Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron Legendary Defenders or everyone would be back in their original Lions, I also do not own Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol...
"Guys! It's December on Earth!" Pidge realized as she was on her computer at breakfast.
"CHRISTMAS!" Lance and Hunk exclaimed.
"What is...Christmas?" Allura asked.
"It's a holiday on Earth that you celebrate your family and friends and give gifts to each other." Hunk explained. Coran and Allura nodded.
"Ok... and so we all give gifts to the ones we love?" Coran asked. Shiro nodded.
"Why so glum Mullet? Aren't you excited for Christmas?" Lance jabbed at Keith who hasn't said anything.
"I don't know. I don't really care for Christmas that much." Keith said shrugging. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge went wide eyed.
"Don't really care for Christmas! Scrooge! We have a Scrooge aboard!" Lance yelled running out of the room.
"A Scrooge?" Coran asked. Shiro sighed.
"Well, there's a story called the Christmas Carol and—-" Shiro explained the classic tale to the two Alteans.
All day after that Lance kept pestering Keith about being a Scrooge.
"Cut It out!"
"Scrooge!"
"Stop It!" Keith was ready to rip his hair out.
"Why don't you like Christmas?" Lance whined.
"I don't have many good memories of Christmas." Keith answered.
"Well, get new memories!" Lance said like it was obvious.
"I can't change my past! My futures not going to be any different." Keith said.
"Then don't focus on the future, forget the past, live in the present!" Lance said.
"Shut up. You sound like a fortune cookie." Keith said opening the door to his room.
"Well maybe I am!" Lance yelled.
"What does that even mean?" Keith said shutting his door.
"Scrooge!" Lance yelled on the other side of the door. Keith groaned and laid down on his bed. Keith felt his eyelids become heavy so he welcomed sleep.
Keith woke up to the sound of the ships alarm, and immediately ran out of the room. He ran to the bridge and to his surprise no one was there. Had they been captured? Keith wondered as he ran down the hallways. He ran past the kitchen, but went back when he heard laughter. He walked in the kitchen to find Hunk and Coran cooking food. Pidge and Shiro already eating some.
"What? Why was the alarm going off?" Keith asked.
"Oh nothing to worry about! I just wanted everyone to try Hunk's latest dish because it is marvelous!" Coran said.
"Yeah because on Earth it's Christmas and I wanted to make a dish that my mom makes me every Christmas." Hunk said.
"So you set off the castle alarms because of food?" Keith asked with an eye twitch.
He loved that Hunk wants to share something special with everyone, but Keith didn't see the point in setting off the alarms.
"Keith, lighten up as your Earth says. We can relax once in a while." Allura said walking in.
Allura? Telling me to relax? I thought her of all people would be on my side.
"Yeah Mullet. Don't be a grump!" Lance said appearing at the table. Keith was very confused.
"How did you get—"
"Jeez, can't even let me sit down without interrogating me." Lance said. Keith clenched his fists,
"That's not what I meant!"
"How about the two of you go train." Shiro suggested.
"Ok! I'll kick your butt!" Lance said hopping up.
Keith rolled his eyes but followed Lance nonetheless.
"Christmas is the best time of the year! I really don't see how you don't like it!" Lance said summoning his bayard.
Keith did the same. The two circled each other before Lance fired the first shot. Keith rolled and took a swing at Lance. He blocked it and sent a few more shots. Keith dodged and summoned his shield to block to remaining shots. Keith swung up and Lance side stepped before kicking out with his foot. Keith blocked the kick with his fore arm and grabbed Lance's wrist and flipped him onto his back.
"Good Job Keith." Coran said over the intercom. Keith didn't say anything and helped Lance up.
"I'll beat you next time." Lance said.
Keith nodded and they both left the training deck. They walked back to the kitchen to see if anyone else was there still. They barely got to the door way when they heard a shout.
"Look out!"
Keith barely registered Hunk slipping and a pan flying out of his hand before said pan smacked Keith in the face. Keith immediately became dizzy and everything went dark.
Keith opened his eyes and found himself in the Garrison dorms.
"What the—"
"Good, You're up." A Voice said. Keith turned and was face to face with Matt Holt.
"Matt? What?"
Keith thought Matt was still with the rebels helping out. Wait, back up, the Garrison? Why the heck am in the Garrison? I was kicked out.
"Yeah. I'll catch up, you go to—class." Keith said.
Matt shrugged and left the room. Keith blinked in confusion before turning around to find Shiro on his bed. Although, it wasn't the Shiro that they found from space. He had his regular hair cut with the tuft of hair, but it wasn't white. No scar on his nose. No prosthetic arm. And his officer uniform. Ok. Something was up.
"Keith, I'm the Ghost Of Christmas Past." Shiro said.
"Ghost of Christmas Past? But that's from a Christmas Carol." Keith said. Ghost Shiro didn't respond but said something different.
"I'm here to help you understand that your past Christmas's were memorable and good." Shiro said.
"No! I don't need to understand that! My past is not memorable. And I'm not a Scrooge." Keith said.
"I never said you were. I just want to help you realize that you had good Christmases too." Shiro said standing up.
He put his arm on Keith's shoulder and Shiros eyes flowed white. Keith's glowed white too before he was completely blinded by white light.
When the light disappeared, Keith found himself in his house before he had met Shiro. Keith saw his four year old self playing with his parents by the Christmas tree.
"Why are you showing me this? This was before they died." Keith said getting angry.
"I know it must be hard seeing this, but there's a reason." Shiro said.
Keith turned back to watch himself give a gift to his dad that was wrapped by himself. His dad opened the gift and pretended to be surprised.
"My wallet! Thank you Keith, I love this so much! I'll use it everyday!" Keith's dad said.
Little Keith grinned and hugged his dad. His mom smiling. His mom pulled out a rectangle box and placed it on Younger Keith's lap. Curious, Younger Keith tore the wrapping off and opened the box to find a knife. Keith realized that it was the Marmora knife.
"Uh. Isn't he young for a knife?" His dad said.
"Nonsense. Small children always get knives in my culture." His Mom said. His dad shrugged and watched Younger Keith stare at the knife.
"Thanks mommy." Young Keith said.
Keith and Shiro were pushed a few days in time to see Keith at a funeral. On December 26, Keith's parents had got hit by a driver that lost control and were killed.
Keith faced the fact that they were gone and curled up on his bed.
"Why? I don't understand how this is a good Christmas?" Keith said wiping away tears. He was torn that day when his parents died. Shiro looked at him and spoke.
"Why did I show you that?" Shiro asked. Keith thought,
"It was the last Christmas I spent with them. It was extra special. That memory of them will always be with me." Keith said.
He realized that it was the universes way of making the family stronger. It gave Keith a memory to hold onto when he missed his parents.
Keith stared and knew that's why Shiro showed him the image.
Shiro then took Keith forward in time and Keith looked at the very familiar house. It was the day the Shirogane's adopted him. He met Shiro for the first time, and Shiro gave Keith a giant hug.
"I've always wanted a little brother!" Shiro grinned.
The next Christmas would be the first one with the Shirogane's. Keith watched through the window of the family giving presents and Keith smiling so big that he had a new family. He thought about his parents and knew they were apart of his new family too.
"That Christmas was special because it was when you weren't alone anymore." Shiro said. Keith nodded. He remembered the feeling of love and happiness. He had a family again.
"Keith, your past may have had it's rough moments, but you always were able to find happiness and love. Shiro as your new brother, the moments with your parents. All of them." Ghost Shiro said. Keith smiled then felt the familiar blinding white light.
Keith sat up and found himself in the Castle med bay.
"What happened?" Keith said grabbing his head.
"Hunk slipped on something on the floor and accidentally let go of a pan and it smacked ya right in the face." Lance said.
"You were out cold." Pidge said.
"I'm so so sorry!" Hunk said.
"It's Alright Hunk." Keith said giving a small smile. Keith thought about his weird dream. Were his past Christmases that special?
The next day Keith tripped on one of Pidge's gadgets and tumbled down the stairs and hit the floor with his head, and once again found himself knocked out.
Keith woke up to a familiar face and yelped.
"Lance! Move it!" He said sitting up. Lance laughed happily and Keith new something was up.
"I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present! And nooo, Not an actual present, Present as in the now!" Lance said bowing. Keith pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Please Tell me I'm only knocked out again." He mumbled.
"Come on! Im here to show you why Christmas is important now!" Lance said grabbing Keith's hand and dragging him down the hall.
They made their way to the lounge where Pidge and Shiro were setting up a metal tree. Pidge had painted pieces of metal green and arranged them to look like a tree. Shiro hung ornaments made out of metal, some paper. It was really heartwarming Keith noticed.
"I wish Keith would come out and help. He's missing out." Pidge said building the star. She set it aside on a box.
"I know. But we can't push him." Shiro said. Pidge sighed. Did Pidge really want his help?
"Yes. She did. And Shiro too. He misses decorating the tree with you like when you were younger." Lance said. Keith frowned.
"Let's go see what the real Lance is up to." Lance said taking Keith.
Keith watched as Lance was cutting paper snowflake after paper snowflake and hanging them every where around the castle. Lance even hung some on Keith's door. Keith was speechless. Lance did that? He needed to give Lance more credit.
"I'm pretty great aren't I." Ghost Lance said. Keith groaned.
"Come on." Lance said pulling Keith to the kitchen.
And Keith saw Hunk cooking a feast for dinner. He was teaching Allura to whisk cake batter and it was spilling everywhere. Coran was taking cookies out of the oven and almost dropped the pan because it was so hot. Hunk laughed and helped Coran. Keith wished he was there. He couldn't cook to save his life but he wanted to have fun with them.
"See? When you take the attitude of not loving Christmas, you miss out on the chances to have fun with us." Lance said. Keith frowned and felt himself waking up again.
He opened his eyes to a concerned Pidge.
"Dude, You are a serious hazard to yourself today. You were passed out for about two minutes." Pidge said. Two minutes? Keith was pretty sure it was like an hour. Keith got to his feet.
"Thanks." Keith said to Pidge for making sure he was okay. She was right though, he was a freaking hazard to himself.
Keith was super careful not to trip on anything because he really didn't want to get knocked out again. He walked to the training deck and found a plate of cookies. Without inspecting them he took a bite out of one and immediately his throat swelled up. Gosh freaking dang it. Keith's allergic to cinnamon. He heard Shiro run in as he once again passed out.
Let's get this over with. Keith thought as he looked around. It was the ship but darker. Most of the lights were out if not all, and Keith turned around.
"Guys? Are you here?" He called out.
"Red Paladin." A voice called.
It was echoey and feminine. Keith whipped around and saw a light flicker. It flickered again and Keith tripped on his feet when he saw a hooded figure standing under the light. It flickered again and the figure disappeared. Keith did a double take.
"Listen Well." The Voice said behind Keith and he turned to be face to face with the figure. Keith yelled and summoned his bayard and swung. The blade went right through the spectral figure like smoke.
"That will do Nothing. I am the Ghost of Christmas Future. I am here to show you your inevitable future if you do not realize the important of Christmas." It said. It tipped its head up and Keith saw that it was Pidge without her glasses.
"Pidge." Keith said. The Ghost nodded.
"Come." Her voice resonated throughout the dark castle.
Keith followed and Pidge opened a rift and shoved Keith through it. He screamed as he fell but soon landed on the cold floor. He looked around and saw the Castle of Lions in ruin.
"What happened here?" Keith asked. Pidge floated up next to him.
"When you didn't spend that Christmas with us, you became more distant. You divided the team, and we weren't able to form Voltron. The Galra won. This is the future." Pidge said somberly.
Keith gasped. He did that? Just by not spending Christmas with them? How could he let himself do that? They were his family— Keith looked at the spirit.
"I know now." He said. Pidge smiled.
"Good." Pidge touched Keith's forehead and Keith drifted off again.
Keith woke up gasping, and in the med bay once more.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Shiro asked smiling.
"Cinnamon." Keith remembered. Shiro nodded.
"Geez. I've had the craziest day." Keith said.
"I'll say." Shiro said. Keith suddenly shot up from the bed and ran out of the room.
"Keith! Wait! Should you be running?" Shiro called following him.
Keith burst into the lounge where the others were just beginning to build the metal tree.
"Guys? I know now. Even though I had a tough past, I have memories that outweigh the bad. And I have you guys now to make new memories. You guys are my new family and I never want to change that." Keith said. Suddenly he was being dog piled by everyone and group hugged.
"You're our family too Keith! Don't forget that." Shiro said. Keith was so happy that he had his family with him.
"Let's finish setting up the tree!" Lance declared.
For the finishing touch, Keith lifted up Pidge on his shoulders and she placed the glowing yellow star to finish the tree. It was perfect. And Keith wouldn't change anything.