This was it. He'd seen battle. He knew when he lost. It wasn't a feeling he experienced often in the arena, but in secret... Now, staring up at the face of the thing that would destroy not only him but his friends, an entire race, and an entire planet, made him feel small and insignificant.
It couldn't be the end. Other than Pidge, he'd only known these people for a week or so at best. So much had happened. He'd finally begun to feel like he had a purpose, like he belonged. Without him even realizing it, this group of ragtag, insane people had become his family. He couldn't lose them so soon. He couldn't lose them ever!
He glanced over at Princess Allura. She was leaning heavily on a Balmeran female who was also staring up at the giant Robeast in terror. If he let them die here, then he'd failed. He would not fail. He couldn't give up. Not now, not ever.
Shiro grit his teeth and turned back to the Robeast in fury. He activated his weaponized right arm, feeling the uncomfortable thrum of the Druid manufactured energy, and the shield from his armor's left arm. He was ready to die here if he had to. He didn't want to. But if it meant saving his companions, even if it was just one life, he was ready to die. He crouched by his fellow paladins, his friends, and waited.
The Robeast gave a gravely roar and Shiro stiffened, lifting his shield. The monster's glowing eye in its chest began powering up, readying for another and most likely final blast. The energy of Shiro's arm shield would hardly last long against the Robeast's green eye beam, but hopefully it would at least protect Allura.
Then the eye sparked and the radioactive green dimmed. Confused, Shiro narrowed his eyes and lowered his shield just enough to see the Robeast's entire body. Something sparkled in the eerie orange light of the Balmera's atmosphere. Shiro cautiously looked down at the Robeast's feet and stood straight in shock.
Massive crystals that glittered a clear sea green pierced through the Balmera's surface and climbed up the Robeast's body. The green eye on the monster's chest sparked and sputtered before a sea green crystal punched through the metal. A clump of rough-hewn crystal thrust through the monster's head, nearly splitting it in two. The crystals continued to grow up the Robeast's body, slicing through the metal and expanding as it went until it completely encased the monster. Only then did the crystals slow their growth, eventually stopping entirely.
Shiro gaped at the crystal coffin that had effectively buried the Robeast alive in awful amazement. The Lions had struggled against the Galra-made monstrosity, and even Voltron hadn't had much luck against the Robeast. But somehow, the Balmera managed to defeat the Robeast in mere seconds.
"Wow," he whispered.
"Did the Balmera just... save us?" Pidge gasped.
"I-I think so," Keith murmured.
"Who's a good Balmera? You are," Hunk said in his baby talk voice.
Shiro blinked and turned to where the yellow paladin was on his hands and knees petting the ground. He really shouldn't have been surprised by the sight, but he still was. It was certainly unexpected.
"Who ate the nasty monster? You did," Hunk said, moving his hands back and forth as if scratching the Balmera like a dog. "Yes you did."
"Hunk?" Shiro asked hesitantly. "What are you doing?"
"Hey, no judging, Shiro," Hunk said, holding up a single finger to stop the black paladin's argument. "The Balmera is alive and it wuvs my scwatches," he said in his baby talk voice again. "Don't you? Yes, you do. Yes, you do."
Allura approached on wobbly legs, still supported by the Balmeran female. "You Humans are very...um..." She paused, searching for the right word. "Unique," she said finally.

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Chill (Klance Warmth series Book 2 of +4)
FanfictionBook 2 of 'Warmth' series. It's been two days since the end of 'Warmth'. Sendak and the few survivors from the defeated Galra battlecruiser attack destroying the Castle's main power crystal and severely injuring Lance in the process. With Keith, Sh...