Burning Bright Eyes

Fifteen

        Ayiko slowly stirred; she didn't know how long she'd been asleep. She could feel arms wrapped around her, a heartbeat under her head. The pain from yesterday's injuries was gone; she now felt warm, and safe. Her tendrils were wrapping around the source of warmth, she could feel it. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing a lock of familiar white hair.

        He didn't leave me, again, she noticed drowsily. Perhaps they really were right.

        She shifted slightly in his arms so she could look up at his face. Lotor seemed to have also fallen asleep, his expression peaceful. She felt his hand resting on her back, laced in her tendrils. His arms tightened around her with the movement. His eyes slowly opened partially, gazing down at her.

        "Good morning, my lord," she murmured.

        "Good morning, Ayiko," he greeted back, his voice soft. She felt his hand slowly shift up to wrap around her shoulders.

        Their eyes shot open.

        Ayiko sat up in shock, nearly falling off the berth if she didn't brace her tendrils against the floor behind her. Lotor's eyes were wide with shock. The Miero hybrid knew it; he touched the permanent souvenir of the Druids' experiments.

        "Ayiko," Lotor breathed. "What was that? It felt like... like a Druid's claws." Realization and grief showed in his face and eyes.

        Ayiko slunk against the wall, only giving a single nod.

        Lotor carefully reached out, resting it on her shoulder. She tensed slightly, but didn't back away. His fingers lightly brushed over the grooves beneath the undersuit. One, two, three streaks, right shoulder down to below the bicep; just like he thought. Definitely not the long, shallow patterns left by the Miero cultists, or the web-like gap at the center of either of their spines; these were wide, jagged indents that were thicker than a person's finger, and twice as long.

        "What did they do to you?" The words came out no louder than a whisper.

        "Tried to take my arm like they did with the Black Paladin," she said softly. "I freed myself from their table and grappled with the soldiers who tried. I nearly got out, but a Druid came in and clawed me to stop my rampage. After that, they settled for my hands."

        Lotor's facial expression steeled. "In that case, it's a good thing that the Druids are our prime target." He stood up from the berth and, taking the Miero hybrid's hand in a careful clasp, led her out of the infirmary.

~~~~~~~~~

        When the two were fully armored, ready, and going to the Grand Hall, they were met by a number of strange looks from the Paladins and Warriors. Some could be classified as knowing smiles, but most of them were just weirded out. They continued giving them those expressions until Ayiko got annoyed enough to ask.

        "What in Rabora's scales are you looking at us that way for?" she demanded, her voice lacking emotion but holding a dangerously sharp undertone.

        "Um," Hunk slowly stepped forward, pulling out his phone. "We were hoping you could explain this picture we all got this morning." With a flick on the screen, he pulled out the picture of them sleeping in the infirmary, much to both of their surprise. Just ticks after seeing the picture, their eyes widened, with their cheeks turning dark gray and deep magenta, respectively.

        "Who took that picture?" Lotor asked, coughing in embarrassment. "And who sent it to all of you?"

        "We were hoping you would know," Pidge stated.