Disclaimer – I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender. This was written for Fantasy_Community on Wattpad's prompt #14 which involved a cursed road, a tavern/bar/wayhouse/restaurant, headwear with a black feather, and someone practicing "kintsugi". I received awesome feedback on the need to improve "setting and atmosphere". :)
Notes: I like working with the theory that Shiro and Keith are related biologically.
Silver and Gold Cracks
The hot sun beat down on his dark head of hair, the sweat clinging to his body as he traversed the path to the place he didn't want to go. Keith's dark eyes narrowed at the mirage of water glistening across the pathway, only to see it disappear as he neared the bend in the road. Turning the bend, the teen caught sight of a small, traditionally styled building, and decided to dart inside to get out of the heat. As he did, a hand reached up to brush away the sweat glistening on his brow.
Looking up, the teen took note of an elderly man with green skin and strange, beak-like lips, and yet the teen remained unfazed as the old man took stock of the pieces of broken pottery in front of him. Keith opened his mouth, noting the black color of the pottery, with the slight gray accentuating the broken pieces. The teen tilted his head, speaking up from the doorway. "Are you an alien?"
The old man looked up from the piece of pottery, irritation. "Youth these days, not recognizing a kappa when they see one."
"Oh."
"Oh? Is all you can say?" The kappa remained sitting there looking at the black pieces of pottery, his facial features indicating a high level of annoyance.
"What is this place?"
A person came from the back area, carrying a tray with a red cup, the glaze was an interesting blending of red colors. Keith's eyes widened, noticing the interesting hair clip which was decorated with beads and black feathers. Her look was elegant, and her eyes were a bright, crystal blue. Her mouth twisted up as she set the red cup on the old table. "This is a tavern or warehouse of sorts, so to speak, which serves green tea and danger to travelers. We don't get many guests, though."
"I don't have much money on me, possibly only enough to buy a green tea."
"No need. Simply fix this black teacup for me," the kappa spoke up, pushing the pieces closer to Keith.
"Sorry, but I'm not very good at that kind of thing." Keith turned to leave, only to find himself heading back into the small tavern. His mouth twisted into a frown. "Um…"
"No, fix the cup first. And drink some tea, eat some danger." The woman spoke up.
It was then that the teen noticed the woman's pointed ears. The kappa took note and spoke before Keith could. "No. She's not an alien either. She's a yuki-onna. I guess. Or are you a tengu? That would explain the black features she likes. Or was it a tenshi himi? Never really cared to pay attention."
The teen walked over, sitting down across from the kappa. "I can't promise that I'll do a good job fixing the cup. And how…"
The female pushed the cup in front of him, and he noticed that the red cup was laced with silver cracks. The teen frowned, thinking the silver felt off. The tengu pushed the cup again. "Drink." Rather reluctantly Keith picked up the cup, taking a drink, before noting the danger sitting next to the cup when he put it down.
"Your name?"
"Keith Kogane."
"So, where are you off to?"
"A funeral," Keith remembered then, where he was going. "It's at the Shirogane estate."
"That explains why you don't look very chipper."
"No, the boy's not welcome there," the kappa chuckled. "Add the took with the water."
The teen frowned, before mixing the paste on the strange palate, finding himself needing to repeat the step until it was done to the satisfaction of the kappa. He'd eaten by then a few danger, and drunk a full cup of cold tea.
"Now add the gold lacquer."
Keith frowned. "Why gold, and not silver?"
"Because that is correct."
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is."
The teen stared at the cup. "He's not dead."
"Who?"
"The person they're holding the funeral for. I'm not going to be welcome there because I'm going to make a scene when I get there. An awful scene."
"Ah. But he is dead, isn't he?"
"Shiro's not dead!" Keith's head darted up. "I don't care what anyone says."
"What about this cup?" The kappa pushed on one of the pieces, making it go closer.
"It's dead."
"So was that cup you're drinking from."
Keith's dark eyes blinked, looking down at the cup fixed with the silver lacquer. He took a deep breath.
"You were dead inside once. Who fixed you?"
The tengu female poured another cup of tea as the teen looked at the silver cracks on the red cup, his mouth opening. "It's my fault that cup is broken in the first place."
"Is it? You've never been to this place before?" The female lets out a laugh.
Keith's mouth opened into a circle, before looking back at the black cup. Without speaking, he mixed in the gold lacquer, wondering what he was supposed to do next.
"Brush the mixture on both sides of the crack, and put it together."
The teen stared, his mind attempting to put the pieces together, wondering how they were supposed to fit together. Shiro was a prisoner of the Galra for a year after all, and both his mind and body were scarred. The older teen had also not seen his family in that time, and the person who he held the most familial relationship with suddenly found out something regarding his mother. Keith took a deep breath. "No."
"No, what? Fix the cup."
"I told Shiro he was like a brother, yet I know how he feels."
"You think his issue is as simple as that?" The kappa laughed, before standing up and waddling off using a cane like the old man he was.
The female tengu frowned, one of her hands reaching up to brush the black feathers. "What is he talking about?"
"He doesn't think I'm like a brother. I am his brother, yet I feel like I betrayed that."
"Hmph. Not as if that boy would stop thinking that." The kappa chuckled again, his voice rather annoying.
"Oh, so it's another reason."
"What other reason is there?" Keith took a deep breath, shaking his head as he started to put the pieces together. His eyes looked over at the red cup, remembering how Shiro gave some kind of purpose to his life. He watched as the gold mixture seeped through the cracks as he pushed it together, seeming rather messy, but kept at it, thinking carefully, avoiding the idea that he didn't want to go to the funeral. Something, though, felt off about the entire situation that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Eventually, the cup was put back together, and he set it down so that the cup could dry, as per the kappa's instructions. Instead, he turned to the red cup, with the pieces put together, letting out a sigh. Time seemed to pass quickly, as it didn't take long for the black cup to dry, and he found himself cleaning up the edges, and putting the finishing touches on the cracks with lacquer. The process was painstaking, but the end job was worth it.
He was surprised he finished the piece. Letting out a sigh, he set it down next to the red cup with its silver cracks. The kappa nodded his head slightly. "Now, don't those two cups look like a nice pair of brothers."
"I guess." Keith stood up, having cooled down from the hot weather outside, the sticky sweat having dried on his thin frame. "I guess I have to go to the funeral."
He turned to head to the door, and overheard the kappa say, "but how can they hold a funeral for someone who's not dead, red paladin?"
The young man stepped through the door as a flurry of black feathers cascaded in front of his eyes. He found himself waking up in his room at the Castle of Lions, his eyes widening as he looked around. His throat was dry, and it felt like his body had just gone through a feverish ordeal. Letting out a sigh, he stood up, before heading to the door. The dream felt so real as if he'd actually been there.
He headed to the bridge where the other three remaining paladins stood along with Allura, Coran, and Kolivan. "Where's Shiro?"
The princess looked up, a frown spreading across her face. "While it's wonderful that you're awake now, Shiro disappeared from his cockpit."
"Why? Do we know?" Keith swallowed.
"It's complicated." Kolivan looked him in that eye, which proved a bit unsettling. Even more unsettling was the fact Slave entered the room drinking from a teacup that looked strangely like the one he fixed.
"It's not complicated." Lance took a deep breath, his arms crossed behind his head. "Shiro's hurting, so the black lion sent him off to heal. However, nobody knows what causes him to break."
The red paladin looked at the ground. "It's my fault."
Pidge took a deep breath, pushing up her glasses. "Keith, there's no way anybody could have noticed something was wrong with Shiro."
"Except I did notice." Keith swallowed again, shuffling from one foot to the other nervously. "And I do know what caused him to finally break. Me."
"Seriously." Lance's tone of voice made it all too clear he found his fellow paladin's attitude less than thrilling. "You're doing it again. You thought Zarkon following us was your fault as well but was seriously wrong about that."
"I'm not wrong." Again, his feet shuffled back and forth.
"Keith…" Allura took a deep breath. "What are you not telling us?"
"So, It's kind of complicated." The red paladin tried looking away this time.
"And?" Hunk piped up, the yellow paladin's worry becoming even more evident.
"You guys know I'm not good at communicating with people." Keith took a deep breath, looking up, deciding to keep his head level like Shiro would want. "But don't blame Shiro either."
"Blame him for what?" Coran looked at him, one of his eyebrows shooting up, his arms crossing his chest.
"For not saying anything either. I mean, about it."
"About what?" Pidge pushed up on her eyeglasses again.
"About our family situation."
"Don't you mean 'our family situations'." Lance piped up, his facial features twisting in a manner which indicated the blue paladin's curiosity was perked.
"No, I don't."
"Why did you refer to Shiro as like a brother during your trial, when he is your brother."
"Wait? Shiro's also Galra?" The blue paladin plopped down into a seated position, giving Keith a dirty look.
Something, however, clicked with Allura. The Altean princess stepped over, gently bringing her arms around Keith to pull him into a hug despite the way his body tensed up. "I am so sorry. And no, this isn't your fault."
"I shouldn't have gone looking for answers. Doing so only meant Shiro getting hurt."
Pidge's amber colored eyes blinked, and she pushed up her glasses. "Wait, what's going on. I mean, I get the fact Keith and Shiro are brothers, and I'm a little miffed you guys didn't say anything when I clearly pointed out the fact I'm a girl, but…"
"Pidge…" Hunk's voice strained, as he sat down on the stairway on the bridge as well.
"I don't get it. If Shiro was part Galra, wouldn't he have…" Lance's eyes blinked once indicating something clicked. "Oh. I see. He's not, but you are. Which means you guys have at least one parent whose different, if not both."
"Or, he was simply not sure." Kolivan folded his arms. "I doubt that the black paladin would have disappeared for something as simple as this. No, I think he simply lost his purpose."
"Oh, come on." Lance took a deep breath. "Once Zarkon's defeated, all of us are going to return back to Earth, and get on with our lives. I've got the garrison training to finish up if they'll let me back in. Maybe they'll let you back in Keith?" The blue paladin's eyes blinked, having looked the red paladin in the eye. "What?"
Keith pulled away from Allura's gentle hug. "Do you really think picking up the pieces for him would have been that easy?"
"I know that everyone thinks he's dead, but…"
"Like, the entire Shirogane family except for Keith." Pidge piped up, having also sat down.
"Yeah, but Keith's family. Not that he was willing to tell us something that important. I mean, they wouldn't not let one of their best pilots, not a pilot."
"Maybe the rest of the Shirogane family will listen to you? I mean, they are your family as well?" Hunk's voice trembled as no answer came. "I mean, don't they?"
The silence said plenty. Kolivan finally broke the silence. "It's still not your fault. The issue isn't a matter of Shiro not thinking of you as a family anymore, but the fact he's seen you grow up a great deal. Even I have to admit I'm impressed with what you did in the battle back there."
Lance's face wrinkled up, his confusion growing. "I'm not following. Why's Keith growing up got anything to do with Shiro's purpose?"
"Shiro raised Keith." Hunk piped up.
"Come on. There's like what, only three years between you and him?" The blue paladin frowned.
"That's just the way it was." Keith looked at the ground. "I don't know what I'll do exactly, but when I find him, I am going to help him put those pieces back together. That's my purpose or part of it."
"I am still not following." Lance's comment simply caused the others to let out sighs.