Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender
A/N: I came up with this last night when I was thinking of Einsteins Theory of Relativity. Then I decided to write a fic about what if ten years past instead of a few months.
Mini Disclaimer: I am no expert in physics, nor any science. I just have a high school level education.
This was going to be a oneshot, but two thousand words in, I barely started the story, so it became a multi-chapter story. Expect angst, self discovery, and trying to fit into a group. (There will be some romance in this, but it is not the focus).
Allura was the first person Keith saw from his life two deca-phoeb's in the Quantum Abyss. The meeting was one filled with tears and love. However, the pre-meeting was something different altogether.
After the Keith and his mom jumped off the weird space-whales onto a fairly small planet they met an Altean female gathering water. Keith was pretty sure he saw some Glaran soldiers hidden in the treeline. They looked like they were ready to attack at any moment. He tried to warn the Altean, but before he could say something he was knocked out.
"-and this human-like creature somehow got onto the planet without Prince Lotor's ships. We have him restrained now, however we believe he started the journey at least eight deca-phoebs ago." Keith slightly opened one eye and saw the girl from the forest speaking a holoscreen. He couldn't see who she was speaking to. He did manage to catch a good glimpse of the girl though. She looked as if she was royalty.
"Romelle, I will be there in a movement. Keep the two of them locked up until I can see what to do. I'll bring the Black Paladin with me for protection. Do not worry about getting people to risk their lives for my protection." Keith recognized the voice. Allura. Keith wondered how Allura knew this Romelle person. Before Keith could hear anything more, he fell asleep from exhaustion. He'll be able to see his brother soon. That was what he got out of the conversation.
When Keith woke up again, it was to a guard banging onto a metal thing outside the cell. This guard was Altean. "Here is your food." The Altean seemed like he was scared of Keith, however that didn't stop him from shoving some bland looking food into the cell. Feeling as if he hasn't eaten in phoebs, he inhaled the food. It was more bland than he was expecting.
He was left with nothing to do during the day. He was fed three meals a day. Given water five times a day outside of meals. All he did for that week was look out the window, and wonder what happened. He wondered what will happen. He wondered what Romelle meant by them having to have been from at least eight deca-phoebs ago. Krolia assured him that time was slower outside the Quantum Abyss; she promised it wasn't faster.
By the time a movement went by, a guard, the same one that woke him up the first day, shouted out. "He's awake! You may enter Your Majesty!"
The guard then left the room when Allura's voice asked him to. Keith stood up, wanting to see Allura face to face for the first time in two deca-phoeb's. The moment Keith and Allura locked eyes they both grinned. Allura had tears in her eyes as she unlocked the door. "I cannot believe you're alive!" She cried as she hugged Keith.
Keith was confused. Why would he be dead? Wasn't it only a couple months. He voiced his confusion out loud.
"What are you talking about? It has been ten deca-phoeb's since anyone has seen you alive." Allura told Keith as her hug tightened. "You've missed so much. Everyone will be exited to hear you lived!"
When Keith met Lance for the first time in years, he hoped for a kiss. He's certain that they kissed before, unless that was a vision from the future. A hug was at expected. None of that happened.
"Queen Allura. What do you need?" Lance bowed as soon as he entered the room. If he saw Keith he didn't do anything about it. Keith was surprised. He remembered Allura telling Romelle that she would come with the Black Paladin, so why did Lance come? It took a moment for him to realise that Lance was wearing the Black Paladin armour with the Black Bayard on his hip. He wondered what happened to Shiro. Shouldn't he be the Black Paladin?
"Can you take Keith to see the other's that he was with while I go to the throne room and contact the other Paladins?" Allura said as she finally stopped hugging Keith. "Make sure Keith is suitable for court when he is done, along with his companions, and bring them to the Throne Room. Thank you Paladin Lance."
"You're welcome Queen Allura." Lance bowed again as Allura left the room. Lance then turned to Keith for the first time that day. "Keith, how are you alive? It's been ten deca-phoeb's since you've been declared deceased!" Lance quietly shouted. A thought must have struck him because instead of hugging him, like it looked like he was about to do, he put his arms down.
"I don't know!" Keith cried out, "I've been told it's been years, but It's only been two years since I left for the mission to contact Krolia!" There were tears starting to form in his eyes. "I just want to know what happened!"
"All will be told to you in due time. First of all, we need to visit your companions and get you all washed up. I think Queen Allura might explain to you everything then." Lance said as he started to leave the room with Keith following him. Keith frowned; he loves Lance's hugs, so why didn't Lance hug him?
"Can we visit Krolia and my wolf first? I want to make sure they're okay. My wolf hasn't been away from me this long in the past two deca-phoebs." Lance stopped walking and faced Keith.
"I do not trust you. Keith died ten deca-phoebs ago. You're just an imposter." Lance glared. That must have been the thought that struck him. Keith just stared. How could he cause this much grief?
"I'm not! How can I prove to you I'm not?" Keith's voice was barely a whisper by the time he finished speaking. This is not how he wanted to meet his family again.
"Queen Allura is setting something up to determine if you are the real Keith right now. We're going to your companions." Lance said and turned around, ignoring Keith. Keith bowed his head forcing his tears to not fall.
Their first stop was at Krolia's cell. It was a short walk, no guards, Altean or Galran in sight.
"Mom?" Keith hesitantly whispered. It looked as if she was sleeping. Hearing Keith must have woken her up, she bolted up and looked at Keith, then to Lance, then back to Keith.
"What happened in the past few quintants?" She questioned. From the corner of his eyes, Keith saw Lance back away so he was leaning on the wall by the door. Keith was grateful that Lance just stayed in the back, not interacting with this conversation.
"It's a long story. But I think it's been ten deca-phoeb's since we went into the Abyss. No one is telling me anything." Keith said as the door opened for him. Keith didn't question about the doors. Alien tech was surprising.
"What are we doing?" Krolia asked. Keith opened his mouth to try and explain as much as he could, but before he could Lance cut in.
"We are going to get you two, along with the wolf, washed up and meet Queen Allura in the court. There she will most likely determine if this is actually the deceased Keith Kogane. If he his we will call the other Paladins for a reunion. If not he will be executed for anyone to watch." Lance explained coldly, almost as if he's expecting the worst outcome possible. Keith didn't like this Lance. What happened to the carefree Lance he loved.
"Let's go." Lance said as he left the room. Keith and Krolia followed him as he twisted along the maze-like hallways. The walk to the wolf was silent. Keith knowing that talking to Lance was hard for both of them, and Krolia analysing for an escape route in case things went bad.
Every guard they passed bowed to Lance, and looked at Keith and Krolia suspiciously. After what felt like a varga, but most likely a few minutes, they were outside a small door. It was very different from the door's to the other cells.
"Is my wolf in there?" Keith asked. Lance nodded.
"We keep this locked up, and the wolf unconscious. He keeps teleporting away if he's not under." Lance explained causing Keith to glare. "You can enter. We believe a familiar face when he wakes up may calm him. He's waking up soon." Lance opened the door for Keith.
Keith was the only one allowed to enter, and he did so cautiously. If the wolf was startled it wouldn't matter that Keith was there or not, he would attack.
When the wolf woke up, he pounced Keith and licked all over his face. "Yes, yes, yes. I'm alright! I'm glad you're okay." Keith smiled; he was really worried about the wolf. He hopes the wolf tells him his name soon.
The door opened causing the wolf to growl at the intruder. Looking at the entrance Keith saw Lance enter the room. "It's okay. It's just Lance. I told you about him. Calm down." The wolf stopped growling, he still stared at Lance in distrust.
"Where are we going next?" Keith asked, knowing Lance will take them somewhere to shower. Lance didn't answer as he left the room. Keith sighed.
The trip to the showers were longer than the trip from Krolia's cell to the wolf's cell. By the time they were there some Alteans were leaving. Entering the room, Keith noticed two outfits. A dress for Krolia, and a suit for himself.
"Keith, you shower first, then your wolf. Lastly the Galra will shower." Lance said as he opened a door for Keith to enter. Keith entered then Lance followed with the suit in his hands.
"Why did you follow me?" Keith asked, not wanting his crush to see him shower.
"I'm here to make sure you don't do anything to escape." Lance said as he locked the door. He set the suit down on the counter. "Shower and imagine I'm not here."
Keith sighed as he took of his clothes and entered the shower as fast as he could. He wasn't uncomfortable with his body, but showering in front of his crush without him caring is unnerving.
When he finished he quickly put on the suit, glad that it was a clip on tie. When he left the shower room, he felt his face hot with embarrassment.
Krolia cleaned the wolf, Lance not wanting to get Keith's clothes soaked. Lance came back with the wolf and grabbed the dress. He entered the shower room and locked the door again.
Keith went to hug the wolf, not caring that the guard in the room was watching. He just wants a hug denied to him by Lance. He want's to go back in time. He wants to go back to the castleship. The only place he's called home in a long time.
When Lance returned, Krolia was wearing the dress. It looked weird to Keith to see his mom in a dress like that.
It was nearly a varga later when Lance led the three freshly cleaned prisoners to the throne room. Lance bowed to Allura who was sitting on a big throne. "Queen Allura, I gathered Keith and his companions. They have been cleaned. What would you like me to do next?"
"I would like you to sit down and help with the questions." Allura said as Lance made his way to a small black throne off to the side. In comparison to Allura's throne Lance's looked as if it was an old chair; if it were by itself it would look like a throne for a king.
Allura turned to Keith. "What happened to you?"
Keith then went and explained his meeting with his mom, and the trip to the Quantum Abyss. Lance and Allura taking in every word. Krolia tried to pip in every now and again to explain some things, but was shushed by Allura. Keith also explained about the lights, with the flashes to the past and future. Lance and Allura nodding as if they knew about it. At the end of the explanation, Keith was glad to talk to other people about what happened.
"Another question; are you really Keith?"
A/N: Check me out on Tumblr: adorablethatsatree
I don't really like the formatting of this, but none of the formatting I tried worked... I'm sorry for all the lines, I don't really like it...