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This was a rescue mission to save the Balmerans.
No one could deny the seriousness of their task. Yet, as they each flew around in their Lions, biting, shooting, crushing the Galra's mining tech they couldn't help the surge of adrenaline and excitement that filled them.
"My Lion has fire," came Keith's surprised voice over the comms.
"Mine's got ice!" soon chimed in Lance in too loud a volume. He zapped a part of the mining structure he was assigned to. "Ow! Too cool for you son!"
"Jaw blade?" Shiro murmured as his Lion's screen revealed a new technique. "Let's try it."
"Whoa," Hunk exclaimed as he saw them in action. "What's up with all the new powers?"
" 'Cause we're that awesome," Pidge laughed.
Why indeed? Shiro easily sliced through the Galra's power generator and quickly left the area as it exploded behind him. Coran whooped in their comms and said some Altean phrase.
"You're doing phenomenal Paladins," came Allura's encouraging voice.
Shiro felt a thrill up his spine at the compliment, frowned, then realized that it was his Lion thrumming in response to Allura's praise. Are the Lions responding to Allura's spirit? They were connected to her life force. He had thought it only meant that she could locate them across the universe but obviously the bond was more than that. He dodged a starburst laser. This is to ponder another time.
"The Galra are still in the caverns," Coran spoke.
Shiro frowned at that. "They're luring us in. But we have no choice."
It was going to take a good amount of risk to save the Balmerans. But for the freedom of a whole planet it would be worth it. They were just going to have to be cautious about it.
"Let's go team."
The almost childish excitement quickly dissolved the further they went into the caverns.
After mentally scolding himself for mislabeling this trap as an ambush Shiro tried to use his right hand to cut into a sealed door but to no use. Keith and Pidge tried prying at another door with their bayards and Hunk nearly shot himself as his bayard's blast reflected off of the door. Lance promptly put away his bayard upon seeing Hunk's failed attempt.
"We're gonna die," Lance bemoaned.
Shiro looked back at him with an incredulous look. He was going to have a nice long talk with Lance about what a Paladin shouldn't do, such as freaking out in front of the person they came to save. It didn't help anyone and only made him and his team lose credibility as Voltron. People needed to know that they could trust them with their lives.
"Princess Allura can you 'beam me up Scotty'?" Lance begged on the comms.
"Try not to sound too desperate," Keith darkly glowered.
The newly freed Shay bent down to the ground. "I will reach out to the Balmerans again."
"What's that rumbling?" Pidge murmured as she looked down at her feet.
"The Balmera." Hunk frowned as he felt it too. "I think it's in pain."
The Balmera's pitiful moan echoed. Pidge and Hunk shared a look.
"Can we still save it?"
Hunk looked at Shay's form. "We have to try."
Shay did not notice the look but continued to press her hand against the Balmera. Shiro's eyes grew grim. Is it possible to save a creature this large? How would they even begin to heal it? It was something he was going to have to ask Coran once there was a moment. Right now was not the time. He was still trying to get a signal from the castle.
"Princess, Coran. Do you read me?"
The line was static for a moment, then there was a strained, "Yes."
Shiro frowned as he looked upwards as if to see beyond the ceiling. "Princess?"
"We're surrounded and taking heavy fire!"
The team was alert. Shiro frowned as he picked up booming sounds.
"How many?"
There were several alarms sounding off. He couldn't lie, that worried him.
"Too many! The particle barrier won't last!"
Coran's voice was low in disbelief. "Princess..."
"What's wrong?" Pidge jumped in.
"It's a battle cruiser. Paladins, if it fires its ion cannon -"
"We'll get there," Shiro voiced out. "Just hold on."
"How are we going to get there if we're stuck in the middle of a beast planet?!" Lance freaked out.
Keith had the sense to smack him. "Stop giving up before we try."
"Shiro," Pidge came up to him with a frown, "we are pretty far into the Balmera."
If this were any other time Shiro would have been grateful to see Pidge's concern for Allura. But now was not the time to rejoice in their growing bond. He looked at Shay, saw her features twisted in deep, desperate concentration. Allura entrusted the Lions to them, the last relic of her people - her father.
"Paladins," Coran yelled out in the midst of the booming lasers, "they're trying to take the Lions!"
"We'll make it," Shiro firmly stated.
They had to.
The ride back to the Lions was much longer than the journey inside.
The entire time Shiro's voice could be heard over the comms. The others were silent, mostly because they didn't know what they could say to Allura and Coran. In this dire moment of dread and urgency they were each glad they were not the leader. There was a renewed appreciation for the head of Voltron, a leader that could offer comfort and hope when everyone else was stuck in a speechless anxiety. So they listened and took comfort in his surety.
"Hold on Princess," Shiro murmured as his speeder zoomed through the bumpy tunnels. "We're getting closer."
"The ion cannon's too powerful!"
"We can do this. You can do this. Just hold on."
The team gripped the handles of their speeders in response. They could. They would.
Shiro, if Coran and I don't make this -"
"You both will."
"...Please, scatter our remains where Altea used to be."
Their courage faltered at that, especially as Shiro was quiet on the comms.
Maybe...they couldn't...
On Shiro's end, his hands gripped the handles of the speeder with vigor. "I'm not doing that because you're going to be fine," he grounded out.
"Promise me."
"Allura, don't make me promise that," he said with a slight rasp as his throat tightened. The damned tunnel seemed to be stretching out even longer. "I'll get to you." His voice gained strength as he talked. "That's what I promise."
Their leader let out a yell as he gunned it.
As easily as they had wavered they found their courage again. Their heads bent low as they all forced their speeders past its limits. The screens were blaring red as the engines were overheating. They didn't care. They could finally see the opening of the tunnel.
The Black Lion was the first to burst free with a thundering roar.
The others soon joined him in the sky.
The sudden emergence of Voltron from the Balmera's atmosphere was a sight Allura wouldn't forget.
She felt energy coming back to her as Voltron pushed the ion cannon away with fresh power. She stared in amazement for a moment, hearing their joined battle cry over the comms. It renewed her spirit to hear it. Now was her chance and she wouldn't disappoint. She quickly locked onto the cruiser with Coran's guidance, aimed, and fired without hesitation. The castle felt the rumbles of the explosion as the whole Galra fleet was caught in it.
"Nice hit Princess!" Lance hooted.
She leaned heavily against the controls. I surely thought we would die. Her eyes drifted past the screens to the figure of Voltron hovering in space. Her eyes closed as a small smile made its way on her face. He did promise.
The momentary peace was shortly lived.
For a new enemy was burning through space and the Balmeran atmosphere.
The vile beast wasn't weakening even a little.
"Will this thing just die?!"
"We can't evade and attack forever."
"Guys, my Lion's too slow for this kind of fight!"
We can't beat it. Shiro knew that. It was far too advanced than their current skillsets. But the Balmera was dying and there were many lives at stake, including their own team. He made his Lion glance over at the landed castle then frowned. He could see a glow underneath it even from this distance.
"The ritual was never meant for an entire Balmera. Just for the spot in which the crystal was taken!"
He raised the volume of Coran's comm above his paladins'. He wasn't liking the sound of this conversation.
"Coran, if I can heal it then I have to try."
"But Princess...it could kill you."
Shiro did not breathe for a couple of seconds. Then, "What are you doing? You just need to evacuate the Balmerans."
"...No. I need to save them. The Balmera included."
"Allura?" came Lance's voice, quieter than anyone had heard.
"Thank you all. For everything."
Before anyone else could say anything, the whole planet glowed. In a rushing wave of bright blue energy the dark, dead Balmera flourished with gleaming crystals amidst the lighter, healthier earth. They could only stare in wonder. Even the robotic beast sent to kill them paused in its destruction.
Allura did this? Shiro couldn't believe how much energy she had to expend. Unless...she used all of it...
"Allura?"
There was no response from her comms. He sharply turned his Lion completely around, giving the beast his back to risk a look. His Lion zoomed in. Allura was down on the ground. Coran was going to her now.
"Coran? Is the Princess -"
"She's alive. Just out at the moment."
He let out a breath. Then grunted as a laser hit his Lion. Now was not the time to be distracted.
"Hunk, let's try your bayard again!"
After healing the Balmera Allura remembered coming to.
Coran was holding her. Shiro and the others were out of their Lions and rushing over to her. The Balmerans were still kneeling from the ritual but were smiling now. Faint crystals gleamed everywhere. She felt elated.
"Allura."
She paused in standing up, feeling Shiro's hand take her other arm. Then, there were screams. They tore their gaze to find the source of the screaming. The dreadful beast was back up despite its wounds.
"But how?!" someone exclaimed.
She couldn't remember who. All she knew was that the Paladins were out of their Lions and the beast was charging up for a final, deadly blast. We're not going to make it. She squeezed Coran and Shiro's hands, she could feel her eyes about to give into darkness again. But at least she wasn't dying alone. Not like her father did...
Then, crystals shot up from the earth, encasing it.
The Balmera.
The relief robbed her of what little strength she had.
Her head was aching. Her eyelids felt so heavy.
Allura came to, seeing Coran by her side.
"She's awake!"
"Princess, are you alright?!"
She saw that the team was there except Shiro before her eyes gave up yet again.
Allura could just make out Shiro's figure in the chair.
She groaned a little as she attempted to sit up. The chair squeaked as he moved closer.
"The Balmera -"
"Is alive, thanks to you."
His eyes looked tired. He wasn't even dressed for sleep.
"You should be resting."
He half shrugged. "Probably." He gave her a faint smile. "Though I suspect you more than I."
Allura groggily rubbed her head. "I feel like I do."
He sat forward in his chair as far as he could. He had not entered Allura's quarters with the others the first time. He needed a moment to think, consider what they had all gone through and what exactly was bothering him. It didn't take him long to figure it out.
"Allura."
She turned her tired gaze to him. His face was so serious.
"Do not ask me to promise that."
"Promise what?"
He looked at her steadily. She slowly nodded in recollection.
'Please, scatter our remains where Altea used to be...'
"I asked," she quietly replied, "for I would do it for any of you."
He dropped his forehead onto his folded hands. She was being very calm about it. Too calm. It unsettled him to hear it coming from her. She shouldn't accept this outcome so readily. He felt her hand on his head. He stilled his breath for a brief moment. Her fingers lightly moved through his hair before coming off of his head. His eyes closed tightly at the gesture then reopened in decision.
He lifted his face up to her. "...Alright," he murmured so softly. "But do not ask again. Please."
For it was an end that could happen. He could at least offer her this consolation, however grim it was and despite how much he despised to think of it.
"Thank you."
He nodded his head and stood up to go. He was at the door when her voice called out.
"...Shiro?"
He turned to her, just staring at her expression in the low lights. It reminded him of when Lance looked to him in a wordless request for comfort and reassurance. But her look felt different. The situation was different...and yet not at all. He walked over slowly, taking his time to sit on the edge of her bed to make sure this is what she was asking for. In answer, she scooted over to make room. He eyed the mice on her pillow and curled half on top of her hair.
"They won't mind."
He quirked a brow. "Or they'll just bite me."
"They won't." She covered her mouth as she yawned. "Unless they smell your fear."
He paused in slipping his shoes off. "You're talking nonsense." Lightly, he pushed her shoulder down. "Go to sleep."
She gave him a sleepy smile before closing her eyes. He laid down on top of the covers, his hands folded over his stomach and his eyes looking up at the ceiling. He could leave once she was completely out. He eyed her face half buried in her pillow.
Or stay...
For she was not the only one that needed reassurances.
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AN: Drama and cheese. Oh how I love thee, especially the drama to come. XD
I edited this chapter several times. Sorry if it seems episodic, but it hits parts I wanted to write about.