"How are you, my beautiful flower?", Brenan whispered to Azalea, who was curled into his side.
Azalea fumbled with her shackles.
"I'm fine", she whispered back.
She moved her head and peered up at him through her raven colored bangs.
"Why do you call me that?"
Brenan raised a slender blonde eyebrow, "Call you what?"
"Beautiful Flower", she pointed out. Brenan chuckled and put his chin on the top of her head.
"Because your namesake grows on my planet as well as it does Earth. And on my planet, azaleas are the most beautiful flower in existence", he said quietly.
He smiled, "As are you, Azalea my flower."
Azalea smiled.
"Thanks Brenan..."
"It is my pleasure."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pidge whined playfully as he climbed out of the air vent.
Azalea caught him when he dropped and gave him a ride back to the others.
"Last one?", Shiro asked.
Azalea found him in the trash chute.
"Yup!", Azalea grinned and ruffled Pidge's hair, "Maybe you'll win next time, guys!"
"I doubt that, man", Hunk laughed, "Not with you as the seeker!"
Allura's voice came over the intercom.
"Attention everyone, please report to the pilot's bay immediately!"
"What's the matter?", Shiro asked when they got there.
Allura waved her hand dismissively, "Nothing too bad. We just came upon a friendly planet."
Coran's eyes were bright with excitement.
"The princess is right!", he said excitedly. On the large screen he pulled up a view of a deep blue planet.
It's beautiful...
"This is Jaspen! The Jaspanians are a distant cousin of Alteans. They have a very nature-orientated lifestyle, and are very peaceful. I'm surprised they've managed to stay out of the Galra Empire's grasp! The princess and I were thinking of possibly stopping by for a visit!"
The Palladian murmured in agreement.
"But no matter how peaceful Jaspen might seem, we cannot let them know that Azalea is on board", Allura said sternly.
"Awe, but why?", Lance whined.
Shiro looked at the screen closely, studying the planet.
"Allura is right. Many others have heard of the Nightmare, and if they're anything like the Kalpanian Chief their reaction won't be good."
"It's safer to keep Azalea on the ship while we're here", Allura agreed.
Azalea fiddled with the end of her ponytail. She sighed in sadness.
I wish I could go with them...
She felt Keith standing behind her, and her heart skipped a beat.
She struggled to keep the idiotic grin down. Her face was red.
This only happened when he was around.
Although she would never tell the others, she had developed feelings for the red paladin.
And now here he was, standing in a protective stance not even a foot away from her.
She sighed again, quiet enough for no one to hear.
They'd become close over the past few month, talking to each other more, and eventually becoming friends.
She told him everything.
Her past life in Oregon.
Her fears.
Her wishes and hopes.
But... she didn't tell him exactly everything.
Looking at everyone around her, Azalea felt sad.
She'd been lying to everyone that she was fine.
But she wasn't.
Not at all.
"Nightmare..", deep male voice said inside her head. It sounded forlorn, and teasing, as if it were
beckoning a child.
"Go away..", she mentally pleaded.
"Nightmare... Come home little Nightmare..."
"Are you okay, Zales?", Lance asked her.
Azalea snapped out of her thoughts and felt all eyes looking at her worridly.
She faked a grin and laughed.
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"
Maybe because I'm hearing voices that were never there before.