Monsters and Mana: The Treacherous Ballroom Heist

"So…it's called what again?"

"Monsters and Mana!" Coran replied. "I made sure I packed it away when we left the castle, and we just found it in the boxes yesterday! Do you want to play?"

Keith's face looked doubtful. "I mean…how long will it take?"

"It depends," Pidge shrugged. "Sometimes it lasts up to five hours!"

"Yeah, and the long games are the best ones!" Hunk said.

Keith was casting Shiro a concerned look, but the leader just smiled. "Come on, Keith, join us for a round. It is pretty fun."

The group gave him a wistful look, and the young man sighed. "Fine, how do I play?"

Lance brightened. "It's easy— first, you get one of these," he instructed, handing over a bright orange tablet, "and you design your character!"

Keith stared at the screen dubiously, his eyes scanning the options. "This is way too complicated," he grumbled. "How are you supposed to choose from so many types of characters?"

"That's the fun part!" Coran declared. "You could be a maven, a mage, a cleric, a klazgool, a bard—"

"Or I could just hit randomize."

"KEITH, NO!"

His finger pushed the button.

"Are you sure about this? Because, like, I don't know if you remember the last time we were in the Dark Forest, but it did not end well for me, okay?"

"Block, she already got the map authenticated by the elf king— it's real, alright? Knock it off already!"

Meklavar cast her companions an annoyed look. "Takashi, can you tell them to shut up?"

"Quiet, Pike and Block," Takashi instructed. "The demons will hear you if you're too loud."

Block's eyes went wide, darting from one shadowy area of the forest to the next, wary of any creatures that could be lurking in them. "D-D-D-Demons, you say?" he stuttered.

Pike rolled his eyes. "Just cast protection on yourself if you're so scared."

"But I might need my mana for later!" Block hissed back.

Meklavar stopped in her tracks, spun on her heel, and glared at them. "If you two say one more word—" she held her axe up as a warning, "—your faces are meeting this. Got it?"

The two gulped and nodded as fast as they could.

Satisfied, the dwarf turned back to face the path. They'd reached a fork, and there was no way to decipher which direction to take. She frowned and consulted the enchanted map in her hands. "If the red light on this map is anything to go by, then the tower should be just a little to the east."

The group took the right path, and Block's nose scrunched up. "Remind me why we had to come all this way again?"

"Because the princess is the key to retrieving the Jewel of Jitan," Takashi explained patiently. "According to legend, she will grant any wish of the rescuer who comes to her aid."

"Then why can't we just ask for the jewel to appear in our hands?" Pike questioned. "Seems a lot easier than asking for an invitation to a ball."

Meklavar shook her head. "King Shaffir has a spell cast on it— the wish won't work. Sneaking into his ball is the only way we can take back what rightly belongs to my family."

They came over the final hill of the winding path, and the group stood in awe. Before them was a clearing that was, strangely enough, filled with light. It shown like a beacon in the midst of the dark forest. There was a calming stream running through the valley, flowers littered the grass, and a gentle breeze flowed by them. In the middle of it all stood a massive stone tower at least a hundred feet tall.

"That's what we have to climb up?" Pike exclaimed. "There's no way!"

Frowning, Meklavar ran ahead of the group to the base of the tower. She studied it carefully. Something wasn't right…wait a second!

"Over here!" she called. "It's some sort of key hole."

Her companions trotted over, and immediately, Block peered at it suspiciously. "Okay, so do we need to find a blacksmith or something?"

"We don't have time," Meklavar said. "The ball starts at sunset, and the sun is already beginning to sink past its peak. We'll have to think of something else."

They fell into silent contemplation until Takashi snapped his fingers. "I've got it! Pike, you teleport inside the walls and speak with the princess. There's a window up there— you take her to it, and then Block can cast a levitation spell to bring you both down!"

Pike's ears wilted. "But what if there's a trap?"

"No time for questions," Meklavar shrugged, giving Pike a hearty push toward the wall. "You've got a princess to rescue."

The thief looked ready to protest, but upon seeing the stern look in the dwarf's eyes, he simply nodded. Swallowing hard, he approached the tower and placed his hands on its outer wall.

"Here goes nothing," he mumbled. Pike shut his eyes, and within a flash, he was gone.

When he opened his eyes again, he sighed with relief. There were no pointy spikes or giant sand traps, just a tall, winding staircase. Gaining all the courage he possessed, he started up the stairs.

It felt like it took forever, and by the time Pike reached the top, he was gasping for breath. Before him stood a door, and he knew that he had to open it. He had probably already taken way too much time, and he knew that Meklavar could get impatient.

A blush crossed his face at the thought of the adorable dwarf, but he tossed the image aside. He had to focus— they were on a mission!

After shaking his head, Pike stepped forward to knock on the door. But before he could even raise his hand, the sound of something shattering in the room made him jump.

Cautiously, the thief palmed open the door and poked his head in. "Princess? Are you—?"

Angry violet eyes met curious blue, and—

"AHAHAHAHA!" Lance laughed uncontrollably. "You're a— you're a—!"

"Shut up!" Keith growled. "I didn't think the randomize button would turn out this bad!"

The rest of the paladins were hiding their snickers behind their hands.

"K-Keith, it's really not t-too terrible," Shiro coughed, trying to contain his chuckles.

The black paladin pouted and crossed his arms. "Whatever, just keep going with the game!"

"Milady," Pike bowed, grinning impishly.

The "princess" huffed. "Ha, ha, it's all very funny. Can we go now? I've been stuck up here forever."

Pike held back a laugh. "Well of course, your majesty, so long as you keep your sacred promise!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever, rescue me and stuff," the "princess" scoffed, "but on one condition— I'm not leaving like this."

"What?!" Pike screeched. "What do you mean?!"

The "princess" glared at him. "I'm not walking out there in this!" he insisted, waving his hands at the dress. "It's way too small, and it's humiliating!"

"But we heard that you would grant any wish if you were saved!" Pike protested.

"Fine, then I grant myself my wish that I don't want to be a princess!" Keith growled. "So figure something out!"

Groaning loudly, Pike stomped over to the window and stuck his head out. His companions were down below, staring up impatiently. "He won't come out!" Pike shouted.

"He? What do you mean he?" Block asked.

"It's Keith!" Pike responded. "And he's in a frilly dress and refuses to leave unless he can stop being a princess!"

"What do we do?" Block called.

Pike felt a headache coming on, but then a light bulb went off. "Block, use your levitation spell and send Meklavar up here! She and Keith can switch places!"

"What?! Why do I have to be the princess?" Meklavar queried, hands on her hips. "Why can't the mystical archer do it?"

"Allura isn't even playing the game!" Lance screeched. Pidge sent him a tortured look, and he slapped a hand over his face. "Look, can't you pleeeeease do this just this once?"

Pidge crossed her arms and looked away.

Lance took a different tactic. "Come on, Pidge, it's the most logical option. Your armor is way too big for you anyways—" Pidge's eyes lit up with fiery indignance, "—plus, since Keith is being a clodhopper and won't grant our wish, you're our best option to get into the ball. No one will suspect someone in a princess dress."

Groaning, Pidge's eyes roamed the group. Everyone was giving her pleading looks— especially Keith. Finally, she slammed her fists on the table.

"UGH, fine, I'll do it, okay!"

The thief let out a sigh of relief. "Whew, okay, hurry on up!"

Within a minute, Pike was giving Meklavar a helping hand through the window. He held on a little longer then necessary, then quickly let go as a blush overcame his face.

"Closet's over there," Keith grunted. "There's a partition— I'll take the left, you take the right."

The dwarf and the "princess" stomped off to their respective areas to change. Pike just chuckled and leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. This was going to be interesting.

A few minutes later, after a few curses and complaints, Keith walked out wearing black pants paired with Meklavar's breastplate and shoulder armor. He gave Pike a grateful nod, and Pike just snickered.

"So where's Meklavar?" Pike asked.

"Right here."

The men turned around, and Pike's mouth dropped open. She looked like an angel, her body swathed in a bright red gown that flared at the waist and floated down to the ground effortlessly. She was fiddling with the fabric self consciously, and in that moment, Pike felt his mind explode.

"W-Wow, you look great!" Pike exclaimed.

Meklavar's eyes widened at his flattery, but Keith raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Pike said defensively. "Oh come on, what reason do I have to lie? I'm being honest— she looks nice!"

Keith was still giving him a dubious look, but Pike ignored it. He noticed now that a subtle pink hue had taken over Meklavar's face. Wanting to take attention away from her embarrassment, Pike made a scene out of crossing the room and jumping onto the window sill.

"Hey guys, we're all set to go!" he called down.

Takashi gave him a thumbs up, and Block summoned a levitation spell. As it made its way up to the tower, Pike turned back to offer Meklavar a hand.

"After you, Lady— wait, what name are you going to go by?" Pike questioned.

Meklavar tilted her head. "Hmm…Katherine, after my mother. Lady Katherine."

Pike smiled softly. "Well then, Lady Katherine, let's go!"

The journey to King Shaffir's palace was speedy— it had to be, or else they'd miss their chance. The sun was nearly down by the time they arrived, and the group found a deserted spot outside the castle walls to discuss their plan.

"Right, what's our play?" Keith asked.

Takashi's eyes wandered over the group. "Meklavar will sneak into the crowd and find out what she can. If you learn the location of the jewel, give us this signal," he said, holding up four fingers in an intricate fashion. "We'll follow to where you lead and go from there. Until then, Keith, Block, and I will stand guard on the outside of the castle. Lance, you'll be on the inside— get up high where no one can see you and watch for Meklavar's signal. Got it?"

The group nodded. "Got it!" they chorused.

Takashi nodded back, his eyes shifting to glance at the main gate. "Let's move— the guests are arriving."

The group split up, though Pike took to trailing after Meklavar in the direction of the entrance. He knew he wanted to say something, but he simply couldn't figure out how. After a moment, however, Meklavar paused and turned around to look at him.

"Pike, you're going to be seen," she pointed out.

The thief's ears raised, and he shook his head. "Nah, we're not close enough yet."

Meklavar frowned. "Then what do you need?"

Pike froze. "I just…" he trailed off, swallowing. "Just be careful, okay? I've heard what these guys can be like when it comes to pretty women."

A smirk came onto the dwarf's face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting, Pike."

Feeling a sudden rush of confidence, Pike dared to lower his face to just inches in front of hers. "And if I am?" he hummed.

Meklavar blinked. "I-I…If you are, then you need to stop. We have to stay focused if we want to get the jewel back."

"Of course," he nodded understandingly, standing up straight again. Pike tried to ignore the pain in his heart as he leapt up and began to scale the castle. She was right— he did need to focus. But Aurita, it was going to be hard when she looked as beautiful as she did tonight.

He hefted himself up onto the castle walls and looked around. Not a guard in sight— most of them must be inside. Pike closed his eyes and hummed, a layout of the surrounding area appearing in his mind. He pinpointed where he wanted to go, and within a flash, he was hidden in a window curtain on the second level of the main ballroom.

He peeked out, and when no one was near, Pike made his way up to the rafters of the ballroom and began his search. His eyes scanned the room a few times before— there! The moment he laid eyes on Meklavar again, he sighed dreamily. He wished he could be down there with her. He knew exactly what he would do…

"Lady Katherine, might I have this dance?" he asked grandly.

"Why of course!" she replied. "Why wouldn't I want to dance with someone as handsome and dashing as yourself?"

He chuckled. "A good question, my dear. Aren't we thankful we don't have to ask it?"

"Indeed," she agreed readily, and that's when Pike noticed that she glanced at his lips. Like two magnets being drawn toward one another, they began to slowly lean in, closer and closer, until—

"EHEM."

Pike blinked. Wait, what was that noise? He shook his head and looked around. It didn't take too long to find Meklavar on the dance floor glaring up at him. She gave another loud cough, and he had the decency to grin sheepishly. He must have really spaced out there for a moment.

He watched as Meklavar glanced around the room, then subtly sent the signal. It was time.

She started off in the direction of a side chamber, and he followed from above. He popped into the room the moment she locked the doors behind her. But that wasn't what he noticed— no, instead he was struck by how small the space was, particularly because he was pushed right up against Meklavar.

"I know where it is," she blurted. "They have it locked in a cell, it's not too far down the corridor—"

'She is so pretty,' Pike thought with a sigh. Who even cared what she was saying? He was still caught up in his little daydream, wanting nothing more than for those moving lips to be on his own.

Without realizing it, Pike began to lean forward in a daze, eyes half-lidded.

"Are you even listening?" Meklavar snapped suddenly.

Pike jumped. "Sorry?"

The dwarf rolled her eyes. "I said we have to go right now! They're planning on transporting it during the ball while everyone is distracted— it could already be gone!"

Pike's eyes widened. "Crudge, let's go!"

As quick as she could, Meklavar unlocked the door and ran out of the chamber. Pike dashed after her, following her down a winding trail of hallways. Then suddenly, a thought hit him.

"We have to tell the others!" Pike said.

Meklavar shook her head. "There's no time! We must— ah!"

"Lance, did you seriously just roll a one?!"

"It's not like I did it on purpose!"

The ground had opened up beneath them, and they were falling down, down, down into the inky black abyss. The pair landed with a grunt, both of them groaning at the impact of the fall.

"Just great," Meklavar muttered.

"Sorry," Pike winced. "But hey, it isn't so bad! I'll just pull out my torch, and—"

Squiiiiirrrch.

The dwarf and the thief's eyes widened.

"W-What was that?" Pike stuttered.

Meklavar took in a calming breath and blinked. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, and once they had, she felt a sense of dread come over her.

"Pike, don't freak out…" she stated. "But I think we're in the Sands of Sacrifice."

"The what?!" he yelped. Meklavar watched as he squinted his eyes down, then promptly squeaked, "Oh Aurita, we have to get out of here!"

Gritting her teeth, she reached out and grabbed his arms firmly. "Pike, stop moving," she commanded. "You'll only make it worse. You have to stand still or it'll take you."

He swallowed nervously. "Right, stand still, stand still…what happens if we stay still?"

Meklavar squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to see his reaction. "It waits for us to make a decision on which one of us to sacrifice, and if we don't make it in time, it chooses."

Pike's stomach dropped. No, no, this couldn't be happening. Their adventures couldn't end like this! But he saw the Sands begin to move around her dress, and fear shot him in the heart. It seemed they had already waited too long, and the Sands were getting impatient.

"Wait, no!" he shouted. "We, we have to— you can't— take me!"

Meklavar's eyes shot open. "What?!"

"Take me, Sands of Sacrifice!" Pike continued yelling. "I'm the one we choose, so let her go!"

Seemingly pleased at the declaration, the Sands halted in their motion around Meklavar. There was a second of silence, then they began to swirl at Pike's feet. Gasping, Meklavar stared down at the Sands, her eyes widening in realization.

"No, no!" she cried. Her eyes met his. "No! That wasn't your choice to make! You can't do this!"

Pike smiled at her gently. "It's okay, Meklavar. This is your quest. After I'm gone, the Sands will release you—"

Her eyes were filling with tears. "No—!"

"—and you'll go find the jewel—"

"Pike, stop!"

"—and your family heirloom will be returned to you."

The Sands were already up to his waist.

She trembled with a mix of sadness and anger. "But I'll never see you again! What about your quest?"

Not wanting to go with any regrets, Pike reached out to cup her face with his hands. "It's okay," he whispered, smoothing his thumb over her cheek. "Your quest was always more important to me."

Meklavar let out a tiny sob. The Sands had reached his shoulders. With his hands now trapped, Pike did the only thing he knew how— he leaned forward to press a sweet kiss onto her forehead.

"Goodbye, dearest Meklavar," he murmured. The last thing he saw were tears falling from honey eyes, and then— darkness.

A moment later, Meklavar was transported back to where they had fallen from. She dropped to her knees. The hall was quiet, all except for her weeping.

He had so quickly offered himself, there was no time for her to intervene. She should have done something— figured out an escape, come up with a brilliant idea, sacrifice herself instead. But no, the Sands had taken him before she could even think of a single solution…and now she was alone.

Meklavar wiped her tears away, feeling anger slowly rising in her. She got to her feet and gritted her teeth. She would find that cursed jewel, but more importantly, she would exact her revenge against King Shaffir if it was the last thing she did. Not only for the jewel, but for Pike, as well.

Determination coursing through her, Meklavar set off down the hall toward the jewel. Her anger fueled her journey, and she was soon at the door to the final chamber. She yanked it open without hesitation, and as though her luck had suddenly turned, she found that the jewel had not yet been taken away.

A sad smile came onto her face. 'This is for you, Pike,' she thought soberly.

Meklavar pulled the map out and pressed it against the enchanted cage surrounding the jewel.

"Let's hope the elf king was right," she muttered. She stepped back and waited.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then a bright light encompassed the entire room. Meklavar squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, she found that both the map and the enchantment had vanished.

In a daze, she stepped forward and collected the Jewel of Jitan. She could hardly believe it…several years of searching for her precious family heirloom, and now it lay in her hands. It was awe inspiring, incredible, humbling—

"Thief!"

Meklavar spun around. A group of guards was running toward her. She managed to store the jewel away into her sack before she ducked under a spear. Being a dwarf did have its advantages.

One guard made an attempt to grab her, and she landed a hefty kick on his knee. He buckled and fell over. Meklavar smirked. One down, three to go.

The next threw a punch, which she slid under before taking his legs out from behind him. Another came at her with an axe. It made her chuckle, especially when she simply grabbed hold of the handle and thrust it into the guard's face.

Meklavar turned to face the final guard, but when she did, her eyes went wide. He had called for backup. She was surrounded.

"Return to us the Jewel of Jitan!" one called.

She growled, "Never!"

The guards lunged forward to take her down. Meklavar lashed out— one punch here, a kick there, but it wasn't enough. Soon, she was pinned down to the floor, the guard's arms acting as shackles. Fight as she could, she was unable to stand up with all their might against her.

A bitter thought passed through her mind, and she closed her eyes. 'I'm sorry, Pike, your sacrifice was in vain. I failed my— our quest.'

She opened her eyes and stared up at the spear above her head serenely. This was it. It was all over.

'I'll see you soon, Pike.'

Meklavar's eyes closed, awaiting the final blow.

"HEY, OVER HERE!"

Her eyes shot open. That voice…no…it couldn't be!

The guards' attention was turned from her— they were all staring upward. Meklavar strained to see what they were looking at, and when she found it, her heart blossomed with hope.

"Yeah, you, the ugly one!" Pike taunted the guard with the spear. "How about you pick on someone your own size?"

In a flash, Pike was down on the ground, throwing a punch in the guard's face. The man yelled before he fell to the floor with a resounding crash. Pike disappeared and reappeared until each one of the guards holding her down was on the floor.

The rumble of footsteps coming down the hall was drawing close, and Pike wasted no time in getting Meklavar off the ground.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Her mouth went dry. She had never realized how much he meant to her until that moment…the pain of losing him was being completely overwhelmed by the joy of seeing his brilliant blue eyes staring into hers again, and she found herself rendered entirely speechless.

When Meklavar didn't respond, Pike just took her hand. "Come on!" he said, dragging her over to a window.

The touch of his hand on hers seemed to snap her out of her daze, and her face reddened. The pair hopped down from the window and landed in the grass below the castle. No time to waste, they got up as quickly as possible and darted into the forest for cover.

They didn't stop until they could no longer hear the clanging of the guards' armor. In the silence of the night, the thief and the dwarf dropped at the base of a large tree, completely out of breath.

"You…you…you're alive," Meklavar panted. "How?"

Pike took in a deep breath, then licked his dry lips. "Well, the Sands didn't kill me— they just dropped me into a cell below. All I had to do was figure out where to teleport to. It took a couple tries before I figured out where to go."

Meklavar's eyes widened. "B-But, y-you," she stammered, "how many times did you have to teleport?"

Her companion shrugged. "Somewhere around twenty, not including once I found you," he said, then chuckled. "I nearly used up all my mana doing it."

"You must be exhausted!" she exclaimed.

Pike gave her a tired smile, and Meklavar's heart skipped a beat. "It's worth it to save you, Lady Katherine," he winked.

She grinned, but it quickly faded into a frown. "Guess the only question now is if I'm worthy to keep the Jewel of Jitan," she mumbled.

Pike's head tilted. "What do you mean?"

"While it has typically been passed down from generation to generation, my family decided that the savior of it would only be worthy of the treasure if they recovered it alone," Meklavar sighed, pulling the jewel out to stare at it contemplatively. "…and you had to save me."

Pike sat up and moved to sit in front of her. He held his hands out, a silent request, and she placed the jewel into them.

"I, for one, think that you're not giving yourself enough credit," he said as he inspected the jewel. "You still retrieved it entirely on your own without me." Pike's eyes flickered to hers before he gently set the jewel back into her hands. "You are more than worthy of it, Meklavar."

The dwarf blinked, wondering why there was a warmth spreading through her.

"Besides," Pike grinned, "I don't think you want to share it with this thief. It might get stolen again."

Meklavar let out a small laugh. She hummed, holding the jewel up to study it. "I will tell my family what you did today," she stated decisively. "You deserve the honor for helping me."

"What, like I had something better to do with my time?" he joked.

Maklavar smiled, then let out a loud gasp. "Wait a second!" she exclaimed, her head swiveling to look in every direction. "Where are Takashi, Keith, and Block? And what about Coran?!"

Lance tilted his head. "Oh, them? They left a while ago. It's been just you and me for an hour, now."

Pidge blinked. "Oh…wow, I really got into that one. It was a really good story!"

A fluttery feeling went through the blue paladin, and he chuckled, "I thought so, too. We should play more when we get the chance."

Pidge grinned. "So it's not just some nerd game anymore? she teased, quoting Lance from what felt like decapheebs ago.

"No way!" he claimed. "It's totally more than that, it's…" he trailed off, staring off into space. "It's like a whole other world."

The sound of a yawn broke Lance out of his little trance, and he snickered. "Tired?"

"Yeah," Pidge nodded sleepily. "I'm gonna go to bed— goodnight, Lance."

He smiled softly. "Yeah, goodnight."

With that, the green paladin exited the room, leaving Lance to his thoughts.

That game…it had been truly incredible. Pidge had been amazing, always knowing what to do and able to find the courage to carry on in the face of defeat. She was simply awe inspiring.

Lance thought back to when he had been taken by the Sands of Sacrifice and blushed. Maybe he had let his own feelings leak through, but she didn't seem to have noticed. She'd probably never be interested in him, anyways.

With a sigh, Lance got up from the table and gave the hologram one last look. His figurine and her figurine were still under the tree, facing one another. Maybe in that world, the world where dreams became reality…maybe there he'd be able to tell her how he really felt.

The thought gave him a smile, and he walked away to dream of a world where the story ended how he wanted it.

"Guess we should go find them," Pike suggested as he helped Meklavar to her feet.

She dusted off her dress. "Suppose we should."

Pike bit his lip as he watched her. Dare he say what was on his mind? Her honey eyes met his, and yes, yes he did dare.

"You…you really do look beautiful," he told her softly. "And not just tonight, but all the time."

A pink hue flooded Meklavar's face, and she looked down. His boldness growing, Pike placed a finger under her chin and gently lifted it. "You know I'm being serious, right? That I'm not joking around?" he asked.

A little smile came onto her lips. "I know, I can tell."

"Oh?" Pike's eyebrow raised. "How so?"

"Your eyes," Meklavar hummed. One of her hands reached up to brush a stray hair away so that blue could meet honey properly. "They give everything away."

He felt himself melting. "You're beautiful," he whispered. And finally, his dream was becoming a reality. They were being pulled toward one another, and it was slow, painfully slow, but he didn't want to mess this up. He may be a thief, but it was her choice, her kiss to give, and he wasn't about to do something she didn't want.

But then, she surprised him by letting out a little laugh. "Are you going to kiss me or not?" she teased. Her breath brushed against his lips, sending his heart racing.

The corner of Pike's lips turned up. "Perhaps." A second later, he had captured her lips with his.

As it turned out, stealing her kiss was the most thrilling heist of all.