Chill (Klance Warmth series Book 2 of +4)

27: Brisk Aftermath

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.