#not ready to finish watching voltron any time soon

[murieltheawful]

I don’t want s8.

Nonono

Not ready. Not yet. Please. Let me live in my sanctuary of what I have of the series now, write my goddess-damned Numb in peace and... just. I’m not ready?

#vld #voltron s8 #please let me stay where I am for now #not ready to finish watching voltron any time soon #OK I can always rewatch it alll HAHAHAHA #I'm pathetic #I use the las tag for the second time this evening

[blueberry-sunshines]

Small Surpises— Big Brother Shiro x Little Sister Reader

Summary:

You are Shiro's younger sister waiting on him to return from a mission while you reminisce about your life with your big brother which then gets interrupted when he brings you back an unexpected surprise...

Word Count: ~2K

Childhood memories | Brotherly Love

Requested by: @white_skittle on Wattpad

{Your POV}

Honestly, you had never really thought that it would be so boring to be in a half-castle half-spaceship until you were actually in one. It sounds crazy to even think you'd be in one let alone that one exists! One moment you were on earth with Keith trying to figure out these weird radio signals and then the next your brother who'd been missing for a year had crash landed onto earth in an alien pod! And just when you didn't think anything could get any crazier, you found a giant blue lion that whisked you all away into space! That was just the beginning of all the adventures you'd have traveling the universe with your new found family. But as of now, the only thing you could do is wait around the Castle of Lions until the Paladins are back from their mission. To keep your mind off of your boredom and anxiety you tried your best to distract yourself with useless things like wondering the castle and getting lost in your own thoughts.

You were significantly younger than your brother, Shiro. While he was 25, you were only a teenager. You two were always rather close despite your age difference. Shiro was always so cool, you and all of your friends thought he was the most amazing person in the whole world. And if you were being honest with yourself, he still was. I mean, being the paladin of the Black Lion and the leader of Voltron was the coolest thing you could think of! As kids you and Shiro loved playing together, you would play with his soldiers and planes or he'd play dolls with you. You two would spend hours playing little games like hide and seek or just playing pretend.

You would be the princess and Shiro would always be the courageous knight there to protect and save you from evil villains and mystical dragons. Using sticks and pool noodles as swords he would slay any foes that even dared to hurt his little sister. Shiro has always been your hero in more ways than you'd ever realize.

"Fear not, Princess (Y/N)!" He would cry, holding his makeshift sword in the air. "I will slay this dragon to protect you and your kingdom from his evil!" He would then jab at one of your stuffed animals or sometimes even trees, pretending they were the villain.

     As you got older, you two were still super close. Shiro was then entering his teens, going to the Galaxy Garrison to be a pilot. He was so smart and so talented and all you ever wanted to do was impress him. When you didn't think he could get any cooler he always did. But even though he was at the Garrison, he still had never let you down. You have many memories of Shiro picking you up after school and taking you out to your favorite diner. Sitting in a booth across from each other he would ask you about your day while drinking a milkshake in his bright orange Cadet uniform.

"You look silly in your uniform, Takashi." Little you giggled in your memory. You could still see Shiro's face as he pulled away from his Oreo milkshake's straw, as well as the smile that formed on his face as he let out a small chuckle.

"I guess I do look kind of silly, huh?" He agreed, setting down his milkshake softly.

These couple times a week visits made it feel like Shiro had never really left at all. Soon you were able to transfer into the Garrison Cadet program and next thing you remember is staying up late into the night studying with Shiro and practicing your techniques. Shiro was the star of the Garrison and he still remained the star of your life. Sure you had made many friends, but Shiro was still your best friend above all else. You still remember when Shiro had introduced you to Keith and how you two got off to a rocky start. But eventually, it didn't feel like it was just you and Shiro against the world anymore. Soon you had a new honorary brother in Keith. You would all ride around together on Hoverbikes and Landspeeders and you even would take Keith for milkshakes at your diner.

"Hah!" You beamed triumphantly as you swung to a halt on your hoverbike. You looked behind you now as your brother came up to a stop behind you. You laughed triumphantly as you had just beaten Shiro to your designated finish line. "I told you I could beat you!"

"I never doubted you for a second." Shiro told you proudly as he whipped the sweat from his forehead.

You looked now on the other side of you over the edge of the large cliff next to you. "So can I learn the dive now?" You blurted out quickly.

Shiro laughed warmly, "Absolutely not." He said quickly and gave you a teasing smile. "Not until I'm sure you and Keith are both ready." He explained, watching you pout in amusement.

As you were entering your teenage years and Shiro was leaving his, you two had somehow managed to grow even closer. He had come out to you over the course of your time at the Garrison. You still remember him gushing to you all about his, then crush, Adam. You were there for him when coming to terms with his feelings and there when he brought Adam home to your parents for the first time. In return he was always there for you, helping you when you were sick, giving you advice when you were down in the dumps, and he helped you through your first ever breakup.

Time was flying by so quickly and soon, you were an accomplished pilot just like your big brother, and Shiro had asked Adam to marry him. Life was just the way you liked it and you didn't think anything could ruin your wonderful relationship with Shiro. If none of the petty sibling fights you got into or even any of the serious ones could have ruined it, you didn't know what could. But, you could never forget Kerberos...

"We're back!!!" You heard a voice shout from a room over. It was the cherry voice of Lance McClain exclaiming their arrival in the castle. You began running back down the corridor to return to the lounge where you heard the voices coming from.

"Hey, (Y/N)!" Hunk smiled seeing you enter the room. You saw Lance, Pidge, Hunk, Keith, and Allura all standing in the room.

"How did it go out there today?" You asked them all, subconsciously looking around for your brother. The Paladins went to a freed planet to collect some tech that was needed to help the fight against the Galra.

"We collected all the samples we needed." Pidge told you before gesturing behind her, "Coran and Shiro are unloading as we speak." She was unusually smiley, but you brushed it off as her just being happy to have new tech to work with. You were about to leave to go find Shiro when,

"(Y/N)," Keith said your name now, walking over to you, also dawning a small smile. "There's also something we brought back for you, too."

"Hey!" You heard Lance complain, "I wanted to be the one to tell (Y/N)!"

"Too bad." Keith smirked at him and the two began a small, signature squabble as they walked past towards the direction of the showers.

You looked over at Pidge and Hunk now curiously, "What are they talking about?" You asked them, furrowing your brow in thought trying to guess what on earth they could have brought you. You heard them both giggle as they refused to give you any clue before heading towards the showers as well. Your last hope was Allura.

She just looked as confused as you, "I do wonder what they had brought you as well." She said warmly before following you towards the other door the four Paladins had come from originally. As you and Allura made your way down the hallway she tried to offer you ideas as to what they could've brought you, but half the things she said you had no idea what she was talking about.

Once you reached the hangar where the Paladins had come from, you sprinted towards the Black Lion. Coran was placing small metal crates onto a floating cart and Shiro was helping him.

"Shiro, Hey!" You yelled as you got closer, Allura still following suit.

"(Y/N)!" Shiro called your name happily placing down a crate and turning towards you. You laughed as you ran into his arms, you felt him stumble a bit upon impact and you heard him chuckle.

"You really missed me that much?" He teased you as he gave you a tight squeeze before putting you back safely balanced onto your feet.

"Always do." You smiled up at him affectionately. You then cut right to the chase, "Keith said you guys brought me something!"

Shiro raised an eyebrow at you, "He did, did he?" You nodded in response and he let out another laugh. "Alright, you got me." He admitted humbly.

"Is it another crystal?" You asked excitedly. Shiro had brought you small trinkets before from the missions you didn't get to go on. The Paladins often needed your help, but sometimes when there wasn't any risk you'd just stay behind.

"It's better than that." He said mysteriously as he lead you back towards his lion.

"Is it a bigger crystal?" You asked which earned you a laugh in return.

"No... now stop guessing!" He shook his head in amusement. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Shiro instructed you, turning snd disappearing into the lion.

You looked back over to where Allura and Coran were conversing about something while you waited. Once your brother reemerged from Black, he was holding a small box that had some kind of cloth or blanket sticking out from it. You stared at the box in pure curiosity as Shiro grew closer.

"Keep your voice down," he advised as the contents of the box were nearly in full sight. "You don't want to startle him."

You were still not understanding what this could be but now you were thinking it may be alive. Despite not knowing, you listened to your brother and kept quiet. Shiro held the box further down and you saw him.

      You had to hold in a squeal as you saw what Shiro had brought you. It was a small light gray ball of fluff. The creature had long droopy ears, four legs with five tiny toes on his paws. It had four small horns above his closed eyes, a pink nose and cute little pouting mouth. His chest and his face were white and he was all curled up in his long, white, fluffy tail. He sort of reminded you of a chinchilla but much more alien like.

        Gasping you looked back up to Shiro, "No way..." you breathed out finally. Shiro had a large smile on his face.

        "Do you like him?" He asked now, "His breed is concerned to be a loyal partner on Ormaphu. He's a traditional Ormanphian pet called a Bentorm."

         "Shiro I love him!" You gushed looking back down as your sweet, little baby Bentorm.

          "I'm glad, I thought you would."

      When you were kids, you would always beg your parents for a pet but they never let you or Shiro get anything besides fish. Your new Bentorm was the most amazing pet you could think of! Your attention was turned back to the box when you heard him let out a soft yawn as he stretched and uncurled himself. You let out a soft aww, as he sat upright and looked up at you with big, black eyes. He looked as if he was smiling as he looked up at you, he began making a sweet chirping noise and you looked up at Shiro in amazement.

        "You can pick him up." Shiro told you softly, smile still prominent on his face. You reached down and picked him up softly from his tummy, under his arms. You pulled him close to your chest and he quickly snuggled into you, smile on his cute, Bentorm face.

         "From what his breeder told me, they don't get much bigger and they love riding on their owners shoulders as they get older."

       "Allura!" You exclaimed, "Look what Shiro brought me!!"

       

        Allura came over then, in the same awe that you were upon seeing him for the first time. "Is that a Bentorm?" Allura asked looking up at Shiro.

      Shiro nodded and moved the box onto his hip you free one of his hands to pet the Bentorms head.

       "What are you gonna call him?" Shiro asked looking back up to you.

         "Hmmm, I'm not sure..."

_________________

Hi everyone! Thanks for reading this Brother Shiro one shot! It wasn't super long but I think it's pretty cute. Shiro would be the best big brother and I hope I captured that!

Have a great day! Keep requesting please!

#big brother shiro #shiro voltron #shiro x reader #shiro x sister reader #vld shiro #shiro vld #voltron shiro #takashi shirogane #voltron one shot #voltron x reader

[fbfh]

here’s to always finding each other

pairing: percy x gn child of calliope reader

wc: 1.6k

warnings: percy kisses reader following a prior agreement that they don’t remember but it’s 100% consentual, you work retail, a hell yeah, memory loss, I think that’s it

summary: You didn’t really expect to have to spend your entire eight hour shift organizing shoe wax any more than you expected your fictional crush from middle school to be real and your boyfriend. Only one of those happened (and the shoe wax was still very disorganized when you left).

song rec: this lofi mix, boba manifesto - chris flemming (mostly as a joke but it slaps)

a/n: i am wOrKiNg oN tHiNgS!!!!!! It’s going well!!! expect some fun surprises soon!!!!!!!!!

Crouched down on the ground, rearranging an end cap of shoe wax in the men’s department wasn’t really what you thought being a grownup would be like as a kid. You can’t complain too much, the pay is pretty good and working conditions are decent - as much as they can be in retail. You stand up to check your progress (and stretch your legs) and notice that guy is still there. He’s been hovering around the athletic shirts and pants for a while, and he keeps checking his phone and looking around. You’re sure he’s probably just waiting for someone, but you’re considering asking if you can help him find anything. 

He has a vaguely familiar energy, and your stomach drops for a moment, hoping you don’t know him from school or something. God, that would be a nightmare. That’s happened to you once or twice, bumping into someone you went to school with, and it’s always as bad as you expect. 

‘You know what,’ you think, trying to see if you can fit the last few containers of wax on the shelf without making them topple over, ‘he’s probably fine. If he needs help he’ll ask for it.’ 

You go back to scanning and adjusting the prices of the clearance shoe polish - the company had changed their packaging recently, so it’s out with the old and in with the identical - but you still can’t shake the feeling of familiarity. 

He turns around, holding up an orange shirt that says ‘go for it’ in a ridiculous font, and you get a glimpse of his face. 

You crouch back down so he won’t catch you staring, and the realization dawns on you. He looks a lot like Percy Jackson from the books you read in middle school. Or was it high school? Everything between 6th grade and high school graduation is kind of blurry and confusing in your memory. Man, you should really re-read those, you heard there was a TV series in the works and you want to remember all the details for when it comes out. You’re a little surprised at how nervous that revelation makes you, like the feeling when you’re a kid going to a theme park and you can see the roller coasters as you pull into the parking lot. Weird. Anyway, it’s not the first time you’ve seen a customer who looks like a character from something. One time you saw someone who you swore looked just like Pidge from the Voltron reboot that came out a few years ago, and a coworker saw a girl who looked like an anime character she loves… Raka something? Her name sounded like gravity, but that wasn’t it. You shrug, making a mental note to ask her about it later. 

You stand up once again to take one final look before you move onto the next end cap, and see that the guy is standing next to you. You look up at him, and all those weird feelings of excitement and something close to anticipation amplify, as you get a closer look at him. He really, really looks like Percy Jackson. Like if the Viria art was a real person. 

“Uh… hi, can I help you find anything today?” You ask, snapping out of your daze and into your customer service voice. He takes a second before answering, and you’re a little unnerved by the way he’s looking at you; warm and intimately, like he’s known you for years. 

“No,” he replies, a dreamy tone to his voice, “I’ve got everything I need.” You’re pleasantly surprised and a little freaked out that he even has the accent. Seriously, if he’s not already, this guy should really get into cosplay. Also, is he flirting with you? He seems to realize what he just said, and backtracks slightly. 

“Actually, um, I was wondering if you could help me out with something over here,” he says, and you agree, in your signature chipper tone. He guides you to a table covered in various sweatpants behind a mirror. 

He glances around again, and you have to ask. 

“You know, if you’re having trouble finding someone we can-”

“Walkie customer service to have my group meet me at the front desk.” He finishes seamlessly. 

“It’s not my first time at the rodeo,” he chuckles, and you get the feeling there’s more meaning behind what he’s saying, like an inside joke you’re not a part of. 

“Oh… yeah.” you say, and he can sense your surprise, “How did you…” you trail off, and he can sense the silent question in your voice. He lets out a breathy chuckle, cheeks flushed pink.

“Like this.” 

He catches your face in his hands, and presses his lips to yours. Your eyes widen in shock, mostly at the fact that you don’t feel threatened by his presence at all. You’re shocked at how comfortable you feel around him, how you feel in your bones that you’ve known him for years when the logical side of your brain is telling you that you first saw him ten minutes ago. He pulls away, searching your eyes for… something. 

“Uh…” you glance away, brow slightly furrowed, then back up at him, “what the fuck?” 

His expression softens, and he says gently, “Give it a minute.” 

You’re about to ask him to give what a minute, when a barrage of memories, feelings, people you don’t think you’ve ever met but seemed to be best friends with knocks you off your feet. You try to take in a breath, but the air in the room seems to have taken a temporary vacation from your lungs. 

You look up at him, eyes flared in understanding and shock. He mutters something in confirmation. Someone yells nearby, and you both look over to an adolescent boy asking his mom why he can’t wear neon basketball shorts to school. Percy looks back over at you.

“Is there somewhere a little more-” the mom starts arguing back and forth with her son at a louder volume, and he continues, “private… where we could talk?”

“Uh, yeah, I’ll… I’ll get somewhere.”

A few minutes later, you’re sitting across from each other on two step stools in one of the stock rooms. You’re still surprised at how easily you had lied to your boss that your long distance boyfriend showed up a few weeks early after over a year of not being able to see each other, and you needed a moment to catch up. She had agreed readily, asking that you tell her when you’re ready to get back to your tasks. 

“I’m sorry about that,” he starts, snapping you out of your train of thought, and you look up at him, “I never would have kissed you without asking, but you made me promise last time that the next time you lose your memories I would get them back to you as fast as I can.” 

“Uh, it’s okay, I feel like I remember talking about that.” Your memories are still fuzzy, but coming back sporadically.

“It can take a few days for them to come back fully.” He adds. 

The most surreal part of this is you remember vividly what happened in the books - because you lived through it. You hold back a giddy laugh bubbling up.

“So…” you begin, and he looks at you, his gaze warm, “it’s all real?” you breathe the words, almost afraid of an answer. 

“Yeah,” he chuckles, looking away briefly, overwhelmed that you’re with him once again.

“The short version is, since your godly parent is Calliope, you sometimes get sent to other worlds. You kind of have to hop scotch from one place to another, like getting a goldfish used to a new bowl of water. The mist - or sometimes,” he glances up, pointedly and irritable, “other factors - usually take away a lot of your memories. They say it’s to make the transition easier, but who knows. Anyway, there are these waypoints, kind of like a time loop that you hang out in until you’re either ready to leave or one of us finds you first.”

“So this…” you motion around to the rows of cardboard boxes filled with plastic cups and paper towels. He nods and you let out a laugh of relief that you really won’t have to work here long term. 

“As soon as you’re ready we should probably head out to camp. It’s gonna be a bit of a drive.” 

“Wait, it’s all like… here? Like in this world?”

“Yeah,” he smiles again, once more sending butterflies through your chest. 

You let out a disbelieving, excited laugh.

“Alright. Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.” 

Before you can get up, he takes your hand in his. He watches his fingers skim back and forth for a minute before looking up at you. 

“You know that I’ll always find you, right?” there’s an overwhelming torrent of emotions he’s somehow managing to convey through his eyes. 

“It doesn’t matter where you go, or how long you’re gone, or if we even remember each other. I will always find you.” His hand comes up to your cheek for the second time today, and your head tilts into his embrace automatically. You somehow trust him more than anyone or anything else right now. You nod gently.

“I do.”

He glances away again, cheeks flushing red, and he sighs, kissing your forehead. 

You get up and head towards the exit together, and he wraps his arm around your shoulder.

“How about we get some bubble tea once we’re in the city?”

“Oh hell yeah!” 

You don’t remember the last time you had bubble tea, but it sounds really, really good right now. 

#percy jackson x reader #percy jackson x gn reader #heroes of olympus x reader #percy jackson #heroes of olympus

[voltrontranscript]

VLD S7E12: Lions’ Pride, Part 1

Season 7 Episode 12: Lions’ Pride, Part 1

Transcript by @dragonofyang

Summary: The battle for Earth continues as the Paladins of Voltron enter the fight alongside the now-functioning IGF-Atlas, and Shiro faces Sendak head-on.

[Google Doc]

Shiro: Welcome back to the fight, Paladins.

Hunk: It’s good to be back. You know, in our bodies.

Shiro: MFE pilots, what’s your status?

Griffin: Power is dropping.

Shiro: Return to the Atlas and recharge.

Griffin: Copy that. We’re on our way. The manifold in the left flaxum assembly felt loose. See if you can tighten that down. Alright, let’s get this fighter charged and ready to go.

[Scene change to Sendak’s fleet orbiting Earth.]

Galra Officer: Lieutenant Hepta is not responding.

Sendak: Then you are now acting lieutenant. Status report.

Galra Officer: The cannons are fully charged and moving into position. They should be ready to fire in fifteen doboshes. However, if the enemy ship continues to pursue us into the upper atmosphere, that could cause a problem.

Sendak: Focus the entirety of the fleet’s firepower on Voltron and their new ship. Keep them occupied as long as possible.

[Cut to the IGF-Atlas and Voltron as they face the rest of the fleet.]

Keith: Form sword!

Shiro: Coran, adjust our heading to narrow our surface area for incoming attacks. Commander Holt, what’s the status of the Zaiforge cannons?

Sam: According to their projected trajectories, they’ve started moving together, but their convergent point is…

Shiro: Sam? Sam? What is it?

Sam: I know what Sendak is doing. He’s going to converge the beams to make one massive amplified emission of particle radiation.

Shiro: Is that even possible?

Sam: Yes. I know because I gave them the technology. When I was enslaved, the Galra had me working on particle emission amplification. I’m sending you the Zaiforge cannons’ movements. This is a simulation I’ve run based on their current trajectory. It leads to a single point in space. Once they’re in position, their individual beams will merge together, exponentially increasing their destructive force. It will be powerful enough to completely vaporize Earth.

Hunk: We can’t let that happen. What do we do?

Allura: Should we go after the Zaiforge cannons? The Lions might not be able to defeat them all in time.

Sam: If even two beams connect, they have the power to destroy Earth.

Keith: We know they’re being controlled by Sendak. Let’s take him out.

Lance: What the heck was that?

Allura: We’re under attack from one of those bases that launched a Zaiforge cannon!

Pidge: They must have been designed to defend the cannons after they launched.

Keith: Shield!

Pidge: We’re being attacked from all angles!

Hunk: Should we fall back?

Lance: No, we’re too close to retreat.

Pidge: We can’t take any more shots from those ground-based cannons.

Keith: Get in close to the cruisers. They won’t fire on their own ships.

Allura: Sendak’s destroying his own ships to get to us.

[Cut back to the bridge of Sendak’s ship.]

Lieutenant Galra: Commander, Zaiforge cannons are nearing final position.

[Cut to the bridge of the IGF-Atlas.]

Coran: We can’t get to Sendak!

Veronica: Voltron is pinned down!

Shiro: Griffin, what’s your team’s status?

Griffin: The MFEs are nearly charged. Whatever’s powering the Atlas is incredible.

Shiro: We need you back in the fight. Head to the coordinates I’m sending you and take out those surface-to-air cannons.

Griffin: Yes, sir.

[Cut to the MFEs launching.]

Griffin: Leifsdottir, give me a battle stratagem.

Leifsdottir: We attack the base and try to destroy it before it destroys us.

Griffin: Oh, I thought you might have some mathematically-advanced insight or something.

Leifsdottir: Our options are limited.

Griffin: Well, you heard Leifsdottir. Let’s move!

[Cut to the IGF-Atlas bridge.]

Veronica: We’ve sustained structural damage on our starboard bow!

Iverson: Aft cannons are recharging. Holding tight at forty-five percent.

Sam: Shiro, the Zaiforge cannons are almost in position. By my calculations, we’re not going to get to Sendak in time.

Shiro: Paladins, you have to stop your attack.

Keith: What?

Shiro: Abort your attack or Earth will be destroyed.

Lance: What’s going on?

Shiro: The Atlas will continue to attack Sendak while the MFEs attempt to take out the ground cannons. But just in case that doesn’t work, we’ll need you to stop the Zaiforge cannons directly.

Lance: How are we gonna stop all these cannons? I’m not sure a Lion can take one down on its own.

Keith: We just have to think. Is there any way we can block the beams?

Pidge: We would be annihilated.

Hunk: Hey, what about those reflective plates they used to curve the beam around Earth?

Pidge: They could deflect the beams and keep them from merging.

Keith: Okay. It’s the best plan we’ve got so far. Let’s go!

Shiro: Good luck, Paladins.

[Cut to Voltron.]

Pidge: These plates are pretty far apart. I’m sending flight paths I calculated with the fastest possible routes. Keith and Lance, you’ll take the furthest plates. After you get your plate, head to the indicated cannon on the course I’ve sent you.

Keith: Got it.

[Cut to the MFE pilots as they face a ground-to-air cannon.]

Griffin: Okay, we’re going to strafe and burn. Watch for crossfire and--

Rizavi: Destroy that base!

Kinkade: And she’s already engaging.

Griffin: Everyone, follow Rizavi!

Leifsdottir: The base is highly fortified. It’s most vulnerable after it fires. That’s when we attack.

[Cut to the IGF-Atlas bridge.]

Griffin: Atlas, cannon one is neutralized. Moving on to next target.

Sam: We have a fire in the plasma alternator. Activating fire suppressors.

Shiro: Veronica, what’s the status of the shielding system?

Veronica: I’m trying.

Shiro: Keep working. Coran, adjust our heading to 5.38.

[Scene change to the Paladins moving reflective plates.]

Keith: Come on, come on… How much time do we have?

Sam: Two minutes, fifteen seconds and counting.

Pidge: It’s gonna be tight!

[Cut to the bridge of the IGF-Atlas.]

Shiro: Full ordinance! Starboard side!

Iverson: Munitions to starboard.

Shiro: Coran, bearings: 7.2. Fire!

Iverson: Galra cruiser destroyed!

Shiro: More cruisers incoming. We can’t handle many more blasts.

Veronica: Wait, the shielding system…

Shiro: What is it?

Veronica: It’s coming online! Shielding successful!

Shiro: How much time before the Zaiforge cannons fire?

Sam: Any second now!

Keith: We’re almost in position!

Sendak: Fire.

Sam: The Lions have the plates in position, but those plates were designed to reflect a short burst. They won’t hold for long under the pressure of a sustained blast.

Shiro: Then we need to take out Sendak now.

Coran: But we can’t get through the cruiser blockade he’s created.

Shiro: We need a new plan. Sam, what if someone were to infiltrate Sendak’s ship and gain access to its crystal? Could the cannons be disrupted?

Sam: Infiltrate Sendak’s ship?

Shiro: Would it work?

Sam: It could work, but you’d need a communication device to link to the Atlas so we can hack their system.

Shiro: Then that’s what we’ll do. I’m going in. Coran, the ship is yours. Get the Atlas to the impact site. We need to be prepared for every outcome.

[Cut to the bridge of Sendak’s ship.]

Galra Lieutenant: Commander, they’re deflecting the beams.

Sendak: Keep firing!

[Cut to the Lions deflecting the Zaiforge cannons.]

Hunk: They’re gonna rupture soon! We don’t have much longer!

Keith: Keep holding, team. We can do this! Atlas, what’s happening?

Coran: Hold a little longer! We have a plan!

Keith: Whatever it is, we’re running out of time!

Shiro: Atlas, I’ve arrived at Sendak’s command ship.

[Cut to the bridge of the IGF-Atlas.]

Veronica: We’ve intercepted the beam, but we need more power!

[Cut to the MFE pilots.]

Griffin: Leifsdottir, draw their fire! Let’s finish this.

[Cut between the IGF-Atlas and Shiro on the Galra ship.]

Coran: Paladins! Paladins, are you there? Shiro, I can’t reach the Paladins and the Atlas can’t hold this beam much longer! Whatever you’re gonna do, can you do it now?

Shiro: Sam, I’ve made it to the crystal. Activating communication transponder.

Sam: Okay, Shiro. I have to warn you, this might be a little strange. I’m about to use your brain as a computer node.

Shiro: Well, wouldn’t be the first time.

Sam: I’ve got it! Disengaging the ventral thoron injector port. It will overload the deuterium array, which should result in an explosion large enough to debilitate the beam generator. I’ve lost my connection. Shiro? Shiro, are you there? Shiro? Shiro!

Iverson: One of the cannons is down.

Veronica: That just bought us time, but we still can’t withstand the blast from the other cannons much longer.

[Cut to the bridge of Sendak’s ship.]

Galra Lieutenant: We’ve lost a cannon.

Sendak: What happened to our power?

Galra Lieutenant: The crystal has been damaged. The ship cannot maintain altitude. It’s listing toward their planet. We need to evacuate.

Sendak: Victory or death, Lieutenant.

[Cut to the Zaiforge cannons.]

Veronica: The shield is failing! Twenty-four percent and dropping!

Sam: I’m diverting power from the infinite mass crystal!

Veronica: Paladins, hurry! Lance!

Lance: Oh, no.

Allura: Lance… Hang on. I’m coming to help.

Veronica: The Lions have defeated all of the cannons.

Griffin: Atlas, this is Griffin. MFEs have successfully neutralized our final target.

Veronica: The only remaining hostile is Sendak’s ship. It’s freefalling towards Earth’s surface. It’s already hit terminal velocity.

Sam: Shiro’s still in there.

[Cut to Shiro climbing onto the external hull as Sendak’s ship falls toward Earth.]

Sendak: You!

Pidge: Sendak’s ship is gonna crash into Earth!

Keith: We have to guide it to an uninhabited area! Follow me!

Sendak: Every ounce of my being will be directed toward the destruction of you and your pathetic planet!

Keith: Hold it together! We gotta make it past the city.

Sendak: Victory… or death.

Shiro: Thank you.

Pidge: We did it!

Hunk: Earth is safe!

End.

#vld #voltron #transcript #voltron transcript project #shiro #keith #lance #allura #hunk #pidge #coran #sendak #Veronica #sam holt #James Griffin #Nadia rizavi #hepta #Iverson #ina leifsdottir #ryan kinkade

[actress4him]

Whumptober 2020 - Day 11

Switching it up a little today by seeing things from a new character’s perspective...an alien oc, to be exact! This was actually an idea that I had written down before Whumptober came around, not sure whether I would actually ever getting around to writing it or not, and it came to mind when I saw the theme for today. I did use trope-appreciation-tuesdays for a couple of ideas, but am not tagging today because some of the content goes against the blog’s rules. Hope you enjoy!

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Day 11 - Defiance

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Warnings: restraints, torture, mild blood, broken bones, referenced child abuse, foster home mention, whipping

"Keepabopatikiluzovatica!"

The furred Yrexan winced, already knowing what this conversation was about, before turning to face his friend. “Yes?”

“Keepa, how goes it with our guest?”

He rubbed his elbow, a nervous tick of his, before bending his knees nonchalantly. “About the same, I suppose.”

His friend frowned. “The captain is getting impatient. He wants that information.”

“And he’ll have it!” Keepa protested. “It’s just...well, the creature is stubborn. It does not matter what I do to him, he does not seem to care.”

“Well, then, perhaps you should do more. Or perhaps someone else should take over the job.”

“I have it under control,” Keepa snapped, baring his teeth. “I’m the enforcer of this team, am I not? Just have patience.”

He turned and stormed off, heading directly to the prison area of the ship. In truth, he really didn’t feel like he had this situation under control. He had joined this band of rogues and thieves under the impression that he’d be strong-arming those who owed them GAC, maybe occasionally giving someone a good beat down if required. He could do that. He was good at it. 

What he hadn’t expected to be doing was extracting information from a prisoner who happened to be the most stubborn creature he had ever come across. Anyone else, Yrexan or otherwise, would have been spilling out every bit of information they knew by that time. 

But not this boy. Not anywhere near it. Reaching his cell, Keepa paused outside and watched for a moment, unnoticed. He was a strange looking creature. Virtually hairless other than the top of his head, where fur grew long and untamed, nothing like the well-kept fur of a Yrexan. And his body was so unnaturally pale, it was as if something had sucked all of the color up into his far too dark eyes and hair. Skinny, too. Far too easy to break...or so Keepa had thought upon first seeing him.

The first day, the boy had been asked very politely to share information on where the rest of his team, the legendary Voltron, was located. They had their hands on one paladin now, yes, and his lion, too, but Emperor Zarkon - may he reign forever - wanted all of Voltron, and would pay untold riches for it. He, of course, had refused to tell them, refused to even speak, in fact. That was not entirely unexpected. 

That was when Keepa had taken over. He had given him his classic beat down, complete with plenty of blood pouring from the boy’s nose and lip, and possibly a few cracks in his more delicate bones. Any moment now, he had thought, any moment he will beg me to stop, say that he will tell me everything. 

But the begging never came. When Keepa finished his work and stood back, the boy had painstakingly levered himself up off the floor, swiped the back of his hand through the stream of blood on his upper lip, and spat out a wad of red-tinged saliva at Keepa’s feet. 

“Are you ready to talk?” Keepa had demanded.

And the boy had smiled. Smiled, with blood-stained teeth, and huffed a breathy sound that was possibly a laugh. “Griffin’s cronies hit a lot harder than you do.”

As if Keepa was supposed to have any idea what that meant! He wanted to ask what in the stars a griffin or a crony was, but instead he just stared incredulously, not knowing what to make of this blood-stained creature, before mumbling something like, “I’ll be back,” and retreating from the room.

The next day he had been a bit more prepared. He repeated the beating, knowing it would hurt even more on an already sore body. The fascinating blue and purple spots that decorated the pale skin from the day before were evidence that the boy was not, in fact, invincible, just apparently more resilient than most. Still, he wasn’t nearly as surprised that time when he finished and was spoken to in that casual voice again.

“You know…” The boy didn’t bother getting up this time, remaining on his back and staring up at the ceiling. “I had this one foster…whenever I would get into fights at school, I’d always come out on top. But when I got home and he found out I’d been in another fight he’d beat me himself. Couldn’t fight back against him. So it didn’t really matter how much damage the other kids did, ‘cause he was always gonna make it three times worse.”

Keepa merely stood and blinked, unmoving, before turning and leaving without a word. Clearly beating was not going to work. That was the message, he supposed, behind the creature’s rambling. He’d have to come up with something more...creative.

So the following day, Keepa had marched into the cell with a mission, snatching up the arm that wasn’t chained to the wall and holding it tightly at the wrist and elbow. 

“Tell me where to find the rest of Voltron, or I will break your arm in two.” It sounded very threatening. There was no doubt that he meant what he said.

So he was once again taken aback when the boy laughed aloud. It was a short laugh, and wheezed a bit, no doubt because of his injured chest, but it was a laugh, nonetheless. “That...that’s your plan?”

Now Keepa felt he was being ridiculed. Growling, he made good on his word and brought the arm down over his knee. It broke with a loud crack. The boy screamed, doubling over to let out a continuous stream of pained noises through his teeth.

This, he thought, was hopeful. Not once during the two beatings had the creature made a single sound, but this had obviously affected him. Now he would break for sure.

The boy let out one more long moan, then grunted, “Quiznak.”

Yes, Keepa wanted to say, tell me, tell me!

“I’ve officially lost count of how many bones I’ve broken.”

“What?” The response was out his mouth before he could stop it.

The boy straightened, wincing as he did so, and tucked the injured arm gingerly into his abdomen. “It’s been so long since I last broke one. I knew how many it was before, but now I’ve forgotten. I can tell you how many times this particular arm has been broken, though.”

“H-how many?”

“This makes three. Once was my fault, I fell out of a tree. The other time was that one foster, you know the one I was telling you about?”

Keepa had left the room before he could go any further. What kind of creature was this? And were all the people of his planet so used to violence? 

Now, standing outside the cell on day four, Keepa gathered his determination. He wasn’t going to let his previous failures deter him. He would get that information for his captain, no matter what it took. Unlocking the door, he strode confidently into the room, snatching the creature up by his broken arm, which of course elicited a cry of pain. He made swift work of shackling that free hand to the opposite corner, leaving the boy’s back toward him. 

Retrieving the leather strap that hung at his waist, he readied himself. “All you have to do is tell me the information I seek, and this will stop.”

The strap cracked across the boy’s shoulders, and he jolted but did not make a sound. Keepa brought it down again, and again. The creature was wearing a black suit of some kind, but he knew that even through that the strap would sting. Soon enough, the fabric couldn’t even hold up any longer. It began splitting under each impact, leaving bright red welts behind that stood out against the pale skin. Still the boy stood his ground. 

Keepa’s arm was growing tired, but his frustration was stronger. He kept going until he drew blood, and still he did not quit. By the time the boy finally slumped forward, collapsing to his knees on the ground, the back of his suit was completely shredded, and criss-crossing bloody lines were everywhere.

Panting, Keepa dropped his arm down by his side, rolling his shoulder a few times. Then he stepped over one of the chains and stooped down to look the creature in the face. Unconscious. Of course he was. All of that, and he still hadn’t done any more than grunt.

He unshackled the wrist of the broken arm and allowed the boy to fall the rest of the way to the floor, then leaned against the wall and waited for him to wake. When he did, it was with a groan, and he rolled over as quickly as possible to get off his ruined back.

“Are you ready to talk now?”

Silence. Then a pained, “No.”

Keepa nearly shouted in aggravation. “Don’t tell me that you’ve had experience with this, too!”

The boy continued staring at the wall in front of him, talking much quieter than usual. “Would you believe me if I did?”

He couldn’t be serious. “Let me guess, this ‘foster’ that you keep speaking of?”

The creature hummed a little. “No, actually it was a different one. A woman. She was a psychopath.” He shifted a bit and grimaced. “Been a while, though. Kinda forgot...how much it hurts.”

Standing up straight, Keepa waved his arms in the air. “Yes, it hurts! All of it hurts! I know that you are in pain, you can barely even move. You haven’t had anything to eat since you got here, either, so you must be hungry. It’s been four days.”

“Haven’t broken my record yet, then.”

Keepa groaned. “My point is, maybe you have experienced all of these things before, but that does not mean that you aren’t in pain now. Why do you continue to resist? Why won’t you help yourself?”

“Because,” the boy growled, suddenly sounding like a completely different creature. He slowly, painfully pushed himself up so that he could level a fierce glare at Keepa. “I don’t care about helping myself. I care about protecting my friends. If all those fosters beating the heck out of me couldn’t even make me call my social worker, then I can assure you, nothing you can do to me is ever going to make me rat out my friends. Doesn’t matter if I have experience with it or not. I won’t do it.”

For a long moment they just stared at one another. Keepa had never met someone so...so loyal, in his entire career. In his experience, everyone had a breaking point, no matter what they had to give up, and usually they did not have to be pushed very far. But this boy...suddenly he had a distinct feeling that he was telling the absolute truth, and that he never would get anything from him.

#whumptober2020 #no.11 #defiance #Voltron: Legendary Defender #fic #restraints tw #torture tw #mild blood tw #broken bones tw #child abuse tw #foster home tw #whipping tw #keith #keith kogane #voltron keith #hurt keith #keith whump #voltron whump #voltron #vld #voltron legendary defender #fanfiction #fanfic #voltron fanfic #vld fanfic

[makorragal-312]

Void (Part Six)

We’re back, baby!

Allura sighed as she sat on her bed, exhausted from the events of the night. Lance had dropped her off at her room a few minutes ago, so she couldn't help but to lose herself within her thoughts. A small smile came to her face as she recounted the night she had with Lance's family. They were truly wonderful people and had effortlessly made her feel like she was apart of the family. She was reminded of her mother's kindness during her talks with Lance's mother. She was reminded of her father's quiet yet sensitive nature when she looked at Lance's father. She laughed when she conversed with Veronica, Marco and Rachel and immediately felt like a kid again when she watched Luis and Lisa watching over Nadia and Sylvio. To say that the kids were miniature versions of Lance was an understatement.

Speaking of Lance...

The Altean couldn't help but to think about the red paladin. She noticed the unusual shift in his behavior throughout the majority of the night. She noticed how confused and conflicted he looked at the dinner table while she wasn't looking. He seemed to have calmed down just a little while they walked in the park, though she could feel there was still some tension from his end. And it didn't help matters that way he acted when he dropped her off.

Lance, would you like to come inside?

U-uh, no thanks! I'd like to, but I gotta get me beauty rest, you know? We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so kinda need the energy!

Alright. So I'll-

Yup! See you in the morning! Good night, princess!

The princess furrowed her brows at the memory. She couldn't forget how fidgety and anxious he was to get out of there, like he was stuck in a mine field and was in fear of being blown to bits She knew that Lance didn't hate her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he's starting to avoid her. Just as she thought that, she felt little feet climb up to her shoulder. Allura turned her head to find the mice, happy and eager to see her and squeaking in delight. She couldn't help but to smile.

"It's good to see you, too. Have you been behaving well?" she asked, grinning. Platt turned their head, looking at the door for a quick moment before turning their head back to Allura, asking about Lance's whereabouts.

"He left not too long ago. He came over just to drop me off." Chulatt quickly climbed atop of Platt's head, tilting their head in curiosity before squeaking.

"Oh, he's alright. And don't worry. he was the perfect gentleman." Allura responded with a chuckle. Soon enough, the mice lined up next to each other, heads on their paws and eyes wide in anticipation.

"You want to know how the date went, don't you?" Allura asked in exasperation, already knowing the answer. Sure enough, all four mice nodded their heads in excitement. The Altean let out a sigh before she began.

"Well, it was…nice. We had dinner at his house and I got to meet his family. They're very lovely people. So…close." Allura let out a sad smile, being reminded of her parents and Altea. She let a cough, trying not to dwell on the memory.

"Anyway, afterwards he took me to a nearby park. We talked for a bit and then he decided to take us back to get ready for tomorrow. That's pretty much everything." Allura finished. She watched as Chuchule climbed on top of Platt, puckering their lips and mimicking kiss sounds. Allura blushed in embarrassment.

"A-absolutely not!" she yelled. Allura quickly turned around, trying her best to hide her blush. She wasn't going to go ahead and feed into their teasing. She heard the mice squeak in glee, assuming that their princess was lying and did in fact kiss the red paladin. Frustrated, Allura turned her head back to them quickly.

"I'm telling you I didn't! Well, he didn't." Allura spoke softly. The mice stopped squeaking as they observed Allura, taking aback by her sudden somber expression. They all tilted their heads in confusion. The princess noticed the gestures and sighed before explaining.

"When we were talking, there was a moment where Lance was opening up. He said that he wanted to help me find a family. A home. Something inside me just told me that he meant it and he truly did care for me. He truly loved me. I tried to get closer to, you know. But he pulled away and kissed my hand instead. I guess I got the wrong idea." the Altean recounted.

Allura thought back to that moment in the park. Words couldn't describe how safe she felt in that moment with him. How her heart felt like it was going to beat itself right out of her chest. How grateful she was for him being there for her. So yeah, she really wanted to kiss her and given how he's felt for her all of this time, she just assumed that he wanted it, too. And he did, it just happened to be her hand and not her lips. She felt Plachu climb up her shoulder and nuzzle their head against her cheek in comfort, which Allura genuinely appreciated. For the third time that night, the princess sighed and plopped her chin into her hand as she slouched.

"I just wish I knew what happened. If I did something to make him change his mind, I at least want to apologize and make things right."

And that's when it hit her. She quickly sat up straight, face filled with anxiety and horror. The mice looked the same.

"Do you think it's because of Lotor?" she asked in fear. The mice looked at each other for a second before shrugging. That certainly doesn't help matters, she thought.

But the more she thought about it, she honestly wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. When Lotor came along, she had completely brushed Lance aside, aiming to focus on her alchemy and helping Lotor whatever the cause. And somewhere down the line, she started to fall for the prince, and he for her. And sure enough, she let him kiss her. She wanted to let him kiss her. And everything was great…until it wasn't. She was exposed to his true colors and his true motives and let him go. And it hurt, because she wanted to believe that he could never do such a thing. He would never go ahead and kill innocent Alteans. She let him onto her ship. She let him near her paladins. And what's worse, she let him near Lance. He warned her of his intentions, but she chose to stand by Lotor.

He thought he was going to betray them. She chose Lotor.

He thought he was after Voltron. She chose Lotor.

He was in love with her. She chose Lotor.

The guilt she felt was immeasurable. It was bad enough that Lance had to witness her getting close to Lotor. But she knew that if he ever found out about their kiss, it would destroy him. And the last thing Allura wanted to do was put him through any more pain.

"He can't know about this."

_______________________________________________________________________

"You know you don't have to stay here, right?"

"I know, but I'm doing it anyway. But don't worry I'll be on my way out soon enough." Keith walked towards Lance, whom was laying down on his bed. He was about to leave Lance's room a few minutes ago until the red paladin began suffering from a tear-induced migraine, so he decided to hang back and look after him until the migraine showed signs of passing. Hence why he was currently walking towards the blue-eyed man with an aspirin pill in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

"Ugh, who made post-cry migraines a thing?" Lance wailed, accepting the pill from Keith's hand. He sat up and popped it into his mouth before taking a huge gulp of the water.

"I don't think the person who was crying intended to get a migraine in the first place." Keith chuckled, walking to the kitchen counter and sitting on its corresponding stool. Lance swerved his head at him to give the half-Galran a scowl as the latter merely smirked. Lance let out a defeated sigh, knowing he wasn't going to win the argument and plopped back onto the bed. Eventually, the room went into silence.

"Hey, man. I'm sorry you had to see me like that." Lance said somberly.

'Lance, you don't need to apologize. You're going through conflicting emotions with Allura. Anybody would break down over that." Keith replied reassuringly. Lance kept his gaze to the ceiling. Even though he already somewhat broke down in front of him earlier, he refused to let him go back to that place again. He was also trying to get to sleep without his head feeling like it's been hit by a sledgehammer.

"Yeah, but-"

"Lance. You're human, You feel what you feel. Don't feel like you have to keep everything down while everyone else brings theirs up." Keith said firmly. He refused to have Lance feel ashamed for breaking down. He may not have been with the team all that time due to him being with the Blades, but he already felt that Lance was the one who was going through the most shit on the ship and would most likely keep it to himself as to not annoy anyone. And Keith would be damned if he had him act the same now that they're back home.

The red paladin was speechless. He didn't expect the leader of Voltron to say something so profound and comforting, especially to him. And in all honesty, he felt as though he had said the words that he had hoped someone had said to him back in the castle when the latter had left and he was left to his own emotional devices.

"I guess you're right." Lance sighed, signaling the return of the original silence that plagued the room. A good ten minutes drifted by before Keith spoke.

"Lance?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to ask one question, and you totally have the right to not answer. Just wanted to let you know." Lance finally turned his head at Keith, intrigued and nervous at the statement. He gazed at Keith, whom was looking back at him, grasping his hands together firmly.

"What is it?" Keith took a breath before he dropped the bomb.

"What are you scared of?"

Lance's eyes widened in surprise. He had almost forgotten that him being scared caused him to not kiss Allura, but he had no idea that Keith was still dwelling on it. He knew it came from a place of genuine concern, which he was grateful for. But he really wished that he had left it alone so that he didn't have to go through those waves of thoughts and emotion again. The thoughts of not doing the one thing he's wanted to do for ages. The feeling of confusion and sheer relief when he didn't go through with kissing the princess. The guilt he felt in going for a kiss with someone when he already had someone else on his mind. And more importantly, the weird longing of the purple eyes that made his chest tight and his heart skip. The same eyes he was looking into now. Hesitatingly, he looked away from Keith as he connected his eyes with the ceiling once more.

"Everything."

#klance #keith kogane #lance mcclain #vld keith #vld lance #vld #voltron #Voltron legendary defender #voltron s8 #voltron fanfic #klance fic #klance fanfic #klance void

[avidbeader]

New Sheith Fic

Probably rated T, but we’ll see.

VLD post-S8, but Allura lives and the endcards are thrown on a trash heap where they belong

This is the fic thread I’ve been posting to Twitter for the last few days. Thought I’d share here as well. It’s between 1/3 and 1/2 done at this point. It will get to AO3 eventually once it’s finished and beta’ed.

I just got this idea of something that the Atlas might do in a given situation and ran with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first couple of requests were reasonable. A real-time updated roster of the Atlas crew made sense for both organizational and security purposes. A record of the ship’s known offensive and defensive capabilities was necessary as the admirals and generals developed strategies for any potential threats, minimal though they might be after Voltron’s defeat of Honerva.

The order to have a Garrison official installed as their liaison made Shiro pause, but only for a moment. On the one hand, there were already several crew members on board who performed that role: Sam, Mitch, Veronica, himself. On the other hand, it was not unwarranted for the Garrison to have a point person for communication purposes so as not to add an extra burden to the duties of any one crew member. If Shiro had tried to keep up with every Garrison inquiry or notification on top of his own duties as captain, he probably would have gone to the Black Lion and begged to be taken back to the astral plane. This would take one thing off his plate without pushing more responsibility on any member of the command staff.

But when a General Stone reported to him, demanding both quarters in the same section as the senior bridge crew and an office next to Shiro’s ready room, his hackles rose instinctively. Atlas’ presence in the back of his head, usually a quiet and cheerful sensation, grew wary like a wild animal sensing a predator.

“Given that this was only communicated to us today, you’ll have to make do in guest quarters until we are able to make arrangements, General. I didn’t expect anyone to be appointed, much less arrive so soon.”

Which meant that someone in the Garrison hadn’t wanted to give them time to ask questions or protest the decision. And the fact that a general was assigned to a position that should have gone to a lieutenant at most was unsettling.

Stone growled at him. “This lack of preparedness is the kind of thing that I’m here for. As one of the Garrison’s most valuable assets, the Atlas must be primed and ready for action at any given time.”

It took Atlas a moment to identify what the general meant, but Shiro knew immediately when she understood. There was now an angry cat hissing and spitting in his mind and it was taking everything Shiro had to maintain a polite expression.

“It’s not a lack of preparedness when information is not provided in a timely manner,” he retorted. The general reared back slightly, taken aback that Shiro had not immediately accepted the criticism.

Shiro pressed a button on a small console in his desk for show, but Atlas had already found the ship’s senior steward and asked him through his datapad to report to Shiro’s ready room. Before the general could form a response, he continued. “I’m sure you remember this from your protocol training, General, but bear in mind that aboard a ship, the captain is the ranking officer. You are welcome to observe and advise, but you are not part of the chain of command.”

Stone’s eyes narrowed and he entered something on the datapad in his hand. It beeped and he frowned. “What’s the matter with the connectivity here? My message didn’t go through!”

The malicious giggle that only he could hear was answer enough for Shiro. “I expect your device will need to go through a security clearance. Mention it to—” Shiro paused as his door opened before the steward could signal his presence “—the steward. Lieutenant Rasal, this is General Stone. He’s been assigned to us by the Garrison and will need quarters and an office when you are able to arrange it. In the meantime, could you escort him to an available space in the guest accommodations?”

The lieutenant nodded, the flash of a dimple in his cheek the only sign that he understood what Shiro was not saying. As the officer in charge of organizing lodging, supplies, and maintenance aboard the ship, he knew better than most what the Atlas was capable of. If she cared to, she could have produced everything Stone was demanding within minutes. Shiro was honoring her choice not to, and Rasal followed his captain’s lead. He saluted and held out a guiding hand.

“If you’ll come with me, sir.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stone’s presence had an immediate and negative impact. He began by insisting on a full tour of the ship with Shiro. He complained constantly about the randomness of his datapad connection, too focused to pick up on the fact that Atlas was only letting neutral and positive reports get through. When Shiro convinced her that yes, she had to make him an office and a set of quarters, Atlas’ response was to make an office, not much bigger than a broom closet on the opposite side of the bridge from Shiro’s ready room, and a minimal set of quarters, as far away from Shiro as possible while still in the section for the command staff.

Stone’s next step was to observe, watching the normal routines of the crew. It made everyone nervous and more prone to mistakes. Even the oldest, most seasoned officers like Sam and Mitch were side-eying Stone when he was on the bridge. Shiro made time to circulate through the ship so he could reassure his crew that they had done nothing wrong. He noticed a sharp drop in the number of people hanging out in the common areas or lounges as any socializing shifted to rooms behind closed doors, out of Stone’s sight.

The Taujeerians made a formal request for the Atlas to map a nearby star system for potential relocation sites when their planet next went through its renewal cycle. Keith took advantage of the deep-space mission to run training drills with the lions and the MFEs, improving their teamwork and response times. Stone seemed especially interested in the paladins, having noticed how their quarters were all on the same hall as Shiro’s.

Shiro was in one of the conference rooms, talking with Baujal and his council, when Atlas nudged him, then sounded an alert on his datapad. He quickly excused himself and headed down to the Black Lion’s hangar.

He walked in on a shouting match between Stone, the paladins, and the MFE pilots. As he crossed to where they were gathered, he scanned their faces. Stone and Lance were nose-to-nose, yelling at one another, with Nadia backing up Lance. Keith, Allura, and James were clustered together. The others were watching closely, all in various stages of anger or irritation.

“...and I’ll see all of you court-martialed for this insubordination!”

“As their captain, I would appreciate knowing what your complaint is against Commander Griffin and his squad.” Shiro’s voice cut through the quarrel like a knife.

“These squads are refusing my direct order! I need to observe them in action and Kogane says he won’t permit me to board his ship!”

Shiro glanced at Keith, who cocked an eyebrow at him. He had held onto his temper and let Lance as his second lead the outburst against the general. Shiro’s pride in his best friend surged, knowing that just a few years ago Keith would have been the one shouting first.

“General, it is absolutely within Commander Kogane’s rights to refuse you access to the Black Lion. The Voltron team is not part of the Garrison—”

Stone interrupted him with a squawk of disbelief. “Since when?”

“Since always,” Allura interjected, her voice full of ice. “Voltron represents the Coalition and agreed to use the Atlas as one of our bases for ease of coordinating our efforts to build on the peace we have created. You may not simply demand access to any lion and expect to be obeyed without question.” Shiro noticed that Allura had used her shape-shifting abilities to make herself several inches taller than usual and she used that height advantage to glare down at the general.

“And as today’s drills are a joint exercise with the MFEs, you are not permitted to ride along with Commander Griffin. If he and Captain Shirogane give permission, you can observe the MFEs another time,” Keith added.

“I don’t need permission! I am—”

“Here to facilitate communication between the Atlas and the Garrison, or so I was told,” Shiro interrupted. “Unless there is a secondary agenda that has been kept from me, your remit doesn’t include breathing down the necks of my crew or our allies. You’ve been overstepping your role for days and it ends now.”

Stone drew himself to his full height, which meant he was eye level to Shiro’s collarbones, and snarled, “We’ll just see about this, Captain.”

His attempt at stalking out of the hangar was ruined when Black let out a menacing growl and Stone jumped in alarm.

Once he was gone, everyone began to relax. Shiro noticed that Keith’s stance was still rigid and went over to him, laying a soothing hand on one shoulder. “You okay?”

“We will be. Didn’t expect we’d have a battle before we even got in our ships.” Keith turned to Lance and Nadia. “Thank you both for stepping up.”

“No problem,” Nadia chirped. “He’s a puffed-up toad.”

“And now that he’s gone, we need to get back to work. These joint exercises will continue until further notice since we need to take advantage of our current situation.” Evil grins broke out as everyone understood what Keith was doing. “Do we need to go over today’s plan again?”

“Nah, we got this,” Pidge replied before throwing a glance Shiro’s way. “Thanks for coming, Captain.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took four days for Stone’s message to the Garrison to get through, and another two days of Shiro showing the general his message inbox as proof that he had no instructions to discipline any of the MFEs. Stone’s temper was running high, as he had received a reprimand of his own from the Coalition over his attempt to assert jurisdiction over an ally’s representatives. The fact that that message had been received within hours only added to Stone’s fury.

Once Shiro finally got the orders that he was to punish all four MFE pilots for their insubordination, he met them before their usual workout routine and instructed them to run twenty extra laps around the track in the Atlas’ enormous gym. The squad’s groans turned to glee when they turned around and saw that the length of the track had been shrunk to a fifth of its usual size.

That evening, Keith tapped on the door that connected his quarters to Shiro’s.

Shiro looked up from the reports he was reading and frowned. “You knocked. What’s wrong?”

“Got a message from Kolivan. They found a ship of former Galra soldiers turned mercenary, and they’ve been hired by one side on a planet dealing with a pair of feuding lords. He wants to stop the conflict now before it spreads.”

“Should I—”

“No.” Keith shook his head. “If the Blades go in with stealth and take out the mercs, that puts the two sides at stalemate again and the planetary government might finally contact the Coalition for help. Then we can officially come in to negotiate a settlement.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Shiro reached out a hand and Keith took it, letting Shiro draw him into a tight hug as usual. And as usual, Shiro resisted doing or saying anything more. “Be careful.”

“You, too. I don’t like leaving you with that Garrison watchdog.”

“He’s here as a liaison.”

“He’s here to find a reason to ground Atlas.”

Even as Shiro shook his head at Keith’s statement, he could feel Atlas’ alarm. “No, that would be just about the worst move the Garrison could make. The Coalition planets recognize two major factors right now that ended the Galra Empire: Voltron and the Atlas. Taking one away would make the Garrison the new intergalactic villain.”

“Not forever, but long enough to figure out how to put someone else in command of her. They need you and Coran and Sam—hell, probably Iverson and Veronica, too—off her bridge so they can have complete control of her, including all her battle capability.”

“I mean...we do need to figure that out, if for no other reason because I will have to retire someday, but there’s no rush.” Shiro struggled to keep his expression mild as he dealt with twin reactions. He ran his hands along Keith’s arms to allay the sudden tension there and

mentally tried to soothe Atlas, who was almost screeching in fury as she surrounded him possessively.

Ironically, the strength of her reaction made Shiro stop and wonder if maybe the Garrison didn’t have a point. After all, he couldn’t lead Atlas forever. He might have done the impossible once thanks to Black and Allura, but humans still had limited lifespans. But surely the Garrison brass, if they were considering the options already, would talk to him about possibilities?

“Just keep an eye on your six while I’m gone, okay?” Keith squeezed his shoulder.

“I will.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He swung the sword as wide as he could, trying to hit as many opponents as possible as he forced them back.The roar of the spectators droned like machinery, a persistent buzz in the back of his head as he tried to reduce the impossible odds. Who had decided to punish him this way, with a dozen opponents? Was this the match where he finally died?

He shifted tactics, the sword in his hand shrinking back into a dagger. He took advantage of his smaller stature and dove between the legs of the nearest adversary, using him as a temporary shield against the others and slicing one quick stroke through the thigh above the cuisse. He spared a lightning-quick thought to thank the universe for giving the majority of bipedal beings a femoral artery.

He continued to dodge, eluding their attacks and striking at any weak point he saw. Suddenly there was only one enemy between him and an open path to the door and he dealt a vicious cut across the throat as he made his bid to escape.

Something struck and wrapped around him from behind, dragging him to the floor. He had just enough time to press the communicator at his wrist and signal the others to leave before the cord electrified, ripping screams from him before he blacked out—

Shiro shot upright, gasping for breath and fighting the covers that were tangled around him. There were sounds, the ordinary hum of the dim nightlights, his datapad beeping an alert, a furious pounding coming from somewhere in the next room...and an engine’s roar.

The Atlas was moving at top speed.

Shiro freed himself from the bedclothes and staggered to his feet. He grabbed the datapad and looked at the message, a priority one from the night comms officer—Cullen, Cuddy, something that began with C—stating that the Atlas had changed course about fifteen minutes before and was at full throttle. The bridge crew was locked out of all of the controls.

Shiro reached across the room with his prosthesis and snatched his robe from its hanger before moving into the sitting area. Once there, he identified the pounding as someone knocking furiously on the door to his quarters. Voices were coming from the hallway and they all sounded angry.

He pressed the control and the door slid open. General Stone staggered when his obstacle vanished, wrenching himself back upright from the momentum.

“Shirogane! What’s the meaning of the course change? You weren’t scheduled to be done with the Taujeerians for another forty-eight hours!”

The paladins were behind him, shouting at him for waking them all up. Shiro looked back down at his datapad and noticed a second new message below the one from the bridge. He opened it and felt the blood drain from his face.

It was two brief sentences from Kolivan: Mission a trap. Keith has been taken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean, you can’t stop the ship? It’s a SHIP! You’ve got two Holts right here that can supposedly hack anything that beeps! Break the security codes and set a new course for Earth!”

Shiro had been walking briskly down a hallway, Atlas subtly cutting the distance to the bridge, and trading messages with Kolivan to coordinate a rendezvous point with the remaining Blades on the mission team, Krolia, and a squad of Coalition fighters led by Matt. He stopped short, so abruptly that Hunk ran into him, and stared at the general.

“Earth? What makes you think we’d go to Earth at a time like this? We’re going to rescue Commander Kogane!”

“You said it yourself, Voltron isn’t part of the Garrison!” Stone flapped a hand at the other paladins who had been trailing them. “So let them go take care of the situation! We’ve got to fix this malfunction immediately and since the ship was built by the Garrison, that’s the best place to go to do the repairs!”

Shiro couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such a wave of derision. The mental image of Atlas in robot form and rolling her eyes brought him to the edge of hysterical giggles. It was verging on too much for him to handle.

Allura must have seen something in his face. She grabbed Stone by the collar and yanked him back before he could crowd into Shiro and continue his tirade. “If you are going to be so ridiculously focused on procedure in a situation this urgent, then consider this the formal request from the Coalition to the Atlas for support in a rescue operation!”

Stone tried to twist out of her grip and she hoisted him up until his toes barely touched the deck. His face grew red as he snarled, “Captain, I am ordering you to dismiss this group except for Katie Holt and turn all your efforts to retaking control of your ship!”

Pidge’s expression grew dangerous. Shior shifted and put one hand on her shoulder, willing her to hold her temper.

“As I told you the day you arrived, General, you are not part of the chain of command here. Your role is to keep both us and the Garrison informed of what the other needs to share. And you have not performed that role faithfully.

“The Coalition has every right to call on the Atlas. It was built from plans given to us by the Alteans and is powered by the crystal that houses the remains of their flagship. They have just as much claim to it as the Garrison does. We will lead the operation to recover Commander Kogane and you can inform the Garrison of our status. After that, you have two choices; you can stay in your quarters or be escorted to the brig until this operation is concluded. Which will it be?”

Stone stared at him, open-mouthed. Allura shook him, rattling his teeth with her strength. “You heard the captain. Which will it be? We have more important issues to deal with.”

“I am your superior officer and—”

Before Shiro could even bring up his datapad, much less start a message requesting assistance from security, a faint shimmer formed around Stone and Allura released her hold, skipping back nimbly. The general surged forward and bounced off the force field Atlas had brought up.

The paladins laughed as Stone began pounding his fists against the barrier. Allura smothered her giggles into her hand and looked at Shiro. “Shall we leave him here for the moment?”

Shiro was busy silently arguing with Atlas that, no, she could not open a portal in the floor and jettison the man into space. He gave one more psychic push, adding aloud, “Leave him here for now. We’ll take care of him later.”

They moved quickly to the bridge to find Sam and Coran with their heads together over one of the nav panels and the rest of the bridge crew huddled uneasily in the center. Sam brightened as he saw them enter. “Shiro! The Atlas has locked everyone out—”

Shiro stepped up to his position and laid both hands on the panels. He focused, trying to form a request to let the bridge crew access their stations in as clear and simple of terms as possible. He heard shouts of surprise in the background as the connection solidified and Atlas drew him in.

His hands were cuffed behind him. Two of the “mercenaries” dragged him from a pod into a hangar of a battleship, pausing in front of a Galra commander. The commander seized him by the throat and growled, “You’re almost certainly the right one, judging from your size, but let’s be sure. Drop your mask, Blade.”

He paused, just long enough to spark a reaction. The commander’s grip tightened. “Drop the mask or I tear it off. The druids want you alive, but they didn’t say that you had to be uninjured.”

He let the mask disappear and glared at his captor, who pulled his head up by his hair to study his face carefully.

“It’s him. Put him in a cell and double the guard on it.” The commander raised his wrist comm and opened a channel. “Set course for the Alvega system.”

The scene dissolved around Shiro, melding into the blue circuits that would surround him when the ship morphed into its robot form. Already he could sense Atlas changing course, plotting an intercept of the Galra battle cruiser.

We need to meet with the others. We need the Blades’ intel. We need Krolia and Kosmo. We need the backup from the Coalition.

You need him. Why do you waste time?

We need a plan. We need support. We can’t get him back safely if we just charge in.

Not fast enough.

The ship shuddered around him and Shiro grabbed the console to stay on his feet, his awareness of the bridge and its occupants returning. He rubbed at his temples with his left hand, trying to ground himself in reality once more.

“Shiro, how did you do that?” Coran shouted above the others’ reactions.

“Do what?”

“A wormhole...you took us through a wormhole, Shiro.” Allura spoke slowly, in shock.

The main viewscreen lit up, showing Kolivan and Krolia in two panels. Kolivan nodded, hiding any surprise he might be feeling. “Good, you’re early. Permission to dock our ships, captain?”

Shiro nodded, before remembering he had a voice. “Of course. Then we’ll get the Coalition ships and head for the Alvega system. That’s where they’re taking Keith.”

He closed his eyes and planted his hands on the control panel once more. Atlas, what are you doing?

You need him.

Yes, we need him. He’s the leader of Voltron. He’s a commander in the Blades.

YOU need him.

He...he’s my best friend.

More than need.

Image after image flooded past Shiro, showing him all the stages of his life that included Keith. The Garrison and Keith becoming his best friend there. The long nights as a prisoner, sustained by memories of Keith and the hope to escape and return to him. Reuniting, only to be dragged into the middle of an interstellar war and then killed. Brought back against impossible odds, with faint memories of what it had cost Keith to accomplish that.

He needs you. You need him.

Yes.

Then we get him back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To be continued...

#voltron #sheith #sheith fic #avid writes #vld shiro #vld atlas #yes it's another save Keith situation #I do have a brand

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten Twice Stupid Prt.86

Stumbling out of bed, Keith staggered from his bedroom to the bathroom, then to the kitchen. His bed had been devoid of Lance, and he didn’t like it. Making a beeline for his boyfriend, Keith crashed into him, sliding his arms around him. Lance was cooking something that wasn’t coffee, chuckling at him as he turned from the oven. Wrapping his arms around him, Lance kissed his forehead at his hairline

“Good morning, you”

“Nghmmm...”

The time was a little after 6. Dressed in his shirt and boxer briefs it was too cold to be awake. The sun shining through the window unwantedly

“Coffee’ll be ready soon. You’ll have to let me go if you want me to pour you a cup”

Keith didn’t want to Lance go. Dragged along in the kitchen, Lance worked around him, making sure to give him plenty of cuddles as he waited for the coffee to drip through the machine... that Lance had gotten out the box and set up

“You weren’t in bed...”

Cuddling in front of the light creeping in, Keith kept his face hidden from it. Had Lance not been making breakfast than they could have gone back to bed

“I know, babe. I wanted to make you breakfast... I had a nice night last night. I’ve missed snuggling with you”

“Missed you too...”

“You’re doing well without your coffee. Ready to shuffle back, I think it’s done now”

“Don’t wanna move”

Lance kissed his hair

“I feel honoured, but you need your coffee”

Shuffling round clinging to Lance turned into shuffling around trying to have his boyfriend and his coffee. Guided from the kitchen, he was tricked into sitting at the dining table

“Whaaa...”

Lance dropped a kiss on head

“Drink your coffee. I’m going to finish making breakfast”

Catching his boyfriend before he could dart away, Keith pulled him closer, whining

“Youuuu...”

He wanted to tell Lance to sit down and cuddle. Only English was hard and words didn’t want to cooperate

“Meeeee... will be back with breakfast”

“Kiss?”

Taking his face in his hand, Lance pressed half a dozen kisses to Keith’s lips with a smile between his words

“Now, be good boy and wait for breakfast”

Lance cooked up a feast for breakfast with ingredients Keith didn’t know they had. His boyfriend sitting across from him as Keith ate. Shiro’s and Curtis’s breakfast sat in the oven keeping warm seeing it wouldn’t be long before Shiro’s alarm went off. With his leg drawn up, Lance had his chin resting on his knee, his half drunken cup of tea in his right hand

“This is good. You should have cooked yourself some”

“Nah, I ate as I cooked. Had to make sure I wasn’t about to accidentally give everyone food poisoning”

Keith’s plate was full to the point of nearly over flowing. Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, sliced sausages mixed into fried tomatoes and toast

“At least have some bacon...”

“I made it for you”

“And I want to see you eat something”

Lance shifted his leg so he could lean across the table, Keith holding out a piece of bacon for Lance to take with his teeth. Leaning back, Lance tore the bacon smiling as he chewed, both of them in a comfortable silence until Lance finished the piece

“Not to brag, but I’m kind of good cook”

“I know you are. You didn’t have to make breakfast”

“I wanted to. I was so tired last night that I totally brushed off Curtis and couldn’t wait for Coran to leave”

“So this is an apology breakfast?”

“Not really. It’s more of a “I love you guys and wanted to cook”. I never sleep as well as I do when I’m with you”

Keith smiled at his boyfriend. Lance’s birthday was right around the corner now. Pidge and Hunk had added him to a private chat over what they should do for Lance’s birthday. Pidge had suggested an “18 again” party, that Hunk shot down thanks to Lance having requested for them not to. He was still yet to pick out a present for his boyfriend, but he’d gone ahead and booked a hotel for the night, and even if it wasn’t very romantic he’d made a reservation for three at a restaurant with good reviews for him, Lance, and Miriam. He didn’t want to share Lance, but Lance didn’t know how many more birthdays he’d have with his mother. And unlike Krolia, Keith didn’t mind Miriam being there. She had all sorts of stories about Lance that he wanted to hear.

“Is that breakfast I smell?”

Shiro came shuffling out his room, left arm stretching up as covered his mouth with his right, yawning widely as Curtis came up behind him. Breakfast was so good he didn’t want to share... also, he was enjoying having the apartment pretty much to themselves, and Kosmo

“Lance cooked”

Shiros face lit up. Their cooking skills were lacking, and often they couldn’t be bothered with much more than toast

“Really?! Thanks, you didn’t have to do that”

Lance ducked his head

“It’s fine. I’m really sorry I bailed early on you guys last night. I was asleep the moment my head hit the pillow”

When Keith climbed into bed, Lance moved automatically to cuddle into him with a mumbly sigh. Keith loved I knowing that Lance only cuddled him like that. That he felt he could be vulnerable enough not to stir properly. Nosing his way under the blankets, Kosmo liked to sleep near Keith’s butt.

“It’s nice to see you, awake Lance. Thank you for breakfast. I’ve really missed your cooking”

Curtis followed after Shiro to the kitchen, Shiro then heading into the bathroom as. Curtis opened up the oven

“I’ve missed cooking. Three meals a day. Blood was a little rationed, but it was nice to taste red wine again. Matt and Rieva are pretty easy to please. Yeah... it’s not the same though, without you around. I never thought I’d miss having a full house”

Keith picked up his cup of coffee, asking

“What happened to hating people?”

“I still do. But it was nice... I don’t have someone to watch soap operas with anymore. So that sucks”

Keith couldn’t get into them. Curtis called out from the kitchen though he didn’t need to

“I am sorry that I’ve remained in Platt. Staying with you is the most at easy I’ve felt in some time”

“That’s because it’s your official second home now. I mean, Keith is my boyfriend and it’s his home and your dating and his brother, but even if you weren’t, you’re always welcome there”

Keith stabbed at the fried tomatoes on his plate

“It’s my home?”

“Dah. I don’t have to hide who I am now. The only reason I have to leave is to either be with you or because I’m on the run. Pidge is moulding into the sofa again. She wasn’t there yesterday, but that’s because I left before she got up. I didn’t tell them about the mission. I’m still not okay with my house being “Amateur Hunters-R-us””

“They haven’t given up?”

Lance rested his chin back on his knee. Keith didn’t like that the others were investigating, yet there wasn’t much he could that wouldn’t get them into spades of trouble

“Nope. Oh, and guess what, Pidge now what’s to do a video explaining ghost hoaxes on top of all the stuff they’re already doing. She wanted me to do the effects because I’m so fast”

“That doesn’t sound fun”

“I’ll take a night of discomfort over a night of them investigating any day of the year”

“They’re still being cautious right?”

“No one’s turned up on my doorstep yet to tell them to stop, so I assume so... It’s not like they have a lot to really work on”

That was a relief. As long as they didn’t dig too close to Lotor’s affairs then they should remain relatively safe

“Are you headed back after we see Lotor?”

“Kind of have to. I want to see Mami though. She didn’t want me coming back if you weren’t with me. I think she likes you better than me”

Keith couldn’t work out how that was possible. Not when Krolia hadn’t tried to talk to him and she was his own mother

“I doubt it”

“I don’t. She literally told me not to come back without you”

Lance’s pout carried in his tone

“Do you want me to come?”

“Only if you want to. I’m hoping to take her to mass this afternoon but I know that isn’t your thing”

“Maybe we could meet up after?”

Lance offered him as warm smile making Keith’s heart go weird

“I’d really like that”

*

Heading to VOLTRON after breakfast, Coran greeted them with a bag of blood. Lance happy to eat because damn he was starving. Those weird wings took a lot of energy to put away, and the mission it’s self had been draining. Part of the reason he’d woken up so early was thanks to his hunger. Twisting off the cap of the bag, he fell into step with the group, comfortably beside Keith

“Now. The Blades came by last night to examine both items. I’ve taken small samples and photographed everything. Krolia and Kolivan will both be present as you talk to Lotor. I did try to dissuade them, but both of them were stubborn. Lotor is already here, Allura is currently with him”

Lance nodded at Coran’s words. It made sense they’d want to be there to gauge Lotor’s reaction. He still felt dirty about stealing from a nun, even if she was long gone. Religion had been such a big part of his life for so long, and the woman deserved to have her items treated with respect. Walking through to the conference room, Krolia and Kolivan were suited up like Keith and Shiro were. Lance feeling instantly nervous at the sight of Krolia and somewhat wary about being shot again

“This is where I leave you. I’ll wait on Coran’s office”

Curtis should have been allowed in if Lance had his way, but he understood that thanks to his curse Curtis couldn’t speak freely and may reveal too much. It wasn’t fair on him. He was a great guy and Lance missed him around the house. He hadn’t offered Curtis to come back thanks to his budding relationship with Shiro. That and the fact the others were snooping into Lotor at home. He didn’t want to put Curtis in danger, despite him being a hunter and all that. And he kind of thought it might be triggering for Curtis seeing he’d been cursed by werewolves. Quickly draining half a bag of blood, Lance passed it over to Curtis

“Can you look after this until we’re done? I feel like Lotor wouldn’t approve of me drinking out a blood bag”

“Sure thing. Good luck in there”

“Thanks. I think I’m going to need it”

The first thing Lotor did was look him up and down. Lotor was in a different suit, Lance in the same one he’d worn the day before with one of Keith’s shirts instead of his own. Sitting directly across from Lotor, Kolivan placed down the Bible and locket in front of Lance, Lance then sliding them across the table to Lotor. Calmly picking up the locket, Lotor crushed it in his fist, smiling as he did

“Thank you for that. I had hoped you’d be successful”

Dropping the balled up piece of metal, there was no recovering the locket or what had been inside

“You mean you’re happy to see we can be trusted, though it was so simple it was barely worth our time”

Lance sounded bored. Lotor’s ego may of gotten the better of him the previous day, today was a new day and he was letting his ego flare

“My generals will be rather disappointed, they of course thought you’d run home with your tail between your legs”

“Your generals don’t know me. What you mean to say is that you thought I’d run home”

Lotor smiled

“Perhaps. You of course know either item had any particular meaning”

“I know you like to fuck with people you think lesser than yourself”

“After yesterday it is refreshing to see such unguarded hostility. You’re not quite the quivering little lamb you lead on”

Lance let go on his ego, letting his teeth and nails extend. Beside him both Allura and Keith drew away slightly

“Not when it comes to what belongs to me. We completed your first task. You said you had two”

“All business makes for a rather dull conversation”

“A dull conversation with a dull partner. I hardly see why you’re called “The Prince of Europe”. Honestly, what do you gain from sending us to do mere grunt work? I see no ensured mutual destruction in last night actions”

Lotor laughed, wiping a fake tear from his cheek. Lance was starting to feel the same dreaminess as the previous day, but wasn’t about to let his concentration slip

“You are most entertaining. Very well, for the laugh I shall give you your second task. This one is for you and Allura. You are to go collect something much more interesting this time...”

Lotor drew a black business card from his pocket, sliding it over to Lance

“... These are the details of the address. A companion will be require for entry, and perhaps a change of dress... Some sense of something more fashionable then this current off the rack ensemble”

“Something gaudy would be insulting to the senses. When are we expected?”

Lotor was ruffled at Lance’s dislike of his fugly purple suit. The suit was only ugly because Lance had a fair idea that it was a useless show of money

“This Wednesday night. If you miss your opportunity, there won’t be a second one. Dress your companion accordingly”

Nope. Keith wasn’t dressing like a scantily clad pet. He’d ask his boyfriend what he was comfortable and they’d go from their

“I will dress my companion how I please. If that is all, then there is no need to waste further time on this”

“On that we agree. Leash and muzzle will be acceptable”

Keith wasn’t being muzzled. He wouldn’t be Lance’s first choice as a “companion” purely because he loved Keith as an independent person. His boyfriend wouldn’t let him go on a mission with Allura without him tagging along. Waving his hand airily, he enjoyed knowing he was getting right under Lotor’s skin. It was easier dealing with Lotor when his ego decided it didn’t like how Lotor made him feel so had to play up

“Such tacky taste. You would have thought our people would have moved past such archaic things. Never mind. We’ll be there”

“Then we have an agreement. Allura, absolutely lovely to see you again. I do hope to see you again quite soon. Lance... everyone else... thank you for your... time”

Allura offered to walk Lotor out, Lance sighing as Lotor left the room and he was able to lean back in his chair. He didn’t like how hard it was to keep his head with Lotor around. Being in the room with another vampire was exhausting

“What was that?”

Lance sighed again. Kolivan sounded kind of annoyed

“That’s what happens when you put two vampires in the same room”

“You were supposed to question him, not insult him”

“Yeah. Well. If you couldn’t tell me ego was talking for the most part”

Keith reached out and placed his hand on Lance’s

“You did good, babe. I’m not keen to dress as a pet again”

“I don’t want you dressed as pet either. We’ll need to look the part, but I figured for the most part I’d let you... no, sorry. I hate my stupid poxy ego. You’re not my pet and I don’t ever want you to feel like that. What I mean is, you can pick what you want to wear...”

“You’d know better than I do how pets dress”

“And you’re not a pet. I don’t like the idea of you having to dress like one”

Keith squeezed his leg comfortingly

“I’ll be okay. What’s on the card?”

The black business card was to a lower vampire club called “Club D-L-A”. The name in silver cursive. On the back was the club hours, leaving the card as probably their ticket in there, not that he’d have much trouble. Passing it over to Keith, Krolia intercepted

“We’ll send agents in to watch over you”

They’d be made on the spot. Not only would they be new faces, they’d be new faces the same night as other new faces

“No. Don’t. They’ll be made by scent. A place like this means you’ve got to be dead to be there, or a pet. Allura isn’t human, so she’d pass. Werewolves in a vampire club would be problematic. I’ll get us in, and I’ll keep Keith safe. Babe, I know you hate it, but we’ll have to go shopping... and I’ll have to get another suit. I think I offended him by wearing this one twice”

“I think it looks good on you”

His boyfriend was the sweetest. Keith shouldn’t have to put up with his ego. Krolia sounded cheerful as she invited herself along

“Then we should go today. We can fit your clothing with tracking, audio and visual”

Keith’s gaze flicked up to his mother

“Lance and I have plans today”

“Plans more important than your mission”

“Yes”

Lance’s heart was warmed at the thought Keith considered Mami so important

“We can go tomorrow?”

“No. You wanted to see Miriam today...”

“But this is important”

“So is she. Maybe we could go after?”

That’d be undoing the whole going to church thing. Keith needed a muzzle and collar... which meant a trip to the closest adult store

“Why don’t we visit Lance’s mother together. I would love to meet the mother of the man dating my son”

Keith snapped at his mother

“You can’t invite yourself along”

Lance didn’t want Keith and Krolia fighting...

“Babe, we’re not going to win this argument. Krolia, we planned to take Miriam to church. If you’d prefer, we can meet after?”

“Who doesn’t love a good visit to church? I’ll pick you both up after Keith has changed. Let’s say, half an hour in front of your apartment building? Good? Good. I’ll drive”

Yay... Keith was going to be cranky for the rest of the day... He’d done it this time.

#once bitten twice stupid #oncebittentwicestupid #ashratherose

[fangirl-1523]

Cherry Bomb: Chap. 1

For clarification, Milven is purely platonic and events from Stranger Things 3 did not happen, such as Jim Hopper's death and the Byers and Eleven moving away.

June 14, 1985

"Roth... Roth...." the voice of Mike Wheeler said coming from the comm.

[Y/N] groaned and picked it up. "What you want, Blackbird?"

"You want to come over and play some D & D? With the rest of the party? Over." He asked.

[Y/N] [L/N] had lived next to the Wheeler family since she was five. Her family had moved there for a change of pace as it was a small town and very different from Indianapolis. She and Mike had grown up as window neighbors.

"But my elvan archer will die! It's happened every time. So much for me trying to be a female Legolas. Over."

"Then, bring your other characters. I know you created like twenty, so you can continue on playing with us for ten hours. Over." He told her.

[Y/N] could faintly hear the sound of snickers and giggles from the other end followed by the normal "Shut up!" from Mike. She sighed to herself.

"What will I be getting out of this again? Over."

"Time with the greatest people you have ever known? Over." Mike paused before adding. "We have food. Blackbird out."

"I'll be there in a minute. Roth out." [Y/N] put the comm down and left the room.

She didn't hear the endless teasing from Eleven, Max, Lucas, and Dustin. Or any of what Mike said in retaliation of their teasing and mochery. Instead, while that was going on, she hopped down the stairs to her mom. At the moment, it was just [Y/N], her mom, and her cat at the house (her parents were seperated, but they both liked the small town life of Hawkins, Indiana).

"Hey, momma, can I go over to the Wheeler's right now? Mike invited me over to play Dungeons & Dragons with the party." She asked finding her mom in the kitchen baking some deserts.

"Sure, sweetie. Just be back by six. You're father will be over here to pick you up for the weekend." Her mother, [Mother Name], replied.

It was the Friday after school let out for the summer and the first thing the party wanted to do was play Dungeons & Dragons. Of course some people (Max Mayfield) resented that notion seeing as it was summer which meant no more school and some more beach.

"Okay. Love you! Bye!" [Y/N] kissed her mom's cheek and zoomed out the door to her neighbors house.

She knocked on the door and Nancy opened the door for her. The upcoming senior at Hawkins High sighed before allowing the young girl that hadn't been involved with anything weird yet into their house. One thing the party, Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathon Byers, and the Scoup Troop all agreed on was to leave the girl out of it. Out of all of it. [Y/N] went down towards Mike's basement where she found the boys setting up the pieces at the table and the girls were setting up snacks such as chips, some bite sized deserts, and soda.

"Hi, [Y/N]." Eleven said.

"Hi, El." [Y/N] said coming over to the two girls.

"[Y/N], which character are you playing?" Mike said looking through the folder labeled [Y/N]'s characters.

"Uh... actually... I wanted to try to be... a... uh..." then the girl mumbled what she wanted to do.

Max Mayfield and Eleven smirked (as they had heard what she said). Dustin Henderson asked for her to speak up, so they could hear her. All they got out of her was a smear of red across her face. Now that the boys were staring at her and her two only female friends were smirking, she instantly regretted every decision she had ever made.

"You know what? Just forget it. I'll use my elva-."

"She wants a chance as Dungeon Master, but she is too nervous to say anything to you four." Max said cutting her friend off.

[Y/N] tried to cover her face with her hands as she waited for the laughter to come right afterwards. It was a stupid idea. A stupid, silly thing to suggest she do. Way to make a fool out of you, [Y/N]. the [H/C] haired girl thought to herself before shying away from her friends.

"Since when do you know how to be Dungeon Master?" Dustin asked as he and Lucas sneakily (not that sly though) glanced over at Mike.

"It can't be that much difficult than putting on shows with action figures and dolls while my little cousins intervene about what the different characters could do." And Mike taught me.

"I say we give her a shot. I'm tired of doing the same thing ever single time." Max said.

"We don't do the same thing every time!" Lucas retorted back at his girlfriend.

"It's the same thing, but different outcomes based on the die roll." Eleven agreed.

"Just let her be dungeon master, guys. For one day. I actually want to see where she'll go with it. I'll just be a Gnome Thief." Mike told them.

"I don't have a problem with that." Will Byers added making his first statement in the conversation.

"Go on, [Y/N]." Dustin said glancing at the seat next to Mike. "You can sit there."

[Y/N] didn't see the glare Mike sent Dustin as she sat down in the seat. Eleven and Max got some food before sitting down.

"So, are we ready?" she asked them.

"Yeah. Let's see what you got." Lucas told her.

"To be clear, this is going to be totally -."

"Just start already, [Y/N]." Mike interrupted her. "Yes, we're well aware this is 'Geek Improv'."

Eleven looked from Mike to [Y/N]. As soon as she started to go to school with the party, she met [Y/N] almost as soon as she stepped into the door. And instantly, she understood why Mike hadn't been able to return her feeling. And now, watching the two of them, it reminded Eleven of why that was. Time passed and they all realized how much more involved she was with the details than Mike was and they all knew the adventure they were on was all sprouted from her mouth like bullshit. Because it was. She was making it up as she went along.

"You have reached the end of your quest. But your quest is not over. Instead, one of your party members carries a dark secret. One of them is actually the Great Darkness that vows to shrall the land in eternal night. You hear the cackle of what sounds like the Wicked Witch of the West Hehehe! As the sound bounces off the walls of the cave, you wonder where and who the sound is coming from. But it's too late. Your hear it say 'It's too late for you. Hehehehe!' And the voice is coming from-."

"[Y/N]," Karen Wheeler, Mike's and Nancy's mom, said walking down into the basement, "your mom says your dad is waiting for you. Time to go."

Karen Wheeler went back upstairs and Dustin leaned over to Mike, "Since when does your mom come down here?"

Mike simply shrugged. "Can we finish this really quickly?"

[Y/N] shook her head getting up from her seat. "Sorry. Dad's impatient as it is, and we're supposed to go to Chicago for the weekend. I'll be back Wednesday though. We can finish it then. Have a good weekend, Blackbird. Fellow geeks." She saluted them.

"Bye, Roth. Have fun with your dad." Mike said as she went back up the stairs.

"Dude!" Max exclaimed once she was out of earshot.

"What?!" Mike fired back.

"Do you two really have to act like that?" Max asked him.

"Like what?" he asked her.

"Like that! Two love sick idiots. Why don't you just ask her out?" asked Max.

"He can't."

"He's tried."

"Countless times."

"Failed countless times."

"Stuck in the friend zone, is he." Dustin said in the voice of Yoda.

"He's not that stuck. She likes him back. Right, El?" Max asked looking at her female friend for assistance.

"She does." Eleven nodded her head in agreement. "Just ask her out."

"Do it. When she comes back." Max told him.

"Jeez, okay, I will." Mike told him.

Wednesday came, and he commed [Y/N]'s radio. "Roth... Roth... Roth...."

No answer. Usually she would pick up after the second or third Rorh, but silence filled the radio. He tried again thinking her mom may have cleaned up her room while she was away (it has happened before). Silence.

"[Y/N], you there? Blackbird here ... trying to talk to you. Over." Silence.

This was weird. It was strange. Even when she was angry with him, she never metaphorically left him on read. She would radio in that she was angry and didn't want to talk and there would be a "I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU! I HATE YOU!" followed afterward that she didn't really mean. And that's when he heard shouting, yelling, and screaming from next door. It sounded like her parents.

Mike got out of his basement and along with his family and the rest of the street watched the scene play out between [Mother] and [Father] who hadn't spoken or saw one another in months.

"What do you mean you lost her? She was here yesterday! She called telling me she was back in Hawkins!" [Mother] yelled.

"I went to get food, and then she's gone! I checked everywhere for her! She's not here! And I'm pretty sure she didn't go back to Chicago! So, yeah I lost her! But I didn't lose her OKAY? She's missing! Gone! And it's not my fault! Dear god, why would you think it was my fault?" [Father] yelled back.

"It wouldn't be the first time you thought that." [Mother] mumbled before shouting, "If you didn't lose her, then help me find her! Help me find my daughter! Before something awful happens to her!"

[Y/N] was missing? Mike looked over at Nancy who was looking at him back. They both knew that the Upside Down had a part to play in the disappearance of [Y/N] [L/N].

What Netflix Original would the characters of Stranger Things watch the most often?

Eleven - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Eleven would compare the events of her life to Sabrina's events in her life when they are sorta similar)

Mike - Orange is the New Black (gives me Mike vibes)

Max - Sex Education (gives me Max Mayfield vibes)

Will - A Series of Unfortunate Events (i feel like he would have read the books in elementary school, so he felt obligated to watch the show)

Lucas - Lost in Space (i didn't know what to pick for Lucas, so I just picked something random)

Dustin - Voltron Legendary Defender (Dustin has always given me vibes that he's a cartoon watcher type of TV person)

Steve - Daybreak (gives me Steve vibes)

Nancy - The Worst Witch (this was an accident. Nancy didn't want to watch it, but saw the trailer, thought it was interesting, and watches it afterwards).

Robin - Disenchantment (doesn't it just scream Robin at you?)

Jonathon - You (he would have heard about it from Nancy who wanted to watch it and he got hooked)

Joyce - Santa Clarita Diet (funny zombie humor)

Hopper - The Crown (this would have started off as something that both Hopper and Eleven watched together as a sort of father-daughter show or whatever, but he got hooked really, really fast)

#stranger things #stranger things x reader #mike wheeler #mike wheeler x reader #dustin henderson #eleven #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #will byers #steve harrington #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #jim hopper #joyce byers #jonathon byers

[poorrichardslegacy]

Kacxa Week 2020 Day 2 - Late Night Adventures

The Melmachian Defense

SUMMARY: His family asleep, Keith sits alone with his thoughts. He is bothered by his daughter’s reaction to the story Soran told them about their parents first visit to the planet. Acxa joins him, knowing her husband is upset. To cheer him up they sneak away for what they think is a safe midnight stroll to reflect and talk. It proves to be anything but the romantic interlude they were hoping for.

NOTE: This is my entry for Day 2 of Kacxa Week 2020, and it is Part 3 of a 3-part Return to Braylar IV story line.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26834671

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Acxa/Keith (Voltron) Characters: Acxa (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Keith's Wolf (Voltron), Original Galran Character(s) Additional Tags: Family Bonding, Meet the Family, Kacxa Week 2020, Family, Family Drama, Teenage Drama, Teenagers

---------------

Kogane Campsite, Braylar IV

Keith sits quietly at the entrance to the cave, alone with his thoughts.

He looks out at the night sky, thinking back to the last time he was here, at night, staring out into the darkness. Back then, Acxa was lying on a bed of straw covered with blankets, fighting off the effects of Hyena poisoning. Narti had just arrived on the planet and, thinking Keith had taken advantage of Acxa in her debilitated state, got into a brief fight that only ended when Sonai wolves backed Narti into a corner. Later that night, Soran emerged from the cave to warn him that a storm was coming.1

He sits here, 23 decaphoebs later, staring out into the same inky darkness that is nighttime on Braylar IV. This time, there is no storm coming. This time, his family sleeps peacefully in comfortable sleeping bags behind him.

His family. The last time he was here, a family was the furthest thing from his mind. Now, somehow, he is both the husband to the prettiest woman in the universe (his opinion) and father to two beautiful, independent, and frequently rambunctious girls.

Just as before, someone emerges from the cave to join him. This time it is Acxa, come to check on her husband.

“Hey you. What’s wrong?” She sits next to him, takes his hand, and brings it to her lips.

He squeezes her hand in return. “Hey…nothing’s wrong, I just couldn’t sleep. I came here to look at the stars.”

Acxa stares up at the night sky. “And you expect me to believe that? Keith, it’s a cloudy night, there are no stars out. I’ll ask my question again. What’s wrong?”

He leans back against one of the boulders at the cave entrance and exhales deeply. “The girls’ reaction to Soran’s story tonight…they must think their father is a real jerk.”

“Keith…they think no such thing. Why would you say that?”

“Oh, let’s see. How about ‘Not exactly good boyfriend behavior’, and a sarcastic ‘wow Dad that was really romantic’ for starters.”

“Oh, for the love of…THAT’s what’s bothering you? Keith they are teenagers! Of course, they are going to think their parents are the stupidest and most awkward people in the universe! That, biologically speaking, is what happens with teenagers in every known species! They’ll grow out of it and they’ll see just how cool their incredibly awesome mother and father really are!”

Realizing that emo Keith has settled over her husband and that he is not likely to snap out of his funk on his own, she stands and grabs his hand. “Come on.”

Keith protests meekly as his wife hauls him to his feet. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going to go for a walk by that lake we passed on the way here. It’s not that far away. The clouds are breaking, and I want to see what it looks like under the two moons of this planet. Especially since the last time I was here you called me, what was the term you used…loopy?” She grabs him by the arm, pulls him close, and nuzzles his earlobe with her nose. “Besides…I need some alone time with my husband.”

“Hmm…I like how you think, woman. Bring your blaster pistol, just in case. I know the Hyenas are supposed to be gone, but you never know.”

---------------

As they leave the campsite and head down the path leading to the lake, two pair of eyes follow their progress down the hillside.

“I don’t know, Mireya. Going to the lake this time of night doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.”

“Yeah. I think we need to tell Cosmo where they are going.”

---------------

Lakeshore, Just Below the Kogane Campsite

Keith and Acxa arrive on the lakeshore and are immediately blown away by the sight of two moons shimmering on the water. The walk hand-in-hand down the beach for a quarter mile before Keith slips his arm around Acxa’s waist and pulls her close.

Stopping, they put their foreheads together and stare longingly into each other’s eyes.

“Credit for your thoughts, love.”

“Oh, I don’t know if you can handle my thoughts right now my dear.”

She purrs softly, tracing the scar on his cheek, and speaks in a low, sultry voice. “I can handle anything you bring my way, Mr. Kogane. That includes you and your thoughts. Try me.”

Their moods change in an instant as a rustling in the woods causes them to freeze. “Keith…what kind of animals are on the prowl at night on this planet?”

“The bad kind.”

They peer into the underbrush, their eyes adjusting to the ambient light of the area. Four sets of yellow eyes peer back at them.

“Keith, are they what I think they are?”

“Yeah. Hyenas.”

“Pistols or swords?”

Keith vividly remembers what happened the last time they were in close quarters combat with the Hyenas. “Pistols first. Don’t let them get too close.”

He quickly scans the area looking for a close defensive position. Finding none, he tells her to do the only thing they can do. “Move to that little spit of land sticking into the lake. The water is deep. They can’t surround us there.”

Keith and Acxa move towards the spit but are cut off as the Hyenas emerge from the forest, slowly surrounding them. Like they did 23 decaphoebs earlier, Keith and Acxa go back to back to defend against the Hyena attack.

Sensing an easy kill, the Hyena’s charge their position and get the shock of their lives. Their easy prey is ready for them.

Keith and Acxa swiftly land blaster pistol shots on all four of the hyenas. The Hyenas withdraw and, while stung by the shots from the pistols, they are by no means seriously injured by them.

“This isn’t working. We need to draw swords.”

Taking advantage of the temporary disorganization in the Hyena’s attack, they reach the spit and put the deep-water lake to their backs, so that the Hyena’s cannot surround them again.

Assessing their position and the attack tendencies of their enemies, a thought strikes Acxa. “Keith, did your mother teach you the Melmachian defensive technique?”

Keith smiles. “Yeah, one of the first ones she taught me. A bit suicidal, don’t you think? This isn’t a game of Gorblonthian Checkers we’re playing here.”

“Look wise guy, do you want to have any chance of seeing your daughters finish growing up? We’ve only got one shot at this.” She shoots him a quick glance and a wink. “You ready, Paladin?”

“Oh, yeah. Let’s do this!”

Still stinging from the blaster pistol wounds, the Hyenas charge their position and immediately run into a problem. The Hyenas are so large and the spit of land so narrow that only two can reach Keith and Acxa at a time.

The pair swing their Blades in unison, stopping the first two Hyenas charging at them in their tracks. As the wounded Hyenas struggle to scamper backwards and get away, they stumble over the ones behind them.

“ACXA NOW!”

Taking advantage of the Hyena’s temporary confusion, Keith and Acxa charge towards the retreating animals. Nimbly clambering up the flanks of the wounded Hyenas before the startled animals realize what they are doing, they hurl themselves into the air and in mid somersault land solid Blade blows across the backs of the third and fourth Hyenas.

As the four wounded animals fall back to regroup, Keith and Acxa do the same and make their way back onto the narrow spit of land.

“I think it might have worked.”

Keith casts his gaze towards the snarling and drooling Hyenas. “Actually I think we just pissed them off. They don’t look happy.”

Before the wounded and now incredibly angry Hyenas can mount another charge, five bright flashes of light erupt in front of them. Their eyes clearing as their night vision returns, the Hyenas four wounded Hyenas find themselves confronted by five exceptionally large Sonai Dire Wolf males

A sixth Sonai Dire Wolf, Corima, appears. On her back are Keith and Acxa’s daughters Mireya and Cataleya.

The Sonai males growl and bare their fangs at the wounded Hyenas. After some pawing of the ground and a back-and-forth exchange of growls and snarls, the Hyenas retreat into the forest.

---------------

Cosmo quickly approaches Keith and Acxa as the males stand watch on the forest trails leading to the beach

“Are you two ok?”

“Yes, we’re fine. Sorry, Cosmo. When you told us the Hyenas had moved on, we thought it would be safe to come down here.”

“Yes Keith, but what I should have also told you is that they test our defenses every now and then. You two just happened to go for a stroll during one of their tests. When Mireya and Cataleya told us where you were, I knew there would be trouble. We got here as soon as I could round up some help. So…would you mind telling me why you two are down here in the first place?”

Keith and Acxa both visibly blush as they exchange awkward glances. Keith turns back to Cosmo to respond, but the crafty alpha male already has the answer to his question.

“Never mind, let me guess.” He sniffs the air, then looks disapprovingly at the pair. “Two people, alone by the lake, on a moonlit night. No need to tell me why you are here, I can smell the pheromones on you both. Great stars you two!”

Corima strides up to them, and not a moment too soon as far as Acxa is concerned. “Apologies, Acxa. Your pups told us where you and Keith were going. After they told Cosmo and I, they insisted on coming to help and make sure you were ok.”

“I see.”

Acxa looks sternly at her daughters.

“Your father and I will deal with you two back at the campsite.”

---------------

Kogane Campsite, Braylar IV

“So, you eavesdropped on a private conversation between your mother and I?”

The girls look down at the ground, dejectedly. “Sorry Dad. We heard you and Mom talking. You sounded upset. We wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“So, what did you hear?”

Cataleya hesitates before shyly looking at her mother to answer her question. “Pretty much everything.”

Acxa buries her face in her hand in embarrassment as Keith crosses his arms. “I see.”

“Dad, I know you’re not happy with us for listening in. We’re sorry for violating your privacy. But…if we hadn’t…I don’t want to think about might have happened to you and Mom.”

Acxa crosses her arms and looks to her husband. “She has a point, Keith.”

“Yes, she does. Ok. I think that’s enough excitement for one night. Let’s all try to get some sleep.”

As the girls slink off towards their sleeping bags, they stop and turn back to face their parents.

“For the record Dad, Cataleya and I don’t think you or Mom are jerks, or the stupidest people in the universe. What you and Mom did tonight… wanting to be alone together and taking a romantic moonlit walk on a lakeshore…that was cool. Not giving a crap about the killer Hyenas on the prowl…ok, sorry, that was stupid. But then using a suicidal Blade of Marmora defensive tactic to fight them off…that was quiznacking awesome!”

“Yeah. Mom, Dad, you guys are pretty special.”

Keith and Acxa rush forward and pull the girls in for a group hug. Acxa’s eyes fill as she kisses each of her daughters on their foreheads.

“You two are pretty special as well.”

 END NOTES: The full story of Keith and Acxa’s first visit to Braylar IV, when they were still on opposite sides, is found in Chapter 11 of Return of the Prince (Chapter title is Cry of the Wolf)

In the story yu’ve just read the Kacxa daughters are 16 years old. They are entering what I call the Mark Twain years. According to my father, Mark Twain supposedly related the following anecdote to a friend. “When I was 16 years old, I thought my father was the dumbest man on the planet. When I turned 21, I was amazed at how much he learned in 5 years.”

In my experience with my own father, I have to say Mark Twain was right. Dad, this one is for you.

#kacxaweek2020 #kacxa fic #vld kacxa #keith x acxa #kacxa #vld acxa #vld keith

[rubymoon-snape]

Summary: Keith and Lance  get to have their wedding on Earth...if only the weather would cooperate.

Author Note: This is AU, where Thace, Ulaz, and Antok survived. Keith considers the BoM his pack, and they consider Keith their kit. Adam is alive. Shiro and Adam had adopted Keith before the Kerberos Mission. This is DoM, Adashi, Klance, and a tiny bit of Romellura and Veracxa and was Suggested by RoseRozu.

"Cloudy Skies, Clear Future"

It was supposed to be a beautiful day. Keith was dismayed to be awoken by loud thunder. Why was there a thunderstorm on his wedding day?! He sighed. At least neither he nor his husband agreed to wear white. Lance would be wearing his Galaxy Garrison dress uniform, which strangely enough was a dark blue color, and Keith would be wearing his Blade Leader uniform. It was a much dressier version of his mission uniform.

He had found out that the leader of the Blades had several uniforms to choose from. Kolivan was coaching Keith on leading the Blades, and the elder Galra knew there were going to be times that he would have to take the helm due to Keith being busy with either the Garrison, the Coalition, Paladin business, or something to do with his soon-to-be husband.

A knock on the door drew Keith's attention. He was glad he was wearing pajamas as the door was slowly pushed open, revealing both of his fathers entering his room. Adam was holding a tray of food.

"Rise and shine, Keith. It's your big day!" Adam declared, his sentence being incorrectly punctuated by a clap of thunder.

All three men looked up at the ceiling as if they could glare at the storm. Shiro huffed, "Well..."

Keith grinned. His fathers were trying their best, and he knew that. He stood up and threw his arms carefully around them. "Thanks. I appreciate it. I am also assuming that Adam made this, since Shiro can't cook."

"I cooked it, but Takashi did pour the juice," Adam corrected.

Keith grinned and took the tray. There was a glass of orange juice and on the plate was a generous helping of French toast topped with butter, syrup, and powdered sugar with a side of crispy bacon. "This looks delicious."

He was about to take a bite when his data pad dinged. He whined as he picked it up, the sound morphing into a chirp when he saw it was Lance calling him. He opened the video chat function and was not surprised to see his fiancée looking perfect but slightly panicked at the same time.

"Keith! It's storming! How could this happen on today of all days!"

"Lance, calm down."

"No way! This is the worst! It's supposed to be sunshine and rainbows, not gray clouds and lightning."

"Lance, everyone is already here at the Garrison. No one has to go outside in this weather. The Garrison has a chapel all ready for us to use and the two largest reception halls have had the divider removed so we can accommodate everyone who said they were coming."

Lance blinked. "You're right, cariño. I guess the storm just threw me for a loop."

Keith purred. "You're all right, sweetheart. Now, let me eat breakfast and then we can start getting ready for our wedding."

"Ooo. Whatcha eating?" Lance asked. Keith turned the data pad around so Lance could see the delicious breakfast Adam had prepared. "Aww. I'm jealous! I /just/ have-"

"Don't try to play me, Lance. I know Mama made her special breakfast for your entire family, and it puts Adam's French toast to shame. That doesn't mean that I am not eating this!" Keith's last comment was more directed at Adam and Shiro than at Lance.

Lance chuckled and blew a kiss. "I'll see you at the alter soon, Kogane."

Keith returned the kiss with one of his own. "You know it, McClain."

Keith ended the video call and took a big bite of his French toast. He mumbled around his mouthful, "Why don't you two go do something else and let me enjoy my breakfast in peace?"

"Don't take too long!" Shiro teased.

Keith swallowed his bite. "I'll take as long as I want. The wedding can't happen unless Lance and I are /both/ there!"

"Would you really make your guests wait?" Adam asked, slightly incredulous.

Keith stabbed another bite. "Probably not. It would make everyone, the Blades, Voltron, the Coalition, the Garrison, and the Kogane-McClains, look bad."

"Kogane-McClains? So, you two /are/ combining your names?"

"Yeah. Lance and I talked it over. Since it was important enough for you two to keep it when you adopted me, we thought it was important enough to keep. Besides, it has a nice ring to it."

"Finish your breakfast, Space Cat." Adam grabbed his husband's arm. "Takashi and I can do dishes."

Keith heard Shiro's complaint as he was dragged down the hall. "Aw, Adam! I hate doing dishes!"

"You would rather face down an evil emperor of space cats than do dishes?"

"Yes."

Keith smiled and tucked into his breakfast.

%%%

Despite what Keith said to Lance, he had wished it would stop raining, but it did mask the sound of his pounding heart. Here he was mere minutes away from marrying Lance McClain, Voltron Paladin, Garrison Officer, Member of the Coalition, and the love of his life. He was absolutely terrified. He internalized it as best he could, taking deep calming breaths, which wasn't helping much.

Adam couldn't help but chuckle as he settled a wreath of red and blue flowers in Keith's hair. At the sour expression on his adopted son's face, Adam explained, "Takashi was just as nervous on our wedding day, so I know what you are thinking. Lance loves you. There is no one better for him than you."

"How nervous was he?"

"He almost threw up."

"I did not."

"You told me you almost did, Takashi. Don't lie to the kid."

"I'm not a kid. I'm getting quiznacking married!"

"You're still not old enough to swear around us, even if it is in Altean," Shiro admonished.

Keith grumbled under his breath. "I should learn how to say it in Galran."

"I'll tell the Blades not to teach that to you," Adam replied, having heard Keith's comment.

"You won't have to, Adam. The Blades still consider Keith a kit, so no one will teach him how to swear."

Keith growled softly at Shiro's statement. However, the conversation had calmed his nerves greatly for which he was grateful.

"Well, now that my job is over, I will go wait in the chapel." Adam kissed Shiro and hugged Keith. "You'll be just fine, Space Cat."

"Thanks, Adam."

Shiro and Keith watched Adam walk out the door before the younger of the two asked, "Does it ever make you nervous to see him leave the room?"

"All the time."

"I'm not going to die going to the chapel!" Adam called back to the husband and son.

Shiro and Keith snickered despite the seriousness of the question. Shiro wrapped an arm around Keith's shoulders, making sure to avoid pulling on the braid his long hair was put into (courtesy of Romelle). "Let's not keep Lance waiting."

Shiro guided Keith to the chapel, meeting Romelle, Allura, Veronica, and Acxa outside the doors. Romelle and Allura were in dresses; Romelle in red, Allura in dark blue. The dresses were off the shoulder and floor length with Juliet sleeves and a slight poof to the skirt; however, they were easy to walk in so the Altean females didn't have any issues walking down the aisle first. Veronica and Acxa were next to walk down the aisle and were in suits; Acxa in red, Veronica in dark blue.

Keith took a deep breath and looked at Shiro, who asked, "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Shiro kissed Keith's temple. "You'll be fine."

"Love you, Shiro."

"Love you too, Keith." Shiro grasped Keith's hand. "Now, let's get you married."

Shiro guided Keith down the aisle, every step bringing them closer to the alter...and Lance. Keith swore he could hear his heart beating even over the raining that was still coming down outside the building. When they were next to Lance, Shiro handed Keith's right hand to Lance and went to sit down between the Blades and his husband, who was dressed identically to him in his gray Garrison uniform.

Keith and Lance turned to each other and clasped their other hands as well. The officiant started the ceremony. "We have gathered here to witness the union of Keith Kogane and Lance McClain. They have written their own vows."

"Lance, we may not have always gotten along, but you bring out my best. You are my right hand, my best friend, my rival, my confidante, my everything. My love for you is the strongest substance in the universe and is symbolized by this luxite ring that I place on your finger. May every time you see it, you are reminded of my devotion and love for you." Keith placed the dark colored ring on Lance's finger.

"Keith, you were always head of me. I was perpetually in your shadow. No matter what I did, I ended up following in your footsteps, but now, I wish to walk alongside you for the rest of our lives. This ring is a reminder that no matter what the future brings, I will be the water to your fire." Lance placed a blue ring that had a trio of rubies studded in a diagonal line on the band.

"I now pronounce you husbands. You may now kiss."

When Lance and Keith kissed, the storm outside broke to reveal a beautiful rainbow arcing over the Garrison as if nature herself approved of their union.

Fin

#vld #keith kogane #lance mcclain #takashi shirogane #adam #romelle #allura #veronica mcclain #acxa #klance #adashi #romellura #veracxa #wedding #blade leader keith #dads of marmora #adopted keith

[madgeinvoltronland]

Thank the Stars

Tonight (April 21) we can see the Lyrid meteor shower in my country. Since I used that event for my contribution to the Kidge zine last year, and since I never posted it, it seemed like a good time to do so, even if I’m not really into Voltron anymore.

Rating: General As he gazes upon the stars, Keith realizes how much of a sap he is. The good thing is, Katie is just as bad as him. 

As he was waiting in line to board his bus, Keith realised he had been wrong. So wrong. One would think that students wouldn’t want to get up this early for the 5 a.m bus back home. But here he was, among students still half asleep, nowhere close to boarding anytime soon. 

But it was worth it. 

The sooner he left, the sooner he’d be back home, back with Katie.

He hadn’t seen his girlfriend since New Year; too busy trying to pass his first midterms to go see her, and her too busy with her last year of high school. And he missed her. Hearing her distorted voice during their daily phone calls wasn’t enough. He needed to see her, run his fingers through her hair, and put his arms around her shoulders to keep her close. She fit perfectly against his side, her warmth all against him the best way to sooth him, and he missed it all.

He was so busy thinking about finally reuniting with his girlfriend that he spaced out, holding out the line when it was his time to board. The guy behind him complained, pulling him out of his thoughts, and he quickly found his place. It was not the most comfortable, but it was cheap, and in a few hours, he would be together with Katie again.

Just as the clock stroke 5a.m. his phone buzzed. 

[Katie] Hey hotstuff. Didnt miss ur bus?

[Keith] Hey shortstuff. All ready to get back pain. The things I do for you

[Katie] Aww u sap ♥

Keith was about to answer when the driver announced they were departing, and which stop they’d make. He looked outside, watching the scenery at first, then up to the sky, where the few stars you could see above the city shone brightly.

And Katie was probably right about him because that sight immediately reminded him of the day they got together.

Katie loved space, just like everyone in her family. She was following in her father’s footsteps, aiming to work for NASA. And Keith, while he was interested in space exploration, mostly loved seeing the way her face lighted up when talking about it. So when he had realised the Perseids were around the corner, he had asked her if she wanted to go camping with him, where they could see the stars without light pollution in the way. So, maybe he was indeed a sap.

But honestly, she was just as bad as him.

[Keith] Like you’re one to talk. Remember last summer? The perseids?

[Katie] Yea. We spent hours loading ur car, but it broke

Sure, that wasn’t his proudest moment. He had known for a while that his car was having problems, so it should have been no surprise. But that wasn’t his point.

[Keith] And you found a way to bring the stars to us

As soon as they had realized that they couldn’t go, she had asked him to give her a few hours, and then join her at her place. It was a strange request, but even then, he couldn’t say no to her.

[Katie] And?

[Keith] You’re a sap too

[Keith] You projected the nasa direct just to confess

When he’d gotten to her house, she had led him to the attic, where strangely enough a round camping tent had been installed. She had grabbed the sleeping bags he’d bought over and gone inside, leaving him utterly confused, until he had joined her.

She had set up her laptop and a projector inside. The projector was facing some kind of dome-shaped mirror, and the reflected projection followed the curve of the walls, giving the impression you were surrounded by a screen. Katie had instructed him to get comfortable while she finished setting up everything, so he had sat on his sleeping bag. The sound of cicadas and wind ruffling through leaves slowly filled the place. 

And when the night sky replaced whatever was on Katie’s screen, projected all around them, he couldn’t help his awe. It was almost like they were out camping, the only things missing being the smell of grass and the bugs (which was probably a good thing). She had managed to make them travel, without actually going anywhere.

[Katie] And ill never listen to Lances ideas anymore, that was dumb

He knew her enough to know that it was just her embarrassment talking. She had been just as embarrassed that night.

Lance’s idea of the perfect confession was to set the perfect mood. Not that dumb, but when their trip got canceled his alternative was… so Lance-like. 

Katie had waited for him to voice his awe to tell him that it wasn’t as magical as she had wanted, though there was something that could make it better. 

Keith being her boyfriend. 

Even with the dim light of the projector as their only light source he had been able to see her blush. Which got worse when she’d started word vomiting, confessing that she had planned on asking him out during their trip. That when it got canceled, she’d called Lance in a panic, asking him what to do. That he had been the one to suggest that pick-up line. That she’d went with it because every other time she had tried to confess, he either didn’t get it, or she had lost her nerves. That if he wasn’t interested, she hoped they could still be friends.

He had stopped her then, grabbing her hand to stop her rambling, intertwining their fingers to anchor himself.  To this day he could still remember how fast his heart had been beating. But he had been elated, smiling while he reassured her that he was more than interested.

As anxious as the whole confession had made them feel, leaning toward each other had felt right, natural. It was merely a peck, but that soft kiss had melted the tension in the room, and they had laid back together to enjoy the projection.

[Keith] I liked it

The gesture was sweet, and with Keith leaving for college a few weeks later, he barely had time to do something for her in return. They barely had time to see each other period. But maybe that could change… If he remembered correctly, there was another meteor shower happening in April…

It was a good thing he still had data left and it didn’t take long for him to look it up on his phone— the Lyrid meteor shower, scheduled April 22 to 24, right during his break.

Now he just needed to see if Katie was free, so he called her.

It didn’t take her long to answer.

“Hey, I was just replying. You’re okay?”

Her voice was rough, she was probably short on sleep, but it worked for him. She would catch up on what he was planning if she was too awake.

“Everything's fine, just need to ask you something real quick.”

She yawned. “Ask away.”

“Are you doing anything this week?”

She groaned and for a while, the only sounds he could hear were ruffling and cursing. Keith almost felt bad for making her get up.

“No,” she finally answered, “free all week.”

“Good, cause I have a late birthday present so don’t plan anything for Monday to Wednesday.”

“Urg, where’s my pen now…”

More ruffling could be heard, and Keith couldn’t help it, he chuckled.

“Don’t laugh at me Keith Kogane, this is all your fault. You could have waited till we were together.”

“Guess I’m lucky you love me.”

It took her a few seconds to answer, but when she did her voice was soft, and he could picture her blushing.

“Exactly.”

“I’ll let you sleep a bit more. See you when I arrive?”

“See you.”

He hung up with a smile

He’d have a lot of things to plan, but he couldn’t wait to finally take her on that long overdue trip. He’d need to borrow or rent a car, because his old one was still not trustworthy, but this time, it was going to happen. 

 The soft music coming from the radio was the only sound in the car as they drove out of the city. Katie had to be honest, she was kind of curious. Keith had kept his plans a secret, and she had refrained from looking into it despite how much she wanted to know. If Keith wanted to surprise her, she wasn’t going to spoil him the pleasure. 

If only he wasn’t frowning and looking displeased right now.

He was looking at the road like it had done something to offend him. Which didn’t make sense, because they were alone, and it wasn’t bumpy or anything, so it was all smooth driving. 

“Hey,” she tried to grab his attention by putting her hand on his arm, “is something wrong?”

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and sighed, finally relaxing his shoulder.

“It’s just the weather…”

She looked up and, sure enough, you could barely see the sky behind the clouds. But at least it didn’t look like it would rain, and she pointed it out.

“That’s… still not enough,” he answered, his fingers drumming against the wheel. 

There was obviously more on his mind, but Katie knew when to push, and when to give him time. He would talk eventually, and the car fell silent once again.

It didn’t last.

“It’s the Lyrid meteor shower tonight.”

And suddenly, everything made sense.

Their conversation when he was coming back from college, his sudden phone call… It wasn’t just any birthday trip. It was a second attempt at their failed first-date-slash-confession-date. And as much as she wanted to play it cool, the attention made her shy.

Katie Holt, the high school genius who always speaks her mind, rendered speechless by a date plan. It was still a nice feeling, and she couldn’t help but smile as she grabbed Keith’s arm again.

“We still have some time, maybe the sky will clear. And if not, there’s still tomorrow.”

Keith smiled, and he let go of the wheel with his right hand to hold hers.

“I know, I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

“You’ll call me a sap but,” she took a deep breath, and looked straight ahead to try and hide her blush. “A trip just the two of us is already pretty sweet.”

And as they held each other later that night to keep warm, eyes glued to the sky, they both thanked the stars for bringing them together.

#sometimes I write #kidge #this will be my last post on this blog

[voyager-into-the-unknown]

An Evening at an Earth Mall

By truegryffindorforever2

(Part 2 of a series, beginning with “An Afternoon in the Garden”)

Summary: Sam is overprotective, Colleen is supportive, Hunk texts Lance when he’s shopping at the mall, and Lance nearly dies of second hand embarrassment when he realizes that Katie Holt, is in fact, not a girl, but a young woman.

After heading to the men’s locker room to change out of his Garrison uniform and into comfortable civilian clothing, Lance headed towards the base’s garage to meet up with Pidge and Colleen. As he approached Mrs. Holt’s car, he heard Sam’s voice from a distance.

“Boyfriend?! Since when?” Sam exclaimed angrily.

“Since today. But we have been really close for a long time, Dad. We were best friends for the last few years—“

“He’s too old for you!”

“He’s a year and eight months older than me. And besides, I’m eighteen years old, and that’s old enough to have a boyfriend.”

“Katie, I’ve watched The Voltron Show. Colleen, did you know that this boy’s nickname is Loverboy Lance?! How did he get a nickname like that, Katie?”

“Dad, that show was totally fake, and Coran gave him that ridiculous nickname. We all thought it was hilarious because Lance hasn’t ever really had a serious girlfriend before—“

“Your friends say that he’s the biggest flirt in the Galaxy. How do you know he won’t break your heart?”

“Dad, please. Lance is a great guy. He’s sweet and funny and honest and brave. And I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you right now if it weren’t for him. He’s saved my life quite a few times.”

Sam exhaled, then was silent, pondering all of this. Lance stood in shadow, behind a large armored vehicle that kept him hidden from view. His heart was hammering in his chest. He wanted the Holts to like him. What could he do to earn Sam’s trust?

“Colleen, what do you think of all this?”

“Well, he seems like a nice young man, and I trust our daughter’s judgement.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Also, he’s probably heading this way right now, so you had better be on your best behavior, Sam.”

“All right, but whether you are eighteen or eighty, Katie Holt, so long as you live under my roof, you will have a curfew when you go out at night with that young man. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

Lance knew he had to face Sam eventually, but at the moment he just wanted to stay hidden. He took a deep breath, and stepped forward into the light.

“There he is.” Pidge waved, smiling at him as she moved toward him.

Lance enveloped Pidge in his arms, and she squeezed him tightly, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. He grinned at her.

“Hello everyone!” He turned to Sam and snapped to attention to give a salute. “Commander Holt, sir.”

Sam saluted him in return. “Paladin.” Lance extended his right hand and Sam shook it cordially. “So, I hear you are escorting my daughter to the Garrison Ball.”

“Yes, sir.” Pidge took Lance’s left hand, giving it a little squeeze. He smiled at her, then turned back to Sam. “It’s a great honor sir. I think I must be the luckiest guy in the universe.” Pidge beamed at him, and they both blushed as pink as the sunset over the grand mesa just beyond the western gate.

Sam felt a wave of nostalgia, remembering how young he and Colleen were when they first started dating. For a moment, Lance reminded him of himself at that age. The genuine affection between the two of young people was apparent. He honestly couldn’t remember seeing his daughter so happy since she returned home from space, and for a moment he felt a pang of regret. He had missed so much of her growing up while he was a prisoner of the Galra. She matured into a brilliant, courageous young woman, one who had fought warlords and sentries, bounty hunters and space pirates, and who had helped save the universe from destruction alongside this awkwardly earnest, gangly young man who obviously wore his heart on his sleeve.

“You kids have a nice time at the mall. Matt and I are eating supper in the mess hall tonight, and then we’re finishing up a few things in the lab before the weekend.”

“Well, I’ve had a notion. I’m making my famous baked ziti with garlic knots for lunch on Saturday. Sam, wouldn’t it be nice if we invited Lance over tomorrow?”

“Indeed. How does 11:00 sound?”

“Sounds great, sir.”

Colleen smiled. “You know, Lance, Sam and I were quite the ballroom dancers back in our day. We could give you and Katie a few pointers if you’d like.”

“It’s true. Mom and dad gave me dancing lessons since I was little, whether I liked it or not.”

“She’s a natural,” Sam added.

“My parents taught me most of the traditional Latin American dances when I was just a kid, but I am really out of practice. This is going to be fun!” Lance said with enthusiasm.

“Well, we’re all set, then. We had better head out towards the mall,” Colleen said cheerfully. “We’ll be home around ten, dear.” She kissed her husband goodbye and got into the driver’s seat. Katie, to her mother’s surprise, didn’t want to sit in the front passenger’s seat as she usually did. She sat on the back seat with Lance, who couldn’t seem to wipe the dreamy smile off of his face if he tried. As they sped away across the desert Colleen was almost certain that he was holding her daughter’s hand.

The mall wasn’t too crowded, considering that it was a Friday night. Lance was impressed with how quickly the place had been remodeled in the aftermath of the invasion. So much had changed since they had been chosen as Paladins of Voltron, and it took some getting used to. They encountered nearly as many off-world species as humans among the vendors and shoppers, but somehow it was weirdly familiar.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say we were back at the Space Mall,” said Pidge, voicing his thoughts aloud.

“Yeah. Hey, look, Pidge! It’s the guy from the Earth Store!” Lance pointed to the skinny grey-green alien wearing an Area 51 baseball cap. “I don’t think he’s giving away any free Kalteneckers today, though.”

“Kalteneckers?” asked Colleen.

“She’s our cow. It’s a long story, Mom.”

“Sam said something about you two having a cow in space, but I thought he was kidding, or delusional.”

“She was free with purchase. Pidge really wanted that Mercury Gameflux II with a vintage copy of Killbot Phantasm, but we were completely broke,” Lance explained.

“So we took off our shoes, rolled up our trouser legs and went wading in the mall’s wishing fountain to look for coins,” said Pidge.

“Katie Holt! You know I raised you better than that. My daughter, the criminal,” Colleen chided, in mock disapproval.

“Yeah, she’s a bad influence on me.” Lance grinned. “We nearly got arrested by the Mall Cop. But we escaped with Kaltenecker on a hover board.”

“The things a man will do for love,” Pidge teased. “Lance hit his head when we escaped and nearly gave himself a concussion.”

“Yeah, but you wanted to kiss it and make it all better, right?”

“No, I did not,” she said indignantly, “but I had to bandage you up after that fall because Hunk was riding shotgun with Coran, and Keith was ready to eject you into space.”

Colleen sighed. How had these kids managed to become saviors of the universe? Perhaps the Creator of the Cosmos had a sense of humor.

After a bit of window shopping, they found both the tuxedo shop and the dress shop they were searching for.

“Lance, when you are done trying on tuxedos, you can ask the saleswoman at the dress shop to show you to the lounging area in the back of the store. There are some comfortable armchairs for patient husbands, or in this case, boyfriends, who may have to wait a long time for their significant other to finish trying on dresses.”

Finding a tuxedo that fit him was relatively easy. Lance was tall and slim, and nearly any style looked great on him. He tried on the most classy one he could afford, and then made finger guns at himself as he admired his own reflection in the shop’s main mirror. “Razzle Dazzle, Baby!” He did a little dance, humming to himself as he strutted back and forth, and then he stopped himself, realizing that the other refined gentle beings in the shop were staring at him. “I had better stop that,” he thought. “Sam Holt definitely doesn’t want his daughter dating a goofball.”

After he was finished at the tuxedo shop, Lance headed back to the dress shop and found one of the comfortable armchairs that Colleen was talking about. There were magazines to browse through, but they were all about fashions for ladies, so he decided to check his phone when he sat down. He had a few missed calls. There was a text from Hunk that caught his attention as soon as he checked his messages.

Hunk: Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you all evening.

Lance: At the mall. I just picked out my tux for the Garrison Ball. 😎

Hunk: Wait a minute, the ball? Did you do it?!

Lance: Do what?

Hunk: Ask her out.

Lance: Ask who out?

Hunk: You’re denser than a neutron star. YOU KNOW WHO I’M TALKING ABOUT. Your best friend.

Lance: Sorry, Hunk, I can’t take you to the ball. My girlfriend would be jealous.

Hunk: Not me! Your other best friend! And since when do you have a girlfriend?!

Lance: Um, since this afternoon. Since we made out in her mom’s hydroponics lab. 😙💋😉

Hunk: No way!

Lance: Yes, way. 😎 *Razzle Dazzle!*

Hunk: I hope you were a gentleman. She’s a sweet, innocent girl, so you better keep that in mind, Loverboy. And she happens to be my best friend, too. So if you ever hurt her...

Lance: I’ll never hurt her. I love her.

Hunk: 😮😃😍

Lance: She loves me too. 🥰

Hunk: I’m crying rn. I’m so happy for you both.

Lance: I call dibs on the best man.

Hunk: What?

Lance: When we get married, I call dibs on you for the best man. Pidge will fight me for you, so I’m calling dibs.

Hunk: 😂 You haven’t even gone on your first date yet, you nut.

Lance: No, but we have already planned our second date, which is really happening before the first date, so maybe the second date really is the first date.

Hunk: You’re not making any sense.

Lance: Italian food and ballroom dancing tomorrow at the Holts.

Hunk: Smooth. They don’t call you Loverboy for nothing.

Lance: ✨😎✨

Hunk: Talk to you later, man.

Lance: Later, dude.

Lance checked a few other messages and put his phone away. Just when he was bored enough to pick up a magazine, he heard Pidge and her mother having a conversation in the dressing room closest to him.

“Let’s see the next one, darling.” There was the sound of a dressing room door opening. “Oh that color is beautiful on you. Turn around...let’s see it...Oh, I love it!”

“It’s my favorite so far, too,” said Pidge.

“But you can’t wear it with your bra straps showing like that. Try it on with the strapless bra.”

“I did. It doesn’t fit right.”

“Why not? Is it the right size?”

“I don’t have enough up top to hold it up. It keeps falling off me. I might as well not wear a bra at all.”

Lance’s eyes were as round as saucers and his face felt as if it were on fire. His imagination was now filled with naughty thoughts about his girlfriend wearing a bra, then wearing a strapless bra, and then wearing...

“Did you try the bustier with it?”

“You mean this white lacy thing that looks like a corset?”

“Yes, with the matching lace panties. Aren’t they adorable?”

Lance’s jaw dropped, then he covered his face with the magazine, hoping no one saw how he looked right now. Is this how spontaneous human combustion occurs? He might just burst into flames any moment now. Holy crow!

“Mom, this looks like bridal lingerie. And it’s expensive.”

“It is, dear. But it’s so worth it.”

“But why spend so much on underwear that no one will get to see except me?”

“Well, if everything goes well, maybe Lance will get to see you wearing it...someday.”

“Mother!”

“I meant on your wedding night, dear.”

“MOM! Can you be any more embarrassing?!”

Lance had sunk as deeply into the armchair as humanly possible. Maybe if he sat still long enough he could turn invisible. He hoped the armchair wasn’t flammable.

Several humiliating minutes (hours?) later, he heard Pidge and her mother come to an agreement about the dress (and the lacy unmentionables), and he decided that it would be best if he wasn’t there when they came out of the dressing room area. If Pidge saw his face she would know instantly what he had overheard, and then he actually might die of embarrassment, or worse, he might say something stupid like “Aw, that’s a cute little bustier,” and then she might turn her bayard on him and murder him on the spot.

Yes, now was definitely a good time to go use the men’s room. He would meet them in front of the store later.

The shoe store was next, and Pidge was apprehensive about wearing the sort of high heeled slippers that would have to be worn with her dress. She teetered back and forth awkwardly when she she tried to walk on such tiny heels, and once, she stumbled right into Lance’s arms. He caught her, and smiled his most charming smile at her. “I always knew you would fall for me,” he said in his huskiest voice. “I’m irresistible.”

“More like incorrigible. Mom, are you sure I can’t wear flats with this dress?”

Finally, after finding a pair of shoes with a wider (and lower) heel, they put all of their purchases in the trunk of the car, then went back into the mall for a late supper at the food court.

“Hey, look, they have a Vrepit Sal’s!” Lance exclaimed happily.

“Mom, you have to try this place. Their whole menu is based on Hunk’s original recipes. The food is amazing!”

*******

It was a clear night, the desert sky alit by thousands of distant stars, some with worlds they had visited, teeming with life. The drive home was a peaceful one, with Colleen at the wheel. Through her rear view mirror, she could see Lance and Pidge sitting behind her, quietly reminiscing about their many adventures in space, until Pidge yawned, snuggled closer to him, and finally fell asleep against Lance’s chest. Lance, who already had his arm around her, kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, smiling as one does when having a very, very pleasant dream.

#plance #pidge #lance #colleen holt #sam holt #hunk garrett #flirty robot #katie holt #vld #voltron

[goldstonegolem64]

Book 1 Hope returns  Chapter 46 Vanguard By goldstonegolem64

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9HJV1Ben6k

Galra central command

It had been about  eight teen hours since Root rot was sent to conquer and Zarkon was starting to get frustrated  with how long it was taking. 

“ Any word from the weed or any of the ship captains that were sent with him?” Zarkon asked 

After a few second of wait one of the transition officers spoke”  No my lord We are getting nothing but static . But before he did go dark we did receive a message from Root Rot group saying that they had run in with the Valkyrie. “ .

‘ I know that but it was seventeen vs one how could one man take on so many at once or maybe Voltron and or that titan was there as well  “ Zarkon said as he got up from his throne 

“ Should we send the twin or Skyver to assisted Root Rot in his mission?”

“ No he either succeed or he dies. I would rather not send those three to their  deaths. We will deal with at in do time “   Zarkon said as he was leaving the room “ Recall any Sub-commanders and commander that nearest to us, call back the nearest mobile repair bay and tell every refinery to double their work load we are going to need as many mans on deck just in case we are attacked In the coming days” Zarkon left the control room and walked towards Haggar’s lab. As he moved he walked passed dozens of soldiers  each one moved out of his way as they could see he was visibly angered by the failure of his commanders for not capturing voltron, for not stomping out the rebel cells that had been cropping up recently after voltron showed back up.

But then again he had grown complacent over the centuries believing that no foe could stand up to him and the empires might . But that all came back to bite him for not handling this problem himself. But that what project Titan was for .Zarkon stopped in front of the door way to Haggar’s lad then entered the room. As he entered the room he found Haggar looking out of a window .

“So how is the constructs of the Titan project going “   Zarkon said as he walked over to look out the same window 

‘ We are putting on the finishing touches from the data we’ve collected from ever battle that both the Valkyrie and Voltron had been in the past two months and have made the proper adjustments to face both of them at once but there is a draw back  to this upgrade.” 

“ And what is that my dear  “

“  You will need a full on neural link for it to control so if titan is destroyed it will most likely kill you.”

“Well we have the Lazarus protocol . Now on the statue of Root Rot and his men ?”

“All but two are alive and counted for. K-38 and K-2″

“So Root Rot Is dead then”

“ No he is most likely still alive,recovering and adapting  from this defeat. Now should we send a recover team to collect him along with an invasion force to the planet ?” Haggar asked 

“ No We have lost already to many men and recourses on one world and if Voltron and The Valkyrie are there we will lose so many more and with the twins and Skyver mechs being rebuild and upgrade and the new batch of Kurons being grown  and trained we would most likely lost . Speaking of which how is batch two training coming along?”

“ Worst then the first . We tried to lean more into the silver paladins altean d.n.a But this as caused those to come out mindless.”  Haggar walked over to her desk and showed a video of a Kuron in its test tube it looked liked an Altean with tan skin, red cheek marks and pink hair in their mid teens . They were just floating there in it’s pod doing nothing but growing  then the monitor at the front of the pod started to glow red. Then the scientists  in the lab moved  toward the pod and tried to figure out what was going on. Then the Kuron inside started to violently  morphing from a normal body and into a  gray scaled beast. It then Burst through the pod’s glass and attacked the scientist and ripped then apart. It then let out a roar that caused the surrounding kuronsin there pods to start to change as well. They then burst out and started to rampage through out the lad ripping into each other.

“   It seems like they have reverted to a more primitive Mind set if you remove the human D.n.a and try to fill in the gapes with Altean or Galran D.n.a.” Haggar said as she stopped the video 

“ So the silver Paladin is human and Altean so there are other Alteans still alive on the planet Earth then “  Zarkon said as a smile came across his face

“ Yes and no. The Silver paladin dose share some D.n.a with the black paladin but there seems to be small changes to their d.n.a . Like how the Silver paladin heart pumps blood slower then the Black paladins that tends to happen a kid is born in zero or artificial gravity.”

“So he was born on another world then. But there was no other planets in that solar system that could host life.” 

“ Well the first humans we had captured were on the ninth planet of their system. So there ma be colonies on other worlds or moons.”  

“ Alright then we’ll send a scouting ship to find this colony. Now have you found the traitor in are midst yet

“No I haven’t. “

“But we have “ Another voice said 

Both Zarkon and Haggar turned to look at the voice and were supriesd by who they saw.

Else where in the universe

Jay was sitting in the Med bay playing a game of chess against Pidge 

“  Are you sure your ok jay “Pidge  asked as she moved one of her pawns 

“ I’m fine my suit took most of damage and I’ve been through worse “ Jay replied as he moved his knight

“Jay your skin is bright ready and your smoking still are you sure your fine” pidge said as she moved another pawn .

“  It’s fine I’ll just shed of the dead skin of next time I shower next “ 

“ Wait you shed like a lizard  “ Pidge had a strange image in her head of Jay shedding like a snake 

Jay looked up from the chess board and looked perplexed by pidge’s statement “ Yes like a lizard would. “  Then he remembered pidge was not from mars “Sometimes I forget we come from different planets. So something normal to me is weird to you  and Vic-versa”  

“ That is true but still are you going to be alright after all that happened yesterday “ 

“Pigeon I’ve been sitting in this room four hours . I think I’m good at this point. Also Checkmate “

“What. “ Pidge looked at the board and saw that jay had moved his  rook right in front of her king then notice that the queen was behind it and had the bishop that move on black spaces was also aimed toward the rook” Uh didn’t see that coming.Good game jay “ 

“Finally after six game I won once and now I retire on top” Jay said as he shot both his hands up in joy.

“ Alright then so what do we do now “

“ We will jst a bit more before the others show “

“And what do when they ask about the big one sitting just out side of the city’s limits “

“Will let the others deal with at when they get here “ Jay replied 

‘[Captain The castle of lions as entered the planet’s orbit and Allura wishes for both of you to meet them at the as soon as possible}

“ Speak of the devil i guess we should head out then” jay said as he got up from his seat . “Hey Val did you leave the speeder here or is it still in your chest “ his said in his minded 

“ I left it just out the Prometheus’s cargo by door.” Val said 

“ Thank you” Jay said as he and pidge walked out of the med bay 

“ Your welcome  ‘ Val replied  

“ So were taking the not the green lion. “ Pidge asked 

“ Pidge it’s “ looked at his phone” 5 in the morning and people are sleeping so the bikes will do for now” Jay said as he walked down the ramp and saw his silver speeder which he called quick Silver. As he sat down and wait for pidge he saw the castle of lions slowly starting to descend from the clouds  on the other side of the city. As he watched the castle. Pidge riding her speeder” Alright lets go” Jay said as he and pidge drive towards where the castle was landing.

As the castle landed both Jay and Pidge arrived

“ So how do you think the others are going to react to see the big one ‘ Jay asked still sitting as the castle landed a few feet away 

“Don’t know but it’s going to be fun when they learn what happened here. Also do you wonder what happened on their missions “ pidge said as the door they were in front of started to open

“ Why don’t we ask them are selves “ Jay replied as he walked into the castle of lions  followed by Pidge the two walked onto the kitchen first and Found most of the crew  which was Matt, Hunk , Nyma, Rolo , Keith and Shiro sitting  at the table eating the food goo” Sup Guys how did your missions 

Adam spoke first “ We had some trouble but it was a” Adam was cut off by  a blueish green furred ferreteped  as Jay called them suddenly appeared in front of him and grabbed him by the face which kind hurt do to the electrical burns he suffered from the fight 

“ Oh no we truly are in the worst possible reality to be in . Unless it the reality . . What is your name boy “ Slav asked

Jay with his cheeks being stretched out spoke “ Jay Sorin and I’m guesting your Slav ” he replied 

“ Yes .Also if our here now then this realty still has a chance “ Slav said then he was grabbed by the back of the collar by Shiro and was pulled away

“ Sorry Jay He’ s been raving about of end of the world ending conspiracy theory the moment We said anything about the Valkyrie.”  Shiro said as he put Slav down

“ It’s not a Conspiracy it’s a strong possibility” Slav Counters 

Shiro and Slav started to argue about this while Jay and Adam watch and laughed a bit  

“So Hunk Keith Rolo, Nyma how did your mission go?” Pidge asked

“ Keith made a friend with a GAlra pilot “Hunk said

“ They were no my friend I just helped them out see as the five of us were inside of a giant space worm.” Keith replied 

“ but they liked you the most “ Nyma said jokingly 

“ Maybe Galra just know when their in the presents of one any other “ Hunk said 

“ That is true but only for pure bloods seeing as they are all fucking purple “  Jay yelled

“ Thank Jay for the info “ Keith said 

“ So they just were being polite because Keith saved them ok if it comes back to bite us in the butt that’ s on Keith then agreed ” Hunk said 

“ Agreed”  Everyone said 

“ That’s fair .Now Pidge What did you and Jay do while we were away ?” Pidge asked

“ Fought some robeasts and the guy who took my leg nothing to big “Pidge said like it was no big deal 

Everyone was quite for a few seconds before Matt speaking up “  Are you alright did you have a panic attack . Jay where were you during all this”  Matt asked as he looked towards jay 

“ I was being electrocuted for info you shmuck. Also I to was having a panic attack but no one asked if I was ok “ Jay said and that was followed by everyone asking what happened, Why the empire was here did they find out about the plan. As Jay and Pidge were bombard with questions 

“ Ok well answer all this questions but first we need everyone here to fully explained what happened here “ Pidge said 

In the bridge of the castle of lions Allura and coran were talking 

“Princess I have sent a message to the blade and Asmo  telling them about are success on all three of are mission. Is there anything else you would like me to do”   Coran asked 

“  I would like to Have Pidge, Jay, Beau, La-sai ,N-7 and Ace here to get me their mission nreport Also I would like to Talk with Ryner and Isara seeing as she and the Queens Sayers are hear. But besides that I’m good”  Allura said 

Coran could tell something was up with her.” Allura what is wrong you seem off’

Allura bite her lower lip then spoke “ I’m just a little bit worried about the Mission coming up . Maybe we should wait a little bit longer and train more so we can truly be ready for it”

Coran knew that wasn’t the full truth ” I feel the same they have only been paladins for a few months now and they lack the train or at time maturity, Hundreds of years of experience of fighting massive battles. But  I have watched them be on the same level of the original Paladins and I believe that they could be better then them and lead the universe in to a better tomorrow “ Coran smiles thinking about it”  

“ You know just what to say to put me at ease Coran.”She smiled and looked up to coran “ But I’m still worried about the others their so young and I kind of fell like I forced them into this roles with out truly thinking this through. Each one of them nearly at less once on this journey and I’m sending them into a Fight that decide the fate of the universe. “

“I may not know much about humans but from what I’ve seen they have sir pasted all of my expectation and beat ever challenge that came to face them. An I will bet on my life that they will beat this next challenge with flying colors  “ Coran said as he pulled Allura into a huge

“ I hope your right Coran I hope your right.” Allura said 

As the two hugged The door to the bridge opened to revel  the rest of the crew with Pidge and Jay at the front 

“ Hi boss sorry to interrupted but we have something important  to tell you.” Jay said 

“ What is it  “Allura asked 

The team wait for the rest of the crew to join and when they did Jay and Pidge explained what had happened from when they arrived to the fight with Robeast and the squad of copy Valkyrie then the fight with the Thunder Bird and Dread wing. Then the Battle with Root Rot. Everyone stood there in shook as they listened to how Jay was for the second time was nearly killed by the plant man again.

“ So This IronWood guy Called you Dad ?” Lance said just a little weirded out 

“Yeah an the other guy black thorn said like me when I was a teenager witch confused me as well . If they were still alive we could have asked them about that but we still have one of those pilot’s still alive hows that memory collecting going anyway ?”   Jay asked Coran 

“ It’s been going fine and we will fine out soon what that pilot knows in about two more days .” Coran replied ]

‘Ok Is there any thing else you too want to tell Us “Allura asked as she looked at the both of them .

“ Oh that  Jay call Val “Pidge said 

“ On it “ Jay said before talking in his mind “Val It’s time” 

“ We are on are way” Val said This was followed by Music started to play over the comm and the world started to shake 

“ What is that “ Shiro asked

“ That would be are Ace in the hole “Pidge said as she walked up to the terminal punched in a location and a scan appeared showing the Vanguard walking from a massive crated that had something in it covered in Ice and Vines.”   Ladies and Gentlemen we give you the colossus Vanguard the unbreakable and Allura she would like to speak to you and Voltron I don’ t know what that means but I think Shiro might know” 

“ I Do Pidge. Paladin to your lion “ shiro said as he and the rest of the paladins left the bridge

Back a Galra central command 

Thace had decide to move the chip he place in the control room .As he walked to the control room  he felt for just a moment that someone was watching him again. HE looked behind him to see no one behind him. This sent a chill down his spine but he continued to walk towards the control room as he entered the control room. Some one tried to stab him. He quickly grabbed the wrist of his assailant and was about to punch them only to have his free hand grabbed  by someone else in the room followed by a knife stabbing into his leg. He fell to his knee and then was punched in the face. He looked to his right to see Harley smiling at him Then he looked to his left to see Quinn. Both were standing over him. Then they started to whale on him . Each punch  cracked against his face and he could fell his skull crack and his jaw being dislocated. after a few minutes of being beaten on. With his jaw busted he could only say one word “ Why?” 

Quinn moved in closer and whispered in Thace’s ear  “Sorry about this Thace but it’s the only way to make whatever your planning work in are favor “  

Then Harley leaned in “ Look around the room “ 

He looked up again to see serval things about the room. The first thing was that the cameras were destroyed and there was a body of a control room officer knocked out. Then he noticed that the console in the room had a familiar  looking blade in it. Then something clicked in his mind he remembered that there was two blade members that started a family they had kids twins. Both parents dead on a mission leaving the twin. The blade wanted to take the twins in but sadly they had disappeared before and could be found. “  You”

“ Yes we are but we aren’t going to join your little group we just want out of the empires control “Quinn whispered as she and her brother picked up and dragged him out of the room towards Lady Haggar’s lab 

Back with the Paladin

Voltron flow towards the Vanguard with the Valkyrie in toe

Allura stood in the cockpit of the black lion and started at the colossal purple Knight as it stopped and looked up towards the two mechs 

“Shiro before we talk to the Vanguard my I ask when pidge said  that the vanguard wanted to talk to Voltron and you knew what she meant. I just wonder how”

“ I though you knew about me seeing as you are bonded lion” Shiro replied

“ No I don’ t maybe your bond with the black lion is deeper then my own.”

“ Yes and no. You know how Val is Different from the Valkyrie.”  

“ Yes “ Allura replied as she started to see where this was going 

“ Well besides the lions that live in each part of Voltron I’m guessing he is the “

“ I am the Lions young Shiro “ Leonidas said out loud in all the lions  

Everyone was quiet for a few seconds before Hunk spoke up 

“ Who the heck was that?” Hunk asked 

“ I am Leonidas the prideful or as you all call me Voltron “ 

“ So You final decide to reveal yourself good I was tired of waiting “Val said

“ So this guy is the same as Val right . So dose that mean he can fight on his own when were not around to pilot the lions?” Lance asked 

“No I was not build that way.  Where The Valkyrie can pilot  herself do to the fact that she doesn't  have to split herself into five different pieces. But I make up for that by being more flexible with my pilots and each pilot will unlock different abilities. “  

“ But I can manipulate time and I can scan anything and turn it into a weapon. “ 

“ I can rip a hole in the fabric of reality “

Everyone could felt tension between the two that only sibling would have. It was a little awkward until the Vanguard spoke over the comms 

“ And I can open portals to any where I’ve been to which is all of what you called the know universe. Make barriers around me and I can came gravity balls that can pull in and destroy it. “ The vanguard sounded happy to be able to take to other of their kind and completely missed the tension between the Valkyrie and Voltron. “ Sorry if I interrupted what you were doing I’ m just happy to finally meet more of my own kind after being alone for so long a can’t wait to hear everything you’ve seem the past billion years “

“  Before we do that Lady Allura must ask you something” Val said 

“ Yes this is of most important that we know your awnser “ Leonidas said 

“ Oh ok” Vanguard replied 

“ Your up Princess” Shiro said as he turned on the Black lions Outer p.a System 

Allura then spoke “ Hello Vangaurd I am princess Allura of Altea and I request your in are battle against the Galra Empire You do now about the empire right?” Allura asked

“ Thank you for asking. They are current in control of 80 percent of the knew universe and have been draining world of their quintessence to furl their war machines and to keep their Leader and  his wife alive for the passed ten thousand years. And I would like to join you in stopping them. But I will save this I don’  t like fighting all that much. I only fight in self defends and to protect the animals that live inside of me . But what I can do is open wormhole that allow you and the rebels you work with to any place you want to go and any planet or place you want protected I can do that. But I will not put the creatures I care for in harms way but if yo are in dyer need of my help I will fight but only as a last resort  ”   Vanguard said 

“Well at least they know their boundaries . “ Lance said 

“ And where their loyalty lay “ Keith replied 

“ Ok as long as we can count on you when we need you must. That is fine by me “  Allura said 

“ Ok with that out of the way can I ask Both Val and Leonidas a few things ?”  Vangaurd asked 

“ I see no problem with That” Val said 

“ Neither do I”  Leonidas add 

“ Alright time to wait a the next few hours while this three talk “ Pidge said 

As The Vanguard , Val And Leonidas started Talk they switched to a Language that the universal translator couldn’t  understand. But that didn’t really matter to the paladins at the moment they were just happy to have the Vangaurd now truly on there side. But Allura still felt nervous about the battle to come.

Else where in the Crate the cyclone covered in ice and Vines lay there motionless but near the head there was the sounds slamming and sizzling as Root Rot started to break free of his frozen prison . As he burst free from the finally layer of ice. he let out a roar of anger and  as his body had turn from green to brown do to how cold it was. He started to pull  himself out of the exit hole he made and As he did his legs broke of as he continued to pull himself out and crawled to the edge of what remained of the Cyclones head and rolled himself of and ihit the ground hard shattering most of his body leaving only his left arm and head in tacked 

“Cold I H-h-hate the cold” He tried to regrow his missing limbs only for nothing to happen. His body was dying and he need to reset.So he unraveled himself and started digging into the soft earth that the rain and the melting ice had made for him .It would take a few years for him to heal completely  from this fight but it would be all worth it as while he rested he would adapted to the cold an along with that he would start to grow a new colony for his clan with the only thing fueling them is Revenge Bloodlust and a need for fresh meat 

#voltron #Allura #vld adam #takashi shirogane #adashi #kieth kogane #kidgance #kidge #plance #klance #au #OC #hunay #hunk garrett #vld coran #vld shay #RAX #NYMA #rolo #pidge gunderson #matt holt #CANON DIVERGENCE

[crimson-mage-02]

Voltron Legendary Defender Written in the Stars  A Thousand Lifetimes

Summary: Voltron and Honerva come together at the source of all realities in the ultimate battle between good and evil for the survival of the universe. 

Note: Here it is, the very last chapter of Season 8! Hope you had enjoyed all three stories i have made along with making my own character Kaela. Hope you all enjoyed her character. Enjoy reading!  Hope you enjoyed the journey!

@spacelion-loveshermulletson, here it is! The very, very last chapter! Hope you enjoyed the journey! 

The battle against Honerva continues in alternate reality of Altea with many Alteans down below watching the fight. Honerva shoot a blast at the Castle where Zarkon was shielding his Lotor away from the attack and Voltron depleted the attack and saved them from the blast with their sword.

Honerva knocked down Voltron the ground proceeding to attack them. “We have to take the fight as far away from here as—” Keith started as he saw Honerva coming their way and lunged her sword at them but they all moved out of the way, getting away from the Alteans, not wanting to harm them or getting anyone hurt.

They clashed blades together and fought on with Honerva tripping them using the tail and tried to stab through Voltron using her drill. She pounded them into the ground. Allura gritted her teeth as she let out angered battle cry and blasted Honerva off them.

“Now let’s finish this!” Allura growled, preparing to fight back. “This is for Kaela!”

“Incoming!” Lance shouted seeing one of the wings are coming their way and stabbed them from the back. And two came and stabbed in the lower abdomen, falling down on the ground.

Then all of the flaps of the wings were creating a portal up in the sky along taking away the quintessence from Voltron. “We can’t let this happen. She can’t get away.” Shiro said. They all pulled out the flaps of the wings out of them and went after Honerva through the portal.

“Is everyone okay? Allura?” Keith asked. They all responded much to his relief and haven’t heard from Allura.

“I’m here, Keith.” Keith sighed in relief, glad to hear that she was alright.

“Does anyone has eyes on Honerva?” Shiro asked, looking around for her. They all saw strands in front of them and glowed brightly.

“What is this place?” Lance asked.

“I-I’m not sure.” Allura said. They all gasped hearing Honerva from behind them.

“This is the beginning.” Honerva said as she charged at them. “And the end.” She shot one of the strands making all of the paladins seeing the people that lived in another reality.

“Can—Can you all feel that?” Allura asked, looking up ahead where the strands were. “These strands are...”

“The only remaining realities left in existence.” Lance said.

“This place is the source of time, of space, of…” Pidge started as she looked at the strands.

“Everything.” Hunk finished as he held onto the controls tightly.

“I will end this once and for all!” Honerva snarled as she shot down all of the reality strands. Removing them from all of existence. Voltron flew in and then felt the wave of the explosion seeing all of the innocent lives in another reality.

“She’s destroying all realities!” Allura grunted.

Honerva kept on destroying all of the strands until there is nothing left. And there was only one more strands left. “She’s destroyed everything. There’s only one reality left.” Keith said.

“No. Please.” Allura gasped seeing Honerva was going after the last strand.

They all clashed blades with Honerva to prevent her from destroying the last strand. Destroying the remaining reality. Honerva thrusted Voltron forwards towards the last remaining strand.

“If Honerva destroys this final strand all of existence will end with it!” Allura exclaimed. Then Voltron had created extra booster with enough fire power to push Honerva away from the last remaining strand. Then the light appeared and shone brightly coming from Voltron and Honerva’s mech.

(~)

Honerva was teleported in a void with light orbs floating around her. She gasped softly as she saw Kaela standing in front of her with her hair down and was in a white dress. She had this unreadable expression as she walked towards her.

“Where are we?” Honerva demanded.

“The connected consciousness of all existence.” Allura said to Honerva until she saw Kaela in the void and the paladins gasped, seeing Kaela standing in front of them.

“You think you’re safe here? Soon, all will cease to exist.” Honerva said.

“You have to stop this.” Kaela pleaded. “You have to stop all of this destruction.”

“All these worlds, all these realities, they deserve to live.” Hunk said.

“Those realities are flawed and weak, living out the same pathetic cycle of war and pain.” Honerva said.

Allura walked up to her. “There is beauty in their flaws. I lost my father, my mother, my planet, to this war, but I’ve gained a new family and a stronger than any I could have imagined.”

“Humans began very flawed. There were wars, hate. But each with mistake, they learned and grow.” Pidge said.

“Now we reach out to other worlds to pass on those same lessons and spread them across the universe like your people once did.” Shiro added.

“And with every new world touched, the message grows.” Hunk said.

“Every world, every reality. We wouldn’t exist without the others.” Keith said.

“Our differences are what makes us stronger.” Lance added.

“You think your words mean anything to me? I’ve lived multiple lifetimes, and all of them filled with pain and loss. If I cannot experience the simple joys of life, why should anyone else?” Honerva asked, glaring at the Paladins and Kaela.

Allura put both of her hands on her temple and Honerva gasped seeing all of her past memories with King Alfor and her adventures before she was corrupted. “There was a time when you loved more than just your family, a time when your fascination with how vast the universe is gave way to your desire to help others and uplift others.”

Honerva got her Altean markings reverted back to normal as she turned see the memories of Lotor. “You tried to help him. He was happy. He deserved better. You deserved better as well, Kaela. Better than I could give. I am so sorry that I had killed you in cold blood.”

“Honerva, you were as desperate as Zarkon when he tried to save you. And you were desperate to find your son. You loved them. You still have love for your family. And what I did was out of love to save my brother and you did the same when you were trying to find your family.” Kaela said.

“Lotor may be misguided, but, ultimately, he wanted to preserve life. Honour your son. Help me change this.” Allura said.

Honerva felt tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, but the damage is done. There’s nothing left to save.”

“I can change the Quintessence within your vessel. Your son helped me learn how to transform it from a destructive force into a life-giving force. But I cannot do it alone.” Allura said, offering her hand to her.

“But that would require-…”

“I know the risks.” Allura said as she offered her hand, but Kaela’s held hers. Much to Allura’s confusion. She looked over at the young mage princess as she gave her an unreadable expression on her face.

Kaela stood quiet for a moment in silence. She helped Honerva up to her feet and turned to her and the paladins. “I know you knew the risks. But you don’t deserve this, Allura. And…I am the only one who can also do this.” Kaela said.

“W-What are you talking about Kaela?” Allura asked as she stuttered and trembled. Feeling her body going numb all over and clasped her hands together.

“I have broken one of the laws by using dark magic and that my runes are disappearing because of it.” Kaela confessed as she held on to her arm and shown her runes were disappearing.

The paladins gasped with Keith knowing why her runes were disappearing. “But you did that to save us.” Lance said in disbelief after hearing that she had used Dark Magic to save the universe and them. Along with the fact that her runes were disappearing, and she didn’t tell them. Or either of them.

“I had to pay the price, Lance. I…I have to deal with the consequences on my own.” Kaela said. “This is why I never told you what had happened during that last battle on Earth. I wasn’t ready to tell you then. But it is happening right now.”

“You knew? And that was the reason why?” Keith asked sadly as he narrowed his eyes, feeling hurt that she didn’t tell him about her runes were disappearing aside from her telling that she had absorbed Dark Magic. For the very second time.

“Yes. I knew.” Kaela nodded and then looked at everyone who had crestfallen looks. “All I want for you all is to live your lives to the fullest and never throw it away.” Kaela said.

“No, there has be another way.” Allura pleaded desperately as Honerva walked towards her and stood beside Kaela.

“You have a life to live with your family and friends. And with one man you love. I shall use the remaining Quintessence I have left to save all realities. My mission…Our mission ends here, right here and right now.” Honerva said.  

“And I have my last remaining mana to restore all of existence.” Kaela said to the paladins. “I have to take it. It is my purpose. Your paths go on. Mine ends here.”

“There will be no Voltron without you.” Hunk said as tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. He will miss Kaela so much, but he knew that the sacrifice must be made.

“Voltron will always be needed, Hunk. The rest of the work is up to the people and you all. They’ll have you to guide them and bring them together.” Kaela said with a sad smile as they shared their last hug.

Kaela turned to the weeping Green Paladin. “Goodbye, Pidge.”

“I’m gonna miss you, Kaela.” Pidge sniffled as the two girls hugged tightly. They both recalled back to their memories whenever they were helping each other in the Castle of Lions. And how Pidge was the first person to accept her aside from Shiro when they all first met.

“I’m going to miss you too, Katie. Please stay curious and fearless.” Kaela said. “Here, I want you to have this.”

Pidge looked at the green pendant with two purple crystals in her hand. “You sure?” Pidge asked as she was about to take it from her.

Kaela nodded and put the pendant around her neck. “You look beautiful, Katie.” Pidge’s tears wouldn’t stop flowing down as she hugged her again. Kaela broke the hug as she wiped her tears before going to Shiro.

“Most of them won’t know the sacrifice you made so they could live. You won’t be able to see what they had done to honour you.” Shiro said.

“I will always be watching over you, Shiro. I will always be there to guide you. I wish you full happiness and a peaceful life that you deserved and needed.” Kaela said as she hugged him. “Thank you for giving me another chance to meet my brother.”

“You never have to thank me for anything, kiddo.” Shiro said as tears formed in the corner his eyes.

Kaela smiled and moved in front of Lance and looked away for a moment until they looked at each other. “It has been a quite an adventure.” Lance said, looking away from her not wanting to let her see his tears. But it was too late. They were already rolling down his cheeks.

“It has.” Kaela said as her voice cracked and wiped his tears away. “Stay safe and fulfil your dreams, Lance.”

Lance felt a lump in his throat. “And thank you for everything you had taught me. It has been a greatest pleasure to fly with you, partner.”

“At first, I thought you were a nuisance, but you proved me wrong otherwise. You proved yourself that you are more capable to do great things as a Paladin of Voltron. I am proud of you, Lance. It has been an honour to being your partner and sister.” Kaela said as they both hugged tightly. “Take care of Katie, or otherwise, I’ll hunt you down.”

Lance let out a teary chuckle and they broke the hug with Lance kissing her on the cheek. Kaela let go of him as he comforted Pidge, he wrapped his arms around her. Pidge hugged her boyfriend tightly with her arms around him. They comforted each other in a tight embrace.

Kaela saw Allura was in Keith’s arms and they were comforting one another. She noticed how close they were and realized that they are now together. She came towards Allura as she hugged her tightly. “Please, please, don’t go.” Allura wept as she already knew she had died to save them, but she doesn’t want her to go just yet.

“Allura, I have to. And you know what has happened. For the sake of the universe, Allura. I’m doing this for all of you. You deserve to live. And to rule Altea and continue your father’s legacy.” Kaela said as she held her hands. Allura gasped as she saw Kaela taking off the crown. The crown she had given her after her capture. After they declared their friendship that lasted. Kaela was willingly to give back to her.

“I won’t be needing this anymore.” Kaela said as she put the crown on her forehead. Allura’s tears flowed down and Allura smiled. They pulled away from the hug as Kaela used her powers for the last time and got the dark entity out of her with Honerva destroying it. Allura gasped softly and saw that she was free from the dark entity at long last.

“Thank you. I am so proud of what you have done for us. I will truly miss you. Thank you for being my friend, Kaela.” Allura said with tears rolling down.

“And thank you, Allura for everything. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for giving a second chance.” Kaela smiled and held her hands. “You have my blessings.” Allura smiled brightly knowing what she had meant. She had given her blessings for being with Keith. The two girls smiled at each other and hugged each other again before Kaela went over to her brother.

Kaela held his hands tightly as Keith rubbed the back of her hands and he saw her arms were no longer covered by her mage runes. “This was it, wasn’t it? Your nightmares?”

“Yes, it was.” Kaela replied with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“W-Why you didn’t say anything, Ella?” Keith asked as his voice started to crack.

“I still die either way and this is all we have. I know that the lions have enough quintessence in them. The universe will always need Voltron and you.” Kaela said, caressing his cheek, seeing that there were tears forming.

Keith put his forehead against hers. “But you have so much to see. So much for you to explore.”

“I know.” Kaela said as tears flowed down. “But I already have you and mom along with a wonderful family. I had everything I ever needed. You made that happen when you first found me.”

“Kaela, when you accepted me, it helped me to accept myself. I am proud to see what you have become. I am proud of what you had done. You helped us to save the universe. And you saved countless lives with us.” Keith said with a sad smile.

“You have helped me to believe in myself in using my powers and I want to thank you for all the moments we had shared together. And no matter what happens, I’ll always be with you forever.” Kaela said as she put her hands on his shoulders. Both of them closed their eyes with their foreheads pressed against each other.

Then appeared purple and red aura, twirled and danced around them. All of her mana were all transferred into Keith. Kaela pulled away as she cupped his left cheek and brushed her thumb against it. Appearing a new marking on his cheek, while wiping his tears away.

Keith opened his eyes with tears were flowing down his cheeks. He looked at his sister one last time and kissed her on the forehead gently. Once they pulled away, Keith saw a purple diamond appearing on her forehead. He chuckled and he wiped her tears with a smile. It was the symbol that symbolises that Kaela is now a true Master Mage and the Great Ikri. Kaela and Keith shared their last hug one last time until a warm light and the spirits appeared.

The paladins of the Old, King Alfor, Zarkon and Lotor appeared with Serene who offered her hand to her. Kaela and Honerva walked towards them with the paladins watching and all of Kaela’s runes were disappearing one by one. Honerva was reunited with her son and husband at last. Both son and husband were now reunited with Honerva and had warm smiles.

Kaela had tears falling down while remembering her memories with the Paladins. She looked back at them seeing Hunk was being comforted by Shiro, Lance and Pidge were in each other’s arms, smiling at her with tears flowing down their cheeks. Keith and Allura were in each other’s arms, looking at her with bittersweet smiles. Kaela smiled gratefully seeing Allura was wearing her crown. With final look, she closed her eyes with a single tear rolling down and joined into the light with Serene.

(~)

Then the shape of the phoenix appeared and screeching with the wings were stretching out to all strands of realities that were saved and the phoenix light and essence died out. The spirits were flowing around the Atlas and the lions and they were back into their normal form floating in open space as purple essence danced around the lion and the Atlas. “Is this?... Are we?” Keith asked as he opened his eyes.

“Yeah. This is our reality.” Pidge said while wiping her tears away. Allura cried and mourned in her lion as she felt coldness on her forehead and realised that Kaela had given her crown to her. She cried as she held it close to her heart.

“She did it. She saved us all.” Lance said as he looked down at the group photo they took with Kaela in the Castle of Lions. She was smiling and had her arms around Pidge and Allura with Keith, Hunk, Shiro and himself in the background smiling and Coran was looking at all of them fondly with a tablet in his hands.

“I don’t remember that planet being there before.” Hunk said as he wiped a tear.

The paladins all looked out of their lions with Allura gasping softly with more tears rolling down her cheeks. “It’s Altea.” Allura said. She silently thanked her friend for reviving her beloved home planet.

Keith looked down sadly and felt something in his hand and opened it. He gritted his teeth and held the shining object in his hands. It was the bracelet he bought for her when she stayed with them after he saved her. He realised that Kaela added red crystals to the bracelet. He looked out to the spirits and he could feel her essence. She’ll be there to protect us. Forever and ever

In the hangars, James held the locket in his hands as he saw the spirits were shining brightly above them and disappeared. He looked down at the locket in his hands and saw another photo where they had taken in Clear Day, he noticed that she wore the hair pin he had won for her. He saw that Kaela had written something. “I’ll always search for you in a thousand lifetimes.”

One Year Later

“With the return of Planet Daibazaal, the Galra Empire is at a crossroads. For so long, the people of this extraordinary civilization have been manipulated by a dictatorship, that placed a misguided sense of self-preservation above all else. It was a tragic, unfortunate series of events, that led us down this dark, never-ending pain of power and greed. But now…. We, the citizens of the Galra Empire have an opportunity.” Keith said and looked up at a shining star above them.

“To make right all of the injustices set into motion by our forefathers. Because of the sacrifice made by my sister, Mage Princess Kaela, we have been given a second chance, to come together in rebuilding the Galra Empire by joining the galactic Coalition and ushering in a new era of peace.” Keith concluded with the Galra cheering and chanting his sister’s name.

Keith turned to look at his mother who was looking up at an evening star in the sky. He comforted his mother with a smile and a side hug. “I hope she is here with us.” Keith said.

“I am sure she is always watching over us.” Krolia said. “Always.”

(~)

In the Atlas, the chancellors were arguing over the table as Shiro tried to calm them down until Hunk came by at the table with two trays in hand. “Chancellors. Please, sit. Dinner is served.” Hunk said.

He placed the plates on the table to eat the meals. “The filet of bandrillo, spiced with seasoning from the plains of planet Mabo, alongside pilaf of long-grained forlongian brill from the vast fields of Antidoll.” Hunk smiled. “And it’s accompanied by a cider made from the petals of Altean juniberry flowers and Plumberry flowers that Mage Princess Kaela once loved. Bon Appetit.”

Shiro and the Chancellors took a bite of the dish and smiled brightly as they tasted something so delicious. “It wouldn’t be possible without cooperation of all three planets of Xritoo system. Much like my cooking crew, comprised of aliens from all across the cosmos working together to bring you this delicious meal.” Hunk said as he gestured to his crew.

“Mage Princess Kaela, the very person on this day, once said, “We all must not give up hope.” Hunk said proudly. “If the people of your planets work together, so much more can be achieved.”

“Let’s honour her by following in her footsteps and walk in the path towards peace and hope.” Shiro smiled.

(~)

James was walking around Plaht City, wandering around the city as he saw some couples walking in hand and hand. He looked away immediately, almost thinking of his days with Kaela. His best friend and the person he had loved since childhood.

Then a blue petal blew by and looked up, seeing the tree that Kaela had healed and grew. He walked towards it and looked up. He smiled as the blue flowers reminded him of her. He looked at the trunk and saw a flower crown in front of a memorial with writing on it. Everyone had heard what Kaela had done for them and for the universe.

James saw a little girl putting a flower on the crown and ran back to her parents. He walked towards the tree and put a hand on the trunk. He smiled a bit, feeling some of Kaela’s essence from the tree. He turned to the side and imagined her standing by her side, with a smile. With a warm and care-free smile. Her eyes would sparkle every time.

James then fished into his pocket and got Kaela’s locket. With the engraving, “I’ll always search for you in a thousand lifetimes.” He smiled and then decided to wear it, to keep her closer to his heart and he did promise he would try and find her in a thousand lifetimes.

(~)

Lance wiped his sweat on his sleeve, putting the tools down and looked at his girlfriend. “Hey, Katie. Are we almost done? You know we can’t be late.”

“All done.” Pidge smiled as she took out a drive and walked towards her boyfriend and brother.

“So, peanut, have you been thinking of any names?” Lance asked, smiling at her and kissed her on the cheek.

“Yeah, I was thinking of Chip.” Pidge grinned. Matt and Lance looked at each other with smiles on their faces.

“You and your puns.” Matt chuckled in amusement.

“And this is why I love your sister so much.” Lance said, looking at his girlfriend lovingly. Pidge smiled at him brightly and gently nudged him on the arm. Lance kissed her on the forehead and was about to kiss her fully on the lips, but Matt cleared his throat. Last time they kissed he walked into them by accident. Seeing them in uncompromising positions as he referred.

“Katie, your father’s got the teludav all warmed up for you. Better get going. You two don’t wanna be late.” Colleen said, calling out to her daughter and Lance.

“Don’t worry, Pidge, I’ll have chip all ready to go by the time you get back.” Matt promised.

“Just don’t initialize until we return. I want to witness Chip’s first moments of consciousness.” Pidge grinned as she given her brother the flash drive and Lance grabbed her hand to get ready.

Lance and Pidge were in their armours and lions getting ready to visit their friends. “Have a good time, you two. But not too much fun.” Sam said to the two paladins.

“We will, Dad.” Pidge smiled.

“Don’t worry, Mr Holt. Katie’s in good hands here.” Lance said with a charming smile.

“Come on, sharpshooter! We’re going to be late!” Pidge chuckled as they went through the wormhole.

(~)

“Construction is on course, your highness.” Merla confirmed to the new Queen of Altea.

Allura smiled brightly as she watched the construction of the new Castle of Lions in front of her. “Most excellent. How are the preparations for tonight’s birthday celebration coming along? It has to be perfect. This will be the first Altea’s victorious celebration and most memorable birthday.” Allura said as she looked over the preparations.

“It is going along very well, Allura. And the rest of the paladins should be coming very soon.” Merla replied. “And I wish I would’ve met her. She seemed to be a very brave Mage Princess.”

“She is one of the most bravest, stubborn and courageous Mage I have ever met. If she were here, she would’ve taught the Altean children about healing.” Allura said, remembering how she watched Kaela attentively as she healed the paladins with her magic. Allura wore Kaela’s crown with pride and love as she also wore a purple and white dress in the honour of her.

“She sounds like a wonderful person.” Merla smiled.

“She is too.” Allura replied with a warm smile. “A most wonderful and courageous woman I have ever met next to my dearest friend Pidge.”

“Oh, and Allura, we can get access to the location, we can begin set up.” Merla said.

“Perfect. As soon as Coran is finished with something.” Allura said looking at where Coran stood.

“…and had Mage Princess Kaela not seen that there was still good left in Honerva, we most likely would not be sitting here today. She grew to understand that there is good in anyone also seeing the bad.” Coran said to the children. “She would always find a way to save people and bring out joy, hopes and dreams. She could see that in every person.”

“Even her adoptive father, Emperor Zarkon?” asked one of the children.

“Perhaps.” Coran replied with a small smile as he looked at the statue in front of him.

“Do the paladins miss her? And do you?”

“Yes, I do believe that the paladins misses her greatly as well as I. She had taught us to never lose hope. And that her spirit will always be guiding us. Also teaching us on how to move on forward to the future.” Coran replied with a smile.

The children all smiled as they were about to ask more questions. “All right, everybody. I think Coran has someplace to be in a few doboshes. And you all have class to get to.” Said an Altean teacher.

The children groaned with Coran laughing in amusement until he heard three wormholes opening and saw the Black, Red, Green and Yellow lion coming out in front of Kaela’s statue and landed near the New Castle of Lions. Allura smiled and greeted her friends as Pidge hugged her. Lance and Hunk greeted her warmly along with Shiro. She met with the eyes of the man she loves, and she cupped Keith’s face and kissed him passionately on the lips. “Hello, Keith.” Allura said as she pressed her forehead on his. “You have everything we need for the birthday celebration?”

“I have. Mom made me bring other things.” Keith said, showing her a bouquet of blue flowers. “Also, her favourite cake from Earth. It’s a cheesecake. Well, a blueberry cheesecake.”

“Hey, I brought something for her, as well!” Lance exclaimed happily as he pulled out loaded boxes of flowers. “I didn’t even know what was her favourite flowers so I uh, sort of ordered different tons of flowers.”

“Oh, I think she’ll love the flowers, Lance. But Plumberry flowers are her favourite.” Allura smiled, gesturing to the bouquet that Keith had brought.

“What? She never told me that.” Lance said as he scratched his head.

“Yeah, remember how you saw her writing something in her journal and she got mad at you for trying to read it?” Pidge smirked at her boyfriend.

“Yeah, I remember that. She punched you so good that she gave you a black eye.” Hunk chuckled. “Classic Kaela.”

“And that’s why she never shared anything with you or tell you anything about her until you two are friends.” Keith smirked. Lance groaned in annoyance much to everyone’s amusement.

Coran came and smiled at them. “Great, everyone is here. Shall we get started?”

(~)

Everyone laughed out loud as they all sat on a blanket in the juniberry field. Pidge was sitting on Lance’s lap while Allura was leaning on Keith and Shiro was sitting next to Keith. Hunk was munching on some food with a smile. They were watching a vlog that captured Kaela’s most memorable memories. They all saw Kaela pinching Lance’s ear in the kitchen. She was helping Hunk cooking with Pidge in the background fixing something.

And the video changed to where Kaela and Keith were training, and Kaela had Keith pinned down. She had him in a headlock with a brightest smile they all ever had seen. The slide were showing the sibling moments. Keith putting Kaela into bed, Keith reading her a book and Kaela helping him on cooking with Hunk. And another slide shows Kaela with a grin as she pointed at the direction where Keith and Allura were in the hallway gazing into each other’s eyes. Both Keith and Allura chuckled at that memory.

The other slide shows Shiro and Kaela were looking at the stars together in the Atlas. Them dancing in the ballroom while Kaela was in a light blue and purple dress with her hair in a braid. Keith and Shiro lecturing her all night in her study and had a pile of books all over the table.

Allura giggled when she saw Coran fixing the corset for Kaela when she was fitting in a dress for a diplomatic meeting. She could not breath properly during the whole meeting. Later that day, she ripped the corset into pieces with Coran crying over the loss of the dress. Kaela was never going to wear any corset. Ever. She despised corsets ever since then. And in the background, Allura was comforting Coran with a sheepish smile.

It also show where Allura and Kaela were looking at the stars with Pidge at the beach on a planet. The girls all had their arms around them with Pidge in the middle. Then the slide changed to Keith was carrying Kaela in his arms with bright smiles on their faces. Everyone gushed at that memory, but Keith’s expression can be noticed and that he misses his sister every day.

Then the video changed it to where Kaela was speaking. “Lance, no. I don’t wanna do this. Besides we both know you’ll end up being pinned down by my brother.”

“I’ll be fine. I can take it. Come on! It’s fun! Every kid does this to their older siblings.” Lance whispered as he passed the marker to her.

“But this is Keith, we are dealing with here. You know how much he gets mad after that.” Kaela hissed as she looked at Keith who was sleeping in the lounge. Lance beckons Kaela with a grin to take the marker.

Kaela raised an eyebrow and opened the lid. She started to draw on Keith’s face. After a few moments, Keith woke up to seeing Kaela was covering half of her face with her book. “Ella? Are you okay? You look red.” Keith said.

“Uh-huh, I am fine.” Kaela nodded, trying so hard not to laugh out loud.

“Then why are you acting like there is something in my face?” Keith asked as he rubbed his face until he felt ink on his fingers. He looked back and forth at Kaela and the ink on his hands. He heard Lance’s laughing.

Keith growled. “You are so dead!” He chased Lance around the Castle with the rest of the paladins watching in confusion and Kaela laughing in amusement.

Keith glared at Lance who smiled sheepishly. “Okay, I was teaching her the stuff she missed out as a kid. She needed that.”

“Yeah, anything besides that.” Keith said.

“But Keith, at least she was having fun with us.” Allura said as she calms him down.

“Yeah, it is nice to see her smiling again.” Hunk said.

“And she inspired us all. She even convinced my dad to do the impossible with the garrison tech to infuse it with Galran and Altean tech. I mean, seriously, though, Earth has come a long way. It’s a hub for all alien activity now that my dad’s stabilized his teludav technology.” Pidge said with a smile. She was handing him another piece of a birthday cake for Lance.

“That’ll make travel on the Atlas much easier. We’ll be able to reach more sectors with the improved mobility. Not to mention the supplies we’ll save with the shorter journey.” Shiro smiled as he set down the plate.

“Yeah, yeah! We’ll have so much room for the cooking ingredients. People are just so much easier to reason with when they’re full.” Hunk said. “Man, this diplomacy thing isn’t nearly as easy as you and Kaela made it look.”

“I am sure you are doing a fantastic job, Hunk.” Allura said with a proud smile.

“Then you and my sister made everything look easy.” Keith teased Allura as she punched him on the arm playfully. Keith smirked and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush.

“She said she wanted to learn a few things about politics.” Allura smiled playfully at Keith. “She had done a fantastic job. But her strongest point is as a Mage Healer.”

“Speaking of which, how are things in Daibazaal?” Shiro asked.

“We’re calling for an election to select the Galran representative for the Galactic Coalition. So that’s step in the right direction.” Keith replied with a smile.

“Let me guess. They asked you to be their leader and you said no?” Lance asked raising his eyebrow while he had his arm around Pidge.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Keith replied with a smile.

“Classic Keith.” Lance smirked and everyone laughed in amusement.

“I am so proud of your decision, Keith. Kaela and I knew you would always be the key to the Galra’s future.” Allura said as they intertwined their hands together.

Coran smiled at the paladins and the new Queen of Altea. He smiled proudly and thought how they came a long way when they first met and when they first met Kaela. “Just around this table I see so many lives touched by her actions. For some of us she was a healer, a counsellor, a confidante and a sister. But to those of us around this table, she will always be family.” Coran said as he grabbed a glass and raised it high. “To Kaela!”

“To Kaela.” Everyone said as they all looked back at the statue of Kaela from behind them that had photos and flowers in front of her. They also had the statues of the Paladins of the Old along with Mage Princess Serene standing in behind Kaela.

Keith smiled as he hugged Allura as she wrapped her arm around his waist, smiling at the statue. “Happy Birthday, Ella.”

(~)

Everyone went to sleep for the day until Keith woke up and saw a white feather coming into his room from his window and then saw the spirits had appeared. Allura woke up beside him also felt her presence and heard the lions roaring.

The paladins and Allura all went outside to see the spirits appearing before them with the Lions all drifting above them. They all saw different kinds of colours in the sparkling night sky with the spirits lighting up the dark as they all white orbs coming down and two spirits appeared as King Alfor and Queen Melenor. Allura’s tears rolled down her cheeks as she ran to them and wrapped her arms around them tightly. Shiro gasped when he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind him and saw Adam. He was smiling at him fondly. Shiro had tears forming overjoyed to see him.

Keith, Lance, Pidge and Hunk all smiled seeing that Allura and Shiro were reunited with their loved ones. They heard a white phoenix squawking above them and landed in front of them and appeared Kaela in spirit form and wore a white dress. Keith’s breath hitched seeing his sister after a year and saw another spirit appearing and saw their father was standing beside her. Kaela walked towards him smiling as she caressed his cheeks and wiped his tears.

Keith smiled and they hugged in a tighter embrace and she looked back at their father who walked towards Keith. Keith gasped softly as he felt Kaela holding his hand tightly until their father went up to his children. There were no words need to be spoken and he simply nodded, he was proud of what he had done as a Paladin of Voltron and for everything he had done for the universe. The three hugged each other with everyone watched with tears flowing down.

Allura looked at her parents as they began to fade. Her mother and father both embraced their daughter one last time. Shiro looked at Adam who was smiling at him sadly and started to walk away from him. Shiro looked at Keith who had his arm around his sister and father. Their father smiled at Keith one last time before he started to walk away and joined the other spirits in the night sky. The paladins all looked at their lions one last time as they reminisce on their memories as Paladins of Voltron and their memories they had shared with Kaela. The joyous memories they all had treasured.

Kaela and Keith pressed their foreheads together with Keith shedding one tear and let go of her as he watched she running towards the lions. She transformed into a white phoenix and flew with them with the spirits shone bright in the night sky with the paladins smiling and with tears flowing down.

After a year, everything had changed for the better with The Holts family established the next generation of Legendary Defenders. Hunk created a culinary empire, bringing the universe together, one meal at the time. Lance took Kaela’s wishes to heart and followed his dreams as he became a teacher in the Garrison and teach the young generation of becoming great pilots with his girlfriend, Pidge, by his side, Krolia and Kolivan became the Galra representatives to the Galactic Coalition. Keith helped transition The Blade of Marmora to a humanitarian relief organization with the help of his girlfriend. Queen Allura of Altea, who encouraged the Alteans to become peacekeepers and brave diplomats in the universe while respecting Kaela’s wishes as she continued her father’s legacy and ruled Altea. Shiro found happiness with Curtis and finally left the battle behind.

Somewhere in deep space, all five lions followed the white phoenix and led them far away from Altea to a planet with pillars around it, serving as a gate way and the spirits glowed brightly, responding to the white phoenix and the Lions.

(~)

“My lord, we just got word.” Said one of the soldiers, he had his jet black tied up back neatly as he bowed down in respect. “It seems that the Great Ikri has fallen.”

The soldier watched his lord and master swung his spear across the room and then slashed a tapestry that was on the wall, cutting it in half with Mage Princess Serene and her family image on the tapestry. “Is that so?”

“Yes, my lord.” Replied the lieutenant.

The Lord chuckled evilly as he looked at the cut tapestry of Mage Princess Serene. “Hmm, looks like the story and the legend is not ending, after all, Mother. Gaius, begin preparation and summon the Elders. It is time to bring back what is rightfully ours.”

“Yes, of course my lord, Prince Adelram. At once.” Gaius complied as he went and do as he was told to.

“Soon, Mother, I will take everything you have. And then I shall rule Zelza and it will all be mine Looks like the story is not over just yet.” Prince Adelram chuckled evilly as he overlooked his soldiers building and creating weapons of their own in an abandoned mansion.

#kallura #kalluracanonsince1984 #junibalde #plance #flirtyrobot #VLD #kaela oc #kaela kogane #my oc #my fanfiction

[chancellormatt]

Voltron Rewrite Episode Seventeen - A Black Day

Allura stares out of the shuttle viewport at the battle still raging outside. The shuttle is once again behind Coalition lines, which are now slowly retreating back from the colony planet. Energyfire tears back and forth between the two groups, as ships on either side continue to fall. Her eyes scan back and forth across the scene, as if searching for something.

The Atlas surges back to life, engine reviving in a flash of blue energy. “Atlas is back online!” Matt declares over the comm.

The Altas extends the blade from it's forearm and begins slashing apart encroaching galra ships. 

“Are we ready for retreat, then?” Ryner asks.

“Not yet! We’re still waiting on Shiro!” Matt replies.

“And Keith!” Lance says.

The Atlas lets loose an energy blast that destroys half a dozen galra ships. 

Nearby, the robeasts that were affected by the pulse begin to surge back to life as well. One moves for the Atlas and is knocked back by an arm blast. More rise to take its place. Soon the Atlas is battling half-a-dozen of the machines.

Allura watches it all, silently searching.

There is a sudden flash of light outside the viewport. Keith and Kosmo appear clinging to the outside of the shuttle. Allura stumbles back, agast. 

Another flash and they are both inside. Keith immediately collapses to the floor. Allura rushes down to his side, pulling off his helmet. Keith coughs, eyes distant.

“Keith! Are you alright!?”

He coughs again, holding his side. He gives a slight shake of his head.

“This is Princess Allura! I’ve got Keith!” Allura states over the comm.

“Took him long enough.” Lance says, mockingly.

“What about Shiro?” Pidge asks.

Keith’s eyes immediately widen before going dark. He stares at Allura for an eternal moment.

“No…” She whispers, seeing an answer in his eyes.

In spite of his wincing pain, Keith reaches one hand over to the other wrist, activating his comm.

“Shiro...is gone...” He takes a shuddering breath. “...dead.”

“WHAT!?” Comes the collective response of Lance, Pidge and Hunk.

“Keith, what the hell are you talking about!?” Matt exclaims.

“Zarkon...Zarkon killed him. I saw it.”

“That’s not…” Matt stammers.

“He…he’s gone?” Hunk says with disbelief.

“We’ve got to try going back!” Pidge says suddenly. 

“Yeah!” Lance agrees. “Maybe there’s a chance he-”

“I saw it!” Keith shouts. His eyes begin to well up.

“But we can’t just-”

“-Lance.” Allura cuts him off. “...now is the time to call the retreat. If we stay any longer the enemy will encircle us and we’ll all be trapped.”

The comm is silent for a moment. 

“...lets move out.” Lance finally says, voice without strength.

The whole of the Coalition forces move back. The Atlas lingers for a few moments, still holding back the robeasts.

“...Matt. We’ve got to go.” Pidge says carefully.

For a moment, the Atlas continues to strike down robests. Finally a string of obscenities comes from the mecha’s comm, followed by the Atlas turning back to join the retreat.

Inside the shuttle Allura lets out a breath, and slides to the floor beside Keith. Her eyes well up. Hesitantly, she reaches out to put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. He flinches, so she pulls back and sits silently beside him. He stares off into nothing, and begins to cry. 

It isn’t long before she is crying too.

***

Zarkon watches a feed of the Coalition ships as they retreat, then disappear. The holographic display vanishes, and he is left staring at the wall. He turns, watching a pair of galra soldiers, wrap up the body of Takashi Shirogane. His lifeless eyes stare at the ceiling before the bag finally zips up over his head.

Zarkon turns away, leaving the room. He walks with a slight limp, hand covering the spot where his armor was pierced. 

His path takes him down to the hangar, where the other Dark Paladins have already convened. Honerva and Sendak look equally impassive. Lotor, on the other hand, is pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. Raimon sits on the floor, staring down at the sword in his lap.

They all stand at attention when they notice Zarkon approach. 

“That...was a disaster.” He says.

“I agree.” Lotor growls.

“Oh you do, do you?” Zarkon sneers. “Well you would know. After all, you had the simple task of making sure the prisoner didn’t escape!” 

Lotor’s eyes burn. “And she wouldn’t have if the dome had slayed closed! Last I checked, that was a job you decided to take upon yourself!”

“You will watch your tone with me boy!” Zarkon bellows in reply. “...and what you imply.”

“Why!? You berate us for failure and perceived betrayal! Rage at any miniscule mistake! But when you allow an enemy paladin to creep inside our fortress, pry it wide open and-”

“One more word! And you will find out what real rage is!” Zarkon’s hands curl into fists.

“Stop this.” Honvera says coldly, stepping between the two. “There is very much at stake here, and time for squabbling is one thing we lack.” Sendak steps up beside her. 

“Do not lecture me, woman!” Zarkon sneers. “If my boy is looking for a violent lesson, I will not deprive him of it!”

“I believe I have at least learned a moment of consideration on your part. From both of you.” She turns back to look pointedly at Lotor.

The Prince grits his teeth but says nothing and turns his gaze to the floor.

Zarkon is also silent for a moment. He gives curt gesture to continue. 

“...good. You know what our true goal is. You know that all of this theatre of war, these games, are nothing. Just a way of reducing the uncertainties. The array has been completed. I’ve run and rerun the numbers. The odds are in our favor. The time is now. The very structure of this reality will soon be at your fingertips. Shall we not forgo the games to finish what we started? To ignore these children?”

“...the problem is that all these ‘children’ are threatening to throw a wrench in the whole star-burned thing.” Lotor spat.

“Mind your tongue around your mother.” Zarkon says distractedly. He appears to be thinking. “...very well. Honerva, go to the array and prepare it for the robeasts. Sendak, marshall all our forces, we’re leaving this place behind and reallocating everything we have on defending the array. Lotor…”

He studies the Prince for a moment.

“...try to keep any more of your alteans from running away.”

Lotor stares up at his father. “...only if you make sure not to let any more of those ‘children’ get the better of you.”

The Emperor smiles. Lotor steps back, uneasy.

Zarkon’s Black Lion flies into the hangar, carrying the other Black Lion in it's jaws. It drops the other Lion onto the floor with a deafening clang. The other Dark Paladins stare.

“Got the better of me, did he?” Zarkon chuckles as he turns to walk away. 

He enters his lion and flies out of the bay.

Honerva lets out a breath. She turns to regard Lotor. “You know...your father’s temper is legendary. But you certainly seem to have inherited that trait.”

“I’m not like him!” Lotor’s scarred eye twitches. He turns away. “...not like him…” He continues to mutter the statement as he walks away. Honerva stares after him.

“Mistress?”

“Hm?” She turns to face Sendak, who is standing beside the powerless Black Lion.

“What shall we do with this?”

“Leave it there, for the moment. We can take it with us when we leave. As long as those other paladins don’t have it, they still can’t use Voltron.”

“Very well, Mistress. I shall see to our armies, then.”

“As you were.”

Both of them leave the Black Lion behind, dead and limp on the floor. 

***

Admiral Sanda watches as three of the Lions of Voltron and one shuttle touch down onto the rocky ground. One by one the paladins file out of their lions. 

Keith finally stumbled out of the shuttle, supported by Allura.

Sanda stepped forward to meet the downcast boy.

“...what happened?” 

***

“...I see. So you succeeded in your mission of saving the Princess. But you lost a Lion in the process.” Sanda says, addressing the paladins from within the briefing room. 

“And Shiro.” Keith says quietly, not looking up from the table.

“And Shiro.” Sanda repeats. She says nothing for a moment. 

“...without-” Allura’s voice cracks. “-without the Black Lion, we still cannot form Voltron.”

Sanda turns her back to them, to stare at the wall. “...so we’re back where we started.”

“No, we’re not back where we started!” Keith shouts, slamming his fists down on the table. “We’re much, much worse off! Because now Shiro is dead! ” Keith’s hands clench into fists. “And you really don’t seem to give a damn~”

Sanda replies cooly, still not facing him. “Lieutenant Shirogane was a soldier. He knew what he was getting into. He wasn’t the first one I’ve lost, and I suspect he will not be the last.”

“He wasn’t just a soldier!” 

“Boy you will watch your tone. We are still within my base. I understand you are emotional right now, but we will lose this fight if we don’t control our-”

“We’ll lose!?” Keith exclames. “We already have lost! We threw everything we had at Zarkon, and even Shiro couldn’t beat him!”

Keith stares down at the table for a moment, then storms out. He is quietly followed  by the other paladins.

Matt along with a few of the other Coalition officials remain.

“...what?” Sanda says, half-turning to Matt. “Nothing to say?”

Matt stares at her for a moment before shaking his head. 

“If...that’s the way you wanna play it...” He mutters, before getting up and leaving the room.

***

Keith marches down the corridor, darkness in his eyes.

“Hey, Keith!” Lance calls after him.

Keith keeps walking. 

“Keith!” Says Allura this time.

Still he doesn’t reply. Lance runs up and catches hold of his arm. “Hey!”

Keith turns on him. “What?”

“Don’t...don’t you want to talk about this, man? Shiro just-”

“Shiro just died, Lance. And talking about it isn’t going to bring him back.

“Yeah but we’re a team, we should-”

“Team? Maybe to all of you, that’s what Shiro was. A teammate. But for a long time, before I even knew my own mother, he was the only family I had. So if you don’t mind-” He pulls his arm free of Lance’s grasp. “-I’d like to be alone for a while.”

Keith walks off and the other paladins are left staring. 

“I...can’t believe he’s really gone.” Hunk says after a moment.

“It's a war Hunk, it was...bound to happen…” Pidge swallows hard.

“It's easy to say that, and understand the idea.” Allura says.   “But actually losing someone is so much different.  It feels like a hammer crushing your heart. It's a blow to the soul. And sometimes one that never fully heals...” She stares at the space where Keith used to stand.

Lance grits his teeth. “I know. That’s why we should all be dealing with this together.”

Hunk puts a hand on his arm. “It's Keith. This is just how he deals with stuff.”

Lance doesn’t reply for a moment. “...guess I just thought he was past leaving us all to fend for ourselves.”

Without another word, Lance turns and walks away in the opposite direction. 

Eventually, Hunk sighs. “I...think I could use a little time, too. He nods to the other two before walking off himself.

Allura still stares off in the direction Keith went.

“Hey,” Pidge says. “We’re all...still trying to process this. But how are you holding up, yourself? You were being held prisoner by Zarkon a few hours ago.”

“...anything that happened to me is nothing compared to Shiro’s death. There is...a great deal to discuss about my ‘stay’ with the Dark Paladins. But this is not the time. Now is the time for grief.”

“If...you say so.”

“Thank you for asking, Pidge.”

She waves a dismissive hand, before walking off. After another moment of silence, Allura walks, in the direction Keith went.

***

The Castle of Lions rises above the craggy horizon, dwarfing the Garrison base. Coran stands in it's shadow, massaging his mustache. 

“It's beautiful.” Allura says, stepping up beside him.

  “Thank you, Princess.” Coran sighs. “I just wish we could appreciate it under better circumstances. Shiro was...well he was a true paladin. He won’t be forgotten.”

“Yes he will be.” Allura agrees. “He was the man who always thought himself unworthy, but constantly proved otherwise…” 

She stares up at the Castle for a moment. “...Keith came by this way, didn’t he?”

“He did.” Coran nods.

“Do you know where he was headed?”

Coran nods to the Castle. “He wanted to know if the training room was operational.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“The truth. That it needs someone to test it out. He volunteered. And with the look on his face, I wasn’t about to turn him down.”

“Understandable.”

“You want to go talk to him?”

Allura considers. After a moment, she shakes her head. “...no. I’ll leave him be for the time being. As much I want to help Keith right now, I’m not ready. I’ve a bit more experience with death than the other Paladins. But that doesn’t mean it hurts any less. I’ve got to grieve just as he does. Besides…” Alllura notes a figure moving up the castle steps. “...I think someone else is on the job.”

***

Keith bashes his bayard against the gladiator bot’s staff. He swings his blade in a downward arc, like a hammer against an anvil. The bot’s legs buckle and it drops to the floor. Keith buries his bayard into the bot’s chest. The bot’s artificial muscles spasm, before it goes limp.

He stands in the middle of the Castle training room. The lighting is at a dim setting, leaving his face cast in deep shadows.

  Keith rips his blade free and shouts, “Another!”

A hole opens up in the floor, and another gladiator bot rises up. Keith dashes towards it, blade tearing across in a horizontal arc. He clashes against the bot a few more times before taking out one of its legs. Off balance, he easily disarms the machine and separates it's head from its body.

Scowling, Keith kicks the limp bot. 

“I think you got it.” A voice says from behind.

Keith whirls around to find Krolia standing near the entrance. He lowers his bayard. 

“I heard what happened.” She says, eyes soft.

“Who hasn’t?” Keith shrugs tiredly. “Another!”

“...do you want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about? 

The floor opens up and yet another gladiator bot rises up from the floor. He charges after it. “...I went off to rescue Allura…” He says, his bayard locking against the bots staff. “...thought I was real smart by trapping Zarkon…” Keith forces the bot back, unleashing an onslaught of blows. “...only turns out I was the real one trapped!” The gladiator tries for a counter, but Keith knocks it aside and scores a hit on the bot’s shoulder. “And because I was too stupid, too overconfident and too weak, Shiro had to come save me.” Keith stabs his bayard through the bot’s head. The bot spasms and Keith pulls the blade free, letting it slide to the floor.

“...and then Zarkon killed him. Shiro died...because I wasn’t strong enough. Because I couldn’t beat Zarkon myself.”

Krolia steps up beside him. She doesn’t say anything at first, just joining him in staring down at the defeated bot. He opens his mouth as if to call for another one.

“-do you know what the two saddest days of my life were?”

Keith closes his mouth and gives a half-shake of his head.

“The first was the day I had to leave you and your father behind.” She gets a distant look. “It felt like I was leaving my heart behind. I never thought I’d ever feel so broken for the rest of my life. Until...until the day I found out your father died.”

Keith finally looks at her.

“That...that was like my heart being crushed. I’d left all those years ago to keep the two of you safe. But in the end he died anyway, and you were left alone. I couldn’t help thinking that I was wrong. That I should have stayed after all. And maybe if I had, your father would still be alive.”

“Maybe-” Keith’s voice cracks. “-maybe you should have.”

Krolia shrugs. “But that would have meant putting you in danger. I’ll never know what could have been. But I do know that I never was going to do anything that would risk your life. Even if...even if I knew I’d be leaving you all alone.” A bittersweet smile touches her lips. “But you weren’t alone were you? Not once Shiro found you. I was...so happy to find out that someone like him ended up looking after you. ”

Keith scoffs. “...but maybe that was his big mistake. Taking me in. Maybe if he hadn’t, he’d have found someone better to be his successor.” Keith's grip on his bayard tightens. “Someone stronger.”

“Even if I didn’t know him very well, I could tell how you meant to him. And I’m sure that if he were here right now, he’d tell you that he didn’t have a single regret. He saved you Keith, because he believed in you. And because he knew you could finish this.”

“But how!?” Keith demards. “We’ve thrown everything we have at them, and each tiny victory, every small win comes at a huge cost! I couldn’t even save Allura without losing Shiro and the Black Lion. We still can’t even form Voltron. And even if we could form Voltorn, I still don’t think I could beat him.”

“I don’t know Keith. I don’t have all the answers. But-

“-I...think I need some time to think.” Keith cuts her off.

Krolia studies him. “...alright.” 

She steps closer, hesitantly at first, then pulls him into a hug. “...I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you back then. And I’m so sorry that this war has taken so much from you. But just don’t forget that...I’m here now. And so are a lot of other people who care about you.”

Keith hugs her back, not replying.

For a moment they stand there in silent embrace.

Then Krolia steps back, releasing him. She takes one more look at her son, before walking out of the room. Keith stares down for a moment, then raises his bayard, the black bayard, to study it. 

“How am I supposed to do this without you, man?”

***

Pidge sits in the Holt family residence. She is on the couch, fidgeting with her hands. Matt lounges on another couch opposite her, eyes boring a hole in the floor. N-7 sits beside him, holding one of his arms.

Their parents are at the kitchen table, watching them with concerned expressions.

Pidge’s fidgeting grows more frantic. Her breath accelerates. She grits her teeth.

“This is wrong!” She shouts suddenly, launching to her feet. 

“Pidge!” Colleen exclaimes.

“Shiro shouldn’t have died! It just doesn’t...doesn’t make any sense.” She says the words exhaustedly. 

“Sometimes...these things don’t make sense.” Sam replies.

“But...If anyone deserved to live past all of this, it was him. After everything he pulled us through. All that he taught us. Every battle we won because of him. He deserved to live. It just...doesn’t add up.” She lets out a long sigh. “I don’t think he even wanted to keep fighting. He gave up more than pretty much anyone, and just wanted to be able to leave it behind. But we wanted him out there.” She looks down at her hand. “...hell, I’m the one that made him a new arm.”

Sam chuckles. Pidge scowls. 

“Sorry.” Sam shakes his head. “But you’re crazy if you think that Shiro was ever actually going to sit back while the rest of you fought. Sure, he thought he was unfit and came up with plenty of reasons why he should leave things to you kids. But even if you hadn’t made him that arm, I doubt he would have been able to stand by forever. Sooner or later, he wouldn’t have been able to help himself. That’s just the kind of guy Shiro was.”

...I know that.” Pidge says reluctantly. “In my head. But it still feels so wrong. It's like an...equation that doesn’t have a solution.”

“Not every problem has a solution. I’m a lot older than you, Katie. Shiro’s not the first person I’ve lost along the way. Death isn’t something we scientists can fix. Sometimes all you can do is cry. And that’s okay.”

Pidge’s shoulders slump and she sits back. “But that just feels so...useless.”

“That’s life, kiddo. It's not a math problem.”

Pidge still looks unsatisfied, but she nods.

After a brief pause, Matt lets out a grunt.

“While sitting down and crying seems great and all…” he rises. “...I’ve got something to take care of.”

“What’s that?” Pidge asks.

N-7 also looks up with a curious tilt of her head.

“Don’t worry. Let’s just say I’ve gotta do something that Shiro would want me to do.”

N-7 nods in apparent understanding. With that, Matt leaves. 

***

Allura roams the halls of the garrison. She puts one foot in front of the other, as if the effort of walking is exhausting. Her path has no clear purpose. Her eyes are directed at the floor and have a distant light.

She almost runs into the door marking the end of the hallway. She hesitantly opens the door and peeks inside.

Inside is the mess hall, and at first glance it is empty. Allura is about to duck her head back out when something catches her eye. 

“Hunk? Is that you back there?”

Sure enough, Hunk is behind the kitchen counter on the far side of the room, working on something.

“Hey Allura.

  “What are you doing?” 

“It's late enough that there aren’t going to be any more meals served tonight, so I asked if I could use the kitchen. I spent some time with the family but…” He shakes his head. “They were doing their best to comfort me, but it got a little suffocating.”

“I see. Well don’t let me interrupt you.”

“Actually, I could use someone to test-taste all this.”

Allura hesitates, then after a moment, nods and walks over. Her eyes widen as he peeks over the counter.

“Stars above! How much did you make?

Before her are a plethora of cakes, cookies, muffins and other pastries and deserts of all kinds.

“A lot. Kinda been cooking nonstop.”

He hands her a piece of cake. She takes a large bite.

“How is it?” 

“Delicious as usual.” Allura smiles weakly and takes a seat on the bench behind her. “...at least that much hasn’t changed. You seem to be handling yourself well, in this most trying of time Hunk.”

“Well if it looks that way, it's just because I’m keeping myself busy. To be honest, I’m about this far away from a breakdown. Losing Shiro is...awful. But I can’t help thinking, does it end with him? Who else are we gonna lose before this is over?”

“Does...that mean you’re having second thoughts again?”

“No.” Hunk says immediately. “Even if I’m scared, even if I could die, I made my choice. I’m in this until the end.”

Allura smiles at that. 

“...so, any word on Keith?”

Allura shakes her head. “His mother spoke to him, but other than that, no one’s seen much of him. Last I checked he was hanging around the canyon…”

***

Keith guns the engine on his hoverbike. He tears off down the ridge, kicking up a storm of dust in his wake. He rides deeper into the canyon, no regard for his own increasing speed. The two sides narrow and Keith makes the jump to the other side. His hoverbike bangs against the wall of the other side. He rides on. 

He drives his bike back up to the top of the ridge, racing towards the cliff. Keith goes full throttle on the engine. It flies off the cliff, hovering in the air for a few quiet seconds. Then it dips back down, and Keith hugs his body against the bike. At the bottom, he can see the knife-shaped rock. 

Keith hits the brakes. 

The bike slows in the air, but not fast enough. The bottom of it smashes against the stone below. Keith’s body is rocked and he struggles to hang on. The engine sputters and gives out. The hoverbike crashes down to the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust. Coughing, Keith tries to reignite the engine. It wines for a moment, before giving out again. 

Growling, Keith jumps off the hoverbike to look beneath it. The vehicle's undercarriage is severely dented, and smoke is leaking out of cracks. 

“DAMMIT!” Keith swears, kicking the bike. He kicks it again and again. Finally panting, he turns away, putting his back to the broken bike. 

The knife-shaped rock lies in front of him. The same one that had served as the finish line for Shiro and his races. The bike broke down barely a dozen feet away from it. 

Keith stares at it a moment, before shaking his head and turning back around again, to walk back up the canyon.

Sometime later, an exhausted Keith pulls himself up onto a ledge, to sit down and stare at the setting sun.

***

Admiral Sanda sits alone in her dark office. The only light on in the room is a small lamp on her desk. She stares down at the small disc in her hands. 

Matt Holt kicks open her door.

Sanda leaps to her feet. “Holt! What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

Matt’s face remains expressionless as he sizes up the room, noting it's dark interior, observing everything except Sanda herself.

Her eyes harden. “If you do not explain yourself right now, I’ll have you thrown off this base! I don’t care how you rank in that Coalition I’ll-”

“-you can fool all these other people, Sanda.” Matt shakes his head. “Make them think you’re this iron-hearted commander, who only cares about results. But there are two people who you could never fool. I’m one of ‘em. The other is dead.”

Sanda’s expression loses some of its strength. “...you’ve got something to say, I take it?”

“Not much. Shiro was like a brother to me. And that cuts deep. But I know that despite how you might pretend that none of this hurts you, he was like a son to you. And I’m not about to let you sit in this dark room all alone, without talking about that.” 

Sanda swallows hard, staring down into her desk. 

“Annnnd just in case you needed a little convincing, I heard that Shiro owed you a bottle of some of the hard stuff. Unfortunately, I don’t have any scotch but…” Matt holds up a bottle of purple liquid that glows softly. “...I do have this galran ale. Tastes like jet fuel and gives you a mother of all headaches in the morning. In other words, it's good stuff.”

“...I’m on duty.” Sanda objects, without much strength.

Matt puts on a confused expression. “Really? Because I’m pretty sure you got off five minutes ago.”

Sanda stares at him for several silent moments. “...shut the door.”

Matt grins, shutting the door behind him. He sits down across Sanda while she pulls out two glasses. 

Matt fills them both.

***

“Well why why the hell not!?” 

Allura is walking down a hallway when she hears the exclamation. She quickens her pace and finds the source of the outburst from around a corner. 

Lance is having what looks like a heated debate with Kolivan and a handful of other Blades. 

“As I’ve told you,” Kolivan says with just a hint of aggravation, “the logistics of one of our operatives stealing back the Black Lion is outlandish. It's reportedly being held in our enemy’s most secure compound-”

“-Which we just broke into!”

“...yes, using methods that will not work twice, and in the process of which we lost the Lion in question.”

“What is...going on here?” Allura asks, tentatively.

“Well I’m trying to get to the bottom of why these superspy space-ninjas, that Keith likes to spend so much time around, won't bother trying to get back the Black Lion!” 

“None of our men can fly the Black LIon. it wont fit inside a fighter or shuttle. The few operatives we have still implanted would need to steal a cruiser full of hundreds of galra soldiers just to be able to carry the blasted thing!”

“I’m hearing a whole lot of excuses, and not a lot of solutions!”

“Lance.” Allura says in a kind but firm tone. “I’m sure that Kolivan knows what he is talking about when he says that something isn’t possible. The Blades aren’t known to back down from a challenge.”

“Rest assured, getting back the Black Lion is our top priority. But at this moment there’s no clear way to do that. We’ll find out what Keith wants to do once-”

“Once he’s done sitting around moping, you mean!”

“Lance!” Allura scolds.

“What!? Last I checked we were still fighting a war!”

“We all need time to-”

“Time is the one thing we don’t have!”

“Then what do you want us to do, Lance? Do you have any idea what to do about the current situation? Because we all know what kind of situation we’re in. But shouting at people isn’t going to make anything better.”

He opens his mouth to speak, then seems to think better of it. He sighs.

“...sorry.” He directs it at both Allura and Kolivan.

“It’s alright.”

“Think I’ll...go to the shooting range. Clear my head.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

Lance starts to walk down the hallway, but stops halfway down, with his back still to Allura.

“...any word from our fearless leader yet?”

“Afraid not.”

“Figures…” 

***

“That man...was the greatest pilot to ever serve in the Garrison.” Sanda remarked, with slightly slurred words.

“I’ll drink to that.” Matt says, downing the rest of his glass. 

He pours himself some more, taking note of just how little liquid there is left in the bottle.

“You know he thought I’d be mad, the day he broke my record on reentry?”

Matt chuckled. “Were you?”

“Hell no. That was one of my proudest moments as an instructor. Of course...I couldn’t let him know that. So I told him it was a little sloppy and put him on cleaning duty for the rest of the day.”

“And you call me a piece of work.”

“Oh he was fine. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t get a big head. You gotta be careful with people as talented as Shiro. Otherwise they get overconfident and…” 

“Turn out like me?”

“...yeah.”

Both of them chuckled at that. Sanda’s face quickly gets serious again.

“He should be in this chair right now. Always wanted him to take over.”

“Shiro? Behind a desk? You’d have had a hell of a time keeping him out of a cockpit.”

“Yeah. It was probably a pipe dream, anyway. I’m just so tired. Tired of seeing good men die. Tired of sitting in this damn chair.”

“...then why do you still do it?” Matt asks.

“Because someone’s got to.” She shrugs. “And because my best idea for a successor went and got himself killed. I know I’m...a little hard on my pilots.”

Matt scoffed,

“But that’s because I expect great things from them. Was I really so bad to serve under? Did you really hate being my subordinate so much you never even considered coming back?”

Matt shakes his head studying his drink. “Sanda you’re a good commander. Whatever barbs I throw at you, they’re just because it's fun getting on your nerves. Ask Pidge, I do it to her all the time. The reason I didn’t come back was because I knew I could do more good with the Coalition than I could down here. Serving in the Galaxy Garrison was an honor. But there’s people that need me more now. More than just earth. And besides...” He laughs to himself. “...I’m impatient. Do you have any idea what it's like to go from our shuttles to starship with FTL drives? Who in their right mind would wanna go back after that jump?”

Sanda chuckles, then studies him for a moment. “...I want you piloting the Atlas. Permanently.”

“You’re letting the drink talk for you.”

“I’m serious. It hurts to swallow my pride, this much but you are undoubtedly the man for the job. The coalition trusts you, and I trust you. You’re perfect. Shiro said so himself.”

“Now that’s just cheating.” Matt says, leaning back in his chair. He downs his drink again. “...fine. But don’t think I’m gonna suddenly start saluting you again.”

Sanda only smirks. 

Her eyes fall on the small disc, sitting on her desk. 

“You want some more?” Matt asked, indicating the bottle.

Sanda shakes her head. “No.I think I’ll sober up. There’s something I’ve been putting something off…”

***

Keith stares up at the stars, feet dangling over the edge of the cliff. He looks to be searching for something in the night sky. He doesn’t find it.

The sound of footsteps prompts Keith to tear his gaze away from the stars. 

“Have you been out here all night?” Allura asks, walking up to stand beside him.

He nods.

“You should get some sleep. You took a beating in that battle.”

“Tried to. Didn’t take.” 

Allura nods. “...do you mind if I sit here?”

“Depends. Are you going to try to tell me this isn’t my fault?”

“I wasn’t planning on saying anything, actually.”

“Then have a seat.”

She does so, folding her legs beneath her.

For some time they sit in silence. A cool breeze brushes against them. Crickets chirp in the distance. A comet cuts across the night sky. 

After what seems like an eternity, Keith speaks. 

“...you know what the worst part is?”

Allura blinks, caught off guard. “...what?”

“I...keep expecting him to come by and give one of his famous speeches. He’ll tell me what I’m doing wrong, encourage me to trust in myself, and assure me that I’ll do just fine. And then, everything will seem okay. Whatever misgivings I had before will just melt away...” 

Allura says nothing, only staring at Keith as he talks.

“...but that’s not going to happen. He’s gone. I’ll never get to hear one of those speeches again.” He picks up a stone and tosses it over the side. “So maybe you can tell me what I’m supposed to do. Do I just push all this pain aside and try to forget it? Tell the other paladins that everything’s going to be okay? That as long as we believe in each other, we’ll overcome anything? I don’t know if I can do that. I don’t think I’m strong enough to just let go of what I’m feeling.”

“...I wish I could tell you, Keith.” Allura says. “I wish I knew what to say, to make this right. But sometimes there just aren’t words. There’s nothing I can say that’ll make what’s happened better. I know that better than anyone.” Her eyes get distant.

It's Keith’s turn to study her. “...does it get easier?”

“...yes. Eventually.” She smiles weakly. “When altea was destroyed, I lost my father, my mother and everyone else I ever knew. It was just me and Coran when we went into cryo. Then, when I woke up there were five strange earthlings waiting for us. And I had no way of knowing they’d turn out to be the best friends I ever had. In the early days, there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of everyone I’d lost. But you made it easier. All of you. You and Lance and Pidge and Hunk...and Shiro.”

Keith looks caught between smiling and crying.

“So yes, Keith. It does get easier. Especially if you’ve got the right people to pick you back up again, after the fall.”

Keith stares into Allura’s eyes, and for what seems an eternity, neither says a word. Finally, he looks away. 

“...you look tired Allura. You should get some sleep.”

“...only if you do too.”

“I will.” He says. “I’m just gonna stay out another minute.”

“Alright. Good night, Keith.”

“Good night, Allura.”

With that, Allura gets up and leaves. Keith doesn’t stay much longer. He gets up, tosses another stone down into the canyon, and turns around to walk back to the base. 

***

Keith is walking back down the garrison halls, when he nearly runs into Admiral Sanda.

“Keith.” She says with some surprise. “You’re still awake...good.”

“What is it?” He sighs.

Sanda stares at him for a moment, as if deciding something. She holds something tight in one hand. Letting out a breath, she opens her hand, presenting it to Keith. 

He looks down with curiosity, at the disc in her palm.

“What is it?”

“Do you know what a Last Word is, Keith?”

“It's...an Old Garrison tradition, right? When a pilot was going on an especially dangerous mission, they’d leave a message behind, just in case they didn’t make it.”

She nods, then indicates the disc. “This is Shiro’s.”

“You mean-”

“One last message he recorded, not long before the battle. To be seen in the event of his death. It's for you.”

Keith’s eyes widened. 

“Go on then, take it.”

Tentatively, Keith reaches down and picks up the disc. He turns it over in his hands, feeling it’s weight. 

Sanda looks down at her boots. “I’m sorry I held onto it so long. I suppose I felt like giving this to you meant it was real. Foolish, I know. But I guess I’m getting sentimental with age.”

Keith looks at her as if seeing Sanda for the first time. “It's...alright. I understand wanting to hold onto the piece of him.”

She nods slowly. “...well then. I’ll leave you to it.”

And with that Sanda vanishes back down the darkened corridor. Keith is left staring at the disc. He starts walking. 

It doesn’t take him to find a dark room with dozens of computers. He sits down at one, and turns it on.

Keith holds the disc up, staring at it. He lets out a long sigh and inserts the disc into the computer. For a moment nothing happens.

Then, Shiro’s face appears on the screen.

“Hey, Keith.” Shiro smiles. “If you’re watching this...well, I’m dead.”

Keith swallows hard. 

“Sorry about that.” Shiro gets a bashful expression. “Hope I at least went out like a champ. Doing something heroic, you know? Anyway, I made this video for you specifically, for a couple of reasons. Firstly because there’s some things that I need to tell you from one leader to another. And secondly, because some of this might be hard to hear….” 

Shiro takes a breath.

“...it's honestly a shock I lived as long as I did. This might be strange to hear, but for a while now it’s seemed like I’m on borrowed time. And I’m not just talking about having my soul pulled out and stuffed into a clone body. Although that..that didn’t help.” Shiro shivers. “...no this goes back much farther. Sanda could tell you all sorts of stories about how I almost got myself killed pulling crazy maneuvers back in the Garrison. But if I had to pinpoint when I first started feeling this way, it’d be when Sam, Matt and I were taken by the galra. Fighting in the pits, not knowing if next day would be my last…” He shakes his head. “...I thought I was going to die there. By all accounts, I should have. But fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it had other plans. Somehow, impossibly I ended up back on earth. And I became the Black Paladin. I had the job just long enough to make sure you could all do it without me. If there’s a reason I lived past everything I did, I think that’s it. To make sure all of you were ready to face what came next.”

He smiles and shakes his head. Keith’s hands tighten as he struggles to keep any sense of composure. 

“And, in spite of everything I just said, there’s a part of me that really wishes I could have stayed in the Black Paladin, forever. Being a part of Voltron is the best thing that ever happened to me. And I cherish all the time I spent fighting in Voltron alongside you, Lance, Hunk and Pidge...but that’s the hard part of being a mentor. Knowing that one day, you’re going to have to step aside and let someone else take over. I know you’ve always wondered why I picked you to lead Voltron. It might seem kind of strange, since you always were such a loner. Well it was because out of everyone on that team, I knew you’d be able to take whatever the universe throws at you. No matter whatever grief or anger you’re feeling right now, I know you can get past it. Because you’re the toughest dang kid I ever met. Voltron’s yours now, Keith. And if any part of you ever questions that, I’ll tell you a secret that I think might make it a little easier:” Shiro grins. “Black was never really my color anyway.”

Keith’s eyes are wet, but for the first time since Shiro’s death he cracks a smile.

Shiro takes a breath. “Keith, this is my last lesson to you. I know you better than anyone else. Which is why I know you’re probably reacting to all by isolating yourself, and trying to shut the rest of the world out. That’s not your fault. You’re human. But you also aren’t the only one that’s going to be hurt by this. You’ve got a lot of people relying on you now. They need you Keith. And even if you don’t want to admit it, you need them too. Take it from me, it hurts a lot more to hold onto this stuff inside, than it does to let it out. They care about you, so let them in. It takes five to form Voltron. ”

Shiro sighs. “And now the hardest part. Goodbyes. Assuming I don’t get a chance, tell everyone that these past few years were the time of my life. I’m proud of how far each and every one of them has come. Especially you.” Shiro gets a distant smile. “Never got a chance to start a family of my own, but in a way that’s what you all were, to me. A family. And if ever had gotten a chance to have a son...I’d have wanted him to be like you. Goodbye, Keith. It's been a hell of a ride.”

The screen goes dark. The room goes silent.

“...look at that.” Keith says, tears streaming down his face. “You had one last speech in you, after all.”

He closes his eyes and sits back in the chair. “Thank you for everything, Shiro.” He whispers. “And goodbye.”

When his eyes open, they are filled with determination.

At the same time, millions of light-years away, inside the dome on the colony planet, the Black Lion’s eyes flash. 

***

Lance blasts his rifle at the shooting range targets. About half of his shots miss entirely. Curiously, the other half either hit or are near the bullseyes. Lance keeps firing regardless of whether he hits or not.

“You know I could make you a new stabilizing bracelet.” Pidge says, approaching Lance from behind.

He half-turns to acknowledge her, then returns to facing the targets.

“It's fine. I’m sure you’ve got more important stuff to work on.” Lance fires at another target, missing entirely.

Pidge cringes.

“...it was getting better.” Lance explains. “Before...well you know.”

He fires again. Another miss.

“...you know what ticks me off?”

“I’ve got a feeling you’re about to tell me?”

“The fact that no one else around here seems to remember that we’re fighting a war!” Another shot, another miss. “Shiro’s dead, yeah. But that doesn’t mean the bad guys are gonna stop working on their plan. We need the Black Lion back asap, or we aren’t gonna be able to stop them. We don’t have time to wait for Keith to get over the fact that Shiro’s gone.”

“Uh huh. And you are?”

“Huh?”

“You are over Shiro’s death already?”

“I’m trying to be practical.”

“No, I think you’re trying to fix a problem, so you don’t have to think about what happened. I know ‘cause my head was in the same place yesterday.”

“Oh yeah, and since when are you a master of psychology?”

“I’m not a master of psychology. Just a master of Lance being a doofus.”

“Wow, so now I’m an idiot for trying to actually deal with the problem at hand?”

“I didn’t mean…” Pidge sighs. “...I’m just saying I don’t think you’re thinking clearly, right now. None of us are. Some problems don’t have solutions.”

Lance hesitates. Then his eyes harden. “No...but I just thought of one for this one.”

He deactivates his bayard and marches out of the room. Pidge’s eyes widen. 

“Lance?” She calls after him. “Oh quizank. Lance!” 

She runs after him. Lance continues down the hallway, walking with a determined gait.

“Lance, what are you doing?” She says, running up next to him. 

“We need the Black Lion, or we won't be able to form Voltorn. So then I’ll just take Red and go get it.”

Pidge blinks. Then stares. “You...you’re serious.”

“Sure am.”

“Lance that’s suicide!” 

“Who says. Whatever anyone else around here believes, I’m actually a good pilot.”

“It's not a matter of skill, it's a matter of being literally impossible! We barely broke into the place with an entire fleet at our back! It would be insane to try it by yourself!”

“And that’s why they’ll never see it coming.” Lance quickens his pace, and Pidge has to struggle to keep up with the much longer-legged boy.

Some ways behind them, Hunk rounds a corner, looking curious.

“What’s going on, guys?”

“Lance is trying to do something stupid!” Pidge calls over her shoulder.

“Uh oh.”

Hunk starts to give chase as well. 

Lance kicks open the exit door and strolls out. 

It's raining outside. Clouds darken the sky, as their payload is released down to earth. The falling droplets beat against the four remaining lions, sitting in a row on the mud-covered ground. Lance moves towards Red. 

Pidge and Hunk follow on his heels. 

Pidge accesses her comm. “Allura you’d better get out here. Lance is about to take his lion and go after Black!”

“...wha..what!?” A groggy voice replies.

“Just hurry!” 

Pidge catches Lance’s sleeve. “Lance!” 

He stops in his tracks, frozen.

“Just...give this a second.” Desperation is thick in her voice. 

“We don’t need to lose anyone else, Lance.” Hunk says. “Take a minute to calm down.”

Lance doesn’t reply.

“If you rush off like this…” Pidge has to take a moment to marshal her voice. “I...I don’t want to lose you too.”

“Yeah...well I don’t want people to die either!” He pulls his arm free. “So I’m going after Black. Because that’s the only way we have a chance of beating Zarkon!”

He starts walking towards Red again. 

The door opens behind them and Allura stumbles back, looking disheveled.

“What is going on here!?”

“I’m going to do what needs to be done!” Lance calls back.

Allura looks to the other two for support, but they return helpless expressions.

“No one, is going anywhere...” A low but commanding voice says.

All turn to see Keith standing a few dozen feet to the side. He walks over, trudging through the mud.

“...not without thinking everything over, and coming up with a real plan for how to beat Zarkon.” 

He stops in front of Lance, blocking his path to the Red Lion.

“Well look who finally decided to show up!” Lance exclames.

“I haven’t been around. I’m sorry. But I’m here now.”

Lance’s expression softens for a fraction of a second, before he shakes his head with anger. “Well, you’re a little late. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got to go get the lion you left behind.”

Lance tries to step around Keith, but he moves to block him again.

“It's being taken care of Lance. So please, stand down.”

Lance scowls. “Maybe I don’t want to follow the orders of a guy who only decides to be our leader when it's convenient for him!”

Keith winces at that.

Lance brushes past him, but Keith catches his arm.

“...let go.” Lance’s voice is ice.

“I’m not going to let yourself get killed, Lance.”

Lance’s eyes flash with anger. 

He whirls around and punches Keith in the face.

The other paladins gasp. Keith stumbled back, looking shocked.

Even Lance looks down at his outstretched fist, as if not believing what he’d just done.

Then, Keith’s eyes harden. “Fine, if it's a fight you want.” 

Keith whips a lightning-fast jab that takes Lance in the chin. Lance falls back, flood slipping under the wet ground. He goes down on one knee. Keith doesn’t press, seeing if Lance will stay down. He doesn’t. Eyes burning with rage, Lance launches himself at Keith. 

“Keith!” 

“Lance!” 

Allura and Pidge yell respectively, moving to dash towards the boys. They are stopped by Hunk grabbing hold of both of them. 

“Hunk what are you doing?” Pidge demands.

“We need to stop this madness!” Allura objects.

Hunk doesn’t say anything at first, still watching the two boys swing punches at each other.

“Why are you fighting now, Keith? Don’t you just want to run away like you always do!? Like when you left to be with the Blades!?”

“I never ran from anything, Lance! I only ever did what I thought was right for this team!”

“Well you were wrong!” Lance tackles Keith to the muddy ground.

“...no.” Hunk finally says.

“No!?” the girls exclaim in unison. 

“No.” Hunk decides nodding to himself.

“They’ll kill each other!” Allura says.

“No, no they wont. Even if they’re a little emotional right now, they aren’t that dumb. There’s been a fire burning between those two since the moment they met. It’s been cooling down lately, since they’ve both been acting more mature. But now with Shiro gone it's been reignited. Everything’s raw, and they aren’t holding back anything anymore. They need to work this out now, or they’ll never be able to understand each other.”

The girls look like they want to continue to object, but Hunk remains impassive. Reluctantly, they stop resisting, and watch their friends fight.

Keith is trying to pull Lance into a headlock, but he keeps twisting free, slicked by the mud. 

“Why couldn’t you just let me go, Keith!?” Lance says shoving his hand into Keith’s face. “I was trying to save the day for once!”

“Because dammit Lance, you’re acting like me!” Keith grabs Lance’s wrist and uses it to twist his arm back, pushing Lance down into the mud.

“And what’s that!?” Lance grunts.

“Like an idiot!”

“At least we can agree on that!” Lance manages to twist free of Keith’s hold, and knees the other boy in the side. Keith rolls back and it’s Lance's turn to try and pull off a headlock.

“Be honest…” Keith says, voice straining from Lance’s arm against his windpipe. “You always h-hated me. N-never...could stand how much better I was.” Keith elbows him in the gut once, twice, then three times. Lance’s grip weakens and Keith breaks it entirely, before shifting around to try to swing at his face.

  Lance catches his arm, and forces Keith back down to the ground.

“Hate you? Keith, I wanted to be you! You were so good it was stupid! All I ever wanted was to prove I could be as good as you were! And then you go and become the leader, and I actually believed in you! I had no idea you’d run away to the Blades the first time it got hard!” 

Keith kicks Lance off him and lurches to his feet.

“I came back didn’t I?” 

“Yes, and that’s the worst part! I actually thought you were different now! But without Shiro you just turned back into the same brooding loner from before!”

“Well I’m sorry my grieving was so inconvenient for you Lance! I wish I had the privilege of not having to care that Shiro’s gone!”

“You aren’t the only one that misses him!” Lance bellows, throwing a punch at Keith’s head.

Keith sweeps Lance’s legs, but the other boy drags too. They both hit the ground hard, breath leaving their bodies.

“I know Lance!” Keith shouts, panting. “....I know. And...I’m sorry.”

Neither make a move towards the other. They both stay down, panting.

“...I’m not the best leader. Maybe not even a good one. But I’m trying, Lance. And I’m not going to stop trying, even if I keep screwing it up. It’s why…” He laughs hysterically. “...it's why I’m lying here in the mud with you right now.”

Lance doesn’t say anything for a moment. 

“...you know I thought bringing the Black Lion back would break you out of what you were going through….but you couldn’t even let me have that could you?”

Keith chuckles at that. “...sorry to disappoint.”

Lance shakes his head. “I really am an idiot aren’t I? Did I really think I was going to go charge through the enemy’s army and bring back Black? And I was mad at you for not handling Shiro’s death well? Couldn’t even give you a few days of peace.”

“No, you were right. It probably wouldn’t have come to this if I’d been open with all of you from the beginning.”

“And miss this epic fight of ours?”

Both laugh, then wince. The droplets of rain start to fall away as the sky overhead begins to clear. 

Seeing that the fight is over, Allura, Pidge and Hunk rush over.

“Are you alright!?” Allura asks, holding Keith’s head. He nods and she helps him up to a sitting position.

Pidge also helps Lance up. Then she punches him in the side.

“Ow!” 

“Idiot.” She scolds.

“...fair enough.” He sighs.

“You two get everything out you wanted to?” Hunk asks.

Both nod.

“Good...so I guess now we need to think of an actual plan to get the Black Lion back.”

“Actually…” Keith says, looking up. 

Lance squints up at a dark spot in the sky that is growing larger. His eyes widened.

Seconds later, the Black Lion smashes down into the stone just a few feet away.

“...how?”

“A trick I learned from Zarkon. If he can control his Lion without being inside so can we. But I only unlocked the ability...after I saw Shiro’s Last Word.”

Everyone is silent for a minute.

“...you know It's kind of funny,” Lance finally says. “Shiro was always the one too keep us from being at each other’s throats. Guess we kind of missed the point when we ended up fighting over him.”

Keith cracks a smile. “He probably wouldn’t be too surprised. We always did take too long to learn his lessons.”

“Yeah, just think about how long it took us to form Voltron for the second time!” Hunk points out.

“Allura shouting at us sure didn’t help.” Pidge puts in with a coy smile.

“Oh I’m sorry!” Allura says in mock offense. “But it must have been awfully hard for them to connect with someone they didn’t even know was a girl!”

“Most of them did, besides Lance over here.”

They all laugh. Keith smiles.

  “Do you guys remember when Shiro got so mad because…”

From a distance away, Krolia watches the group.

Coran steps up beside her. “They’re more resilient than you might think, that lot.”

Krolia smiles. “I was worried about Keith. He had to deal with so much alone and I wasn’t there. I thought without Shiro he’d find himself alone again. But it looks like I was wrong. He’s found himself a great family to rely on, after all.”

With that, she turns on her heel, leaving the kids to talk and laugh and cry about their times with their fallen friend.

#shiro #keith #lance #allura #pidge #hunk #voltron #legendary defender #season 8 #rewrite #fix it fic #get ready for tears #i'm not crying you're crying