied her eyes, seeing them both dilated, but unequally.
"Keith?"
"Whatever you feel like doing," he explained, "I don't want you to fall asleep. I want you to stay awake for me. Do you think you can do that for me?"
Allura nodded. Whatever response she was going to make was cut short as the remaining Lions roared over head.
Keith glanced up. "Lance, Hunk, Pidge...I hate to say this, but your on your own for this one. The princess is in pretty bad shape."
"Understood, Captain." Hunk's thick voice returned.
"So that's it huh? Your just going to abandon us?" Lance prodded.
Keith glared at Red Lion as if he could see th e pilot. "Do you want to try your luck, mister?"
"Not really." Lance replied meekly.
"Good, now destroy that Robeast already!" Keith's command rang in Lance's ears.
The three Lions turned towards the Robeast and engaged.